Compost, Digging and Doings!

Hi. The weather is very different today from yesterday which suits me just fine. Yesterday I dug over the new veg patch and put some eggs shells through the compost, dug the near to Poly House end and put some of my compost through it and then dug over the end where the peas will go. Phew and oh my back hurt after it!

I know I only posted yesterday morning but with all the digging I did yesterday, the weather was perfect, almost sunny and no need for a coat once you got stuck in, the best kind I wanted to share some things I got done.

I finally got the compost bins sorted; as I had used some on the new veg plot I could tell a lot of it was usable but still could do with making use of the second bin.

This is how the original bin looked...

then the one with still-to-rot contents...

and the original bin once I had turned it over it's contents; much better. How satisfying is it to create something out of waste which can be so good for your garden AND save you money?

At the weekend I bought some of those things that go on the top of bamboo wigwams.

I bought these because I have now put out the first of my climbing peas - Victorian Colossal. I have always loved the site of pea and bean canes on a veg patch and longed for my own - is that weird?

Eeeek, I love the way they look!

I watched, on catch up, Monty Don on Gardeners' World as he was talking about spud planting. As this is one of my anxious projects in the garden I take any advice I can get. He talked about the distance you plant your seed spuds; close together if you want new ones and more space between if you want big bakers. Good, simple advice. Then he said about rubbing off the chits you don't need on a spud, just keeping the one at the top; this makes perfect sense to me as all the energy will then be directed to that one chit instead of trying to make them all grow. Following on from this I was thinking about the space for the spuds and Jon is going to get me another of the large tyres so I will have four of them each with five Maris Piper seed spuds in. The photo below is the onions to the left and garlic to the right and, as they will all be up June/July time and the space can't really be used until then, I decided to plant my Charlotte seed spuds in between as with any luck they should all come up around the same time?

This morning I had a look around the garden and was pleased to see that a pear tree I bought last year on a Grow Your Own mag offer is starting to come to life. I was worried it had been in the pot so long, with not having anywhere to plant it, that it would not survive. 

Also looking wonderful is my magnolia tree. I am convinced it is doing better this year because of the tree we took down behind it; there was perhaps just too much shade?

This is the established apple tree we have; it has been pruned and I look forward to a more fruitful harvest from it this year.

Right, I have some cherry oat bake in the oven and Harry is off school today so need to make sure he eats his lunch.

Bye for now.

Lou.x

Where To Start?

This post is one of those catch up ones where things are not necessarily in the right order but at least you know what has been happening! Yes, yet again, I am all to cock!

On Saturday we bought all of these - the apple and pear tree came from Tesco, £6 for two, 

and the raspberry canes (thank you Dawn!) and two blackcurrants were £1 each, from Poundland. If they don't work out it will be no great loss.

This morning we have measured out the space for the fruit patch but also decided we can fit in a second, smaller greenhouse if we come across one.

Jon cut into disks another tree which he took down this morning to log and add to the woodpile next week. He has just begun work on the extension to the chicken enclosure to accommodate the ducks, with the boys helping by moving the big pile of branches to the right of the picture for burning at the bottom of the garden.

Here you can see the area before we cut one of the very last bamboo bushes down and trimmed back the pond...

and how it looks now; so much more space and so much lighter, too.

Jon is starting with a couple of the fence posts as the perimeter of the enclosure will begin at the left of the duck house, then come down towards where he is in the picture. He will have to move the gate of the chicken enclosure, too, of course. There is now a ramp into the pond and Jon is part way through converting Jake's old Dog House into another poultry palace for the next incoming flock, including putting a door at the back so we can reach any eggs; I'll post a picture when all is done. Does anybody have an suggestions for the best kind of ducks to have? We have a poultry supplier we are going to see at Bronant maybe next weekend.

Talking of eggs I've put our our first eggs out to sell! It is rather wet today so I have had to protect the basket a little; this is a bit of an experiment to see if they are visible as people drive past - Jon says he will build me a box on a stand, when he gets round to it but knowing him it won't be long!

Whilst putting the eggs out Alfie and I found this little snake - only about 6 inches long.

Also this morning I have sown seeds for radishes and basil in the Poly House.

Ok I think I am now caught up. We have all just had a snack to keep us going and I have prepared the veg until we have roast chicken this afternoon before Alfie goes to piano - two weeks on Thursday until his pre-test so lots of practise happening.

Bye for now and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Lou.xx

Good Weather, Good Job!

Yesterday I gave the chicken house a good clean out, fresh straw and sawdust etc and it was the best day to do it as no rain - not an easy job in the wet. I also did some baking, took the dog for a walk, cleaned all the downstairs windows inside and wrote a letter.

In the evening it was absolutely lovely outside, too, and it seemed a waste to be sitting inside. So after tea Jon and Alfie finished the fence along side the veg patch; it looks just great! He still has another section to complete on the other side plus a little gate then Jake will not get through to do what he shouldn't be doing on the bark!

Whilst they and did that I gave the Poly House a good old clean out. I swept the floor, pulled up any sneaky weeds that had crept through, tidied the top shelf of pots and trays and moved a few things around. You probably can see I moved the courgette and squash plants to the other side putting them under the benches so I have a little more floor space - they should grow there ok still I think. I also planted another lot of salad leaves in the right hand side of the drainpipe you see here. Just loving picking leaves and herbs for salad at lunchtime!

I've started gving the tomatoes some feed this week now there are a few fruit on them.

I found some good soil in the garden to plant this - the pear tree I sent for from Grow Your Own magazine. I knew I'd find a use for one of the gazunders!

 This is, hopefully, how it should eventually look!

I also tried to tie up the cordon tomato plant as it is about three feet tall now. I think I need to pinch it at the top so it doesn't grow anymore.

I really do need to get two more grow bags at the weekend because I need to get the beef tomato plants moved out of the pots. I have seven so will have to find another container for the odd one so I can perhaps use the space I have created for them.

Whilst my bread was on its last prove this morning I had a quick look round at everything when I fetched the eggs, just before we had a shower of rain. 

(My boys have their sports day planned to start at 1pm but I am not hopefull of an outside event going ahead.)

The cucmbers are growing very tall and I need to cut some more bamboo canes, for this if nothing else.

Both the sweetcorn and sugar snap peas are liking being next to each other which is great; the sweetcorn in not quite three feet tall!

The second lot of Dwarf Beans are coming along great guns so will have to think of somewhere to put them, probably the veg patch now we are getting the tyres. Those flippin' leeks need moving sooooo soon!

Here you can see the first lot of beans and they are just starting to flower so I think that is a good thing.

Just before I headed outside the previous owners dropped by with these!!

Two water butts, one has a tap and we have a spare in the shed for the other one. So very pleased about these and Jon may be able to get them set up at the weekend.

I was reading about fruit frees last night and about that thing they call the June drop but no sign at the moment. I have read about having to take out some of the fruit to make for a good harvest, too, but am a little nervous about doing that....

As I said perviously we are planning fruit trees beyond the veg patch but I was reading yesterday, I think, that November is the best time to plant container trees whcih is what we will be buying. If this is right then we will have to wait and my £1, improving Raspberry bush will have to stay in the Poly House for the winter until it can go in the ground. (Any advice most welcome, as usual!)

And finally for today the bread is fresh out of the oven and will no doubt not last too long!

Bye for now.

Lou.xx