Friday Evening/Saturday Roundup
Last evening I managed to get into my little greenhouse and sow some seeds. I have set two trays of mixed different lettuces for a pick and come again pick and mix there is a French Mix and also a Spicy mix. I also have some other seeds set - cannot remember what at the moment. However do have a load more seeds to sow tomorrow. They may not come up will have to wait and see what happens. I also have plans for sowing some seed direct into planters as well. However I need more compost and quite a bit of it as I will not be able to pot on or grow from scratch.
With only the one greenhouse up at the moment things are a bit tight, but once the other house is up that should make things a lot easier, will be a lot tidier. Once the stone shed is also sorted most of the gardening equipment which is under cover in the greenhouse at the moment can go back in the shed. Very much swings and roundabouts.
Have been in my own peace and quiet out there for over 2 1/2 hours. Just grounding myself a bit, working with my hands in the soil, in my own little world, one of my happy places. The other is Cornwall just love it down there. Suits me.
Saturday
This morning G went off to get me some potatoes; there is a veg stall in a layby outside of the town and as I have said before I tend to shop around for potatoes in particular. We end up with half a full sack of potatoes and so far they have been very good quality. He also sells other seasonal veg but basically G goes there to get slightly different to what we get locally. As I have mentioned before, I tend to shop around these days quite a bit and do not put all my eggs in one basket. He had not got much veg this morning, but G came away with a tray of eggs, half sack of potatoes, some new potatoes and a net of large onions.
Since then it has been very muggy and overcast, and we have had rain showers and thunder. According to the forecast it is likely to be like this for the best part of the day, and showers predicted for the best part of the week. I have a splitting headache that does not want to lift despite having a pain killer. So we shall see how it goes. The water is needed though as the soil is so dry. It may help me in the garden long-term. Hopefully I will be able to get into the greenhouse inbetween showers to sow a few more seeds. Will see how it goes.
I also popped to the veg shop and managed to get two reduced Cauliflowers (have not seen any Cauliflowers for the past couple of weeks) and neither have I seen any in any freezers; some Leeks; Leafy Cabbage and Cabbage for homemade Coleslaw, a punnet of cherry tomatoes, two punnets of Gooseberries, some pears.
Also nipped to the Co-Op and got some Courgettes and Carrots. No Broccoli, no Cauliflower, nothing really substantial quite disappointing and a poor show. Carrots were not substantial and 40p a bag. Courgettes £1.25 for a pack of three. Perhaps a sign of things to come.
So not very chuffed as did not really get what I wanted. The Veg shop had the better choice all round.
I did manage to get out into the greenhouse and the French mixed salad leaves that I set the other day are now poking their heads through the soil after about three or four days. Still extremely tiny but through. I shall pop up another tray of this particular mix. Yesterday I popped up a spicy mix. My view is that we will eat the lettuce but if there is any left over then it will go into the dehydrator and be dried and used either whole or in green powders. I am not going to waste any goodness or resource if I can help it. Some of the Tomatoes have also found their way into pots at long last. I am limited somewhat by lack of compost at the moment. There is always something. Seem to have solved the problem with the chillies and they are starting to look healthy again. I have never grown chillies before so a bit of an adventure.
I have also belatedly potted up quite a few of the tomatoes I had sown. There is a yellow pear cherry sized tomato and Roma. Next year will be very different, especially if I have access to all three greenhouses. So far I have 8 freestanding pots with trays prepared of the Roma. I have two hanging baskets with three yellow pear tomatoes in each basket. There are another five plants which I have transplanted into a bigger pot for each plant but not as big as it should be as I ran out of compost. The other Roma tomatoes when I get more compost will be potted up as well.
The greenhouse is a lot tidier today as I have been able to have a proper go at it. It will change yet again in the days to come and especially when I get the new greenhouse up.
