tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22460742981061357612024-03-14T06:35:46.876+00:00Lost The PlotThe 'Downs' and 'Ups' of my veg growingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-6384277150097861752015-08-31T13:38:00.000+01:002015-08-31T13:38:07.975+01:00'Project Greenhouse' completed.It's done, I have myself a greenhouse. I couldn't have done it without my friends, whether it was taking it down from it's original home, moving it to the allotment, building the footing, putting it all together and being able to borrow a cordless drill to secure it in place. To all the people who have helped me, I thank you. Even with the self inflicted trouble of the brick work, it looks like that's how it should be, it gives it a bit of a quirk. The first time I saw the Shard, I thought it wasn't finished, turns out that's how it should be, so why should mine be any different, aside from the fact that I already pointed out I cocked up.<br />
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From the photo you'd never guess that some of the panes aren't glass. One pane was already broken, two broke while dismantling, two more broke in transit and one more because I stepped on it. I haven't got very big feet, I'm just very clumsy. As luck would have it, a few years ago, we were having a clearout at work and I saw nine sheets of clear perspex that was going to be thrown away, with permission I took them and they've been sat in my shed since then. I checked the size and with just a bit of a trim, they made a perfect fit and a lot more easier to flex into place as well.<br />
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I've already put it into use, the tomato plants that I've grown from some supermarket tomatoes are already in residents. I do have to remember to keep them watered now though. Small price to pay don't you think. All in all, I'm pleased with the way it all looks, the small path leading to it and the raised bed, it's how I pictured it, but I never expected it to look quite how I wanted. Till next time and thanks for reading.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-40640198409985756122015-08-27T23:39:00.000+01:002015-08-27T23:39:26.633+01:00Phase two and three of 'Project Greenhouse' complete.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bloody hell it's been a long time since my last blogpost. I could give some lame excuse like 'I needed time to find myself again'. I was there in the bathroom mirror. No, the truth be told I just got lazy. So, apologies aside, I actually have been quite the opposite of lazy. Weeding, watering and harvesting at least twice a week. I have, as the title indicates, made progress on Project Greenhouse. As you can see in the above photo, there it is leaning against the plum trees. A friend at work, his father-in-law past away, he was a very keen gardener and the family wanted his gardening tools and equipment to go to people who would put them to good use. So I'm hoping that I can do it justice.</div>
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My friend did ask for £40 for the greenhouse, but I haven't quite got the hang haggling and gave him £50. I have been on the look out on the web and have seen that £50 was a fairer price, also I would have to see him every day at work and I'm a good catholic boy.<br />
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It really didn't take that long to dismantle it, yes a few panes of glass were broken, but that wasn't an issue, if only I had measured the dimensions of the two courses of bricks that the greenhouse sits on. I do have some brick on my plot, but needed more. I managed to get some more by jumping in a skip, with permission. I'm not in the building trade, so this was my first time brick laying. I did Google what to do and how to get the morter mix right. I measured the frame as best as I could in it's dismantled state. All seemed great, I even had a friend, who has a plot on the site and who does know how to lay bricks, who came over for a chat and layed a few brick as quickly as clicking Lego together. A week later, with help from another work mate, we put the frame together, put it on the bricks and it was then that I found out that my measurements were wrong. It was too short by width and length. It's a good job that I still have a few more bricks to do another course, offset slightly on both sides and a whole brick width at the back. Now if you know the difference between 'Jerry built' and 'Safe as houses', please don't look too closely at my handy work in the photos. Until now, there was more chance of me laying an egg than a brick.<br />
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This is how it's been left. I'm hoping to get the thing in place this weekend so I can concentrate on gardening rather than being an extra for the next series of 'Auf wiedersehen Pet'. Till next time (let's hope it's not too long away) and thanks for reading.<br /><br /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-54145785311840225642015-06-08T22:37:00.000+01:002015-06-08T22:37:04.060+01:00Still learning, always learning.I had started a blogpost a while ago stating how pleased I am that I have a lot of crops doing quite well, but on closer inspection, things aren't as rosey as I thought.<br />
