Kitchen Garden Forum

Heavy rain during the night and still going strong so water butts being nicely replenished. At least we won,t have to do any watering this weekend. The combination of sunshine and water is really making everything grow at frightening speed.

Rain easing off. Watching squirrel's burying pea-nuts in my lawn. £ 28 a sack.

Here in Ireland we have never paid for water but a number of years ago, in spite of huge protests, it was decided to install water meters and start charging. A lot of meters were installed but before they could start the scheme it came to light that they had installed battery operated ones. Very soon the batteries ran out and that was the end of that. DON'T SAY IT !!!
Regards, Diarmuid.

No proper rain here since 26 May (6mm), just a very short shower twice since then which each produced less than 0.5mm in the rain gauge. So onwards with the watering can again! And we are not on a meter.

I thought you were going to say the batteries rotted with all the rain you get in your part of the world !!.

On a rather different tack, I've been greatly entertained during Lockdown watching various" Mossy Bottom" YouTube videos about a young man who has set up his own sufficiency homestead in Western Ireland. For anybody interested in growing vegetables and self sufficiency, these videos are a delight to watch. Can recommend them for anybody with a little time on their hands to view them.

I'm amazed at how handy some folk are as also spent some time watching things on YouTube Primrose! You have to be selective as you can end up watching stuff that teaches you nothing but there are gems in amongst them, especially homesteaders! Not met 'Mossy Bottom' in my searches! Cheers for the link!

We were recently sent a link to a 45-minute BBC film on youtube about Kilnsey Show, a large but very local agricultural show in the Yorkshire Dales. It was filmed about 40 years ago and fascinating. We recognised a number of people there but, alas, some of them no longer with us! As we are no lovers of screens (no TV, never watch films in cinemas or on the computer), we were quite surprised how riveted we became during THIS film.

Just a thought. Now that we have left the EU. Does that mean the Vintage Vegetable seeds that needed the expensive certificate from our ex-masters in Brussels no longer apply. So these Heritage seeds can now be freely available in the UK.

Maybe Shallot Man...we need at least one thing that is for the better....

Flaming June, 2.5°C on midsummer night!

Yes, I know Geoff. We had the central heating back on yesterday I felt so cold. Climbing French beans definitely not liking it!

Delighted to get my free Fordhook Giant Swiss chard seeds with magazine which arrived today.
Sowed my last few seeds earlier this Spring and in my view it's by far the best variety and impossible to buy in garden centres.

For those of us that got the rain, it certainly has done some good....but I do feel sorry for the people that missed it, as I should think things are getting a little drought like by now.

Still no rain here, OH, other than a few drops on Friday night. I spent most of this morning carting watering cans to give the vegetables a good soak because the broccoli is producing side shoots (after the first pick), the broad beans are filling and the courgettes are starting to flower (when I saw the first flower, I thought of you, Primrose!). Shallots and garlic have now had their late sulphate of potash feed and should soon be 'ripening'. Tomatoes and sweet peppers are setting now in the greenhouse, but are a bit slow - 4C last night, but the sun is shining ......

That must be very frustrating, Monika...Hopefully you will soon get a good downour!