Kitchen Garden Forum

The weather has been so wet I haven't been able to get to lottie.
It has me going spare as it is my stress releif and security blanket.
The good news is that I looked at the weekend forecast and it
is improving so maybe - fingers crossed

Mind don't know how I will find it as we have had visitors back
down there killing chickens and stealing stuff. I haven't got
chickens and nothing to steal but expect they have been in and
made a mess regardless. Fortunately police have already got
a suspect and are collecting evidence so they have obviously
taken it seriously.

In the meantime work continues on the ARK. Have 2 dogs, 2 cats
and 2 budgies so on my way.

Westi

Dear Westi, i did get over my allotments late this afternoon. I managed to get 210 garlic cloves in before it chucked it down again. Just another 150 to get in some other time.

I do hope you find your allotment damage free, when you get there.

I know what you mean,only got my allotment last week,managed to get it steimed and it's rained ever since

Oh well i hope we get some dry weather soon.

All the best,Ian

My name's Bert, and I'm an allotohollic.

There, I've said it.

I only went to pick some sprouts, leeks and romanesco, but just couldn't stop at that.

It started with a fairly innocent idea - why not lift a badly-placed rubarb root and replant in a new place. After all, I could do that without even standing on the soaking wet soil, and it would have all winter to settle into its new bed!

But one thing led to another; it was surrounded by thick nettle stems and roots. I had to get them out, didn't I?, I mean, anyone would have done the same! And the nettles were growing around all the rhubarb plants, so I just had to carry on...... .

I just couldn't stop myself until I'd cleared the whole bed, even though I knew I shouldn't, with such wet soil.

Then there's a section of my new plot just screaming out to be dug. I resisted it today, but it's only a matter of time -
H E L P !

Dear Bert The Mouse, you don't want to come and work or me do you!

Enthusiasm is a wonderful thing.

Dear OH

Don't joke - you might find me on your doorstep , wheelbarrow and spade at the ready!

Dear Bert The Mouse, i'll clean the cage out with the little wheel in it, just incase.

I should love to do some digging on the allotment, if only digging over the bed with the contaminated manure for the second time! But it really is just fit to harvest the usual winter veggies.

Instead, husband and I have been busy the last 10 days redecorating the entire house from bottom to top - needed doing after 15 years! The downstairs rooms are all lined with open shelves with books, so that meant taking down hundreds (if not thousands) of books, vaccuuming them individually, unscrewing the shelves off the walls, cleaning and painting behind the shelves and then the whole process in reverse. Husband did all the walls and ceilings (he is taller!) and I did the woodwork, messy and fiddly and I hate painting in any case.

Now the downstairs, staircase and landing are done, and this coming week it'll be bedrooms, bathroom and loo.

I must admit, though, it does look smart - just off-white, nothing fancy, mind you.

Dear Monika, congratulations to both of you, it will be worth it in the end.
Nice to read you are a good team working together.

[quote="Monika"]Instead, husband and I have been busy the last 10 days redecorating the entire house from bottom to top - needed doing after 15 years! quote]

This is something we have patterend wallpaper downstairs. I have looked round our local DIY superstores and the designs are - well let's say not to my taste! So I've started trawling the Internet.

Dear Monika,
There's nothing like a spot of decorating to make you realise how much you need to declutter. On the face of it, by the time you've taken down all the books, ornaments, etc and stored them, removed the shelves and cupboard, etc. it's would be almost as simple to move house.
Won't you feel nice and smug when it's all done? No more decorating for another 15 years ! I keep trying to convince my husband we should go for the minimalist look so that housekeeping and dusting can be made easier but he can't bear to part with all his "junk".

Dear Primrose, i do think calling your dear Husbands collectables, "junk", is a little harsh.

All better now - nice and sunny. Lots growing, all the plastic
in place on the empty beds and no one had been on my plot.
Gots lots of weeding done, pruned for England and harvested
heaps as lots had grown well in my absence.
Funnily not too many down there - must be Chrissie shopping -
so able to crack on without interruption.

Westi

Dear Westi, glad you found everything in good order and no damage.

Will this keep you nice and calm for the week ahead?

My husband, too, is a hoarder, Primrose, but I did persuade him to get rid of lots of stuff. Luckily, our local church had a sale yesterday and we provided them with four large boxes of stuff, as well as leaving some out in a charity bag.

And, as you say, no more decorating then for another 15 years - by which time we'll likely both be pushing up daisies or at least will have moved into an old folks' home!