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Firstly, the potatoes in bags. On the surface, all looked great. A nice full healthy green foliage. You couldn't ask for anything more. On emptying one bag out, I found out you could. The soil was very dry, it needed far more watering than I was giving it. There wasn't many potatoes either, some hadn't fully developed yet, so I could have been a bit early with them. On the plus side though, they were perfect without a blemish of any description and they tasted so good. I'll leave the rest for a little while longer. </div>
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Next up are the onions. Not a major problem, but a minor oversight on my part. The first and main bed for them are doing OK generally speaking, it's just that, come the evening, the main crop of potatoes are literally leaving the onions in the shade. The rows nearest the potatoes are a bit on the small side. With any luck they'll taste better for being smaller. Here's hoping anyway. </div>
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The pumpkins and courgettes have taken a beating thanks to my inexperience. Next to my new picnic area I've put a sheet of weed suppressant membrane, cut into it and planted six pumpkin plants and six courgette plants. Most of the plants had got a bit leggy or long while sitting on my windowsill, so I placed a few bricks around they to help support them. The trouble is that with a bit of a breeze, they have flapped about, rubbed against the edge of the bricks and cut the their own stems. I'm now left with three courgettes and two pumpkin plants.<br />
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The tomato plants that I have grown from seeds saved from a supermarket tomato are looking bad to say the very least. It got to a stage where I needed to pot them on, but the only option left to me was to have them at the allotment. After one slightly windy day, they went from OK to half dead. If I only get one tomato from the whole experiment, I'll be happy.<br />
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It's not all doom and gloom on the plot. The first lot of carrots in a bucket have started to come up, so I've done another lot. Just for the record, the row on the left are chantenay and Autumn Kings on the right. I will have to be brave and thin out at some point and I've yet to see what's happening underneath, but the signs are good at the moment.</div>
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This is my first time growing spring onions and I must say that they are a darn sight easier than radishes. The best part is I don't need to thin them out either, or at least that's what I read on the back of the packet<div>
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My 'And finally' message is a bit of a sad one. The robins that had nested in my shed seem to have left leaving behind four eggs, not three as first thought. I haven't seen them for a few days now. Till next time and thanks for reading.<div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-35834599111052588122015-05-25T22:34:00.000+01:002015-05-25T22:34:15.967+01:00Phase One of 'Project Greenhouse' complete.<div>
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I have been told that I'm impulsive, when I get it in my head to do something I go all out. There is the other side of the coin to this and that is if I don't finish it when I wanted to have it done by or I have another great plan I just have to start, then I'm left with a job half done. Sad but true, I still don't have any 'No Dig Beds' yet. But that's for another blogpost.</div>
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Now I've realised that I'm in need of a greenhouse and after bit of research on the web I've seen that's it's doable on my budget. I'd like an 8'x6' greenhouse, so I had made a start just over a week ago. There is a three slab path, a step up then the ground space that will soon house the greenhouse. On one side of the path I will have a more permanent spot for my Garden Connect bed and the other I hope to have a herb patch.</div>
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The reason for the step up is that the plot is very uneven and I'd have to shift a lot of soil just to keep it all level. Now the trouble with buying a second hand greenhouse is that there is a good chance the size of it will be in imperial measurements, the slabs I have are in metric. So when I measured the three together in the above photo, it was a bit shy of the six foot required. I don't have a greenhouse yet, but I don't want to do all this work and it doesn't fit right. So after sleeping on it, I made a few adjustments.</div>
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The centre slabs are now offset with stones in the gaps just because I have them in buckets all over the plot. The yellow sheet you can see under the slabs has been under the plum trees ever since I've had the plot, so now I've put it to good use and used it as a weed suppressant.</div>
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The jobs about done as you can see, but I didn't want the space at the far end to go to waste or to seed (maybe weed is the right choice of words), so I intended to carry on with potatoes in bags and have them there with a ground sheet to stop the weeds coming through. Here is how it has been left. Rather than leave the space unused, I have courgettes on the left and pumpkins on the right.</div>
