Spring Bits and Bobs.

[Clive.]

No sooner than I had mentioned the asparagus... it arrived today...adding to my 'to do' list, that is whirring round in my head, for the weekend...it was already quite a long list...

C.

[oldherbaceous]

I love a challenge…. A nice early start then Clive!

[Westi]

Slight diversion tomorrow but feel I need to top up the butts & give everything a nice drink as no rain for a week or so & temps sneaking up. I have the new hose add on so will be able to fill them all & not have to carry the watering can back & forward to the trough. Then it will definitely be sow time. My list is incredibility long which is all entirely related to all the time lost with proving my DIY is pants!

I'm hoping I can get them all sown as would also like to get the runner frame up while the soil is still a bit moist. I have covered it's bed though so should buy me some time...fingers crossed!

[Geoff]

This sunny weather has made the Charlotte in the polytunnel grow like mad, I think I'll need some sticks and string before they collapse.

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Luckily I didn't get the ground frost of Clive and OH, I've not put out the hoops so I can pull the polythene over to make my emergency potato tent.

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[retropants]

That’s a bit far for me OH, Currently, Chesham is my furthest market, about 45min - 1 hour away. When you’re done for the day, that’s about as long a drive as you’d want!

[Westi]

I didn't get down as planned today as we had some IT outrage from Virgin last night. Drove me crazy & went on for hours with TV telling me to do this & that with me trying to figure out what plugs were what but I did check & they were all plugged in, rebooted loads of times & generally got fed up trying to report as you have to scroll through a great long list for the right error code they give you to report only to find the one I needed was not available....hmm? Could that be because it's the faulty one?

Eventually got one channel back with a message to say they are working on it so went to check the computer & ditto nothing available. Took the computer back in time & got the main page but would not open anything. Then it demanded I upgrade my service to the latest Google upgrade but it said it wasn't available when I tried. Somehow I managed to hide this & it did give me the list of my usual favourites but wouldn't open any of them. Gave up as too late & just left it open so if they wanted to fiddle they could & they did & fixed it, but when it came to life the volume was way up so woke the whole house up. Nothing for it but to have a coffee as up anyway & took the dog around the block as she missed her evening walk. Come wake up time to get to the plot I just couldn't be bothered as brain knackered.

[Cider Boys]

It is a lovely morning here, very misty first thing but now the sun is burning through and the mist is clearing. Sheep have arrived and are busy mowing the lush grass. When out walking with my dog yesterday I heard the exhaust notes of some vehicles approaching along the single track lane and as I called my dog into the bank, three superbly restored vintage Jaguars passed by. A blue E type led the way followed by two mk 2s one red and the other black. I was thrilled, what wonderful cars Britain once built, further along the lane I was equally pleased when I spotted a group of Wheatears that had made the migration here.

Warmer weather is on its way.

Barney

[Clive.]

The asparagus went in on Sat' morning and then the last of the potatoes, Charlotte and Maris Peer, some more sweetcorn sown and a myriad of other bits and bobs sorted....today, posts and sticks at broad beans, runner bean poles up and some 'Sunset' beans pushed in. Haven't grown 'Sunset' before, pink flowered..and there will be some 'Moonlight' up the other end of the garden later...like my logic.?..Sunset coming before Moonlight

..and 2 hours walking behind the roller rotary mower.!

21C it says on the way home...wind no longer in the East..

C.

[Westi]

Got up a bit late as anticipated but in order not to waste the day I decided to start sorting out the build mess closest to the back door. None of the big boy stuff around here, that is all at the back. Lot's of wood shavings, weeds & sad pots out there, so all removed, tidied, weeded. Table moved into it's summer spot then everything returned & looking way nicer. I hid a lot of stuff in the builders bags which helped immensely.

I do have to teach the apprentice about recycling though! Went to put the weeds etc in the garden bin & found it full of those strange coloured drink bottles youngster's like, plastic covering, ties etc & basically anything went in. All cleared up or rather out & bin hidden behind the neighbours garage. No word that right doors have been delivered yet so just waiting, but they have promised this team will stay put doing the interior work until competition......best get lot's of biscuits in!

[Westi]

Had quite a good day, only small cussing was the new hose extension does not fit the rest of the hose, but did managed to fill 3 butts & the large trugs. I think I will just measure the whole length required to water both plots & invest in a new single hose with no joins. The site freebie table can have all the old ones then, but will check with my neighbour first in case he wants any. It is pretty old but totally intact just not long enough & the smaller length is brand new, which is why I expect he might like it as his plot is smaller.

Sowed all the seeds intended so they will be ready for late May to go into their spot, which buys me time to catch up on the weeding. Bed prepped for the runners so just have to erect the frame which will be job 1 on Wednesday as it is uncovered & temp going up so don't want to have to do dig it again, but fortunately does get a bit of shade from the tunnel.

Any recommendations for a hose brand? Just a proper old fashioned type one, as got a reel to wind it on, so not one of those extending ones.

[Geoff]

viewtopic.php?p=168153&hilit=Karcher#p168153

I've actually got three since I posted that and all behaving well.

[retropants]

I've just bought a new hozelock one, the previous hozelock lasted 20 years or so, hardly ever put away in the winter and sitting in hot sun every afternoon. It was the yellow one, now yellow & grey. The hose is actually still fine, it was the reel thingy, the joints in the centre went brittle and broke. I got one that is a bit longer, as the old one only just reached to the veg patch. I splashed out on a wall mounted reel, much less aggro for the lower back!

[Westi]

Thank you both Geoff & retropants!

My first was a hose lock one & lasted near a decade, but I bought one to replace & it was not up to the job & split, also when I got the packet it was not nicely rolled up but in a mess & shoved in; I was wondering if a return for some reason & repackaged but got on with it. I think I might try a Karcher, they seem to be widely recommended. Measuring up the length is top of the chores for tomorrow so will go on their site to check. I don't recall seeing them on the online generic 'A' list.

[Geoff]

My last one was this, they do hose as well, haven't done a price survey recently https://www.karcher-center-trafalgar.co ... 315-kit-12

[Cider Boys]

Warm lovely day to-day, managed to rotavate an area this afternoon for my cabbages and runner beans.

Barney