It has been a lovely afternoon, muggy, and showers every so often but it has not stopped me working outside at all. Fingers crossed that everything goes to plan and comes out well at the end of the day. This is one out of practice gardener, but things are slowly coming back to me. Nothing more satisfying that getting mud underneath your finger nails! Trouble is not as easy to get out as get in. I was outside sorting things until 8:00pm. Subsequently we have ended up having a late tea.
Right am off to put my feet up.
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
xx
P.S. The second greenhouse is now up. Now have to settle and sort it out. One happy bunny!
I decided to use up some old salad leaf seeds in one empty row in my raised bed. I planted them in stripes and it's interesting to see them coming along at different times. Should keep us in fresh greens for a few weeks! But one stripe hasn't germinated at all. Row #7 was planted earlier with mixed mizuma leaves. They've run to seed now. I shan't bother with them again tho, we found they look attractive, but not as good as more substantial leaves in terms of "eating pleasure" I have acquired a free packet of pak choi - I'll pull out the mizuma, top up the compost, and see how I get on with PC. The " perpetual spinach" is living up to it's name. Eating some as babyleaves in salad, and blanching and freezing bigger leaves. And it keeps coming... Have a good weekend
ReplyDeleteHi Angela, in past years I have grown the cut and come again lettuce in a very large seed tray which is what I have done this year. Can get about three to four cuttings out of it. Usually do three or four trays at least but stagger them out so that I get a supply of the leaves. Those that do not use will still pick and then dehydrate them for green powders for use in stews, casseroles, soups can be used in smoothies as well during the winter months. I have some Mizuna seed and Pak Choi as well which I intend to sow. We love Pak Choi for homestyle stir fries that sort of thing. I have some Perpetual Spinach somewhere as well. Its nice to have a few bits from the garden. Hope your weekend is lovely too Tricia aka Pattypanxx
DeleteTrivia, if you have any courgette seeds, put them into some pots, they come through so quickly, that you could have them out in the ground or in a large pot in a couple of weeks time and now you have the 2 greenhouses up and running they'll go through till late September, they're a plant that just keeps on giving.
ReplyDeleteWith the showers forecast, this week, I am hoping to grips with making some quilt as you go hexigans and I've started some Xmas gifts off too.
You take care Crafty Nan xxx
Hi Sandra, I grew some Courgettes and they were coming along nicely but lost the lot due to not being able to get them out into the greenhouse as it was not up. On the off chance I have planted a load more in single pots, also some Ball ones as well (not sure whether the seed is viable). Both are yellow Courgettes so fingers crossed they set and take. I usually grow them in medium sized planters around the garden. The packet instructions are precise, however if I am within a couple of weeks of last date I usually push it. Also some pea sprouts, and Runner Beans. French Beans need to go out but I need the compost for that - also going to be in planters as well. Perhaps not correct but what I tend to do is leave the compost in the pots, from previous year, take off the top third and then replenish the top with new compost. Sometimes I actually sieve the compost from the previous year as well to get rid of any lumps/debris which is time consuming. All comes down to using what I have. It all gets mixed up. If the bottom garden gets sorted fingers crossed I aim to have a compost heap down there as well. I did have a composter from my Dad but I think OH unilaterally gave it to his daughter, but will see what we will find. I have not got to any crafting since starting on the garden, but hoping to get there. I always end up getting dragged off elsewhere no matter what I do, but I am determined to get this garden sorted one way or another. Hope you get on well with working the Hexies. I love doing that, and also your Christmas projects. Have a lovely day Tricia aka Pattypanx
DeleteThat's brilliant Tricia, they will soon come through, I have used old out of date seed before and it's took , might not get as many plants as you'd hope for, but anything is a bonus.
ReplyDeleteWe leave the bottom 3rd of compost in the pots too, to save money, compost is so expensive nowadays and is usually a rubbish mix too - we usually throw a few chicken manure pellets into the bottom 3rd mix as well, just to give it a bit of oomph lol.
The quilt as you go hexis are not as easy as they look on utube. Oh well practise makes perfect.
Hope you have a good week Crafty Nan xx