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And just like the News at Ten, I have an 'And finally' for you. I had noticed a few weeks ago that I had a robin's nest in the shed that was empty. This weekend while getting my tools I looked over at the nest and saw a robin in it. Today I saw it again, but on one of my tool surching trips to the shed, the robin was gone and I saw three eggs. When I finished for the day and put all my kit back, the robin we as back in place on the nest. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trust me, there are 3 eggs, it's just that to take this<br />shot, I blocked out all the light. Sorry.<br /></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-19209132082183372092015-05-17T22:35:00.001+01:002015-05-17T22:37:24.543+01:00This is how Rhubarb jam is made.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was quite lucky that after my jam disaster last week, I was able to try it again so soon. I don't know if it's rhubarb in general or the pan I use for jamming, but I did find it sticking to the bottom of the pan very easily. Well I don't feel so much to blame for burning last weeks jam now. The rhubarb I used was allotment grown, just not my allotment. I was given the same amount as I had before, so I stuck to the previous weeks quantities. So this is what you'll need.<br />
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Now I'm no fan of ginger in any form, so it was left out, but for those of you who do like it, I'm giving you the recipe word for word. I prepared everything late in the evening and left it over night. First thing in the morning, I made sure I had everything ready, jars sterilized and labels done from last week, before I put the pan on. I also used a potato masher to break down the fruit towards the end of boiling. Once it was all done and jarred up, I made myself some toast and a cup of tea. You can't beat fresh jam on toast. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-56818143793824511552015-05-10T22:29:00.000+01:002015-05-10T22:29:23.003+01:00Rhubarb jam disaster.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsU1ZKw8nx4/VU5gTiz92-I/AAAAAAAAGYg/1pzknjabdN0/s1600/IMG_2821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsU1ZKw8nx4/VU5gTiz92-I/AAAAAAAAGYg/1pzknjabdN0/s320/IMG_2821.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've had many comments and compliments on my honesty. My failures get as much of a mention as my successes, it's just that I like to shout about the successes, more astonished surprised on my part. I try not to shy away and disguise or cover up my miss haps.<br />
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This time it was in the kitchen. I wanted to make some rhubarb jam, simple enough, I've made all sorts of jam before. An easy recipe, equal amounts of sugar to fruit with the juice of one lemon to each pound or half kilo of fruit. You could also infuse some root ginger, but I'm not so keen on ginger, so left it out. All I had to do was clean and chop the rhubarb into small chunks, put them in a pan with the sugar and lemon and leave it for at least eight hours. I left it over night. So far, so good. The next morning I cleaned and sterilized my jars and put the pan on. All was fine, a nice rolling boil. I'll need some labels. Let's go all out and make some nice fancy labels with a picture of a rhubarb stalk and hand written in my best calligraphy. That's when I noticed the smell, like toffee apples but rhubarb instead. Well at least I have some nice labels ready for next time.<br />
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The sad thing was, I had tasted a bit that was left on the spoon before it burnt and it actually tasted quite nice. I'll just have to wait for more rhubarb to grow. I'd like to say 'You live and learn' but I don't. Till next time and thanks for reading.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-61480755401363042592015-05-05T22:17:00.000+01:002015-05-05T22:17:10.732+01:00I'm in desperate need of a greenhouse.I've said in the past that I chose the flat I live in because of the three windowsills that are south facing and so far they have served me well, but there's only so much they can take. It's not considered ideal to have a plant in your bedroom, I've lost count as to how many I have in mine. Although I realised a long time ago, I really need to get a greenhouse soon. So much of what I have here I know I can't plant outside. This is my situation at the moment.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basil, cayenne pepper, okra and even more<br />seedlings.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All lemon cucumber, apart from the sweet peppers<br />in the middle.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uzdc9VF0r-g/VUkjtik0QyI/AAAAAAAAGWI/zHeaOcL6Zkk/s1600/IMG_2814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uzdc9VF0r-g/VUkjtik0QyI/AAAAAAAAGWI/zHeaOcL6Zkk/s1600/IMG_2814.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pimientos de Padrón.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G27EYTZozeI/VUkjtn7j3YI/AAAAAAAAGWI/U9RAUhHZuTI/s1600/IMG_2817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G27EYTZozeI/VUkjtn7j3YI/AAAAAAAAGWI/U9RAUhHZuTI/s1600/IMG_2817.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Tomkin tomato plants and some sorry looking<br />Kohl rabi and aubergine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lu237oySJsk/VUkjtk2DOJI/AAAAAAAAGWI/wvh06Tv-4fM/s1600/IMG_2818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lu237oySJsk/VUkjtk2DOJI/AAAAAAAAGWI/wvh06Tv-4fM/s1600/IMG_2818.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only windowsill left in the flat. North facing<br />with plum tomatoes, another sweet pepper and even<br />more pimientos de Padrón.</td></tr>
