What I did today - 2019

[Small pumpkin]

Its Newlands Nursery https://plants-uk.co.uk/

I bought Twickle Purple and Provence. One starter plant is £1.99 but you can buy 6 for £4.14 (69p each) - which is what I've been doing.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]86616[/ATTACH]

They're much bigger than the lavender plugs I've received from other companies.

You could of warned me they had chillies!!!! . Lucky most of the things I want are sold out. I really like the look of the sage and basil collections and some of the mint and chillies.

[kitty12345]

Another productive day.
Finished weeding onions and garlic (time to start on the side that I started with!).
Weeded strawberries. Planted 6 runners on second plot - this will be the new patch as I'm planning to dig up the existing plants after the summer.
Started weeding in between rows, and spread some phacaelia in the gaps.
Did the edges on the strawberry bed.
Took off PSB netting. Plants will go soon, to be replaced by tomatoes.
Planted out some flower bulbs into the ground as I wanted to use the container. Can't remember what bulbs they were, but they are dark green and quite thin.
Put 2nd blueberry plant in the larger container and filled with ericaceous compost.
Planted out two marigolds. Still too cold really but I was desperate to do something not related to weeding.

[Bren In Pots]

Emptied and washed my GH inside and out all ready for my toms to go in today.

[farendwoman]

Its Newlands Nursery https://plants-uk.co.uk/

I bought Twickle Purple and Provence. One starter plant is £1.99 but you can buy 6 for £4.14 (69p each) - which is what I've been doing.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]86616[/ATTACH]

They're much bigger than the lavender plugs I've received from other companies.

Thank you VC - lovelavender!

[1Bee]

Misc dates, as I keep forgetting to post.

With the 5yo, dug up the finished PSB, prepped the bed, and planted out heat-treated red onion sets. The 5yo particularly enjoyed sprinkling the BFB, random digging, and working out which way up the sets go...

Started opening up the covered raised bed during the day. Planted out two of the potted dahlias into one of the dahlia beds and fleeced it.

Accidentally bought an Atlantic giant pumpkin plant and an arctic plenty tomato plant from the GC. Planted out the Atlantic giant and a sunflower in one of the builder's bags and cloched it.

Dug over the end of the pea and bean bed that will have the runners in. Chitted and sowed runners.

Took the net off the early peas and netted the second sowing. Glared at the sparrows and cursed the weevils.

Potted up some more strawberries into the mark 2 milk bottle hanging planters.

Acquired some willow trimmings (by which I mean trees.... a trifle large) and reinforced the Wibbly wobbly Bean Tunnel. It is now the Willowed Wibbly Wobbly Bean Tunnel. Flung a jute net over it for the beans to climb up.

Planted out some tagetes at the end of the pea bed.

Took the fleece off the potatoes and earthed them up.

Planted out some swede and leeks. Fleeced the swede, as it was a GC purchase and looked a little tender.

Started to clear the patch I need to move the tool chest onto, in order to make space for the shed. Cleared brambles, re-potted strawberries and shifted mint.

At home, I've started the hardening-off dance for the tomatoes and chillies, and the toms are now in the growhouse overnight. Which means the sunflowers and PSB are now out of the growhouse, and thus managing quite nicely in a sheltered spot in the back yard.

Also managed (finally!) to do the front garden, turning it into a herb garden. Rather pleased with that! Lemon verbena, lemon balm, lemon thyme, golden sage, purple sage, feverfew, marjoram, oregano, chives and parsley. Could do with another thyme, but I already have a good rosemary, so we're sorted for that.

[bario1]

Planted out the last of the peas, a courgette, and some random perennials I bought at the allotment plant sale.
Sowed two rows of beetroot, a pink stripey one and a yellow one.
Watered a few bits and bobs in the tunnel.

Nipped back down just now and planted out some sunflowers, and dug some manure into two of the barrels I use to grow courgettes and squash in. Also decapitated a few dandelion plants.

[burnie]

4 mile cycle ride as part of getting fit for my re-visit to the Munroe mountain that bust my hamstring last year, used a few muscles that haven't been used for a bit lol.

