|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 30, 2024 21:52:45 GMT
this morning I sorted out all my chrysanths into their varieties on the floor of my larger greenhouse.Went on the allotment this afternoon and finished weding the path I was doing the last time I went.This evening I have pricked out a box of antirrhinum "Royal bride"and trancfered those that were left into a 20 cell tray Then did another box of stocks.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 1, 2024 21:13:42 GMT
We went for a walk this afternoon but I have been in the greenhouse most of the time. Part of our Christmas dinner arrived today,Brussel sprouts.The sprout seeds that I sowed a few weeks ago didn't germinate so I ordered 10 plants from Browns.I potted them into 3 inch pots.Spent the rest of the time potting chrysanths on from 3 inch into bigger pots and putting them in a frame.I had to weed inside the frame first.Just potted those that needed doing.Did about 35 but there are a few more need doing which I hope to do tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 2, 2024 21:18:40 GMT
Because Blackleach Country Park is still closed to the public there was no walk this morning and no art club this afternoon. So,I have been in the garden and greenhouses all the time till it was time to go to school at 3.30. I potted another 7 chrysanths into larger pots and put them in the frame with those I did yesterday.I also put all the remaining chrysanths in a frame.Forgot to mention yesterday that as I was potting them into larger pots I put a small cane in and tied them to it.I also stopped those that were large enough.This means removing the tips of the plants to get the plants to produce side growths (laterals) which will eventually produce the flowers. When I prick out boxes or trays of plants I put them under the greenhouse staging for a few days.Today I put a lot of them on the floor in the other greenhouse where the chrysanths had beem.I put some of the hardier plants such as calendulas into a frame and also the onions grown from sets.This evening I have pricked out several varieties of plants of which there weren't enough for boxes or trays and I transfered them to cell trays.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 3, 2024 20:30:26 GMT
A dry day but it started raining a bit this evening.I have three frames in use at present which are on the border round the back lawn.I have some more frames behind the greenhouses which need fixing up soon.They go on the area in front of the shed.When not in use this area is a dumping ground for all sorts of things so I spent most of the time clearing this area.There were a lot of cell trays, pots and boxes that needed emtying and all the pots sorting out and putting away. I also pricked out six cleomes into a cell tray and 18 tithonias into three cell trays.All the pricking out except alyssum is done now.
This morning I went to Blackleach to try to find out when it will be open.I was told that it will be closed this weekend but may be open next week.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 4, 2024 20:59:24 GMT
This afternoon I finished clearing and weeding the area in front of the shed where the other frames will be going.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 5, 2024 21:01:38 GMT
No gardening at all today apart from watering which I do every morning.You know what I do every Sunday morning after watering.Martyn took us to R.H.S.Bridgewater this afternoon but all the car parks were full so we came away and went somewhere else. We went out for a meal at tea time.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 5, 2024 21:29:18 GMT
 These are the tender veg germinating in my utility room.Marrows,courgettes and squashes on a propagator on the windowsill ans sweet corn on a warming mat at the front
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 6, 2024 21:41:24 GMT
I went to Blackleach this morning just to see if it was open and it was.I was over a week behind doing the bird count and recording the wild flowers which I do every two weeks.I take a lady called Janet with me to do the writing .I phoned her twice and she wasn't in so I decided that I had better go and do it myself this afternoon because I didn't want to delay it any longer.
I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon and a bit this evening erecting my remaining four frames .They are all aluminium and they just bolt together.They have all been behind the greenhouse since last year.I managed to get them finished but I still have the tops to find and put on.