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Now you see why I'm so desperate for a greenhouse. I have searched the internet and seen a few second hand ones that are within my budget, I just need to make room on the plot for one. That was my task this weekend. I was so keen to get started, that I didn't take the before shot.<br />
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It's not the clearest photo, but again I was pulling up excess plum trees with my hands. A Portuguese gentleman from a few plots away from me, who speaks no English, has offered to prune the plum trees I intended to keep. At least that's what I understood with me speaking my best Spanish and him speaking Portuguese. The proposed site for the greenhouse is between the raspberries and the plum trees. The raspberries I was given are now in, below is a clearer photo of them. Most are doing OK and starting to bud.</div>
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The parsnips are also starting to come up. I don't want to be counting my chickens just yet, but things aren't looking too bad. Parsnip crisps are back on the menu. After looking at the photo I took below, it seemed like my plot's getting bigger. Its always been the same size, but I'm claiming back a whole lot more now. The plot does look better when the sun is shining. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-81048354446927710952015-04-24T20:15:00.000+01:002015-04-24T20:15:40.680+01:00A pleasure or a chore?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since the sweetcorn has gone in nearly two weeks ago, we have had little to no rain in this part of the UK, less than a quarter for the average for this time of year I've just heard the weather girl on the TV say and having learnt my lesson last year when I missed a few evening watering sessions and lost my brusselsprouts, I have been at the plot every evening to water everything. I must admit it has been anything but a chore, it's quite peaceful on the plot and even after working a 12 hour shift, it does clear your head a little. So far, this is what's growing on the plot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onion bed Number 1</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onion bed Number 2</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onion bed Number 3</td></tr>
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All of the onion beds are doing quite well at the moment. Apart from watering and weeding, they seem to happily doing what they do best, grow and get bigger.<br />
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The first early potato bags are all topped up and I'm hoping for my best potato crop ever. The main crop still has a long way to go before getting to this stage.</div>
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Do you remember the sandwich tub with the parsnip seeds in them? Above is the bed that they are in and bellow is one of the little seedlings coming through. Will it be monster parsnips this year?</div>
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Now the rhubarb look a bit worse for wear at the moment. I had a bonfire going last week and it was a little too close to the rhubarb. The actual storks are OK, it's just that the leave make it look like some sort of blight has infected it.</div>
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Not only have I been turning up every evening, I have also done my best to come on my days off. All the old raspberries have gone now, they were all well past there best and growing wild. As luck would have it, the people on the plot next door, seeing how I've been getting on, have given me some spare raspberry plants to replace the old ones. I'm hoping to get them in on Sunday. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-18879616798654559162015-04-19T23:23:00.000+01:002015-04-19T23:23:33.723+01:00Garden Connect hits the ground running.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It wasn't the best looking morning to do a bit of gardening, but I knew it would be dry. I wanted to make a start on my Garden Connect bed. It wasn't the best start either, I must say. I had only put the spade in for the third time, when I heard it cracking. I did inherit the spade with the plot. I'll have to put my hand in my pocket and buy another one. At least I don't have to buy a dibber.<br />
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As they say, its not how you start but how you finish, and the day finished well. Eight out of twelve from the list are in at the moment, well, I've made a start with at any rate.<br />
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Firstly, the carrots. I have been told by many people that carrots need fine soil and do very well in containers such as a bin or an old bath with a mix of 50% compost and 50% sand. With the restrictions of GC, I have these tubs that you would find in supermarkets with cut flowers in. The bottoms have been cut off and I've mixed compost and soil sifted through a homemade sieve that I put together using spare bits of wood and the mesh from a disposable BBQ. The only reason I didn't go for the suggested mix was that I really wanted to get started and I knew if went out to get the sand, that's all I would do. But if it works with this mix, I will be doing it in my main root bed this year, tubs and all. So the carrots are in, autumn king and cosmic purple.</div>
