Summer bits and bobs.

[oldherbaceous]

Wow Clive, you certainly wrong about the Bantam sweetcorn, lovely large cobs but, virtually no sweetness…bit like eating damp cornflakes, so not sure what to do with them!

[Clive.]

Yes', when I grew it in the lockdown year, as it was what was in stock on the sideboard here from KG mag, they were just like I remembered from when i first grew 'sweetcorn' in the mid 1970s..no sweetness..maybe it was just maize or zea back then and the sweet came in more recent years.

I had another 'Incredible' at lunch time...an outgrade that had followed me home, it had been pecked at the top. It still wasn't incredible, only in size, and was improved from the previous one that i had tried but best to stick to Moonshine, Goldcrest or Swift, I reckon.

Perhaps good for some sileage or the bio digester

C.

[Westi]

I seem to be doing a big rake up of fruit on every visit down. I can't keep up with harvesting them, neighbours not interested & food bank box filled. They do look like they are winding up but still a lot of pears. I'm not into preserving or jam as usually end up with way too many filling the larder, but at least they will serve a purpose in the compost & break down quickly.

Spent the day weeding, filling 'no show' gaps, feeding & prepping some beds for their shut down, but can't shut down already empty beds just yet as my nice neighbour want's me to wait as is going to get some chicken stuff for himself & check what manure they have as the store is right in front of their mega huge chicken enclosure & huts but he's never seen bags available but is going to ask them. Not a problem as I can find lots to do!

[oldherbaceous]

You always keep very busy Westi, a real credit to you!

[Clive.]

Hedge trimming today..subject was one we historically used to do in June...mighty warm in the sunshine after lunch.
However, on the way to work this morning I spotted a rather cool 6.5C as I went along by the river...it had been 9C at home up on the top.

C.

[Clive.]

I had an away day today...and went to visit a local garden machinery agent...having a look at hedgetrimmers.. I needed to have hold of a machine rather than ponder on online pictures....

I then wandered the roads of Lincolnshire making it a round trip....there seemed to be cable laying and kerb repairs with traffic lights every couple of miles...and a set of stop/go boards once clear of the light sets..

Dropped in to the aviation heritage centre and by good fortune, rather than any planning on my part, it was taxi run day for Lancaster NX611...stood close by as it was started up.....and I had forgotten how loud and deep the sound is.

Then wandered by my gate to head up town to another agent....sadly not much there for me to view...maybe if I had a horse there would be.

...and now I sit tapping a few lines....whilst anticipating a delivery of fish and chips any minute..

C.

[Westi]

Looks like I will finally be able to get down tomorrow, been raining every day since Monday & not just drizzle, but full on. Spent the last couple of days deciding on what to seeds etc buy in the Kings Allotment's catalogue as the site is signed up & we get a decent discount. My first run through is always overenthusiastic & the total price is scary but my 2nd one is usually more controlled. I've probably filled it in with things in the wrong column as usual but fortunately it is checked by the committee guys.

Not many new varieties in the catalogues this year to try, but probably that is related to the price getting these new seeds through all the checks as bet they had a challenging summer as well with fails. The wait did mean I got all my drowned seeds delivered, as they came from various sites that had the seeds available. Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow!

[Clive.]

Had another away day...pulled in two machinery agent visits with ref hedgetrimmer ponderings...an independent garden centre and even plucked up courage to walk into a local car dealership....a bit more local one than my current one that is far side of Lincoln

Full tank of fuel yesterday evening.....gauge was telling me 465 miles available to me.....by the time I had been nearly to Boston and then out West nearly to Lincoln it was telling me 495miles in stock...so ether my car is secretly a hybrid or it has enjoyed a gentle longer pootle along the secondary routes and one main A road when it usually does 5 miles in a morning and five 5 miles back in the afternoon and has rethought its fuel economy average figure..

Had a bit of a spend, not a car or hedgetrimmer...but a different sedum that is now planted in my home south border, a little clutch of light orange fringed tulips too. Also one of those garden leaf grabs, marvelous things..and from stalwart agri dealer of the old school RH Crawford & Sons, a couple of thin sharp bladed draw hoes and a spare blade that should hopefully fit an existing hoe frame... Hoe, Hoe, Hoe, which reminds me there was also a good selection of Christmas at the garden centre...

