A Day Off

 doing nothing for a change, just pottering doing a little of this and a little of that.  Really should be out in the garden but cannot muster up the energy at the moment.  Maybe tomorrow.

It is a warm, muggy and windy day here in Peterborough. So far it has been interspaced with light showers.  I have been putting washing out and it has been a run out and fetch in saga today, so think it might be time to admit defeat!  

For a little while I was having a go at one of G's computer games, but I never get anywhere and I soon lose interest in it.  Sometimes you just have to do something mindless and nothing though to recharge the system. In case you had not gathered I am not a great fan of computer games.

I now have three Cucumbers, (a bit late but experimenting a little bit) a tray full of PSB and one lonely Marigold that has come through, together with both lettuce trays the Mesclun French mixed leaves and the Spicy mixed leaves.  They are progressing well.  The tomatoes that were re-potted are settling down in their final positions and the two hanging baskets with the Yellow Pear cherry sized tomatoes are also liking their new abode. I just have to find the hooks to hang them from the greenhouse ceiling. So all good on this front at the moment.  I am waiting for Courgettes, Ball Courgettes. Lovage and Parsley to come up (or not come up) whatever the case will be.

Despite my intentions not to do anything much today, I have given in.  The French Dwarf Beans urgently needed to be in dirt.  I had hoped to put them in tubs, but as we have a compost issue at the moment that is out of the question.  I have therefore dug over the border, got rid of more weeds and twitch and then managed to get 16 plants into the border. They really need their freedom.  Timing off with sowing them and then not having the compost. Will have to wait for the end of the month for this. There is an offer on a B & Q at the moment for 50 litre bags; three for £15 (£6 a bag normally = 150 litres.  For one bag of 100 litres of compost same make = £11.45 per bag.  We also need a garden tap for the water butt.  So as I say everything not perfect this year and what I am growing is limited but it is something and something is always better than nothing.

G is continuing his Jungle expedition; apparently he is working his way into the greenhouse and recovering items, many of which were thought to be lost.  We still have the stone shed to sort out.  Lots of things have been turning up that we had thought had been lost in the shed fire.  I had six ring culture forms that I used to grow my tomatoes in; a method once used regularly by producers for bringing on the tomatoes. We always used this method and I am hoping that they may turn up in the stone shed.  However, if not then I will have to invest in new ones for next year.  My tomatoes at the moment have been planted without the ring culture forms if found though they will be going on.

On a separate note and out of curiosity, has anyone preserved beans by salting them? It is an older method of preserving, one that would free up the beans from the freezer potentially. However as I do not have a freezer at the moment I am looking at ways to store any possible harvest.  I always have some idea of how I am going to use things.  However, in over 40 years of preserving, I have never tried this method.  I know that you have to soak them after releasing them from their jars to then take the salt out of the beans with a couple of changes of water.  I wondered whether this would be a viable option for the Pantry shelf. If you have used this method what is your opinion on this particular method?   Is it something that you would look to repeat or one of those preserves to leave alone. Would love some feedback on this if at all possible! #preserving

We really enjoyed our tea last night.  There was plenty of meat on the chicken and it was nice and tender. Shall buy their chicken again. 

Before I went missing in the garden, we were going to use up the half a chicken leftover from yesterday.  It was going to be turned into a curry for tea this evening served with Rice and Naan bread. I was quite looking forward to that.  

We did not get to the Gooseberry Crumble last night as we were both so full, and as tonight's tea is a lighter one, we are having that tonight with custard am well pleased with how it has turned out.

As it was 8:00pm when I came in (I had no idea of the time), think it is going to be a snack meal of some sort as I am now completely cream crackered and my back is killing me!

It really is time for me to put my feet up now.

Have a lovely evening.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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