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Next is the tomatoes, plum tomatoes in fact. I'm using the bottle you see in the photo to keep it safe from the frost. </div>
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Here is my basil, I've done a bit of 'showing off' with green and red basil, but it's only because I had the seeds and thought it would look good. Time will only tell. These have been cloched also.<div>
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The celery and spinach have also gone in. Seeds direct to the soil. The spinach worked this way last year, but I don't know if the celery will. I'm not too worried if it doesn't, I have plenty of seeds to keep trying again and in different ways, besides, I can't stand celery. I won't be crying myself to sleep if it doesn't grow.</div>
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In the 'Your Choice' space, I've chosen spring onions. Again these are also direct to the soil. These I'd like to have growing and plenty of them please.</div>
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Lastly for GC, I've put in one of my pimientos de Padrón plants. Is it a chilli or is it a pepper? Either way, I had plenty to spare and my sweet peppers aren't quite ready yet. No photo of this one, I forgot. It is under cover as well though.</div>
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If you've read this and wondered what the hell Garden Connect is, you can click on the GC banner at the top of the page, which take you to Hiemstra Gardens website with all the information you'll need. Till next time and thanks for reading.<br /><div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-85507406992235447292015-04-17T23:14:00.000+01:002015-04-17T23:26:59.890+01:00Pumpkin soup.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've had my last pumpkin sat under the kitchen counter since October. I have googled recipes, but clearly never got round to checking if I had all the ingredients or buying the ingredients I needed. That is until a few days ago. To be honest, I got fed up of moving it to get to the onions, then moving back to get at the crips. The recipe I found came from the BBC food website, its a plane and very simple recipe. This is what you'll need</div>
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<ul>
<li>1kg pumpkin (peeled, deseeded & chopped into chunks)</li>
<li>2 onions</li>
<li>Olive oil</li>
<li>700ml vegetable stock</li>
<li>140ml double cream</li>
</ul>
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<ol>
<li>Gently cook the onions in the oil until soft.</li>
<li>Add the pumpkin and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened and golden.</li>
<li>Pour in the vegetable stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Pour in the double cream and bring to the boil.</li>
<li>Blitz with a hand blender and serve.</li>
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If you've read one of my recipe blogposts before, you'll know that I treat the recipe as a guideline. Having bought the smallest tub of double cream, it was still nearly twice as much as I needed and I'm not keen on having cream on anything else, so it all went in. I did also put more pepper than I normally would and because I had enough for a few servings, last night I added some smoked ham and it was delicious. So if you still have a pumpkin getting in the way, give this a go. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-66939917885161174262015-04-16T22:16:00.003+01:002015-04-16T22:16:58.243+01:00We're gathering momentum.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spring is really starting to kick in and if I'm not careful, I'm going to be too late with some of the things I'd like to grow. But now I'm starting to make some room on the windowsills, I should soon be up to date. Last weekend wasn't the best weather to be on the plot, it wasn't cold or raining at the time, but it was very windy, which made it very difficult to fill the potato bags you see in the above photo. This is my main crop of maris piper. Yes, I know, I have four bags with beans on them. I did go back to the garden nursery to buy more potato bags, but they had sold out. All they had were the bean bags. The purple bag in the middle is an actual potato sack I found next to my car one day. Below you can see some of my first earlies. I really am hoping for some good potatoes this year, not big, I'd just like to know that when I'm eating them that I'm the first and only living thing that's had a nibble at that spud.<br />
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I was surprised this weekend as to how quickly the sweet corn had grown. From packet to windowsill to plot within a week. Knowing that they don't like their roots being disturbed, this year I've used empty loo rolls. They have now been on the plot for a few days, I've checked on them every evening and they are doing very well inside their coke bottle cloches. I have had the weather on my side since the weekend, warm sunshine, well for April at any rate. I still wonder if I have planted them out too early.<br />
