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Post by Cherry on Aug 18, 2012 5:30:38 GMT
They look beautiful Derek and probably hard to arrange. The Cottage Garden are pretty. I think it would have been a bad year for zinnias. Thanks for taking the bother of uploading them.
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Post by grindle on Aug 18, 2012 5:33:36 GMT
you've done well getting so many flowers, I too like the cottage garden mix  |
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Post by esther on Aug 18, 2012 6:33:23 GMT
A good result Derek - Well Done ;D
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Post by SueA on Aug 18, 2012 14:00:08 GMT
They look lovely Derek, well done in what must have been a difficult year for growing for showing.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 18, 2012 21:40:13 GMT
Thanks for those comments.Yes it has been a difficult year.I thought the entries at Southport would be down but apart from chrysanths they seemed normal.In the general cut flower section which I enter there are 16 classes.Last year in these classes there were 61 exhibits (average 3.8 per class).This year there wer 62 (average 3.9 per class),so not much different.I always come second in the vase of cottage garden flowers.There is one man who always beats me but I think his wife arranges them for him.
I wanted to go to another show this afternoon,one that I have never been to.Rosemary didn't want me to though."You go to enough shows.I don't want you to get involved with another"was her comment.She wanted to go somewhere else.
So we went to the National wild flower centre where Knowsley show was 2 weeks ago and got flooded out.Of course we didn't get chance to see the wild flowers then but enjoyed doing so today.Also we found it without getting lost.It's easy when you come off the motorway at the right exit !
This evening I went on the allotment and finished digging over the potato plot ,weeding and getting any potatoes I missed before.Also went to school to water in the polytunnel.I have to do this for a week because both Gina and Steve (the caretaker) are both away at the same time.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 19, 2012 21:50:34 GMT
It was raining this afternoon so I washed the potatoes under the car port that I brought home yesterday. Along with those I brought home last Monday I sorted out those that would do for showing .Then sorted out some more sets for the next show which is my local show because those I have been showing had gone a bit yellow.
Weather was dry tonight so I went on the allotment.
Disbudded the dahlias again .Fed the runner beans,broad beans and gladioli with maxicrop and tied up some plants that needed it.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 20, 2012 21:27:02 GMT
Been on the allotment this morning,afternoon and part of this evening as well.
First I went to the re-cycling centre with 10 sacks of weeds.
Then did some more disbudding on the dahlias and also some de-shooting--reducing the breaks if I thought there were too many .Then tied them all up.It is my own local show on Saturday for which I am the show secretary so obviously I am hoping for a good show and wondering what I will have ready.As far as the dahlias are concerned I have one Sir Alf ready now but will it last till Saturday?.I will have some L'ancresse and Taratahi Ruby and maybe Elma E ,Jomanda and Hi Fashion but the others are way behind. There are one or two gladioli just showing colour but will these be ready? I have no chrysanths at all ready which is the first time ever.I am even struggling for roses.
When I had finished what I was doing with the dahlias I spent the rest of the time weeding the annual beds which were overgrown.
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Post by Tel on Aug 22, 2012 6:37:54 GMT
You can only take what you have mate, there is nothing we can do about the seasons.  |
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 23, 2012 12:24:38 GMT
Have you all been wondering what has happened to me?.Well,I have not been able to get on the internet since Monday and I don't know why.I have not got my emails or been able to get on the forum. I have just tried again and it is working and again I don't know why. .I had 60odd emails !.Hopefully I'll tell you tonight what I have been up to. |
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 23, 2012 21:46:59 GMT
I will catch up with my diary now.
It was raining Tuesday afternoon so I went in the greenhouse and potted all the rooted fuchsia and geranium cuttings which were taken in July.It was dry at night so I went on the allotment and carried on with the weeding.
On Wednesday morning I cut my son's privet hedges and I didn't cut through the cable this time. :)Just got them finished in time before it started raining.Didn,t rain long though and I did some more weeding later.
I have spent most of today cutting my flowers and sorting veg for our show on Saturday .I have done it today because tomorrow I have to help set up the show.We have to collect tables from three places and take them to the show venue.There is only one other person on the comittee besides me who has an estate car .We can each fit 8 tables in the back. Then we have to put the tables up,cover them with polythene sheets and mark out the classes.
I still have some veg to collect from the allotment after and then go staging at night.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 25, 2012 21:00:40 GMT
My busy weekend is now over for another year,-being the show secretary and having to help set up the show and showing as well. Last year I put 74 entries in but this time I only managed 54 but it was still enough to win most points in the show.For the first time for many years I didn't win most points in the flower classes but for the first time ever I won most points in veg.Entries were down generally presumably because of the weather so I wasn't the only one who couldn't show as much.
I won the bronze medal for best exhibit in roses with 3 Dorothy Cunliffe and the silver medal in dahlias with 3 Jomanda and there were 9 entries in this class.
I'll show you a few pictures now.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 25, 2012 21:07:07 GMT
 Garden News Top vase 3rd |
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 25, 2012 21:10:33 GMT
 Garden News top tray 3rd |
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 25, 2012 21:15:34 GMT
 This was a "Diamond Jubilee" class for a vase or bowl of red,white and blue flowers. Thought it was good so was disappointed to only get 3rd |
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 25, 2012 21:18:20 GMT
 Six asters .1st |
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