Xmas lottie plans

[Sue]

I know it's still a few days away, but I am at work and counting the hours until the Christmas break.

After the traditional blow out and go see the relatives malarky, I'm full of good intentions to finish digging the allotment, plant the gooseberry bushes I have had heeled in for the last 6 weeks, get my seed order sorted and maybe wash pots - I always put this off to the last minute because I hate it so much.

Anyway have a good one all and let us all know your plans (especially anyone as behind as me so I don't feel quite so inadaquate).

Sue

[lizzie]

Hi Sue

I've got no presents wrapped, haven't bought for my mum and have no Christmas shopping in.

The plot needs looking at, 2 fruit bushes need planting, 4 beds to be dug and manure to be ordered. Got to get the door on the greenhouse and re-spray the bindweed and couch.

Don't worry about being behind and just enjoy yourself and veg out on the couch with some nice hot choccie, a big box of choccies and a good film on the tele.

Spring isn't far away so why fret about jobs that can wait?

Relax, enjoy and use the holiday to sit back and chill.

[Chez]

I am sure I can reassure also, Sue. Okay on the Christmas stuff (just), but the garden...

Never got to prune the 13 espaliered fruit trees which so desperately need it - will do so next year. Need to also; cut back (or out) the blackberries, prepare ground for another 8 or so gooseberry bushes (not yet purchased), prepare an asparagus bed (about 10ft x 5ft), dig out now rotting sprouting broccoli & beetroot resulting from hard frost damage and still have 400sq feet to winter dig. And do you know, I won't be cleaning a single pot this year - have just emptied them and let them dry out before stacking them away - very impressed at your intentions!

Despite all of the above, we are going to follow Lizzie's excellent advice and enjoy the Christmas break - have booked a week in New York and won't even think about our seeds until the New Year now. It doesn't matter one jot, so just have a good one and build up your energy for the sustained onslaught in spring/summer.

[Molly]

I have half an excuse for not digging because the fruit trees & bushes I ordered WAY back still haven't arrived yet - although they do have an excuse in that the weather was unseasonably warm and wet in autumn when they should have been delivered. Everything else is pretty much as it should be at this time of year, although a little frost damaged, as they grew too much while the weather was warm...

[Chris]

Hi Sue

I'm still at work and like you looking forward to the mid-winter break. Obviously we have to do all the mularky - presents and family stuff. After that there is time to be still - to prepare and dream about the next year.

For me it will be browsing the seed catalogues, washing the propogator, preparing a planting map and, if the weather is OK, pruning the more rampant roses. On New Year's day I will make my annual list of flowers in bloom - a fairly simple task!

At this time of year it's impossible to be 'behind' but too easy to try to be ahead with premature seed sowing, pot washing and all that. One of the best things about gardening is adapting our thinking to the seasons and recognising this as a good time to reflect and plan.

Happy Christmas, Solstice and New Year

[nog]

I intend to do what I do every year. I will let the kids wind me up till i tell them they are adopted and their real parents are Jewish so thay cant have any prensents. Have a row with the wife and strom up the scocial club at the plot and meet all the other husbands watching the Bond film drinking subsidised Guniess.

[Sue]

Nog - your reply made me laugh so loud I nearly got caught at work looking at the KG forum instead of getting on with it.

My husband would be with you on that one - he has successfully managed to convince everyone we are visiting someone else for Christmas Day so can't possibly visit them. He's planning a major session of scoffing dinner and vegging out in front of the telly with a beer or six without any relatives within a 5 mile radius. First time we've pulled that one off for years.

Christmas - we love it!

[nog]

You should work in IT. We have to monitor the net usage and block unsuitable sites and grass on users that are doing too much surfing....and we have to confirm that we can see the net at any time so I spend most of the day online....and they payme. If only they would let me turn off the air con in the Server room so I could turn it into a Propogating room i would be happy.

[peter]

NOG, when the a/c fails the temp & humidity should be about right, try sabotage!
Might need to replace some light bulbs with grow-lights.

My own plans for next week are to ;
Do a bit more of the site boundary fence.
Move my coldframe & espalier apple trees, from a small plot I am giving up, to my main plot.
If I manage all that or get fed up with fencing I then have a gooseberry to move and ten blackcurrents to dig out, take cuttings and dispose of the originals.
Too wet and sticky at the surface for winter digging, but doing a post hole last week and 30" down the clay is like dry cheese.
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[Sue]

Right - last day at work. Packing up at lunchtime and that's it until New Year, so have a really good Christmas everyone & hope you get an IOU for a ton of manure or similar gardening goodies from Santa.

I'm still full of good intentions to get all my jobs done over the break but we'll see......

Sue

[richard p]

why does christmas come a fortnight too early every year? regarding the garden we are off to tenerif on 6th for a fortnight so the garden will wait till february!!

[Clive.]

Hello,

How did the plans work out..??!!

I got some digging done..with more left to do...not that it is visble in this mornings view.!!

Clive.

[Carole B.]

Hello Clive,
nice bit of deep and crisp and even you've got there!!
We just got the hard frost down here so I've been doing some armchair gardening with lots of seed catalogues out,at this rate I'll need another lottie just for the tomatoes I want to grow!
Carole.

[Clive.]

Hello Carole,

In the photo' the ground in front of the Raspberry posts/wires is dug as is the bit in the immediate foreground...in the middle a row of even spaced little lumps is the Strawberry bed.
Some more is left to do between Brussels (beyond Rasp's) up to the House..

Much more digging to do in the day job garden though, including an area of lawn to turn over in a slight increase of vegetable/fruit growing and to replace a vegetable area that has changed into a Rose bed..!!

Yes, a good time for checking through the catalogues...Postlady brought another from Marshalls this morning...

It is currently showing 31.5 F on my new weather gadget...with forecasters talking of a bit more snow for Friday here in E. Lincs...

All the best,
Clive.

[peter]

My plans have come to naught.

Partly the weather, my part of Hertfordshire had an inch or two of snow and plenty of hard frost, this has been followed by rain, mostly however by dealing with a confused eighty-seven year old mother who managed to fall twice gaining 20 facial stitches and a great deal of confusion the second time around.

If someone can no longer cope on their own, but refuses to accept that they may have to go into sheltered accomodation or a home, there is not a thing that can be done, unless they are sectionable under the mental health act. Gets very frustrating when they ring to ask you to come and get them a drink because they can't, especially when you plus the doctor have spent an hour earlier the same day talking options through and been totally rebuffed with "I can manage fine on my own".

So she finally sees sense after three days consecutive visits by her doctor and we get her into some respite care, so it starts to rain, persistently and I'm back to work Tuesday, oh well the weekend will be here soon.....