Spring Bits and Bobs.

[Geoff]

Indeed a beautiful day. As we sat outside this evening with a celebratory bottle of fizz we were thinking although we were married 53 years ago on this day in Shropshire we passed quite close to where we now live on our way to honeymoon in Scotland. Don't remember the weather being anything like this!

[Westi]

I measured up from tap opposite & 2 plots width away & road factored in, down the main path & width across the back of the plot to reach the other side at the end. Wasn't too fastidious but pretty accurate. I made it 29 metres, but will go for 30m as occasionally water the neighbours on the right side. Left neighbours who I also water when on hols are beside my main path so no problem. Now I see it in writing I'm wondering if this sounds right? I have 2 full length plots beside each other so pay for 4 1/2 plots each year as most plots are singles they do the bills by this measure if that helps.

Off to check the actual karcher hose lengths & prices but won't buy until you confirm this sounds right if you don't mind? Sorry I'm a dim wit but I always left this type of thing to Mr. but he can't even access the site at the moment as no dropped curbs for his mobility scooter, but they are working on it as several disabled folk on site now.

Cheers in advance as usual!

[Clive.]

Sat having lunch behind the bothy in the shade when along comes a Lancaster Up on air test with what looked to be a timed climb and then amazingly shutting engines to idle such they were just popping and banging until approaching stall...we could then see it start to climb away before the sound reached us of it really powering away. I had seen air test with Dakota before like that but not the Lancaster.

Do you think I've been excitedly telling everyone what I have seen.??..maybe, yes...including here

Plenty warm today...I have been wandering about on a lawn following a Buffalo about.!

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Sounds like you have had a rather exciting day, one way or the other Clive!
Really hot here today….and we desperately need some rain.

[Clive.]

...the day didn't start so good...as due to the build up of 'papers' by this pc..my plate of toast and marmalade slid off and landed face down....luckily I had invested in a clear 'plastic' carpet protector for under the operator chair...so all wiped up ok...with a new old stock plate brought into service from its slumbers in a pile in back bedroom....!!

C.

[Clive.]

We got the thunder and lightning last night...and about 4mm rain.

They've been busy in the back field here for a few days...3 tractors with stone separators driving along in echelon creating huge stone/clod free ridges. Then it looks like 4 rows have been drilled into the worked down and slightly diminished ridge top. I suspect it's carrots as that is what has been grown across this farm over two years since ownership changed. The same company, who takes up farmland for their growing operations, also grows parsnips, so will see in a couple of weeks what pops through...they got it completed just right for that 4mm rain..

Meanwhile, I couldn't make anything of the internet last night and this morning...lots of things not accessible, it seemed.... Then thought, something like this happened before...so I turned off power to router...turned it back on again..and all loaded up ok, phew...

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Still no sign of rain and no sign of Peter, either…..do hope he is okay!
A real shame my friend and others can’t get to join in, on the forum…

[Clive.]

7:30am today there were two paramotors buzzing about...I was opening the big greenhouse and thought at first it was some more of the mass of motor scooters that have been buzzing down to the coast that I could hear upon opening the top back windows....then quickly realised the noise was right above me..and shot out to see what it was..
I did give them a wave...as they headed away towards the Wolds. It was really still at the time...and they were making the most of it before the strong breeze that got up later.

Back home I got the wire and 'sticks' at the Radeo pea row...it's a bit of a 'mean' row due to earlier activities of micky mouse. Then got the lawn mowed.

Next on my list was self inflicted hair cut, different machine .....and "as I liked it so much I bought the" idea of trimming down to 3mm....after I had to last time after I struck in with the depth guide off.!!

Similar weather to yesterday...sunny start, grey middle of the day and back to sunny evening.....jumper back on, wind in northlerly quarter...maybe even woolly hat this evening...

C.

[Westi]

Nobody down early so was a bit naughty & put the hose down on some of the beds on shower to give them a proper good water as still no rain predicted. Finally managed to get the main crop spuds in but had to give the bed another good twizzle & rake as still a bit rough, but certainly better now. Kinda led me to doing chores outside & not the tunnel as intended, so all the beds that side weeded along with the opposite bed which was handy as the bind weed was obvious there. So on this plot I only have the raspberries in the front of the tunnel & a quick weed around the strawberries at the back.

Not going to get down until Tues due to the BH & limited buses (3 all day if they show), but Tues is definitely going to be tunnel day. Warm enough for the plants to go out on the staging & have fleece just in case & they have been popped out while I've been down & seem happy. Only thing staying is a couple of small rows of lettuce & the obligatory radish etc right in the very front of the rows so no problem working around these. It's all been fed so no worries there so just prepping mounds for the melons & ridges for the sweet potatoes. The toms supports are in & looped over the bar so just to secure the 'u' pegs at the bottom & cucumber's & peppers can go in. Then the dog proofing & dripper hose set up. Feels great to see it looking better, was loosing my mojo for a bit!

[Cider Boys]

Very quiet day today, planted out some lettuce plants and weeded around the onions. Has anyone sowed their runner bean seeds outside yet? I am tempted to sow some. Ground is very dry and would benefit from some rain but I am enjoying this warm weather even if the seedlings are not.

Happy gardening

Barney

[Geoff]

I don't sow runners direct but raise them in rootrainers where they've just germinated and will probably be planted just after the middle of the month. Panicked last night and put the hoops over the potatoes for the sheet of polythene to make a tent, in the end it went down to 1.2°C which could have been enough for a ground frost, though if there was it had cleared when I got up.

[Cider Boys]

That is a very sensible way to grow runner beans Geoff, I should have done likewise. My potato haulms have grown well and I hope not to get them frosted, you are obviously better prepared than I am having a cover for yours. I must try to be better prepared in the future, however I do have a mesh cover for my cabbages but alas some butterflies always find a way in.

Barney

[Geoff]

0.7°C last night and frost still on the car with a hint of white on shady grass so hopefully the potato tent has done its job when I get down there. Looks safe again for a week now.

[AdrienneRobinson]

I fleeced the spuds yesterday evening as it was forecast to go down to 1 but in the end we didn’t actually have any frost.
Potted on some lettuces yesterday (a heritage variety called George Richardson that I’d been given the seeds from when I went to a Garden Organic workshop), they’re looking nice a strong. Also some Webbs Wonderful and another from a free seed packet from Kitchen Garden mag (Lobjoits or something like that). Don’t want to plant them out yet until they’re a bit bigger. Having decided last year I wasn’t going to bother with lettuces anymore as they just bolt so readily for me, this year I’ve probably got around 30! Tomatoes are growing well in the greenhouse (still bringing them in the house at night). Broad beans have shot up with this lovely weather with lots of flowers, and sugar snap peas growing well up their supports. Nice to feel on top of things - for now anyway!

[retropants]

I've not got anything in the ground yet! I don't direct sow anything anymore, it all gets demolished by slugs & snails. I've got kalettes and lettuce in modules getting big enough to go it alone in the ground. Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines & cucumbers potted on in the greenhouse. Must sow cabbage and broccoli soon, cobra beans (only had 8 seeds left!) and sweetcorn not up yet (in large modules in the greenhouse), older seed, so chancing it to be honest. I've not got much space anymore, so have to focus on things that do well here and will get eaten. I don't bother with carrots anymore, every year they've had a weird disease where all the leaves go brown and die off. A couple of months later new green leaves appear, but too late to make carrots a decent size.