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Post by derekbrooks on Feb 21, 2024 19:44:42 GMT
It has rained hard till mid afternoon. This afternoon I went to a meeting at Blackleach then went in the greenhouse when I got home.I sowed a few more tomatoes then sowed 12 cucumbers in individual drinking cups and put them in the propagator.
We keep a copy of each of the three books that I have written in the cabin on the allotment for anyone to borrow.A few weeks ago I lent "Getting started on the allotment" to someone but when he saw it he wanted to buy it and he gave me the money.Since then,I have been trying to get another copy to put in the cabin.Last week the secretary of the N.V.S.emailed me saying that it was out of stock.She couldn't find anyone who has any copies.Anyway, she said that it had been popular and the committee had decided to have it re-printed.She asked me if I wanted any changes making so I have been looking through my copy and I have replied to her suggesting a few possible changes.So, I am now looking forward to seeing the new book and getting one for myself and one for the cabin.
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Post by derekbrooks on Feb 22, 2024 19:20:52 GMT
We had a wet walk at Blackleach this morning.It was dry earlier when I went to open my greenhouse doors but it started raining hard when I was on my way to Blackleach. It has dried up this afternoon but I didn't have time to do any jobs when I got home.
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Post by derekbrooks on Feb 23, 2024 19:23:44 GMT
It has been showery all day.Not had chance to do many gardening jobs. We had to wait in all morning waiting for a doctor to come and see Rosemary.As you probably know I order some flower seeds from Dobies to be given free to people on the allotments.They are varieties I have chosen to attract beneficial insects to the allotments.They have been paid for from allotment funds.Between showers this afternoon I took them to the allotments and put them in the toilet block. I have just sent an email to the secretary about them and asked her to send it to everyone on the allotments.
When I got home I started sorting out my canes in my larger greenhouse.I had cleared one side of the greenhouse to make room to do this. I have hundreds of canes and I examine each one to make sure they are solid and sort them into their different sizes and tie them in bundles.
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Post by derekbrooks on Feb 24, 2024 18:28:58 GMT
 These are the free seeds that I took to the allotments yesterday
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Post by derekbrooks on Feb 24, 2024 18:46:47 GMT
It has been dry today apart from a bit of drizzle this afternoon. We went for a walk this afternoon and after, I went in the greenhouse and carried on sorting my canes.I have done them all 4 feet and over so I have just got the shorter ones to do.There are also some on the allotments that I need to bring home and sort out.
Along with the picture of the free seeds I have just shown you I wanted to show you the email that I sent to the secretary about them because it gives information to beginners about how to grow the seeds but my computer wouldn't let me do so.
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Post by derekbrooks on Feb 25, 2024 19:44:21 GMT
This afternoon I went to the allotment for the canes that were there, brought them home and sorted all that were 4 feet and over and along with the others I did yesterday and tied them all up in bundles.
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Post by derekbrooks on Feb 26, 2024 19:27:55 GMT
A dry day today.I still have the canes that are shorter than 4 feet to sort out and they are all in the larger greenhouse. This ia a job I can do next time it is raining so because it was fine today I decided to start giving my lawns their annual treatment.I have two lawns, one at the front and one at the back wich is a lot bigger. I scarify them then spike them by digging in my fork to about half its depth and about 6 inches apart.I waggle the fork about a bit to make a wider hole and then brush sand all over the lawns some of which goes into the holes to assist drainage.This morning I scarified them both and forked the front one. This afternoon we went a walk and when we got home I started forking the back lawn but didn't have time to do much so I hope to carry on with it tomorrow.
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Post by derekbrooks on Feb 27, 2024 19:49:03 GMT
It was dry this morning so I carried on forking the back lawn and di just over half of it. I hope to finish it tomorrow but I find it hard work.I have told you about a lady called Cindy who comes on Tuesday afternoons to do things with Rosemary to give me some freedom to go out.While she was here today I hoped to go to the allotment but it started raining and it has rained all afternoon so I went in the greenhouse. I took the first nine dahlia cuttings.They were all from a box of tubers on a propagator in the house.The propagator and warming mat in the house get warmer than the warming benches in the greenhouse so the cuttings come quicker so I swap the boxes over.This box is now in the greenhouse and I have put another box in the house.After, I carried on sorting the canes.
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Post by derekbrooks on Feb 29, 2024 22:53:37 GMT
I couldn't get on the forum yesterday or today until now.When Rosemary's carer came this evening and was ready to go I told her about the problem and she found out that I had lost my internet connection and she sorted it out for me.
Yesterday I finished forking the back lawn and finished sorting my canes that were less than 4 foot. When I got home from Blackleach this afternoon I started putting sand on the lawns. I use the sand that I took off my warming benches when I put fresh sand in.I still haave a bit more of it to put on then I have to brush it on.
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Post by grindle on Mar 1, 2024 3:29:14 GMT
good to have you back on line  |
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Post by derekbrooks on Mar 1, 2024 20:49:02 GMT
Thanks, Grindle
Edna, the other walk leader with me at Blackleach asked me a few weeks ago to prune her roses.I did them for her last year.She mentioned it again yesterday .I told her that I could go today,either morning or afternoon, weather permitting, because Heather arrived yesterday for the weekend which gives me some freedom.It was O.K. first thing but it started raining so I went in the greenhouse instead.The same thing happened this afternoon .I was just thinking of going when it started raining again and it was showery till mid afternoon so it was greenhouse again.
In the greenhouse I sowed another for packets of flower seeds.The onion sets that I ordered from Marshalls arrived yesterday so I planted 48 of them into 3 inch (7.5cm) pots. I then started potting rooted chrysanth cuttings into the same size of pots and did 32 of them. When it stopped raining I could have gone to Ednas but I didn't risk it in case it started again.It did remain fine till this evening so I put the rest of the sand on the lawns and brushed both lawns all over.
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Post by derekbrooks on Mar 2, 2024 22:11:42 GMT
A showery day.It rained most of the morning while I was at the hut. My plan this afternoon was to do the bird count at Blackleach with Janet.It was fine early afternoon so I phoned her to see if she wanted to chance it and she said O.K. It did stay fine while we did it and I called at the allotment on the way home for some sprouts because Heather wanted them for our tea.I also picked enough for some for her to take home. I will probably go to Ednas tomorrow afternoon if it is fine.
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Post by derekbrooks on Mar 3, 2024 23:03:39 GMT
It has been dry today so I went to Ednas this afternoon and pruned her roses.Did a bit of weeding on my dahlia bed when I got home. Martyn has been away for a week but he came home yesterday so we have all been out for a meal this evening which we often do when Heather is here.She went home from there and she has just phoned me to let me know she is home safe.
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Post by derekbrooks on Mar 4, 2024 19:11:20 GMT
A decent day but it is raining a bit this evening. Went to the allotment this morning. Took some of the canes that I had sorted.Finished weeding the bed that I had been doing the last few times I have been,which will be the brassica bed.Brought home 2 bags of weeds to put in the re-cycling bin. Not much gardening time this afternoon but I did some more weeding on the dahlia bed.
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Post by derekbrooks on Mar 5, 2024 19:16:45 GMT
A nice day but I haven't had much gardening time.I just had about an hour on my allotment this afternoon and started weeding the onion bed.
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