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I'm attempting to repeat last year's success with the parsnips. What I'd done last year, and repeating this year, is to get a sandwich tub and place two sheets of wet kitchen paper on the inside of the lid, sprinkle a new packet of parsnip seeds onto the the wet kitchen paper and place the base on top. I left them on the windowsill and after two weeks, once they had started to sprout, they where ready to plant out. Using a dibber, I made cone shaped hollows in the soil, filled them with compost and place two sprouted seeds each. Fingers crossed it will work again. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the best picture and that's not a real dibber,<br />but you get the idea.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-15015192660359528342015-04-07T19:35:00.000+01:002015-04-07T20:23:56.190+01:00It's the Bank Holiday.<h3>
Day One</h3>
Whenever a Bank Holiday is approaching, you can be sure the rain isn't far behind. But this was a Bank Holiday that the rain forgot. I just wish I got up earlier, a lot earlier. But if you can't sleep in on a day off, when can you?<br>
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Judging by the amount of 'Simon Mayo's Confession's' podcasts I'd listened to, I spent nearly four hours on the plot today. Nothing really exciting to talk about, I've dug over empty beds and the robin that patrols my plot gladly came along, at a safe distance, and pecked at the bugs. I did, however, top up the potato bags. It's a whole lot easier to throw some compost into Spud bags than it is to earth up potatoes in the beds, its done in a fraction of the time too. The onions have started to pop up as well. They're about the only thing I've ever managed grow consistently, well, not the over winter onions.</div>
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I'm all for experimenting and trying thing out when it comes to growing. I'd bought these tomatoes from Asda, some of the best supermarket tomatoes I've ever had. They're called Tomkin's. After some advice from Sally (see Pimientos de Padrón blogpost) on what to do, clean all the gunk off the seeds and let them dry, I put the seeds in a propagater on my windowsill. This is what I have at the moment. I don't mind admitting that I'm quite pleased so far. </div>
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My windowsills are looking very full at the moment. I'm running out of space and I've run out of propagators to grow any more. If I put anymore on the windowsills, I'd get no daylight. I am in desperate need of a greenhouse. This is my view right now.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-97d5LIAnmS8/VSQXSkNtZYI/AAAAAAAAF_o/afpnaUfdnyM/s1600/IMG_2719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-97d5LIAnmS8/VSQXSkNtZYI/AAAAAAAAF_o/afpnaUfdnyM/s1600/IMG_2719.JPG" height="239" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right & top to bottom, Basil seeds in the<br>
pot & parsnip seeds in the Tupperware starting<br>
to sprout. Sweet corn in the top 2 propagators &<br>
various peppers & okra in the bottom one.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pimientos de Padrón</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole bottom row are lemon<br>
cucumber.<br>
Top left, Tomkin's tom & next to them<br>
Pimientos de Padrón.<br>
Top right is a mixture of what I couldn't<br>
fit anywhere else.</td></tr>
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<h3>
<br></h3>
<h3>
Day Two</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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I know I've been trying to get this area ready for six 'No Dig Beds', but while it was clear...ish, I wanted to tackle what will be the raspberry row and an area that I have ear marked for a greenhouse. I was really up for it today. I pulled up the existing raspberries which I'm told have been there well over 10 years and well past their best. Not only that, hawthorn, brambles and some plum trees that have no place being there at all. At one point, I was pulling up the small trees by hand, GRRR! Slowly but surely, I am claiming back my plot. Give me another five years and I might just have the plot how I'd like it. Here's how this area was left.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-70L-RIo4V3U/VSQgNVzZKNI/AAAAAAAAGAQ/Tpxbc97sYHc/s1600/IMG_2715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-70L-RIo4V3U/VSQgNVzZKNI/AAAAAAAAGAQ/Tpxbc97sYHc/s1600/IMG_2715.JPG" height="239" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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I know this has been one of the longest blogposts I written and I hope that you at least had a cup o tea in hand while reading. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-42gm8LiJRzI/VSQhTzdunJI/AAAAAAAAGAY/dZdTLSH-j50/s1600/IMG_2712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-42gm8LiJRzI/VSQhTzdunJI/AAAAAAAAGAY/dZdTLSH-j50/s1600/IMG_2712.JPG" height="320" width="239"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the trees I'd ripped up from the<br>earth. This is as macho as I get.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-48642390984781973132015-03-29T23:48:00.001+01:002015-03-29T23:48:19.729+01:00Pimientos de Padrón, the race is on.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you may have read in previous blogpost, my mother had sent me six packets of Padrón pepper seeds, myself and few friends are all growing them. It's been called a competition, but how we are going to judge who wins or looses is anyone's guess. It has been mentioned, mainly by myself, of us all getting together and having a Harvest Fiesta with our pimientos. That is more up my street. Today's blogpost is just about how we are all getting on.<br />
