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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 14, 2020 20:33:43 GMT
And this is Rosemary relaxing and enjoying the garden
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Post by roofgardener on Jun 15, 2020 7:27:58 GMT
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 15, 2020 21:16:12 GMT
Thanks, Roofie I went on the allotment this morning and sowed carrots in two of the three frames 15 in each. I make bore holes with a bar the shape of a carrot and fill them with the carrot compost which I made. I poke the compost down with a cane to make sure there are no air pockets then sow about three seeds in each. The idea of growing them in frames is that when the carrots start growing I cover the frames with a mesh to keep out the carrot flies. We had a thunder storm in the afternoon which stopped us going for our usual walk. I went in the greenhouse and sowed another 24 French beans in 4 inch pots. Those sown at school are not growing . I have 12 growing at home so I think I will plant these at school. Those I sowed on the allotment are not all growing yet so I will use those I sowed today there if any don't germinate or they can go in one of the small beds at school. I then worked under the car port and mixed another 15 gallons of potato compost and topped up the bags with it. I went to Blackleach this evening to do some gardening. There is a L shaped bed which I had weeded before so I planted this with calendulas. Did some weeding on the main border and planted 12 Verbena bonariensis. I grow this for Blackleach because it is a good plant for wildlife.We had another thunder storm about 9.00 pm but I was ready for coming home then.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 16, 2020 20:57:51 GMT
Went to the allotment this morning and sowed carrots in the third frame. This is a bigger frame so I made 28 bore holes whereas the others only had 15.I just had enough compost and just enough seeds. I then put string round the potato bed supported on canes . If I don't do this they lean over and obstruct the paths round the edge. Now that I have cleared the terrace of boxes of plants, this afternoon I swept it clean and fixed up the table and chairs and umbrella which we always put there. We had another thunder storm after. I went to school this evening and planted more of my spare veg ,another 8 runner beans, the 12 French beans I told you about yesterday and 6 courgettes. I also took 4 broad beans but didn't get chance to plant them because it started pouring down again. I just sat in the polytunnel for a while hoping it would slacken. It didn't seem to be doing though so I decided to go home. It is a long walk up to the car park so I got wet through and had to change my clothes when I got home.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 17, 2020 20:53:06 GMT
This morning I went to Martyn's and planted his garden. It was raining this afternoon so I went in the greenhouse and sowed some more lettuce, beetroot, cabbages and cauliflowers. The rain didn't last long and we went a walk after and then I did some tidying up in the garden. Went to Blackleach this evening and carried on weeding the border . I took 2 bags of old compost and put it on one of the nursery beds . I don't think I will plant these beds this year because they are rather weedy and I haven't got my helper, Billy to weed them for me.I think I have enough to do with the border. It started pouring down about 8.30 so I came home.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 18, 2020 20:32:01 GMT
It has rained all day today so I have had a day in the greenhouses. I have been through all the plants in both greenhouses, tidying them up, removing dead leaves, trimming them to shape if they needed it and potting them into bigger pots if needed. I put several plants outside that were no longer any good. It's a good job I get a day like this occasionally . If the weather had been fine I would have been working outside and probably gone to the allotment. The plants in the greenhouses keep getting neglected for weeks on end. It did stop raining this evening so I went out and emptied the pots with plants in that were no longer any good. Under the ivy hedge it is full of dead leaves and they are all over the rockery so I got rid of a lot of them . I filled 2 large buckets with them but I haven't got them all yet.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 19, 2020 21:11:13 GMT
It has been too showery to do much today. Because I had a good day in the greenhouses yesterday I only had outdoor jobs to do today. I wanted to go to the allotment to put more ties on the peas and sweet peas so when the sun came out this afternoon I went .When I got there, though , it started raining so I had to sit in the car for 20 minutes till it stopped but I did get time to do them after. I went to Blackleach this evening and finished weeding the border. It managed to keep fine while I did it.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 20, 2020 21:43:06 GMT
After we had been for a walk this afternoon we went to school then I could feed and see to the tomatoes. I decided to take Rosemary because she worked at the school for over 30 years and since she retired she went to listen to children reading for 18 years but she had never seen the school gardens where we grow veg and the polytunnel. I also wanted to show her the prayer garden which is nice. While I fed the tomatoes she removed the side shoots . I also put more ties on them and then planted 4 broad beans in one of the beds. I went to Blackleach this evening and planted the border which I finished weeding yesterday. After, I did some tidying up of the herb wheel.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 21, 2020 20:50:43 GMT
This afternoon I decided that we could d0 with a few more plants on the terrace along the wall of the house. so I potted a large begonia into a larger pot and did the same with a lavender and put them there .Spent the rest of the afternoon weeding the front garden. There were just a lot of tiny weeds.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 22, 2020 21:03:21 GMT
Took the car for M.O.T.and didn't get it back till 4.00pm so I spent the time weeding the back garden. Did the terrace near the form, the rose beds,chrysanth beds and dahlia beds. Went to the allotment this evening and planted 8 calabrese. Had to remove the nets that were covering the bed to keep butterflies out and weed the bed first. This took longer than the planting , then of course, I had to put the nets back after. I then started weeding the onion bed again. I took all my spare spray chrysanths, dahlias and sweet peas and left them for anyone who wanted them. While I was there one plot holder took some of each and planted them and gave me the pots back.
