The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[Scruffy Duffy]

We're finally underway!

After hail stopped play yesterday and scuppered our plans to get the beds planted , we woke to a fine morning and decided to seize the moment. And boy am I glad I did!

Today I mostly sowed:- parsnips, purple and orange carrots, corriander, mixed oriental leaves, rocket, calabrese, brocolli (Romanesco), peas, cabbage, bright lights swiss chard, beetroot, spring onions, leeks, salad bowl and lollo rossa.

I also planted:- onions and yellow zucchini.

I've watered/fed everything and am hoping to get the net on the beds before the day is over as we have some hungry blackbirds and a pesky cat (ours) who's discovered a handy shortcut through the beds.

Now I just need to plant my cosmos, sow the nasturtiums and buy some marigolds for all the companion plant benefits.

I feel very proud of myself and will take a photo to post, along with a 'before' picture so you can see what we've done with our small front garden.

Looking forward to hearing what other people have done.

SD

[GeordieVik]

Yesterday Little'Un & I went up to the lottie and weeded, mulched, sowed a few carrots & beans, and set up 3 bean & sweet pea wigwams.

Just as we were finishing, my next-door neighbour (who's on the commitee) mentioned that someone's had to give up their plot on doctor's orders, and they want someone to take it who'll look after it (plot is clear of weeds apart from docks around the edges, and newly sprouted annuals from the last few weeks.)

I had a think about it overnight, and decided to go for it - as this is my first lottie growing season, I don't know how I'm going to get on, but if I decide I need more space next year, I'd be kicking myself if I let a well maintained plot go now. So I paid the rent on it this morning, and am now the proud owner of 2 plots!!! This one has a really good shed, paving and a knackered old wood framed greenhouse full of junk - I think I'll keep the door locked until I can face dealing with it!

I'm planning to use it as an overflow for some stuff I haven't had room for on no. 1, and also to try to grow some cutting flowers for the house.

Vik

[Snadger]

Yesterday Little'Un & I went up to the lottie and weeded, mulched, sowed a few carrots & beans, and set up 3 bean & sweet pea wigwams.

Just as we were finishing, my next-door neighbour (who's on the commitee) mentioned that someone's had to give up their plot on doctor's orders, and they want someone to take it who'll look after it (plot is clear of weeds apart from docks around the edges, and newly sprouted annuals from the last few weeks.)

I had a think about it overnight, and decided to go for it - as this is my first lottie growing season, I don't know how I'm going to get on, but if I decide I need more space next year, I'd be kicking myself if I let a well maintained plot go now. So I paid the rent on it this morning, and am now the proud owner of 2 plots!!! This one has a really good shed, paving and a knackered old wood framed greenhouse full of junk - I think I'll keep the door locked until I can face dealing with it!

I'm planning to use it as an overflow for some stuff I haven't had room for on no. 1, and also to try to grow some cutting flowers for the house.

Vik

Good for you geordieVik! Welcome to the two plot holders guild! Not as exclusive as the mile high club but still quite popular!
I found I couldn't grow everything I wanted to grow on a single plot, but should hopefully be quite self sufficient on veg,fruit and flowers with my double plot.

I have a shed cum grrenhouse in which I have planted the greenhouse up but have yet to tackle the shed part!

[Dig-in-Dudley]

Had a busy day today;

• earthed up me spuds!
• purchased two growbags & planted cucumber & tomato plants (keeping nice & warm in my greenhouse hopefully).
• planted up hanging basket of tumbling tomatoes; will be keeping this in my greenhouse until nights warm up a bit.
• fertled for weeds, slugs, snails in amongst the radishes
• kept on top of weeds in between my veggie rows
• constructed wigwam & planted french beans
• picked lots of mixed lettuce leaves & rocket for a light lunch (had to wrestle a few radishes away from the slugs but I think I'm winning!)
• for

fun: planted some coneflowers raised from seed.

[nick the grief]

Today (& yesterday) I tidied the little greenhouse up a tad Planted the last of the Toms ( Cream Sausage), a row of Webbs lettuce and got it ready for a new path way ( My neighbour is having some ready mix so I'm having a cubic metre at the same time!!) with this in mind I thought it was time to reclaim the bottom of the garden as Chez Grief as it wasn't done last year due to the greenhouse erections so it's bee two years and I've got a lovely crop of Blackberries growing!!

So I've marked out where the Paths will go, given No1 son distructions of where to to dig the paths and now sit back and wait for it all to happen.

This was all carried out under the expert supervision of The Natch

[Mrs Dobby]

Had to work this weekend, but we went down to the plot as soon as I got home tonight at 6pm!

Had a good look around, lots of newly germinated weeds everywhere after the rain of the last few days, but also plenty of things growing away well too!

Sweetcorn is now ranging from 3" to 6" tall, pumpkins and squashes are doing ok, onions swelling nicely, most of the peas and beans are now up, along with the pickling onions I sowed a week ago! Naga Jolokia chillies are now ranging from 1" to 6" long, Big Jim chillies are now at 5cm long, lots of green strawbs on the strawbs, lots of goosegogs and rasps growing, masses of immature blackcurrants, some more pregerminated parsnips are showing, as are some of the beetroot and carrots, Fartichokes are now at 2 to 3' high, and tatties are romping away too! Broad beans are flowering like mad, but still only about 16" tall yet! The first sowings of carrot (inbetween the onions) are sufferring a bit, something is eating the foliage, looks like random bits have been snapped off, any ideas anyone?

