Late Winter Bits and Bobs.

[Westi]

Blowy down here today but itching to get a start on so did some more sowing on the tunnel staging as temp in there is fine currently. I have wrapped bubble wrap behind the staging so a bit more protection if we do get the minus which is forecast for tonight but it's the only for the next 2 weeks & they have only been sown so not too vulnerable.

I will be going down tomorrow to uncover the beds I wanted to do final prep on & planting out the shallots & onions I have growing in pots. Not that I need anymore alliums but I just could not resist them as just £1. Just small bags only about 10 per bag so can squeeze them in.

[retropants]

I've just seen tonight's forecast -4 due here in Middx. Back on with the bubble wrap then for the peppers.

[Westi]

It was a beautiful warm day down here, the odd dark cloud threatened on & off but moved on without a drop! Brassica bed uncovered & the dog was quick in there chasing rat runs so left her to it as she digs much better than me & I will let her do another sniff & dig when I go down next just to ensure they got the message. Will have some stamping down to do when she is finished though. Still some onions to plant but time got away from me with mulling the soggy bed situation, but the Red Sun shallots are in.

It was lovely to see the raspberries & blackberries showing signs of life, Plum Beauty is in full flower & the weeds definitely know spring is on it's way finally! Get ready OH we just maybe able to say Spring proper shortly (or not obvs)!

[oldherbaceous]

I’m ready and waiting, Westi….

[Geoff]

Another unproductive day dawns, -4.9° overnight. Propagator full, everything potted / pricked out that's germinated, greenhouse heating not on yet. Might risk planting out the mangetout in the polytunnel and putting a cloche over them.

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-15 at 08.15.11.jpg (250.3 KiB) Viewed 1264 times

[Stravaig]

What a very lovely photo, Geoff. Worth having made into a poster and putting on your wall.

I've been ill for the best part of a week. Constant vomiting - every half hour or so. I think it must be stress related. Of course, it doesn't just stop because it's bedtime, so as well as not being able to eat I wasn't able to sleep for several nights. I think I'm on the mend now.

Pickfords has been truly appalling. They've not packed/sent things we generously paid a Ukrainian handyman to dismantle for us prior to packing (eg a steel kitchen trolley) but they have filled at least one box with rubbish - literally. We collected recyclable rubbish until it was enough to be worth taking out. They've packed and shipped that to us. Their stupidity and incompetence is hard to believe. Colleagues have a similar opinion of them. The general view is that the "service" from Pickfords is really, really appalling.

[Primrose]

Gardener was here earlier today removing barrow loads of surplus soil from veg plot and trying to distribute it around existing front & back garden borders in preparation for grassing the area over. He said it' was absolutely beautiful soil. It should be! It.s had over 40 years of annual home made compost plus manure dug into it .

[oldherbaceous]

It must have been tough watching it going, Primrose!

[Westi]

Hi Stravaig,

It could be Noro Virus aka winter vomiting bug. Unfortunately many get both the vomiting & other end complications! Reports are saying it is pretty rampant at the current time, & we are being advised to wash our hands after shopping or other activities where we may touch things that infected hands touched before!

Have you sought legal advice regarding the shipping mess? Just for advice at this time but they could be handy to ensure you get properly compensated to the value in the UK rather than some made up amount based on where you were? They are a big enough company to afford to muck you around as an individual & you may need some clout behind you to hurry them along to admit liability.

[Stravaig]

Hi Westi,

I'd never heard of Norovirus so I looked it up on the NHS website. I'm sure you're right, that's most likely what I had. Thank heavens for small mercies I didn't have the "other end complications". In fact there was so little activity there that that in itself was another cause for concern. I dunno how I got it. I've only been out maybe three times this year.

I don't think we would benefit from having a lawyer. They wouldn't understand how our system works and anyway some big guns at the Foreign Office are starting to show an interest. Plus I have a family's association very willing to help. It's just a case of me documenting the facts to send to them. But it seems to be never ending. Today is husband's last day before going on leave for a week. Perhaps we'll find the time/space to deal with it properly next week. Up until now we've've just kinda been pecking at it.

[Stravaig]

It is absolutely chucking it down with rain here today. (Medway area)

[retropants]

same here and I'm due to cycle home from work in about 30 minutes!

[Westi]

Managed to get down for a bit this afternoon & it was so mild, even the automatic vent in the tunnel was open as 32.3C in there & the plants & seedlings are loving it. I had to water everything in the tunnel & was very tempted to set up the soaker hose but as taps not turned on yet to top the butts up I decided to stick to the cans.

The obligatory rain followed me home after packing up but made progress.

[tigerburnie]

A bit of greenhouse gardening today, pots plunged in the soil were un plunged if there is such a word and the Strawberry plants from last year were watered and any dead stuff removed and a general tidy up, once growing well they will get a top dressing as all were re-potted last year. The new plants I potted up all seem to be growing, so that is good news as my outside strawberries are all gone, so we will be relying on greenhouse perpetuals this year.

[Westi]

Home day today, but not for the general housework type stuff but I finally was able to sort out the mix up of perennials that have been in the tunnel & now hardened off. They were teeny little plug plants so I had to wait until grown enough to id them as they got mixed up making room for other sowings. The foxgloves are now planted along the fence at home & the other little red & yellow flowing ones for edging. (I'm not even going to attempt their proper names as the spell check gets apoplexy)!