On the picture I showed you yesterday you can see that all the seeds have germinated and growing well so they don't need to be on a propagator and a warming mat now so I unplugged them and took the sweet corn to the greenhouse.Will take the rest tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 7, 2024 20:25:41 GMT
This morning I got the frame tops from behind the greenhouse and fixed them in position on the four frames.Two of the frames are 6 feet long and these have three tops and the other two are 4 feet and these have two tops. Went on the allotment this afternoon.The next urgent job there is to plant the potatoes but the bed needs weeding again first so I started doing that.When I got home I took the rest of the veg that I showed you a picture of yesterday to the greenhouse.I cleaned the propagator that they had been on and put away the warming mat.This evening I have pricked out two trays of alyssum .This is the last pricking out.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 8, 2024 19:58:10 GMT
Nice today.Went on the allotment this morning and carried on weeding the potato bed. Took Rosemary a walk this afternoon then mowed the lawns.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 9, 2024 20:07:04 GMT
Another nice day.There was no walk at Blackleach this morning so I went to the allotment and carried on with the weeding.Our son,Martyn is away this week so I couldn't stay at Blackleach for the art club because I can't leave Rosemary for so long.I went at 1.00 to open the visitor centre for the art club then went home.I then took her a walk at 2.00 and we finished up at Blackleach at 3.00 for me to lock up. Spent the rest of the afternoon and evening till 8.30 weeding the border round the front lawn but didn't quite finish it.I also put the peas and sweet peas in one of the frames.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 10, 2024 20:52:00 GMT
Forgot to mention yesterday that because Martyn is away and I couldn't leave Rosemary very long I couldn't go to school.I had told them last week that I couldn't go.I had another hour on the allotment this morning carrying on with the weeding.Rosemary always stays in bed till lunch time. I don't mind leaving her for an hour if she is in bed.
Heather arrived this afternoon for the weekend.She took Rosemary out after.I had the rest of the day and evening in the garden. I finished weeding the border round the front lawn then did the front rose bed.In the greenhouse I put 2 foot canes on all the forty odd tomato plants as some were leaning badly.Most of them will be going to school.I put the first blanching collars on the leeks and put them in a frame.I also put the runner beans and some bedding plants in a frame.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 11, 2024 20:55:32 GMT
This morning I got a bag of potting compost from the hut for the tomatoes at school and I took it this afternoon.I am hoping that we can plant the potatoes at school next Thursday.I took them and left them in the polytunnel.I had partly weeded the bed last time I was there and I finished it this afternoon.I put fish,blood and bone on and also the compost in which we grew tomatoes last year and raked it in,so the bed is now ready for planting.Not much time after but I went to the allotment(the allotments are next to the school).The allotment beds needed measuring out properly and marking with canes so I did that.
There is a conifer in my back garden next to the form which was in a clay pot.It has outgrown the pot and the roots have gone through the bottom into the ground.The pot was leaning over and wouldn't straighten up.A man called Cyril who works at the hut with me on Saturday mornings makes wooden planters and we sell them at the hut.He has made one for me to put round the roots of this conifer and Heather has helped me to fix it up this evening.I got a hammer and broke the pot away from round the roots.I just had to unscrew the front of the planter to get it round the tree and then screw it on again after.I then put in some compost but didn't have time to finish it but I hope to do it tomorrow.I will then take a picture of it to show you. Before I started doing this I put some more of my tender veg and bedding plants into frames
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 12, 2024 20:47:29 GMT
When I arrived home from church this morning my two grandsons (Heathers boys) were here.Heather was already here,she came on Friday.Alex, the eldest one ,is a Newcastle United supporter and they went to Newcastle yesterday to watch the match.They stayed in a hotel overnight and called here on the way home. They stayed about an hour.I gave Alex a tomato plant.I put a bag of John Innes compost in the new planter round the tree but it needs some more yet.Went to the allotment after and did some more measuring of the beds.I weeded a strip at the edge of one of the beds which I thought would be on a path.We went out for a meal at tea time which we often do when Heather is here .She went home after and took six tomato plants.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on May 13, 2024 18:32:46 GMT
Went in the greenhouse this morning and transfered some rooted cuttings of surfinias into cell trays and custard pots.Also potted some more dahlias into three and a half inch pots.There were still some recently pricked out trays of bedding plants under the staging so I put them all in the other greenhouse. This afternoon I filled my new planter up with more soil then begun weeding the border between the back lawn and the path.The bird table was on this border so I had to move it.  This is my new planter that I told you about round the roots of the conifer. |
|
