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..do you garden Happy? do you own a spade and trowel, a fork? it’s getting to be that time of year when those of us that do, will be out there enjoying ourselves.
I planted a load of primroses yesterday, those multicoloured ones – I think it brightens up the neighbourhood.
UM
In the past I have had posts queried and deleted when giving web site addresses. I made a comment about Drones very long post which he took with the humour I intended. I am sure Paul will probably report me to Corm. I am already on a yellow card for posting a picture of Paul, which was taken from His Own Web Site, one of the many he advertises openly on the forum, because it was said I was humiliating him.Happy, there are long established rules regarding what is, and what isn’t acceptable, in terms of people’s signature.
Paul’s were obviously deemed to have met the set criteria, whereas yours – if they were removed – were presumably deemed not to have met that criteria.
Any ‘attack’ on Paul’s signatures is therefore unwarranted, as is posting pictures of members on the site – regardless of whether they are already in the public domain or not.
Everyone needs to settle down a bit. Hopefully now that Paul has had an opportunity to sleep on it, he will reconsider his decision not to contribute any further to TRF, as he is a valued member, and has interesting things to say in the Lounge debates (regardless of the fact that I tend to agree with little of it).
This year my initial plan was to do very little in the garden as I had intended to landscape it in the autumn. However, I’m thinking of doing in April now – haven’t made up my mind but will decide in the next few weeks. When I say landscape what I actually mean is – move the shed, stick a few more slabs down, put in a few dingle-dell borders, build a raised bed for a herb garden and put in an irrigation system to run off our two 400 litre water butts.
I shall also be growing the bedding plants for my annual hanging baskets. I do a couple of dozen each year that I give away to family and friends.
Over the course of spring and summer I shall be spending an increasing amount of time down the allotment. This will be the first year’s rotation on my new plot so I’m looking forward to seeing how that goes.
Drone, I don’t know if I’ve asked you this before but what height do you grow your carrots at. I’m going to grow them in 3 foot high barrels this year – have you tried this?
Everything in the garden is rosy… oh what a beautiful morning etc.
Well, as I step down off my seated lawn mower and survey my humble fifty acre estate I reckon the time has come for a bit of landscape gardening.
The first job I have in mind is to cut-down all the trees in my secret wood, especially those two hundred year old oaks. The walled flower garden with its rare species of orchids will need digging up and replaced with some beautiful Japanese knot-weed – the white blooms are incredible.
After that, I’ll remove the box hedges from the main lawn because I think it might look neater with a gigantic wooden patio area. To round it all off I’ll get a few tons of gravel to give it that Mediterranean look.
Now that’s what I call proper gardening.
K
p.s. I have loads of sweet pea seeds harvested from about three years ago. They’ve been kept dry since and look okay. Any suggestions what I need to do with them before sowing in John Innes seed compost, indoors initially, please?Welcome to this week’s edition of Gardeners’ Question Time
I don’t know if I’ve asked you this before but what height do you grow your carrots at. I’m going to grow them in 3 foot high barrels this year – have you tried this?
No I haven’t tried that. Presumably by ‘height’ you’re referring to methods of deterring carrot fly. Personally the few baby carrots I sow before June are grown at ground level but I cover them in horticultural fleece which keeps the fly out. Maincrop are sown in mid-June on land vacated by early potatoes as doing this means the carrots are developing in deeply worked soil and (by and large) the carrot fly has completed its lifecycle by then and is no longer much of a problem.
I have loads of sweet pea seeds harvested from about three years ago. They’ve been kept dry since and look okay. Any suggestions what I need to do with them before sowing in John Innes seed compost, indoors initially, please?
Three years is about the maximum length of time pea/bean seed can be stored to guarantee a reasonable rate of germination. I’d recommend soaking them in water overnight before sowing in deep pots followed by planting out in mid-late April
Yours, deep in it
Ol’ Muckspreader
The mention of paraffin heaters has made me wallow in nostalgia. Used to get our paraffin from a little shop in the next street
and I can still smell the paraffin as you walked through the door. Then the ritual of lighting it and that lovely blue flame that spread across..then adjusting the wick
then putting the front back on. Likewise the smell of calor gas when we had caravan holidays. I still love those sorts of shop, even though they are few and far between these days, with all the different nails and screws and washers. I went back to a shop recently that I hadn’t visited for years, to buy one of those plastic things that you put on the top of milk bottles to stop the milk sloshing all over your fridge..I’d bought one from him years and years ago, but I knew he’d still sell them.
