Good times ahead, Bits and Bobs.

[alan refail]

Now today really does look like spring
Wall-to-wall blue sky, daffodils just opening up (not massively early, but 8 or 9 days earlier than usual).
The mud is slowly drying up. I got propagators set up this morning, so, after all my troubles of 2015, I am on the verge of starting a new growing season. Tomatoes, peppers, bunching onions, lettuces, cabbages, herbs should all be sown before the week is out.
I had spent a few weeks pondering options now that I am only growing for myself and friends. Option 1 was to think very carefully about cutting down the quantity and variety of what I should grow; option 2 was to call it a day and give up altogether; option 3 was to sow lots of what I like growing and of which the hens enjoy eating the surplus. I went for option 3, which seemed the easiest and, I hope, most satisfying.

[Primrose]

Seems the right option to me Alan. i suspect if you gave up completely you probably wouldn't know what to do with yourself on the "good gardening days" and would probably find yourself sneaking out again to grow small patches of things to eat. Besides, I'm sure your hens would be unhappy at missing out on all their little treats.

[Pa Snip]

Glad you didn't take option 2.
Look forward to hearing how option 3 pans out

I suspect that before the season is out option 4 will have been considered and put into play.

You haven't currently got an option 4 in your plan ???
Yes you have, its a combination of option 1 and 3.

Good luck with it

[alan refail]

Thanks for that nudge, Pa.

I may well do that whilst I am going through with option 3. I abandoned option one out of laziness, as it requires a bit more thought

[Geoff]

Good decision - growing stuff is the only way to maintain ones sanity in this mad world.

Much better day today but spoiled by a couple of showers. Did start the propagator last week and things starting to germinate today. Not fit to work outside but finished digging greenhouse border and took some Argyranthemum cuttings - not done that before but potted up some plants we had in tubs last year and some were shooting nicely so thought I would give them a try.

Managed just over a mile walk with pup today so she will be keeping me fit before long, still needs last injection so sticking to roads at the moment. Stopped to listen to a Song Thrush for a while.

[Geoff]

Remember?

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12514&p=123051&hilit=crisp+packet#p123051

[Geoff]

Live emulates fiction!

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... ht-to-life

(can't put two urls in the same post and have to wait to do a second post)

[Pa Snip]

Back on the previous page I posted a couple of pictures of the eglu

download/file.php?id=2391

Since then we have had more opportunity to assess it in use. and I hate to say it but we think it has some fundamental flaws.

Yes the coop itself is sturdy and well built, but having put it into use we would not consider putting more than 4 large birds in it, or 6 small ones.
Also the wire run is far too small for more than that in our view. The birds have already been showing signs of distress so we have had to let them out at times

If there is a problem with a bird that hasn't gone to roost at night then that means you have to access the run and it is a hands and knees job
Same applies if you want to get feeders in far enough to avoid rainfall, and you need a cover over the top of the wirework as well.

Don't get me wrong, there are lots of coops on the market and many are much smaller than they seem in adverts, and pricey for what they are. I think many actually overstate the number of hens it is fair to keep In them.

If somebody asked us if we would recommend the Eglu we would now do so but with limitations and conditions expressed.
It needs a large garden. We would not buy the run. We would buy the coop unit only, which it is possible to do. But if you do that you need to consider how big a area you want o contain the hens in , and how you are going to fence or net that area. Unless you are going , and are able, to give the hens complete freedom

Fortunately we have not done away with the home made walk in run that I made a couple of years back, so the wire run is going to be removed, so with some adaptation to the runs framework to allow access on all sides the Eglu coop unit alone will go into that home made walk in run.

[Geoff]

I'm here enjoying a brew while I wait for the men in white coats - I've just mown the grass on February 26th! Mind I think they must have already been for some of our regulars.

[Pa Snip]

A biting chill wind here again this morning, Don't think I can risk going up the allotment.
Catching a cold would not be a good idea.

Might take a ride over to the next town and visit the allotment trading shed that's open on Sundays 9am > 12 noon
See if they have some bubble wrap.

Also need to pot on some onions that are in trays in the greenhouse so a bag or two of potting compost is needed.

Might be busy over there as seed potatoes have arrived and people will no doubt be collecting their orders.

[Westi]

Bit chilly down at lottie today with a biting east wind. Managed to get some more prunings burnt off so now I think probably only one more burn. Fixed the gate hinges, (not via recommended means but worked)! Birds nipped off about 50% of the broad bean plants which I had bunny protected but not netted, so sorted that & got some more membrane from the shop & created a new path between lottie 1 & 2 & down the side of the fruit trees, so don't have to hoe or mow that this year.

That meant I could increase the width of the strawberry bed so dug that out - with a wee bit of help from the dog! Best thing of all though is new people have taken on the empty plot next door who were very grateful I pointed out where the self sown parsnips were - they took home 1/2 a small trug full & only about 1/4 of that spot dug!

Westi

[Monika]

Beautiful day here today: sunny and almost completely still, so got our vegetable beds at home raked (the recent frosts have broken the clods down beautifully), spread some worm-rich homegrown compost and covered them with black plastic so that the worms can do their work before I can do the first sowings.
Been rather pre-occupied recently because we have just been presented with the first greatgrandchild, a little girl, We must be getting old .......

[retropants]

Spent all afternoon helping my dad revamp the blackberry bed. Pruned the brambles right back, put in new (to us) trellis to tie it in to, new timber bed edges and manured the plants, then covered in wood chippings. Looks fantastic, I do have pics, but they are on my phone. I will see if I can transfer them to the iPad!!!

[PLUMPUDDING]

I've had a great weekend,doesn't it make a difference to have sunshine. We went to Whitby on Friday for my birthday and had a good walk and the traditional fish and chip dinner with a pot of tea. Then two days of tidying pruning the roses and sorting the plants out in the greenhouse. The most drastic was removing the grape vine and giving both olive trees a severe reshaping.

My leek seeds have germinated at last but there's no sign of the potatoes in their growing sacks in the greenhouse yet. I've a lovely crop of Freckles lettuces ready for cropping in the border. So it's feeling like spring,

[Pa Snip]

Belated birthday greetings PP.

I'm envious of your Whitby trip, if only because the queues for the renowned fish and chips were unlikely to be out the door at this time of year.

I posted yesterday morning that I wasn't going to risk going up the plot because of the chill wind,
I think you know me well enough by now to guess that caution went out the window about mid-day and I went up and finally completed this seasons preparatory rough dig.

Only area not touched since it was rough dug at the end of last years season is the area brassica's will go in this year. It has had some lime, it will get some more at planting time. Otherwise it will be left as firm ground