After checking everything I watered the greenhouse crops, then pulled up the 2' tall weeds on the paths of plot2, then started weeding the strawberry bed on plot1! There's a lot of dandelion seedlings, some rasps coming through, a bit of couch, masses of goosegrass, a fair bit of mares tail and a bit of bindweed, almost a full house! lol!

Mr D was itching to do something, so I let him do a little bit of hoeing on some of the beds, which he was able to do without too much exertion!

I'm working tomorrow, then off on Tuesday, so planning on spending most of the day on the plot, lots of weeding and hoeing to do, plus a bit more planting to do, so I think I'm going to be a bit busy!

[rustylady]

No gardening today, apart from watering the greenhouse morning and evening. Went crabbing with the grandchildren instead, first time for years. Dead easy, you buy cheap offcuts of bacon, tie them to a weighted line, throw it in the water, wait a few minutes and then pull out complete with crabs eating said bacon. Crabs are then tipped into a bucket of river water and baited line thrown back. Caught 44 crabs today, all safely returned to river and the only casualty was grandson's baseball cap which he dropped in the water - retrieved via the net but too wet to wear. I think I've caught the sun too, not quite sunburn but not far off.

[sewer rat]

Sowed 600 Climbing Bean Blue Lake, 3 x 54 cell trays of Pak Choi, 7 x 54 cell trays of lettuce (1 each of Clarion, Amorina, Charita, Red Salad Bowl, Green Salad Bowl, Saladin and Little Gem) pricked out 400 celery plantlets and finished the day off by hand weeding three of my onion drills - had to finish early - first wedding anniversary today !!!!!
Get my van tomorrow so will be able to work longer hours than normal without having to rely on OH not wanting car

[Scruffy Duffy]

Proof of our Hard Work

I posted a message earlier on what we did today, and promised a couple of pictures, so fingers crossed this works.

The first was taken on the 14th of April after a hard weekend graft digging up 2 big bushes, lots of weeds, removing all the stones you can see against the fence and digging then leveling the ground.

The second was taken at the end of today after all the sowing and planting. The square beds have been split into 4s for the brasicas, lettuce beets etc with peas and beans to grow up the arch, and the long bed has herbs at the front, salad leaves in the middle then carrots and parsnips along the back.

I have to admit I'm feeling very proud of myself. I don't know about you, but I think the garden looks bigger now.

Hope everyone's week goes well.

SD

[TonyF]

Well done SD, looks good.

I've had an - almost - gardending free weekend. Too wet again (rained Saturday evening/night) so no need to water, just wandering and pondering really.

Went off to brico shed on Saturday to buy seeds for new 'client's' garden, looked for new water butts but sold out - put on list for Tuesday shopping. But managed to have a good seed fix, now have 4 biscuit tins of seeds, all labelled for me/clients. Strange how proprietorial people get about 'their' seeds, especially when they don't know anything about the gardening philosophy of sharing stuff.

Off to chums today to finish the veg garden, just the snagging list really, hope to post some pics this evening.

And the weather is set fair this week, hopefully get the grass strimmed a chez moi.

[Mrs Dobby]

Had to come home early from work today, after a phone call from Mr D!

He went to the Dr's to see about having his stitches removed, the Doc took one look and wrote him a letter to take to the local hospital asap! He then rang me and off we trundled to Urology! Seems he has another infection, along the last op site, but after taking temp and stats they decided not to take him in, but to put him on a combination of 3 antibiotics and one painkiller for a week or so! Guess he's not going back to work yet then!

I'm off tomorrow, and have a lot of weeding and some planting to do, so I'll be taking him to the plot, and tying him into a chair so he rests up!!!

[TonyF]

Well, an excellent, too hot day at chums. Managed to get just about everything in, left spaces for succession planting and did most of the snagging list. Even managed to plant up some containers for them.

And even managed to get pics organised!!

[Salina]

Today I planted some seeds (watermelon, french bean, dwarf french bean, radishes)
watered the garden because it was sunny at last and everything dried up lol.
dead-headed a few flowering plants/shrubs.
checked on the potatoes - little tiny leaves are just starting to appear.
checked on the radishes, they are growing brilliantly, seedlings are already about 1'' tall and I only planted the seeds three days ago.
planted a few flowers out in the large bed. not sure of the name of them, they have large round leaves and are quite droopy. I think they are some sort of creeping/ground covering plant with large floppy flowers.
also dug up a few shrubs that had died over the winter, about two or three I think.
did a bit more weeding. (wish my plants, fruit and veg grew as well as the weeds do lol)

[MrsC]

2nite after work i potted up my tumbling toms ready to plant out in a few weeks, got loads more to do this week, hurray tho, sunshine at last! don't we all feel better for it!

[BayViewPlot]

Finally dug over my 3rd raised bed, have one with pots romping away and 2 clear now.

One for brassicas and one for sweetcorn.

Lots more digging to do tho'

better than the gym!