Welcome to this week’s edition of Gardeners’ Question Time
I forgot to mention this at the time by there was a special edition of GQT in tribute to John Cushnie who sadly died after Christmas.
The programme is still available on tthe Radio 4 website HERE
And Hereis the Guardian’s Obituary.
Very sad news.
I still love those sorts of shop, even though they are few and far between these days, with all the different nails and screws and washers. I went back to a shop recently that I hadn’t visited for years, to buy one of those plastic things that you put on the top of milk bottles to stop the milk sloshing all over your fridge..I’d bought one from him years and years ago, but I knew he’d still sell them.
If you’re ever up in York for the races make a detour for:
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/audiovi … 3073/read/
just the sort of shop you mean I think
Frankie and Johnny reek of paraffin, and have nails, screws, washers, all sorts of "plastic things" and you name it hidden away in small cardboard boxes
A well-deserved award actually as it’s a jewel of a little shop and they know the ‘hardware’ business inside out
Thanks for the obit. Pompete; he was a nice guy
Frankie and Johnny reek of paraffin, and have nails, screws, washers, all sorts of "plastic things" and you name it hidden away in small cardboard boxes
…it’s a jewel of a little shop and they know the ‘hardware’ business inside out
folk handles?
The Two Ronnies
It reminded me of Creature Comforts only with people. In the corner there’s a ‘Featured Jobs’ section, and one of them was ‘Pig person’. May scan this on a regular basis.
hi Pete,
that Two Ronnies was a funny one
..what is a ”dingle dell border”?..not heard that before.
Had no idea you were an all muck and magic person
so hope you’ll keep us informed about your landscaping and allotment projects over the summerMy favourite gardening term is that of the ‘tarts knicker drawer’ school of gardening.
I have a spade and a fork and a lawn mower and a hedge trimmer but alas no trowel. I find it difficult to bend right down due to a malfunction of the back.
Most of my plants are on walls in pots, except for the roses and black currant bushes. Gardening is very theraputic and allows me time to think about the important things in life.^very true…
I’m sorry you have a bad back. I find these large heavy bags of compost one of the worst offenders for gardeners.
I like these little 20L bags you can get now. More expensive but practical for those with difficulties.
B and Q are doing special offer £1 a bag although I wonder if they are just a load of peat.…
A new gardencentre has opened near me. I spent 4 hours there this afternoon and bought a Pinus Mugo ‘Wintergold’, a Camellia and a David Austin English Rose called ‘The Alnwick Rose’ after the famous and beautiful garden in Northumberland where I saw it growing a of couple years ago.
I have no idea what else I did in those 4 hours.Hello UM
A ‘Dingle Dell Border’ is just my term for a slow, winding flower bed rather that a square edged one.
I should also say my ‘Landscaping Project’ is really more a case of major maintenance rather than anything more grand
Potter, Potter, Speed Up A Bit, Potter……that’s me
Dingly Dell is an album by Lindisfarne; the follow-up to the better known Fog On The Tyne
hope that’s of interest
…it is, I should say
…also a winning point to pointer, circa 1980’s.
..
…so, dingle dell it is then Potter…
I do prefer that type of border..cottage style…
I’m not keen on the regimented look.Re – the debate on signatures on page 3 of this thread.
The position with signatures is that they are fine unless I judge that the forumite in question is simply posting to advertise his/her/their site. Obviously we won’t be looking to have signatures advertising other UK based forums or for anything of a less than wholesome nature.
I have recently started to ask people advertising sites for a reciprocal link and, I’m glad to say, everyone approached so far has been happy to do so.
I’ve never had any problem with Paul’s signatures and I’m very sorry he’s decided against continuing to post.
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