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<h3>
Sally</h3>
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Firstly we have Sally, she was the first to start her seeds off. To say she's a bit competitive is like saying Einstein's a bit clever. Trouble is, she can back it up. As the saying goes "What she doesn't know, ain't worth knowing". So she has started her seeds off in a heated greenhouse with the temperature staying between 15°C and 20°C. These are her seedlings from about two weeks ago. They have now been potted on.<br />
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<h3>
Phill</h3>
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Next is Phill, aka Suffikboi, who started about a month after Sally. He's been very scientific about it all. As you can see, he's used seed trays with one seed in each using multipurpose compost that was left in the kitchen near a window (sunny and south facing) 24 hours before planting to keep warm. Once planted, the compost was kept moist with warmed water so that the temperature of the compost wouldn't drop. Half had a heat mat under at 24°C, 90% germination after a week. The other half hadn't germinated after two weeks with the kitchen temperature at about 20°C. Now that's dedication.</div>
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<h3>
Michelle</h3>
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Michelle has had a bit of misfortune, she has her seedlings growing on the kitchen windowsill, doing quite well as it goes, until one of her cats decide it's a good spot for a snooze resulting killing all but two seedlings. These now are well out of reach from the cat, with foil under the pot to help increase fruit with less aphid damage. As for the cat, I suggested a Davey Crockett style hat.</div>
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<h3>
Liam</h3>
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This is Liam's first time growing any type of chilli. He has used one of his herb planters he makes. Once filled with compost and seeds sown, he had left it under the stairs for a few weeks to keep warm, while also keeping the soil moist. Like myself, he doesn't have a greenhouse, so he has them in a utility room windowsill in the sun.<br />
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<h3>
Richard</h3>
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Lastly, myself. Above are my first sowing. Directly into pots, soil kept moist on a windowsill. It took bloody ages to germinate, but slowly they did. Two weeks later I used a propagator, lid and all, didn't take half as long. Clearly I needed to cover the first batch in some way.<br />
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Now I did say to Sally that I have a trick up my sleeve. I don't want to let my ancestors down, the only one descended from Galicia and not able to grow pimientos de Padrón. I was given six seeds packets, so I've sneakily added another competitor. Let's call him Mr. Newman. He's a friend from work and by his own admission , he kills everything he tries to grow. Before he knew what had happened, he was holding the last seed packet. I'm not going to loose this one. But the joke's on me. On his shift there is a man know as the Genius, knows everything about everything, he has an allotment as well. Mr. Newman has only gone and given him the seeds to grow on his behalf. Oh well! As yet I don't have a report yet on our last grower.</div>
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I'd like to thank everyone taking part for taking the time to send the information and photos. I'd also like to apologize for taking my time in putting it all together. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-2291963554955166512015-03-24T20:38:00.000+00:002015-03-24T20:38:46.375+00:00Spring is truly here.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the last few weeks I've been asked and have done a lot of Overtime at work. I haven't done as much as has been asked, because I had to draw the line somewhere. Although the money comes in very handy, there is no point in working all the hours when Spring is the busiest time in the gardeners calendar. What the hell am I supposed to do with the potatoes and onion sets if I have no time to sow them? Sunday was a day best spent on the plot and what with all the hustle and bustle of King Richard III's reinterment, I knew exactly where I wanted to be. Don't get me wrong, it's a big thing for Leicester and I'm glad he's been laid to rest here, but I'm not a big fan of crowds and me being so small, I wouldn't see anything anyway.<br />
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I was planning on spending most of the day on my own on the plot with my 'Weekend Dad' duties done, but on bringing my daughter back home, there was a change of plan. I had now inherited three helpers, my youngest daughter and my Ex's partners two children. They were the best helper's I've had in a long time. They dug a bed and prepared the soil ready for sowing the onion sets. We had a few onions left over, so they dug another bed and sowed some more. </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">And yet we still had onions left, so the flower bed that I had been preparing for my daughter now has onions. I didnt intend to buy so many onions, it's just what came in the £1.50 bag</span>. The bed's not quite finished, but for the moment, it'll be OK. My daughter assure me she doesn't mind me using it, she'll just put flowers around the onions.</div>
