Kitchen Garden Forum

OH,

The nursery I use has about 80 varieties all supplied from Scottish source and all certificated.
I have never known them have their full stock in so early as they have this year

Thanks for that Pa, sorry to lower the tone!

Thanks for the tip off regarding seed potatoes, OH and Pa, I was thinking about getting a few more Picasso to add to my usual ones (already planted), as they did so well last year. They did get a bit more slug damage than the others, but that might have been because I hadn't used Nemasys on that bit of garden for a few seasons. They did produce a huge crop of large potatoes and have a very good flavour.

Just removed my tray of onion and leeks sown in December from the heated propagator, they'll live in an un heated one with the lid off in the day till a bit bigger. Put some fresh compost in another tray and that is now warming up in the heated prop. chillies, peppers and some early sweetpeas going in there tomorrow.

A good reminder there, Tigerbernie, i must also get sowing the sweet peas myself!!

I have grown some sweetpeas in the greenhouse in the past for some early cut flowers, always have a scented variety too, Suttons "Sublime scent mix" is what I'm growing this year.

I just love the scent of sweet peas, and a bunch of those, can get you out of many a awkward situation..... not that i get myself in awkward situations, of course....

Interesting OH! Thankfully got my order in via the allotment shop in October - let's hope they deliver.

Tomorrow is 'burn day' - I do have to put that area to sleep for winter with it's manure duvet, but wasn't expecting quite so much off the hedge row. Stay tuned - it could make the evening news with 3 x 5ft piles and the apple & peach prunnings to add! There was a wee moment of angst with thicker cloud build up today for a bit but no rain.

Please Mr Westi don't burn down the fence or the neighbour's shed!

On my facebook page I often have 'Todays Toon'

I have decided that in honour of Westi's bonfire day todays toon will be The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.

I noticed on the 'disinfectant' thread that westi and OH both alluded to what may change as a result of brexit.

OH brings back a good point from commonwealth days when the complaint was that we had a perfectly good lamb farming industry yet imported the bulk of lamb from New Zealand. Will those days return.

Not wishing to take that thread further 'off subject' I've posted a thought here.

A Brexit wish,
Please can we have our chocolate industry back to how it used to be.
I want Dairy Milk to taste like it used to, I want Cadburys Roses to have the purple one restored

I want Terry's chocolate orange to taste of Orange

And Kit Kat to have fingers that satisfy

Can Nestlé's products be called 'Ness alls' again and not 'Nest Lays'

Hello PS
Brexit chocolate wish - can we add Black Magic? Years ago it was DW's favourite dark choccy but not any more.

John

We Can John,

It just isn't the same shade of black anymore and the magic isn't there.

I would like marathons instead of snickers it was the only marathon I took part in

And they are only half marathons now

Same as Wagon Wheels are Mini Wheels.

Malteasers can legitimately be advertised as 'Even Less Fattening Centres'

Pa Snip, you have the most wonderful sense of humour.....

It's been cold and dull here today. -3° last night and only a bit warmer now with a bit of sleet. The garden still has some nice colour from the Viburnum bodnantense, Mahonia media, winter jasmine, winter honeysuckle, sarcococca, and Heather. The perfume from several of these is gorgeous too. There are several patches of snowdrops and the hellebores are sending up their flowers. All very cheering on a miserable day.

I've left seed heads on lavender and evening Primrose which are a magnet for flocks of Gold finches and there is a large flock of bluetits nibbling the petals on the Mahonia (at least that's what I think they're doing )

The best bird visitors this week are a pair of tawny owls in the sycamore in the hen run, Brambling, Redpoll, and a Greater spotted woodpecker. There have been large flocks of bullfinches and siskins too plus all the regulars. I bet none turn up next weekend for The Great British Birdwatch.