Kitchen Garden Forum

Well maybe it is time…..

Had the Lancaster overhead again this afternoon…really lucky to get another private fly-by.

Had all my allotments hoed and virtually weed free five weeks ago, but have spent most of the day hand weeding and hoeing!
I don’t think I have ever known weeds grow quite as fast as that….the only bonus is, all the things I planted in the last month, are growing really well too….infact, the last runner beans are half way up the canes already.

Hope everyone has had a good weekend….

I wondered if it would be along your way when I checked their itinerary.

You're not wrong about the weeds growing apace.. Groundsel is a fast one...
Grass too...very green and lush, had a large part of the day walking behind Hayter Harrier...on setting 3 of height adjustment leaving some very strong stripe

Gorgeous sunny day after a damp dewy start..very September like.

....beetroot sandwiches for tea..and the very last stock of Pershore plums for pud......

C.

I've caught up enough with the growing side, so today was weeding & very enjoyable. I tackled the front 5 rows of summer raspberries that are under planted with strawberries, not by choice but the strawberries just turned up & well happy going on the number of runners they have put out! Also played chase the bindweed & think I may have broken my record as chased one the length of the bed to under the fence into the rose bed outside. It did break so can't be a Guinness Record, but cheered me no end! Simple Pleasures!

Amazing and rather scary how "Late Summer" has suddenly appeared on the agenda here. I'm still trying to figure out what happened to early summer.but the hands on the clock always move faster as you get older!

Pllant sitrep. Nothing, nada, zilcho.

I was doing quite well with my little indoor hydroponics. I even gave away Thai basil and stuff like that to neighbours of the flat. Then we went on holiday (to Surrey!) for a week and came back and everything was dead. Didn't really have the heart to start again from scratch.

But I guess it's time again to at least attempt something.

I like to grow stuff that's not easily bought, or is very expensive. I had a forest of Thai basil and was giving it away to neighbours. Take out a mortgage if you want to buy a small bunch in a supermarket.

We have a sloping bit of ground next to our patio. I spent ages removing boulders and stones to turn it back into a garden. I asked the lettings agent many times if we could hire a gardener but apparently that wasn't possible. Now we're back I've discovered that it was possible to hire someone to make a darned rockery out of that wee bit of land. I don't want an ugly rockery. I want grow herbs. Everything is dead, of course, but we do still have lavender and rosemary.

Husband bought a bunch of flowers from the supermarket and was chuffed to discover that it was accidentally two bunches but packaged and priced as one. It's great what will lift your mood. On which subject, I'm on a winning streak on the lottery. OK, it's only a tenner, fiver, lucky dip but something's better than nothing, eh?

Welcome back Stravaig, regards the lottery was going to do it the other day but when looking at the different lotteries I gave up.

Well, gambling is a losers' game and that's what raffles and lotteries are - gambling. I don't nornally gamble, ie go down the betting shops and do stuff like that. I just take a flutter (that's what I call it) on the lottery or maybe even the Grand National. I don't lose much. LOL!

Gardening seems to be a bit of a gamble at times, but i’m addicted to it….

So,, what happened to summer? We're now just days away from September, ie autumn. I'm not aware of having any summer. Yet again. And I don't have any plants on the go either except for a few things in supermarket pots.

Gawd. Things can only get better. Hope so anyway.

And here was I prepped for a heat wave again this year; maybe next year! Twas hot today though but has been like that all summer; a couple of hot days followed by a week of drizzle & cooler temps. Plan was to sort the tunnel but was 37C in there so switched the jobs. Apples harvested & pears not going to be long, rhubarb weeded & topped up with compost but will get a hay duvet on top later. Risked the wasps with a rake up the fall from the fruit trees which they contributed to - very dodgy & ran away quite a lot, such small beasties to have such a bad attitude! Lot's of neighbours popping down so basically that was it.

Day off tomorrow to recover from the dodging wasps on the plot to the dodging of shopping trollies in the supermarket, probably more risky!

Was that the Red Arrows that just came roaring over here, really low, Clive. By the time I got outside, they had gone….

Not long until the Air Festival down here, starts on 31st for 4 days. Fingers crossed the Red Arrows exit over the IOW this year then they will pass over the house or the plot. They haven't come my way for the last few years with them now going North to return back around to Bournemouth Airport. Actually doesn't really matter too much as lot of other planes still go over, but it is such a buzz to see the Red Arrows. Way too busy at the Festival so I stay away now & the other good look out points are just as bad. Lot's went out on their boats but they are banned completely in the bay this year, but should still get a view point, will be crowded but they can at least have a coffee without waiting over an hour!

oldherbaceous wrote: ↑Fri Aug 25, 2023 3:59 pm Was that the Red Arrows that just came roaring over here, really low, Clive. By the time I got outside, they had gone….

Just found the route info' and indeed it says they were due to be passing your way on at 3:59pm..

C.

At last I'm getting to grips with finishing off the trimming of the top of my beech hedge...the job seems to have dragged on whilst waiting for a still day so the wind doesn't send the trimmings flying across my neighbours garden.

Stop for lunch now, back on the Boston sausages
..with some Foremost potatoes from the back garden...good flavour as the slugs seem to have noticed....
Pershore plums are over so it's Loch Ness blackberry and Queen apple in the stewing dish in the microwave. Queen is just the best, usually September, early cooking apple. It crops in abundance every year and seems to be made earlier when grown on smaller rootstocks.

C.

Glad you are not going hungry, Clive….