|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 15, 2020 20:29:04 GMT
Not a full day today but I have fixed up the robin nest box and finished tidying up the dahlia tubers ready for boxing up. I won't have any time tomorrow but I am hoping to box them up on Friday or weekend. I just have the boxes to wash first to plant them in.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 17, 2020 20:12:28 GMT
It was showery this morning so I went in the greenhouse and boxed up the dahlia tubers. I just had to wash the boxes first. They are in five white boxes that I once got from a greengrocer. I think I've told you before that I have a room next to the kitchen that I use as a utility room. This is where I do all my pricking out in the spring, and keep all my seeds. I once extended the windowsill to make it wider and I have a large propagator on there which is where I put one box of dahlias. I have warming mat that I fix up so another box of dahlias has gone on there. I put another large propagator on a shelf in the larger greenhouse to put one box on. The other two boxes are on one of the warming benches in the propagating greenhouse. This afternoon I have been to the re-cycling centre with all my rose prunings from the allotment and four bags of weeds.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 18, 2020 21:44:15 GMT
We have been bird watching most of the day. We went to a country park a few miles away where we only go once or twice a year where there are several reservoirs. Our new great tit nest box came yesterday so before we went out I fixed it up on the shed where the old one had been. I also sprayed the chrysanths again with fungicide. We got home at 2.30 and I then went to Blackleach to count the birds there. Five cygnets at Blackleach this afternoon.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 19, 2020 19:20:34 GMT
If you want to know where we went yesterday, Sue, apart form Blackleach , we went to Pennington Flash. I'm sure you will know where that is. It was frosty this morning but the ground had thawed by afternoon so I went to the allotment and carried on with the weeding. It was rather wet for digging but I hand weeded the rest of the dahlia bed and the path behind it.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 21, 2020 21:44:08 GMT
A dry day apart from a bit of drizzle in the afternoon. This morning I forked over and weeded the border round the back lawn. After shopping this afternoon I hand weeded the rose beds. Two of my dahlia tubers are beginning to grow. Isn't it exciting! I will be looking every day from now on.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 22, 2020 21:10:04 GMT
Another dry day but I only had this morning for gardening, except for about half an hour this afternoon when I just did some tidying up. This morning I forked over and weeded the chrysanth and dahlia beds at home but there weren't many weeds .All the beds are now forked over and weeded both at home and on the allotment.The weeds will come again though, they always do, particularly on the allotment where the seeds blow in from other plots.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 22, 2020 21:17:39 GMT
Forking over the chrysanth beds.Those are the dahlia beds behind me
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 23, 2020 21:20:06 GMT
As you know I don't have much gardening time on Thursdays .When I got home from Blackleach I just did a bit of tidying up
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 24, 2020 20:26:19 GMT
A full day on the allotment digging the trenches for runner beans and sweet peas. There are two parallel trenches four feet apart and I did one this morning and one this afternoon. They are a spade wide and a spade deep. I fork over the bottom then half fill them with green waste before replacing the soil. This is the first trench dug out and green waste put in. The second trench was dug out along the path and the soil put in the first trench. The soil from the first trench was then used to fill the second trench.It was hard work and I'm glad I got them both finished.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 25, 2020 19:34:37 GMT
Today I have tested the pH value of the soil in all my beds , 10 on the allotment and 4 at home. The beds on the allotment are potatoes, root crops (other than potatoes), brassicas, onions leeks and shallots, runner beans and sweet peas,other veg, gladioli, spray chrysanths,dahlias and annuals. Those at home are chrysanths, dahlias, front border and back border. All the readings were between 6.6 and 6.9 which are ideal for most things. The only one that I want higher is the brassica bed which was 6.8.This needs to be about 7.5 or so to avoid clubroot. I will add some limestone to this bed. I have also begun my annual treatment of the lawns. I scarified the back lawn and forked it all over pushing the fork in about 6 inches deep and 6 inches apart. I now need to brush sand all over it into the holes to help drainage .I use the sand from my warming benches in the greenhouse because I put fresh sand in them every year. I said yesterday that digging my trenches was hard work but I find scarifying and forking the lawns is harder.My arms are aching.I still have the front lawn to do but it is only half the size. Heather,our daughter from Wales is on her way to our house now. She has been working all day but hoped to arrive about 9.00.She has just phoned and said it may be 10.00. The reason she is coming is that tomorrow evening we are going to Manchester to watch "strictly come dancing".We will go out for a meal with Martyn tomorrow lunchtime.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 26, 2020 22:28:01 GMT
It was a bit showery but dry this afternoon so I put sand on the back lawn and brushed it in.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 27, 2020 19:13:50 GMT
This morning I scarified,forked and brushed sand on the front lawn so both lawns are done now. Had the afternoon in the greenhouse sowing the first flower seeds --Two varieties of bedding lobelia(Crystal palace and Cambridge blue ),two of trailing lobelia (Cascade and Sapphire ), perennial lobelia (Queen Victoria ). Three varieties of asters ( Duchess, Milady and Andrella ),Delphinium (Magic fountains ), Achillea (Summer berries ), Petunia(Cheerfulness ), Penstemon (Beloved Bells ),and Salvia (Blaze of fire ). They have all gone into my large home made propagator. Heather went back home to Wales this afternoon.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 29, 2020 21:12:12 GMT
Just this morning for gardening .It was windy and showery so I went in the greenhouse and took another 72 chrysanth cuttings. There are 14 dahlias growing now.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 30, 2020 22:51:39 GMT
My two grandsons from Wales arrived this afternoon so I havent't done any gardening jobs today.Don't know if I can do any in the morning,it depends what they want to do.We have all been out for a meal this evening.They are going home after lunch tomorrow so I will have the afternoon for gardening.
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Jan 31, 2020 22:10:37 GMT
90 gladioli arrived that I had ordered from Parkers. As I always do, I removed the loose skin from them and put the in trays and put them on top of a cupboard in the kitchen. I thought I might be short of blue lobelia so I went to the local garden centre for another packet and sowed it .We went out for lunch with our two grandsons and they went back home to Wales after. It was raining most of the time till about 2.30 when it brightened up. There is a tall fence at the back of the rockery full of ivy but it has climbed all over my apple tree a well.I like the ivy because it is an excellent plant for wildlife and a nesting site for birds in particular. However, I don't want it on my apple tree . There is enough on the fence. If it had been fine this morning I was thinking of asking my grandsons to help me clear it. When it stopped raining this afternoon I had a go at it myself. I removed a lot but I can't reach it all. May have another go at it tomorrow. Our horticultural hut at Walkden opens again tomorrow and I will be going every Saturday ,unless I am away, of course. We are gradually losing members so if any of you live near enough I would love you to come and join. It only costs £1.50 and you soon get that back by the money you save because our prices are a lot cheaper than garden centres. We open 10.00 till 12.00 and it is at the top of Harriet Street at Walkden.
|
|