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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 20, 2023 20:17:54 GMT
Martyn took Rosemary a ride this afternoon so I had an hour on the allotment.I staked and tied several more gladioli and dibudded all the dahlias.When I got home I took some pictures of my front garden,one from the bedroom window and one of my baskets  View from the bedroom window  The front border.The yellow flowers are Marigold "Tall Scotch Prize"  My hanging baskets |
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 21, 2023 20:11:54 GMT
Had an hour on the allotment this morning. The part of the brassica bed that I weeded a few weeks ago but not planted has thousands of tiny weeds coming up so I treated them with weedol. Spent the rest of the time pulling large weeds up ,mainly from the dahlia bed and filled two sacks with them. Brought some dahlias"Garden Friends" home to put in a vase. We had some shopping to do this afternoon and then we went for a walk.So,I hadn't much time after but I bagged some more chrysanths.This evening it started raining about 7.30 so I couldn't go to the allotment.  Dahlias "Garden Friends" |
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Post by grindle on Aug 22, 2023 3:43:33 GMT
your front garden is looking lovely @derek and love Garden Friends  |
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 22, 2023 20:55:56 GMT
Thank you again,Grindle.
I had an hour on the allotment this morning and about two hours this afternoon while Cindy was looking after Rosemary and I have been again this evening.This morning I pulled out all the large weeds from the chrysanth bed and filled nearly three sacks. This afternoon and evening I have been digging up the potatoes .Got most of them but I always go over the ground again because I always miss some. I told you a few weeks ago that I cut down all the foliage because I noticed some blight so I was hoping that it hadn't affected the potatoes. There were a few bad ones but most of them were O.k.thank goodness.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 23, 2023 19:50:03 GMT
On the allotment this morning I started forking over the potato bed again to get any that I missed yesterday and weeded it at the same time.
We were going a walk this afternoon but it started raining a bit so we turned back and came home. It didn't rain long so I went in the garden after and did some weeding on the border alongside the path at the back where there were a lot of nettles..I have been to a meeting at Blackleach this evening . It was only half an hour but there wasn't to do any jobs when I got home.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 24, 2023 21:02:32 GMT
On my way home from Blackleach at 3.00 I called at school ,as usual, to feed the tomatoes.
84 winter plug plants came that I had ordered from Thompson and Morgan. It was a nice evening to go on the allotment but I decided that it was more important to go in the greenhouse and deal with these plants and I transferred them all to cell trays.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 25, 2023 20:04:41 GMT
This morning I fed my hanging baskets, tubs, tomatoes and cucumbers again. I was hoping to go on the allotment after to carry on forking over the potato bed to get any that I had missed but it started raining so I decided to start washing the potatoes that I already had ,sat under the car port. It was fine this afternoon so I took Rosemary a walk first.Another 24 plug plants came for Thompson and Morgan so I transferred these into cell trays then carried on washing potatoes.There were four large supermarket trays full of them and I have washed about half of them now.I spread them all out on newspapers under the car port to dry till tomorrow.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 26, 2023 19:54:02 GMT
This morning I just went to the hut for some maxicrop .On the way home I went to the allotment.I cut some spray chrysanths "Aurora Queen"(the ones I showed you a picture of last week)to put in a vase in the house.Was going to carry on forking over the potato bed after but it started raining so I came home.Brought 6 bags of weeds home to put in the re-cycling bins.
It was dry this afternoon so I did the walk round Blackleach with Janet writing down the birds and wild flowers.Staked a few gladioli when I got home and put some of my washed potatoes in boxes to give to three of our neighbours.It rained again this evening so I didn't go to the allotment .
I forgot to tell you yesterday that in the afternoon I became a great grandad. Beth, the partner of Alex (Heather's eldest boy) had a baby boy.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 27, 2023 19:02:18 GMT
It was raining this morning. I normally have to go out and water my baskets and tubs before going to church but I didn't need to today. I just stayed in reading till it was time to go. It was dry this afternoon so I went to the allotment.I thought it might be too wet for digging so I decided to harvest the potatoes that I have grown in bags and buckets. I had already cut down the haulms before.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 28, 2023 19:36:18 GMT
Spent most of the day sitting under the carport washing potatoes. Did the ones I brought home yesterday first.These were salad potatoes "Jazzy". I still had two supermarket boxes full of potatoes and I managed to get them all done.They are all spread out on newspapers under the carport to dry. I doubt if I will be able to go on the allotment at night again this year. I month or two ago I could stay there till 9.30 but now it is going dark about 8.00 so by the time the carer has put Rosemary to bed there isn;t time to go.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 29, 2023 20:09:30 GMT
A bit showery this morning but dry later. Went in the greenhouse first and pricked out 50 wallflowers into cell trays. Put all the potatoes I washed yesterday in supermarket boxes and put the in what used to be the coal shed at the side of the house.They need to be kept in the dark so this is the ideal place.I am showing at Whitefield show next Saturday. As you know, I am at Blackleach most of the day on Thursday so I started making some preparations for it today because I can't leave it all till Friday.I washed all the buckets that I need for my flowers.I tidied up some of the pot plants that I will be taking.When I have been washing potatoes I have kept some to one side that might do for showing and I have just washed these again at the kitchen sink to see if I could get them any cleaner.I have also taken the long carrots from the tubes in which they were grown but there were only three.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 30, 2023 20:27:59 GMT
Making more preparations for Whitefield show.Went to the allotment this morning and picked the runner beans.Also cut some of the red spray chrysanths that I showed you a picture of .I am not cutting other flowers till Friday but chrysanths should keep O.K. This afternoon,after going for a walk,I removed all the bags from the chrysanths. I was disappointed that none will be ready for the show.I have two more shows after so they will do for those.I put all the bags back and bagged some more.This evening I brought my onions into the kitchen and sorted them into sets for the show. I tied the necks of those that I am taking with raffia.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 31, 2023 20:24:05 GMT
I had left my runner beans in a wet towel overnight because this makes them supple so that if they are bent they can be bent back straight. When I got home from Blackleach this afternoon after calling at school on my way home, I took the beans into my utility room and laid them out on a bench ,straightened them if needed and sorted them out into matching sets for showing.I also picked all the tomatoes that were ready.
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Post by derekbrooks on Sept 1, 2023 21:16:02 GMT
Been cutting flowers for Whitefield show most of the day,from the allotment this morning and at home this afternoon.Went staging this evening.Heather arrived last night for the weekend and she came with me this evening to help me .  The car packed up this evening ready for Whitefield show |
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Post by grindle on Sept 2, 2023 2:49:12 GMT
lovely blooms, good luck |
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