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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 3, 2022 19:45:29 GMT
Almost a full day on the allotment again. This morning I finished removing the annuals from the main beds. It took me a while to dig out the large roots of the sunflowers. There is still a row of annuals on the onion bed to do. This afternoon I took down the structure of canes on which the runner beans were growing and put the plants on the compost. I also removed the canes from over the brassica bed which had supported the nets for keeping the butterflies off.
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 4, 2022 22:12:03 GMT
Went on the allotment this afternoon and cleared all the annuals from the onion bed. You may be wondering why I had annuals on the onion bed. They were planted to occupy the ground after the onion sets had been harvested. Yesterday I put most of the 8 foot canes which had supported the runner beans in the shed. It is a work of art trying to get 8 foot canes into a 6 foot shed and they wouldn't all go in. Today I tied the rest of them in a bundle and brought them home.I will have to keep them behind the greenhouse. Heather went home this evening so I won't be able to go on the allotment again this week.
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 5, 2022 21:09:06 GMT
Non done much gardening today. Watered all my plants in the greenhouses this morning. They are only done about once a week at present. Cleaned out one of my water butts. The water had looked a rusty colour and I have gradually emptied it over the last few days so today I swilled it out with the hose pipe and put it back in position. I don't need the hose pipe again so I put it away in the shed. I coil it up and hang it on a hook in the shed.
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 6, 2022 20:06:23 GMT
This morning I finished weeding the border between the back lawn and the fence and forked it over so both borders alongside the lawn are done now. We went a walk this afternoon and I didn't have time to do anything after.
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 7, 2022 19:55:06 GMT
Last night we had the first frost of the winter and the ground is frozen so no gardening today. I didn't even go to open my greenhouse doors. I stayed in and carried on with my writing and typing. This afternoon I had a doctors appointment for a blood pressure check then I went an errand.
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 8, 2022 20:56:10 GMT
Been at Blackleach till 3.00 as I usually do on Thursdays. On the way home I called at the allotment for some carrots and turnips which we wanted for this evenings meal which Martyn was cooking for us.
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 9, 2022 22:32:01 GMT
Not done any gardening jobs at all today but I will tell you something that I did. In last weeks Garden News ,Carol Klein wrote about her favourite climbing rose, New Dawn, which grew on a fence in the garden where she used to live. I live just down the road from where Carol used to live and I went to see if that rose was still there. I would have loved to send her a message, through Garden News, to tell her that the rose was still there but I was disappointed. There is nothing in that garden now. It has been concreted over for a parking space for cars.
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Post by grindle on Dec 10, 2022 4:22:23 GMT
such a shame @derek  |
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 10, 2022 22:24:31 GMT
Thanks for your comment, Grindle
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 13, 2022 19:50:52 GMT
Not done any gardening jobs for a few days because the ground is still frozen . The greenhouse doors have been closed all the time. There are jobs I could do in the greenhouses but it has been so cold that I want to keep the heat in so I haven't opened the doors only for a minute or two. My next big job in the greenhouses is to clean out my propagating greenhouse which means transferring all the plants to the other greenhouse. I change the sand on my warming benches but needed to go and get some. Last time Heather came, she went to our local garden centre and bought some plants and bulbs and she wants me to plant them in pots and some in a trough but I hadn't enough compost. So, while the cleaner was here this morning I went to the hut and got a bag of compost and three bags of sand for my warming benches. Heather has arrived again this evening till Sunday so I must try and plant them for her before she goes home.
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 14, 2022 18:52:16 GMT
This morning I planted the plants and bulbs that Heather brought into her trough and in pots. I worked in the larger greenhouse . Everything was in there that I needed , the compost and plants so I didn't need to keep opening the greenhouse door and letting the heat out. I said yesterday that I would soon be transferring all my plants from the propagating greenhouse into this one. I sort my canes in this greenhouse and there wouldn't be room when all the plants were in so I decided to start sorting the canes this afternoon. I examine each on , particularly the bottom to make sure they are sound, then sort them into their different length and tie them in bundles
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 14, 2022 18:57:17 GMT
 This is a picture took a few years ago .I put it on here again to show you how I sort my canes
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 15, 2022 20:20:30 GMT
One thing I forgot to tell you yesterday is that Heather brought a large prayer plant and asked me to split it so I did this for her and split it into four .She will take two home and I will keep two myself.
This morning, the wellbeing walk we have at Blackleach every Thursday was cancelled due to the dangerous icy paths. We had planned to have a party after the walk so we just carried on with that earlier. I stayed this afternoon for the art club. While the art club people were in, I went out to count the birds on the reservoir which I do every two weeks and fill in the chart in the visitor centre. Didn't have time to do any jobs when I got home.
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 16, 2022 20:22:19 GMT
This morning I went for my haircut to a shop just round the corner from where I live. It is a bed shop really but the lady cuts hair as well. They knew that I had an allotment because I have taken them rhubarb sometimes. When the lady was cutting my hair, she told me that their daughter had recently got an allotment. She had not had one before so I asked her if she had got a book to help her. She said "No, she hasn't but we will see what Father Christmas brings". So, naturally, I told her about the book which I wrote "Getting started on the allotment" and she said that she would have one. I went home for one and took it to her so I got my haircut money back!.I signed it for her as well. This was my only copy so I will order some more in case anyone else ever asks me for one. I also asked if her daughter was a member of our local horticultural society .She said she wasn't so I told her the advantages of being a member like lower prices at our supply hut and getting 40% discount on Dobie's seeds and I suggested that she came to the hut to join next year. I went back this afternoon and took her a Dobie's catalogue with the order form to get the discount.
I spent the rest of the day sorting my canes in the greenhouse and I finished them all that were 3 feet and over.
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Post by derekbrooks on Dec 17, 2022 22:25:27 GMT
Today I have transferred all my plants from my propagating greenhouse to the other greenhouse. So I switched the power off the empty greenhouse which will save electric.
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