What I did today - 2017

[veggiechicken]

I keep meaning to have a go at that Shame we don't get free newspapers anymore.

Finished digging out the base for the greenhouse. Now getting on with filling soil back, leveling off and compacting it down by jumping on boards. Got a soil roller on order so hope that hurries up and gets here so we can finish off.

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This is one gardening job we'll be glad to see the back of.

I'm sure you've thought of this anyway - so ignore me - but............make sure you leave enough space between the GH and the fence so that you can get in to wash down the glass or, if you need to replace any glass.

[craftymarie]

Thanks VC, yes it does look pretty close in the photo but we've dug out far more space than is really needed for the greenhouse so will be big enough to walk round comfortably all sides Good to mention that though in case it was an oversight. I have been known to do loads of daft things. Should be called DaftyMarie instead of Crafty

[bramble]

Well my potatoes are showing above ground so I spent part of the sfternoon earthing thrm up.
Potted on some of my tomatoes.
Sowed some more spring onions.
Put away my pots of Daffodils that have finished flowering and replaced thrm eith my container grown lilys.
Pulled all the weeds from my garlic bed.
Cut down the dead foliage from my Dahilas and mulched over the bed in case we get a late frost.
Walked to the library and got another lot of books.
All in all it was a lovely day intersperced with showers.

[Jay-ell]

Rediscovered A Forgoten Vegetable

Put 30 rhizomes of Yacon into polypots and filled up a double propogator with them, didn't have space for the rest.

Took some Dahlia seedlings out of another propagator and moved them to the kitchen windowsill next to the Giant leeks and Bulgarian Giant Leeks.

Popped down to W1lk0s to get a replacement top for one of my propagators as the one that's on it lets all the water drip through the seal and outside of the prop - the one I got is not quite the right size but seems to be better that the other one. Picked up a bag each of Golden Gourmet and Red Sun shallots as well.

Took some more Dahlia seedlings out of another propagator and moved them to the kitchen windowsill next to the Giant leeks, Bulgarian Giant Leeks and Dhalias from earlier. These weren't there earlier on.

Went down the plot and popped my Pentland Javelin into some bags I got from Aldi

Got another 20 bags/pots/buckets of spuds to go.

Weeded my autumn sown alliums and my What's That bed. Was digging over another bed when I rediscovered my skirret plants. I thought that they had died as I grew them from seed last year and they didn't do much.



I trimmed off a couple of the storage roots and then replanted the crowns. There was one tiny crown which I decided to split into 4 even tinier plants and popped these into pots for a little while. The rest I replanted in a new bed so I should hopefully have some decent sized roots come autumn when I can lift them, take off the storage roots, divide and replant.

Harvested a couple of leeks - only got 20 left, not including the leeklets in the pot, the leeklets I planted the other week and the 300 or so in the greenhouse waiting for somewhere to go to.

Or the two pots of seedlings on my kitchen window getting over run by Dahlias.

Or the half dozen Babington leeks coming on nicely, the 70ish babington leek bulbils, the sand leeks, the Oerprie, The vineyard/perpetual leek and the elephant garlic, the three cornered leeks (in bloom which will have to come off), or the few flowered leek (also in flower but will produce bulbils)

So not many leeks left then.

Cleared out some other beds including some very rubbery radishes (I'm pretty certain you shouldn't be able to tie a radish root into a knot WITHOUT it breaking)

Went to pull out a bit of plastic that had been blown into the pond to find that it was covered in this stuff so I decided to leave it alone for now.




Left just as it was starting to rain - saves me from watering.

Just checked the propagators - the Dhalias can wait till the morning to be moved out to the window sill.

[Small pumpkin]

Yesterday Painted a shed ( one to go ).
14 barrow loads of farm yard manure spread over the last two beds and covered.
Pricked out turnips and swede
Put a bit of a fence round the top of a slightly unhealthy stone wall, that a couple of my chickens have taken to using as a ladder to get into the field and garden.

Today I hope to do a lot more pricking out, loads to do.

[Nannysally99]

Made jam yesterday, being tested by hubby as I type

[Guest]

Trying to be sensible and rest my back properly (have no idea how I have stuffed it up so badly ) . So lots of garden reading, which is fine as it is wet and miserable outside.

[1Bee]

(Feel better soon, Norfolk. )

Delivered cardboard boxes (wearing one as a hat against the rain, much to 6yo son's amusement) and picked Kale.

[Jay-ell]

Took some Dahlia seedlings out of the propogator - it's going to be empty in time to sow the next lot of dahlias, only the last couple left to come up, so not too bad. Use by date was 2015.

Sowed Cape Gooseberries, Tomatillos, Chichiquelite Huckleberries and Jaltomatos

[bario1]

Put a tunnel cloche over a row of spinach that I sowed the other day. I want to see if it does any better than the uncovered row next to it.
Dredged and widened the next section of the main drainage channel running through my plot, ready for the pipe and gravel treatment.
Watered a few bits and bobs in the polytunnel and coldframe.

[burnie]

Manure added to 2 open raised beds and turned over and netted to keep the cats out, have some Broad beans sprouting in the greenhouse to go in maybe end of next week, also waiting to sow early peas.

[Nafets]

moved two of my four compost bins because I found mice in them. They were against the back of my shed so they are probably sheltering under the shed. I moved them out in to the open so now they have to run the gaunlet of the local cats and kestrels.

[vixylix]

I finally sowed some seeds - 10 toms, 5 chillies and some cape gooseberries.

Hopefully the sun will still be out at 5pm and I'll get my potatoes in. So happy to finally be doing something!!

[Lumpy]

Put the kiddies windmills got from the pound shop on the raised beds to stop the pigeons from looking for the seeds I have not planted yet.

[ESBkevin]

After swearing and sweating heavilly at the end of last week trying to start the rotary mower I decided to 'review & service' the beast. It's about 7 years old and has worked very hard all those years, it smokes just a little and is will into its second blade. I last left it with a couple of shots of carb cleaner shot in the air filter. I told myself one more season last year but so far looking good for another season maybe.
The shed has a small leak and water had penetrated onto the engine. I suspected rusty points etc, but I cleaned the plug and plug lead attachment (rusty) and pinched it to make a better contact and she fired up very nicely. So while it ran I did the front lawns (I seem to do half the street, what with all the single ladies etc.). Anyway it still puttered a bit hard and after 20 mins started to knock a little. I wonderred if water had entered the sump? Anyway a quick oil change to some fully synthetic engine oil I had lying about and a clean of the foam air filter, it sounded quite sweet, but time was getting on so I put it away rather than keep little kids up and anoy all the local mothers (it is nice having light after tea though isn't it).
So I pulled some nails from some pallet wood then called it a day.