C.

[Westi]

Pleasant day on the plots but Mr Fox is getting naughty again & I found another torn section on the tunnel cover, so that's every section of the tunnel supported by perspex sheets &/or loads of poly tunnel cover mending tape. No way am I going to be getting another cover while he's around. I really don't know what attracts him, no food or anything in the tunnel so just him just being a pest. He doesn't come in through the doors which are still open as both sonic repellers point to each end & no paw prints in the beds or path.

If I could work out the trail cam I might find out what's he's up to, but will probably need a 10yr old to look at that!

[Westi]

Had a chat with someone online; well several chats really. It could be rats in the tunnel the fox is after, but he can't get in because of the repellers, mind not seen any rat poo but??. They are currently set on fox after his stunts last year, but on reflection his damage has always been done from the outside. Well it's time to change the battery anyway so worth a try.

I won't set it up until I do a harvest of any ripe fruit in there & put some mesh & lot's of bricks over the sweet potatoes though just in case he decides to dig them, no that's not a just in case he will try them, but they have had brilliant hot weather so might even be ready if I have a look! Might loose a few green fruit but it's nearly end of season & myself & the near neighbours have had plenty.

Please feel free to highlight any blinding mistake in this!

[Westi]

Was a bit blowy today but nowhere near what the weather report was saying. I went for closing both tunnel doors rather than mucking around with the repeller, usual me reacting before thinking! No rats can get in if both doors closed so no interest for the fox. Did a bit of sorting wayward netting, raked up more apples, planted some BSP & did a bit of tidying & weeding. Tried to have a dig around the sweet potatoes to check the size but too much foliage wrapped around, so instead I trimmed & thinned the tomatoes.

I did take or try to take one handsome big Blue Hubbard squash, but couldn't carry it as had filled my bag already so tucked it in the metal shed away from hungry critters & will lug it home on Wed when I am next down. Wed will also be the day the weeding rotation starts again looking at the beds, but got a few small things to sow in the tunnel gaps & no doubt will get carried away, but soil won't be staying warm for much longer.

[Clive.]

The windiest here seemed to be at about 1:30pm, just as I was driving up town to get some new tyres on the front of Skoda.
Then as the suggested figures on the forecast were diminishing some really big gusts in a squally shower about 6:30pm. I see that the local weather monitoring station has tallied with this being the time of highest gust speeds.
It has since calmed quite a lot but i can hear it blowing up a bit again now.

I had lots of plans to get loads done at home here today...but went with catch up on the washing, next the car tyres and alignment check., then a grocery shop a la Co-op...

I did manage to grab the last of the Marjorie's Seedling plums and got them stewed, 3 puddings worth, including one dish for tea with white bread and butter.

C.

[Westi]

Tomorrow's not looking too wonderful 1st thing with some showers but I will go down. I have jobs in the tunnel to keep me busy until I can go outside. Nothing exciting to do just filling the bed edges with salad leaves, cress, spring onions etc for over winter & moving the staging in & sowing some onion seeds, hence the staging in. As I have to take the big squash home all the toms ready will go in the food bank box. The toms are looking a bit scruffy so nearing the end for them.

My lovely neighbour has confirmed he will take down as many bags of compost as I need as he had no luck with the chicken place, they sell it on. I'm sticking with the Levington's as I was happy with the handful I took out of the single bag I bought. It will be for the greedy Brassica's & I'll open the oldest heap of my own compost for the rest.

[oldherbaceous]

A very wet morning here….but i’m not moaning!
Suppose it’s nearly time for Autumn Bits and Bobs….I can feel Monika giving me a nudge…..

[Clive.]

It put 14mm into our rain gauge...and the novelty was soon wearing off...much as the water table needs a recovery.

..and did it come warm just after the rain had finished....such that it is refreshingly cool in the house.....which is just as well as it's chicken jalfrezi for tea...

C.