Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi
I'm sorry, I jumped right in and posted a request for advice without an introduction. I'm Jenny, live in the south of UK near Salisbury . I've a third acre garden with ornamental section, fruit cage, greenhouse, orchard and my main love the veg plot. I'm sort of retired since April 16, now working one or two days a week, so even more time to potter. Thanks for the advice given elsewhere.

Good morning Jenny, no need for apologies, any posts are welcome, especially from new members....so a very warm welcome to the forum from me. Sounds like you have a lovely garden and now have the time to get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

My bad manners don't seem to get me into too much trouble on here..

oldherbaceous wrote:Good morning Jenny, no need for apologies, any posts are welcome, especially from new members....so a very warm welcome to the forum from me. Sounds like you have a lovely garden and now have the time to get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

My bad manners don't seem to get me into too much trouble on here..

How is it though, the more time you think you have, the less you seem to get done? I think I'm getting lazy in my old age, I seem to spend more time watching the world go by than I used to.........and thoroughly enjoying it. Why didn't I retire earlier!

JayJay, I wouldn't worry about jumping in, don't think we stand on ceremony here.

I've never noticed oldherbaceous display bad manners but watch out for his 'odd' habits
Visits his local church clock at odd times, must have something to do with the fact the clock only displays the even numbers.

Welcome to the forum Jenny and do let us know what you grow. I'm sure you will soon be wondering, if not already, how you ever found time to go to work. I imagine things will start warming up on here a little when the spring sowing season begins and everybody starts talking about the interesting new varieties of veg they are growing.......an then at the end of the season wondering why they were taken in by all the fancy new names and swearing that next year they're going to return to their old favourites! At the moment most of our plots are probably all covered in frost so we'd better start all those limbering up digging exercises!

Hi Primrose, nice to connect. I grow mostly the same things each year. Tomatoes, potatoes, climbing French beans, sweetcorn, carrots, kale, cabages, courgettes, onions, board beans, chard. A new one to me last year was broccoli rabe. Each year I juggle the wish to try new varieties with lack of more space and an inherent frugalily. I'm looking forward to the digging, it might be the best way to lose those extra Xmas pounds.

Actually the Church clock is playing about at the moment. One of the pulleys has about worn out on the strike, so it is striking one to many dongs, on the hour....i hope no one is setting their watch by it.

oldherbaceous wrote:Actually the Church clock is playing about at the moment. One of the pulleys has about worn out on the strike, so it is striking one to many dongs, on the hour....i hope no one is setting their watch by it.

I must pass that information on to Barnaby, it is the key clue in the Midwinter Murder case of the clock struck thirteen and could well save a mans life, as it is in fact said to have done according to legend.

There is an 18th-century London legend of a clock that struck thirteen times and saved a man's life. The story goes in Great Britain that St Paul's Cathedral clock on one occasion struck thirteen bongs of the bell at midnight, with the result of saving the life of a soldier accused of sleeping at his post. An obituary notice of a John Hatfield that appeared in the Public Advertiser a few days after his death states that a soldier in the time of William and Mary was tried by a court-martial on a charge of having fallen asleep when on duty upon the terrace at Windsor. It goes on to say that he categorically denied the charge against him. He swore as a proof of his having been awake at the time that he heard St Paul's Cathedral clock strike thirteen, the truth of which was much doubted by the court because of the great distance. Affidavits were made by several persons verifying that the clock actually did strike thirteen instead of twelve, and the soldier was pardoned

What a mine of information you all are. Tell me pray what do you do with a clock with too many bongs?

Welcome Jenny!

Mine of information on here on all subjects! General Chatter is just that, proper gardening questions on the other board indexes, so you will see a thread on here can go any direction at all! That makes it great fun & very informative.

I so want to retire but changed my job last year (these guys helped me through that adventure as thought a youngin would get it), but actually love the new job so moved the retirement plan back a couple of years, but will be a challenge on the allotment for sure!

Westi wrote:Welcome Jenny!

Mine of information on here on all subjects! General Chatter is just that, proper gardening questions on the other board indexes, so you will see a thread on here can go any direction at all! That makes it great fun & very informative.

I so want to retire but changed my job last year (these guys helped me through that adventure as thought a youngin would get it), but actually love the new job so moved the retirement plan back a couple of years, but will be a challenge on the allotment for sure!

And looking at your profile Westi, a very honorable profession, too. We mature people do have a lot of experience to offer, exactly the reason I got my part time one. On the other hand I can thoroughly recommend retirement.

Interesting story about the Windsor soldier on duty Pa. I guess a clock should only be allowed to strike 13 gongs in a leap year !

I had to let the clock run through a 11 hour cycle, to get it back to normal....so people must have woke very early this morning, thinking it was 70 o'clock.....or our Home Guard might have thought it was the German invasion...

Interesting little snippet, Parsnip....might come in quite handy for me one day...

I confess that despite accompanying many a 'Blue Badge' guide over 19 years in the St Pauls Cathedral area of London I have never heard that story before. Found it on Wiki.

jajabee. Hi Jenny, welcome. You will find over time, to have a screw loose will become an advantage.