What I Did Today Archive 2009

[solway cropper]

Picked 34 lbs of apples this morning. Don't know the variety cos they were there when we moved here but they look like James Grieve and the timing is about right. Pulped and froze some, others will go in the next batch of cider and I wrapped and boxed some. They won't keep for very long but they are tasty.

This afternoon I removed an ornamental shrub which had been planted far too close to the fruit trees. Got the shredder out and ended up with 7 medium trugs full of mulch and some large bits that will do for the fire next winter after they dry out. Removing it has let a lot more afternoon light into that part of the garden. Previous owners planted some ornamental cypresses along one side and I've lopped them back a bit. I'm tempted to remove them completely as they draw a lot of moisture from the soil. Trouble is they do offer a bit of protection from the wind and boy, do we get some wind up here.

[Jillyreeves]

Seed saved from my Landcress, planted it earlier in year but it got decimated by juicy green caterpillars. Rather than digging it up I decided to leave it to flower so that I could save the seed and try again next year, must remember to net it next time.

[Newbie]

Made a batch of Damson & Apple jam, harvested some tomatoes from the GH, deadheaded two fuscias whilst bringing the washing in. Loads to do in the garden & veg patch but just can't seem to motivate myself at the moment!

[bubblewrap]

Spent most of the mornin' forkin' s**t
Yes my manure arrived about 5 tones of it all for £22.

[Gurberly]

Having not given the entire garden over to fruit 'n' veg, I scarified the lawn.

...also picked some more apples

...and picked the sole remaining turnip to go into a casserole for supper

G

[Purplebint]

Put some green bananas in my greenhouse to try and hurry up my chillies.
Made a batch of dark mead

[Two_Sheds]

- pulled up Tendergreen beans (dried beans, beautiful black with speckles)
- and sowed lupins as a green manure
- dug out Osprey spuds (bakers) .. bit scabby, but no insect damage
- and planted Electric onion sets
- also brought home a bag of White Emergo & Black Croatian dried beans
- started a blackberry wine off
- sowed some white cornflowers
- scattered seed of various white flowers: Malva, wallflowers, nicotiana, california poppy
- planted out some forget-me-nots & transplanted some muscari, for the blue part of my scheme

[Newbie]

Seemed to spend hours in the garden today and not quite sure what i achieved! Dug out huge perenial from the bed in front of the decking that i decided i didn't like. Also dug out 4 lupins from another bed that were the wrong colour for the scheme and moved them into the space now freed by the perenial after digging in a used grow bag. Still a big-ish empty space so needs something else in there too. Moved a couple of other things around and potted a few things up that i had dug out & can't decide where to put them yet. Still not happy with the bed i planted in spring - was supposed to be a "hot bed" of reds, yellows & oranges but it just ain't right yet. Oh well, i can but try again.

[Flummery]

Yesterday at the allotment I gathered all the achochas big enough to eat in anticipation of a frost. There was a little frost this morning on the alchemilla leaves, so I was just in time!
I brought home the last of the Bird's Egg, Yin-yang and Purple Giant beans to finish drying.
Threw a couple of buckets of water on the Jerusalem artichokes whose leaves were going a bit wilty.
Gathered a barrow load of fallen leaves for the chook-run. Happy chooks!

[kentvegplot]

Looks like frost this week, so spent the weekend sorting out the veg beds. Cleared all the squash/pumpkin/courgette vines. Removed the straw mulch that has been protecting one of the beds, so that the promised rain can get to the ground. It has been so dry, even the deep mulch hasn't stopped the beds drying out. Also cleared the grass clippings that were doing the same on other beds.

Picked all the tomatoes from the tunnel - about 8lbs of green toms, and another 4lbs of red ones. Also cut another 8 red peppers and chopped back some of the foliage to try to help the rest ripen. Because I did the watering properly this year(!) I now have a good crop of weeds to clear in there too.

Cut some more chillies (Trifetti, I think) - am going to have to do a taste test as I have no idea how hot they are. Remaining chilli plants into the greenhouse to hasten more ripening.

Cleared pots of aubergines and melons from the tunnel, all on the compost heap.

Once the veg garden has had a good soak (and it is raining now) I shall put a deep layer of compost on, then cover with landscape fabric for the winter.

[bubblewrap]

Still getting runner beans I picked about 3lbs yesterday and still have a few in flower.

[Flummery]

Picked a handful of autumn rasps.
Planted my over-wintering Japanese onions, now that the ground has had its first wetting for weeks and weeks!

[BumbleB]

Today I spent a few hours emptying all of the container grown pots. Harvested off 12 green peppers and 4 red peppers. I have transferred spare soil into empty compost bags to use as top up on the veg plot. I have cleared the tangle of tomato plants from the greenhouse and weeded and turned the soil. I have moved into the greenhouse 6 hanging baskets of tumbling toms that are still producing very well, also 2 aubergine plants and 2 pepper plants. The greenhouse still has many chilli plants producing and I also have some spring cabbage just getting going and some flower seedlings. I gave everything a good tidy and sweep and it is now quite a Panoply. Very satisfying indeed.

[Twinsane]

I gave everything a good tidy and sweep and it is now quite a Panoply. Very satisfying indeed.

Well done!

I've had a general tidy today too. I've cleared the sweetcorn bed and started bagging up the compost to take over the lotty. I collected leaves and and dug up the spent tomato plants. I've sprayed the chicken coup again for red mite which I'm really struggling to kill off

I've harvested another kg of ripe money maker toms from the greenhouse with plenty still growing and I'm going to collect some carrots to try Nigel Slater's carrot fritters for tea.

[OllieMartin]

I took an extended lunch break from work (unbeknownst to my boss) and went to Wilko's where I got:
12 metal ring clips
A bag of self-tapping screws
A heavy duty stapler (one of those ones for stapling straight into wood etc)

and then I went home and began using it constructing my brassica netting for next year, still wearing a suit. Had to leave it half done and come back to work, can't wait to get back and finish the job.