Kitchen Garden Forum

It was so nice after I posted the original photos we filled a flask and went for a 100 mile drive around the Lake District. Coniston and Tarn Hows were beautiful.

In case you haven't realised. If you are using chrome as your browser you can right click on a photo and select 'Open image in a new tab' then you can use the zoom function via the three dots, works well with these stitched panorama photos.

Agreed Geoff. interesting light. Nice shot.

Stunning photographs Geoff...I didn't realise I could right click and I didn't even realise I was using chrome...

Just been over the allotments and picked a large bag of peas. They were sown as Jaguar but, they look more like a Mangetout, so not sure what has gone on there...still have the packet, so I know they were the ones that I sowed. Strangely, we have had some sharp frosts but, they are still growing well and still have a few new flowers...a real bonus at this time of the year.

Suddenly realised seeing Geoff's pictures, has anyone heard from Tigerburnie, he hasn't been on here for ages...

has anyone heard from Tigerburnie, he hasn't been on here for ages

I thought that too when I was posting, miss his more professional efforts.

Should have gone for our drive today, the mountains have white tops, just crept above freezing here.

I spent a couple of hours on the plot today. Provided I kept moving it was quite nice.
Mostly I was raking up leaves and filled three bags for leaf mulch.

To create an empty bag I tipped out one of the old ones. Looks OK.

With all this rain, there's an awful lot of arable land that hasn't got any crops in it this year...think Wheat prices might be fairly expensive next year!!

Looks some good stuff, Stephen...

oldherbaceous wrote:With all this rain, there's an awful lot of arable land that hasn't got any crops in it this year...think Wheat prices might be fairly expensive next year!!

Looks some good stuff, Stephen...

Time to stockpile SHREDDIES !!!

I got up to the plot yesterday afternoon too and did a bit more Raj ng and a bit of digging too.

I feel for those with gardens and allotments in Northern flooded areaA (A's well, of course, for those who,ve had their homes flooded which must be absolutely awful.

All the work done on soil improvement and manuring will of course have been washed away and who knows what quality of ground they are left to work with. I imagine that possibly grassed areas will have been marginally more preserved in stopping soil being swept away.

We used to live with a river running right at the bottom of our garden and always had heart lurching moments as we watched the water levels rise after heavy rain. You develop a very healthy respect for rainfall when you live that close to water and sometimes see how quickly it can translate into a condition which is quite alarming.

I saw a post on FB & their plot was 6' underwater. They lost some chickens but rescued some as well & they report their ducks are very happy. The biggest worry to me would be contamination as it would be to most of us who grow to eat. When is it safe after the water is gone?

Yes Westi Is right and there could be all kinds of contamination including sewage and chemicals from commercial garages and other places of work. I imagine a visit from a local council environment officer or some other qualified official might be necessary to check that the ground is still safe for growing food.

Good...working in shirt sleeves today, in lovely sunshine.

Bad...tomorrow looks like it is going to rain all day, again.

Flooding must be devastating, I agree and feel very sorry for those affected.
We are all doing our bit by not paving things, however we have very limited scope.

One remarkable point is that so much can be achieved by simple management techniques within the drainage basin. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/12/flooding-caused-by-poor-management-and-floodplain-building and simple planning. Rotherham example https://www.wildsheffield.com/reserves/centenary-riverside/ and Taunton http://www.longrunmeadow.co.uk/

We have roads closed to flooding all the time I'm talking main roads into and out of the town regularly over six times a year but our council insist on turning farmland into storage factories even though the roads around us are at their maximum