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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 18, 2013 22:05:37 GMT
Not much gardening time today. This morning I had the health walk at Blackleach which I do every other Thursday. Rosemary needed the car part of the afternoon so did some more tidying up in the garden. Also The compost used at school to grow potatoes I have now decided to use for carrots. It would have taken too long to seive it all so I just rubbed it between my hands to check for lumps but didn't get time to mix it. There are 20 gallons of it.When she came home I had some errands to do. I went for some florists foam which I use at the shows.I go to a wholesale warehouse for it and two boxes of 20 bricks will last me all season.I had more time to go this week because I am at Tatton two days next week as well as two days at Blackleach and the following week we are away till Thursday then I have a show at the weekend.
This evening I have led a wild flower walk round Blackleach country park. Only six people turned up which was rather disappointing but it was a lovely evening for a walk. We have almost 80 different wild flowers out at present and I showed the people most of them , told them which families they belong to and what their names mean if appropriate. I announced the walk this morning to the health walkers and 4 of the people who turned up were health walkers who had walked this morning. Some of these people sometimes visit other parks and so do we but they all say that other parks have nowhere near the number of flowers that we have at Blackleach.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 19, 2013 22:27:40 GMT
Mixed the compost for carrots this morning . Took it to the allotment this afternoon and used some to sow carrots in bore holes in 3 frames. They are 4ft.by2 ft frames and there are 18 stations in each. I grow them in frames then I can cover them with fleece to keep the carrot fly out.They are the same frames I used at home in the spring to harden off bedding plants and other tender plants.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 20, 2013 22:21:30 GMT
The chrysanths all needed tying up and I did most of them but ran short of string.I have some on the allotment so I will bring it home when I go. After sowing the carrots on the allotment yesterday I had plenty of the compost left so I put it in buckets and sowed some seeds in these.
Went on the allotment after and planted the next batch of brassicas, 4 to 6 plants each of cabbage,caulis , calibrese and sprouting broccoli then carried on with the weeding.Brought another bucket of sweet peas home.Forgot to mention yesterday that I brought a bucket of nice dahlias home.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 22, 2013 22:39:48 GMT
I couldn't get on the forum yesterday for some reason. In the afternoon I went to meet John Woods who organises the N.V.S.stand at the show at Tatton park. We met half way from where we both live because he wanted the potatoes that I had grown for the stand. The back of the stand will have been done today (Monday) and he wanted the potatoes on here. I am going tomorrow to help with the rest of the stand and I have been to the allotment for some courgettes to take.All the dishes of veg that go on the rest of the stand will be done tomorrow
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 23, 2013 21:53:51 GMT
Been to Tatton today to help with the N.V.S.stand. As I said yesterday the back board had already been done . We had to make up the baskets which go on the rest of the stand.Parsley has to be packed between each vegetable in the dishes. A tedious job and one that is mostly done by the women. Most of the display was done today. I am not going tomorrow but there are just the finishing touches to be done and all the dishes labelled.
Went on the allotment this evening . Forgot to mention yesterday that I had been tying up the dahlias and done some de-branching and disbudding and I carried on with this today. yesterday I filled up 3 water butts with the hose pipe and I did the other 2 today.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 24, 2013 21:49:57 GMT
A full days gardening today. Went to my sons this morning to cut his hedges but also pruned a spiraea that had finished flowering and also a berberis.Also did some weeding in his borders but I wish he would do some himself.
At home I have fed the hanging baskets and tubs and many of the pot plants with phostrogen.
Took another 10 sacks of weeds from the allotment to the tip.Also on the allotment I have finished tying up the dahlias , staked and tied the Brussel sprouts and done more weeding.
I am getting very excited about my new book"Getting started on the allotment". It has been published by the National Vegetable Society.I phoned the editor today and spoke to his wife. She said that he has only got them from the printer today and has taken a lot of them to the show at Tatton Park to sell on the N.V.S,stall . I will not see them till I go to the show on Friday
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 25, 2013 21:51:11 GMT
Been on the allotment most of the afternoon and evening. Went to school first to feed the tomatoes.
Tied up the spray chrysanths then spent most of the time weeding. The path between the chrysanth and dahlia beds was really bad and I still haven't quite finished it.
Going to Tatton tomorrow. A friend who has been there today phoned to say that our veg stand had got a gold medal and there was only one other stand in the marquee got one . This is four years on the run.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 26, 2013 22:05:52 GMT
Been to Tatton today ,stood in front of the veg stand most of the day talking to people and answering questions. Just had time to go a quick walk round the show in the afternoon. Going to show you two pictures of the stand now
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 26, 2013 22:15:26 GMT
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 26, 2013 22:18:04 GMT
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Post by Tel on Jul 27, 2013 7:25:07 GMT
That display, certainly deserved the gold medal Derek.  |
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Post by SueA on Jul 27, 2013 17:03:29 GMT
Very impressive & well worth a gold again, I like the 'tennis rackets' !  |
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Post by derekbrooks on Jul 27, 2013 21:59:27 GMT
Thanks,Tel and Sue. I forgot to mention ,but you probably have guessed that the tennis rackets were made of tomatoes.
We are going to our daughters in Wales tomorrow till Thursday so today I have been getting as many urgent jobs as I could on the allotment. Rain had been forecast for this evening but it didn't arrive till 9.00 PM. I thinned the turnips to their final positions and then sowed another row. Also sowed some more radishes. Next job was to see that everything that needed it was staked and tied up. Staked and tied the sweet corn and some of the annuals needed further ties ,also the peas and sweet peas (I do these twice a week anyway). I then dead headed and pruned the H.T.roses.Spent the rest of the time till it started raining carrying on with the weeding.
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Post by paws57 on Jul 29, 2013 12:22:09 GMT
Fantastic display Derek - congratulations on the Gold |
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Post by peony on Jul 29, 2013 18:11:04 GMT
Wonderful vegetable display Derek, I can see why it was awarded gold |
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