Kitchen Garden Forum

It's not chucking it down with rain today!!! Maybe we'll get some of the outdoor stuff done at long last.

Wet today so I'm brewing a batch of beer, a bitter called "Blackest of Sheep". Only my second attempt but the stout I made in January has proved very drinkable.

Two more rows of spud in, that's four rows so far and about 120'.

Both my courgette seedlings have sprouted but are deformed. The whole packet of seeds (freebies) didn,t look too healthy to me. What chance of them producing a reasonable crop or should I just resow using a fresh packet?

Did well with the gamble to go down today as predicted rain & chilly winds seems to have bypassed me. Mind the outcome looked feeble but it was very time consuming weeding the 3 asparagus beds, especially as it is up in various stages so tread carefully was on my mind & I did pretty well with only one casualty. A kitchen fork to weed is my tool of choice, but I also risked the hoe on the young bed as they pretty much were in their planting space still whereas then older beds have spread loads. Once cleared I defined the walk ways through the beds so I can get in & harvest easier.

I did manage to pull quite a few the wayward yellow raspberries out as well & I will look to finishing that tomorrow & might try to put up the climbing bean frame. Well I will need to see if I get lucky with the weather!

Hi Primrose!

I'd re-sow just to ensure you get a crop. My aubergines were all weird with curled & variegated leaves, but I cheated & bought some plants as I have enough trouble getting ripe fruit of them when sown on time. Got lucky & found a new company who I could not fault as they even sent some freebies when the aubergines were not ready, then a 2nd apology when ready by doubling the number ordered. It makes a change to be not chasing companies & I think my neighbours will be happy with the share!

Where have Steven and Shallot Man got to?

At last the plants are looking alive and starting to grow in the greenhouse.

Bet the wish they hadn't if the forecast for next week is correct.

Think I will hold off removing the covers on the new beds.

After a warm and windy day yesterday it is now dark and damp, I was worrying my tomato plants were getting sunburnt yesterday lol

Got a lot of my Runner bean wigwams up yesterday, so nearly ready to go….the stuff in the greenhouse is really on the hurry up now….just cut the allotment grass, so it looks nice and tidy now.
I rotovated an allotment for a Gentleman who is in his 90’s yesterday, as he is struggling a little….you would have thought he had won the Lottery when he saw it done….gave me a good feeling.

Well, I said I wouldn't grow potatoes this year and then went to the hardware shop and bought Rocket and then some Jazzy online.....

....now I wasn't going to set anything in the greenhouse given that its not in the best of states.....

...but...on the way back from work this morning I called at the local nursery/farm shop....

....so now have 4 Shirleys and 2 Marmande do plant....

C.

We all have our weaknesses, Clive, and gardener’s seems to be plants….

I went to the GC this morning to buy replacement French bean and cucumber seeds. I came home with the seeds, 3 new mini houseplants and a good selection of summer bulbs & tubers which were 50%off. Oh and a couple of geraniums and an osteospermum. In my defence, I have lost a lot of garden plants during the very cold snap in December.

The annual "fraud" today with Sunday lunch with the allegedly first Jersey potatoes of the season at exhorbitant cost. Except that they seem mostly frauds now in flavour and nothing like the seaweed flavour of years ago.

I,m puzzled by what can be legitimately sold as a Jersey potato now . Does anybody have a definitive description? I suspect the oublic is being conned into paying higher prices for a definitely inferior product.

...and now I've got to go back to the nursery/farm shop as the canes I thought might just do another year won't...I must have thought that last year ...or even the the year before...
...and my usual riddle up some compost from the heap won't go either as I hadn't got heap 1 turned to heap 2 last year and had to put a load of fresh material on heap 2 so I'm baulked at getting to the good stuff....

I can taste tomato sandwiches though...so best I press on with the plan..

C.