[Bren In Pots]

Spotted on cucs then planeted my toms into the GH boarder. I've got fleece handy to cover them overnight.

[bario1]

Some interesting techniques you're using there, Bren!

[bramble]

Sowed grass seed in my sons garden where he took out the hedge.
Spent ages netting it the area seems to be bird central.
Home and spent the afternoon taking out the sand where the Roman circle used to be.
Dug over the new space although the soil is not very good.
Muscles are now aching.

Rary, I know how you feel, I was also lifting paving slabs.
Each one seemed heavier than the previous one.
However, it's done now.
Have a good evening all.

[Small pumpkin]

Planted 2 mystery chillies in inverted pop bottles.
Planted out 23 broadbeans, 35 runner beans, 12 dwarf French beans, 3 mangetout ( very poor germination), 13 sugarsnap peas, 5 squash, 3 pumpkin, 4 courgette and 8 more sunflowers.
Direct sown more peas.

[muck lover]

Today I finally FINALLY picked up some chickens. Five lovely girls.
I’m having trouble not climbing into the chicken coop with them. I can’t wait until they lay eggs!

[Jay-ell]

Only went down to water the green house staging.

But the Compost Fairy had dropped of 2 bags of grass clippings so i took them down rather than have them stink out the garden. Put that was all as I was just going to water and go home, it was hot.

Decided that if I left the bags sitting there they'd start to heat up and ferment without any benefit so incorporated them into the compost bin as I couldn't ne bothered to set up and fill a water butt with them.

That was it now all I had to do was water in the greenhouse, after all I'd just finished a shift and it's been a long day. It's a long walk from the compost bin to the greenhouse so I done a bit of weeding on the way. But I got the green house in the end.

Realised that the hose wasn't turned on so I went toi turn the tap on - it's next to the compost bins. Took the scenic route through the new territories.

Plucked a few stems of the Taunton Dean Kale which is looking a bit bedraggled to take home and try to propagate.

Turned the water on. and went back to the greenhouse - some of the autumn sown Green Mountain onions had flowers so I plucked them out - hot and tasty.

The two watering cans in the greenhouse were half full already so plugged the hose into the water barrel - need to test the irrigation systems soon.

Now I have about 30 Zombie Runner Beans, almost all of the best of the mouldy one are growing. The worst of the mouldy ones only has one and is in the propagator at home so I think I'll bring it down to the greenhouse next time and see what happens. Toms small but looking better than on the table at home, squashes growing nice, beans doing well, lupins fit and healthy potato bean launching an early bid on taking over the greenhouse - I think I'll put that one in a pot in the corner.

Once the butt had filled (it should absorb heat during the day and let it out during the night giving me a temperature boost of 0.01275 degrees) I filled up the 2 cans and I was done and ready to go home.

But first I wanted to give the Walking Onions and Perutil Onions and Rakkyo I have in pots a little water.

Then off home.

Got home, cleaned off the Taunton Deane trimmings (lots of lumpy bits at the bottom of the stems) and popped them into a jar of water with a soluble asprin.

Now I'm sitting here typing and drinking Strawberry Pimms with mint - did you hear that VC - MINT .

[Jay-ell]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]86632[/ATTACH]Today I finally FINALLY picked up some chickens. Five lovely girls.
I’m having trouble not climbing into the chicken coop with them. I can’t wait until they lay eggs!

Nice - what else can I say
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUBq5RsIYDg

[veggiechicken]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]86632[/ATTACH]Today I finally FINALLY picked up some chickens. Five lovely girls.
I’m having trouble not climbing into the chicken coop with them. I can’t wait until they lay eggs!

They look lovely and a couple of them, with the larger combs, should be laying your eggs soon.

What have I done today? Weeded a bit of Bed 13, planted out some CFBs in their final positions. Need to start some more asap.
Bought a tray of sweet peas from the corner shop as mine were eaten by meeces. They have a better selection of plants than most of the GCs and you can mix and match the strips, any 5 for £6. Thought about some sprouts, cauli, cabbage, broccoli, broad beans and runners. Still thinking.