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 23, 2020 20:55:08 GMT
After our walk this afternoon and again this evening I have been on the allotment. Planted some more lettuce between the rows of runner beans and sweet peas. Spent the rest of the time weeding the onion bed and just managed to get it finished. All my spare plants that I took yesterday for anyone who wanted them have been taken.
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Post by Cat on Jun 23, 2020 21:47:54 GMT
After we had been for a walk this afternoon we went to school then I could feed and see to the tomatoes. I decided to take Rosemary because she worked at the school for over 30 years and since she retired she went to listen to children reading for 18 years but she had never seen the school gardens where we grow veg and the polytunnel. I also wanted to show her the prayer garden which is nice. While I fed the tomatoes she removed the side shoots . I also put more ties on them and then planted 4 broad beans in one of the beds. I went to Blackleach this evening and planted the border which I finished weeding yesterday. After, I did some tidying up of the herb wheel. This is a lovely post to read, working in a school as I do and leading the reading,organising 2 libraries and an online book quizzing scheme it is super to hear the support that Rosemary has given children to help them read for so many years. Reading is so important in life and I know she will have made a huge difference to many. From me for them THANK YOU ROSEMARY
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 24, 2020 21:32:51 GMT
Thanks very much, Cat. I have just read your reply to Rosemary. Today I have been on the allotment this morning and evening. I harvested the overwintered onions as most of them were a usable size and I wanted the ground for other crops. They were on the root crop bed. I weeded the whole bed after. There are some swedes and turnips on this bed that are doing well but I planted some beetroot on it from cell trays and not many of these had survived. I think they had been eaten by slugs. I planted some more beetroot from cell trays and sowed another row direct and also sowed another two rows of turnips. This bed has also got the frames on it in which I sowed carrots. So this bed is full now. This afternoon I cleaned and washed the onions I had brought home this morning and potted 15 brassicas from 3 inch pots into 5 inch. This evening I harvested some of this years onions. It seems strange that the overwintered onions and some of those planted this year are ready at the same time. These that I have harvested this evening are for the "not over 8 oz." class at shows. I took our kitchen scales to weigh them and they are all about 8 oz. If I had left them any longer they would have grown too big and would be disqualified. All the August shows that I go to have been cancelled but I am still hoping that some of the September ones will go ahead and there is one in November that I go to but I haven't heard about these yet. So I am still growing things assuming that some shows will go ahead. Overwintered onions harvested this morning
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 24, 2020 21:34:18 GMT
And cleaned up and washed
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Post by derekbrooks on Jun 25, 2020 20:59:56 GMT
Rosemary needed the car this morning so I stayed at home. I cleaned up and washed the onions I brought home last night .When they are dry I will put them in the shed. I also potted about 60 surfinias from small yoghurt pots into 4 inch pots. These are my stock plants to take cuttings from next year. I then did some tidying up, picking up a lot more dead ivy leaves. Went to the allotment this evening. Put more ties on the peas and sweet peas and staked the Brussel sprouts, also some roses that were leaning over the path.
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