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Post by derekbrooks on May 28, 2012 22:15:22 GMT
A full day and evening gardening today.
This morning I mixed the two batches of compost for hanging baskets that I have been waiting to do for two days.
Went on the allotment this afternoon but before I went there I went to school.There has been a plant sale at school.Gina and Steve,the caretaker,have been making hanging baskets to sell to parents and boxes of bedding plants as well.There are a lot of plants left though.School is now closed for two weeks so I thought I would go and pinch some of these plants (good job I have a key for the gate).I thought I may be short of some plants for my tubs and I can pass the plants through the railings onto the allotments.I got a box of nemesia because I have lost all mine this year and some geraniums and trailing petunias.
Of course I am only joking about pinching them.I will pay for them after the holidays.Gina goes in every evening to water and I left her a note to say what I had taken.While I was there I tied up all the tomato plants.
When I got on the allotment I got the ground ready for planting the "show perfection"peas and climbing French beans and fixed all the canes up.This evening I took the plants and planted them and fastened them to the canes and watered them in.
I also sowed another row of turnips.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 29, 2012 21:29:23 GMT
Went to Blackleach this morning but the only gardening I did was to plant some parsley that I had grown in the herb wheel.
This evening I planted some courgetes on the allotment and got the bed ready for planting where I grow marrows.
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Post by derekbrooks on May 31, 2012 21:31:03 GMT
We are going to our daughters in Wales next Monday and Tuesday and this afternoon and evening I have planted two hanging baskets,a trough and about ten other containers to take for her.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 1, 2012 21:44:12 GMT
 These are the conainers I have planted for my daughter |
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 1, 2012 22:01:54 GMT
I will be planting my own baskets and tubs next week so today I have removed all the plants from the tubs and emptied the baskets. There were some plants in them which will keep for planting again in the autumn so I potted these up.They are ivies and other foliage plants.
To save money on compost for tubs I make it last two years.Each year I put fresh compost in half of them.The others that had fresh compost the year before I fork them over and add some fish,blood and bone and mix it in.I began doing this today.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 2, 2012 21:50:06 GMT
This afternoon I finished getting my tubs ready for planting
Went on the allotment this evening and planted some marrows and lettuce.The purple sprouting broccoli was all going to seed so I cut it down.
While I was there I filled up the water butts with the hose pipe as they were nearly empty.In an attempt to save water on the allotments ,push taps have been fitted.The idea is that people should stand there holding the tap while they fill their watering cans.Allotment rules allow water butts to be filled using a hose pipe but people can't be expected to stand holding down the tap all the time they are filling up.So most people stand a brick on top of the tap to hold it down.The tap is enclosed in a box with a door.I have cut a piece of wood the right length to fit from the top of the box to the tap to hold it down.So the push taps are not fulfilling their purpose are they if people don't need to stand holding them down.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 3, 2012 21:47:26 GMT
A horrible wet and windy day so I spent the afternoon in the greenhouse.
Sowed some purple sprouting broccoli and more cabbage,cauli,calibrese and lettuce.Also sowed some lupins,echinaceas,and gaillardias.
I had some achimenes growing in trays where I planted the tubercles in February.They had been slow to grow but are now growing well so I transfered them to pots.Put about 5 or 6 in 5 inch pots hoping they will make nice plants for showing .
Did some stopping of fuchsias and potted on some plants that needed it.
We are going to our daughters at Portmadog tomorrow.I am coming home Tuesday but Rosemary is staying till Friday.Heather is bringing her home. I will therefore be the boss in my house for a few days.I will take as many of the containers I have planted for her that will go in the car.She will take the rest when she comes and she will probably want some bedding plants.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 4, 2012 18:26:36 GMT
I am at Heathers in Wales at present.She is a carer and is driving about all day looking after elderly people.She has just gone out again till 10.00o'clock.T he reason I am telling you is that one elderly man who she visits has got interested in gardening and has bought one of my veg books.She took me to see him this afternoon.He is in a wheel chair but has got raised beds with potatoes,cabbages,sprouts and peas and some nice sweet corn in tubs(better than mine).She does jobs for him when she goes and he also has a neighbour who helps him.He has a lot of tomatoes ready for their final pots and I have brought him 16 ,9inch pots that I no longer use.
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Post by Lou78W on Jun 4, 2012 20:25:11 GMT
That is great Derek....good for him ;D
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Post by Cherry on Jun 5, 2012 5:52:20 GMT
You now have a new gardening friend Derek and this will give him even more incentive to aim even higher. It is nice to have your work admired.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 5, 2012 21:52:17 GMT
Thanks for those comments
I have arrived home from Wales.I wanted to go to the veg meeting but was home too late as I got stuck in a traffic jam on the A 55.All the "veg" meetings are not about veg It was Ian Sutherland tonight talking about dahlias.I know Tel knows him and I expect some others of you know him as well.
On my way home I called at Snowdonia nurseries and bought a Ficus benjamina,a rubber plant and a begonia rex.Potted them into bigger pots when I got home.
I have some busy days to come now I am home.An elderly couple who we know have a lot of containers in the garden that I plant up for them every year. I have about 30 hanging baskets to plant (12 of my own and the rest for other people) and another lady has brought me several containers for me to plant for her.I would like to get all these jobs done this week as well as planting my front garden. The dahlias ,I think ,will have to wait till next week.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 6, 2012 21:50:01 GMT
Had to go to the allotment first to water in the polytunnel but while I was there I harvested the winter onions and reduced the shallots to three per clump.Those that I remove we use in salads.
Spent the rest of the day and evening doing hanging baskets.I did 16 today ,for two different people.I have another 23 to do of which 12 are my own.Started them today and I hope to finish them tomorrow.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 7, 2012 22:11:31 GMT
Carried on with the hanging baskets this afternoon and evening but still not finished.I ran short of compost and had to mix some more.Made another 15 gals using Sinclairs potting comost and mixed in some swellgel and easyfeed.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 8, 2012 21:50:33 GMT
Finished doing my hanging baskets this morning.This afternoon I went to plant some containers for the elderly couple I told you about the other day.Got most of them done but I ran short of compost.I will get some more tomorrow and finish them off.
Began planting my tubs after.
Rosemary arrived home from Wales this evening with Heather so I am back to being nagged again.Seriously though I am glad she is home .It's strange being on my own. The man that Heather took me to see on Monday who is interested in gardening is only 50 so I got told off for calling him elderly.He does look elderly though because he is not well and is in a wheelchair.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 9, 2012 21:50:24 GMT
Went back to the elderly couple I went to yesterday and finished planting their tubs. Planted 8 tubs for somebody else then did some more of my own tubs after.
Heather helped me by doing some potting in the greenhouse-plants that needed potting on into bigger pots.
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