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The children's day was made when the pheasant that patrols the site passed by. Try as they might there was no photographic evidence, nothing very clear at any rate. They would've had a better chance of photographing Nessie. </div>
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The only thing left to do was to was to water everything in, including the row of potatoes I had put in the week before. When we got back, they each got £2 for their hard work. I have since been told that a bag of sweets is the going rate for kids helping out on the allotment. Till next time and thanks for reading. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-42350530081189211752015-03-09T22:41:00.000+00:002015-03-09T22:41:30.229+00:00It's that time of year again.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes, Spring is here. The days are starting to get noticeably longer and not so cold either. Enough incentive for the most bone idol of us (I am aiming this at myself, so please don't be offended) to get down to the allotment and get some work done. But as I've mentioned in the past, life seems to throw up all kinds of obsticals. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. This weekend was the first time in two weeks I've shown my face on the plot. A mixture of fetching and ferrying offspring, putting together my new bike, dodging raindrops and not to mention 'Just five minutes more in bed please'. But this weekend I was determined to make it. Only really managed a total of four hours over Saturday and Sunday, but every little helps. This is how determined I was, on Sunday, my daughter and I gathered everything we needed, tools, food, schoolwork. Opened the front door and turned on our heels as it was pouring down with rain. Put the kettle on, made a cup of tea and in true British style, waited for the rain to cease, then set off again. Luckily, we didn't have to wait too long and we had less to carry too, the food was eaten.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardboard laid out</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watered cardboard</td></tr>
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The main job and boy am I making a meal of it was to press on with my daughters flower bed. I've dug the soil over lightly, removing as many of the thick woody weeds as possible. Covering over with some cardboard (I've put the box the bike came in to good use) then soil on top taken from various spots from the plot. I've also made use of some lawn edging that had been lying around in the shed for years. It's clearly not quite finished, still plenty of soil to add and the edging needs to be better secured. </div>
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Over the last few weeks of winter I had put a large upturned flower pot over the rhubarb to try and force it and it's worked. I'm hoping to make at least one rhubarb crumble this year with it. It's had a full year on the plot now so I should be established.<br />
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The potatoes are finally starting to chit. Nothing seemed to be happening until I picked one up on Saturday and noticed that they'd been Chitting in secret. Ok, hands up, I addmit it, I had placed the potatoes the wrong way around. From now on I'll think of Bingo, eyes down. I'm hoping to put them in the potato grow bags by next weekend.<br />
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I do have quite a few seedlings growing and doing very well, mostly Garden Connect seedlings. So another blogpost should be on its way very soon. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-23034596602634047762015-02-22T20:12:00.000+00:002015-02-22T20:37:24.753+00:00Potatoes are here.<div>
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I had got an email this week saying that the potato orders had arrived and ready for collection. Rocket are my first early's and Maris Piper are my main crop. I've always had problems with bug damaged potatoes and both <a href="http://girlontheplot.blogspot.co./" target="_blank">Girl on the plot</a> and <a href="http://margaretspatch.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Margaret</a> suggested I should grow them in bags. So, contrary to what many people think, I do listen, it's just that I don't always act on advice given. But I digress, I found these bags for sale at the nursery I always go to and quite suitable they are too with a picture of potatoes on the side. Even I couldn't mistake what should be growing in them. I know I did buy more than three, but if you'd seen the mess that is my car boot, you'd understand.</div>
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With potatoes collected and knowing that I only had a few hours before it rained, I continued with the flower bed for my daughter. This is how I left it two weeks ago. Flowers really aren't my thing, but I do like snowdrops. It's not the best picture, but there are a few snowdrops growing that weren't there a fews weeks ago. These I lifted out and put to one side. Below is now how I've left the flower bed. Not quite finished, but well on it's way. I did get a wheelbarrow full of roots in various forms. I'm not sure if what I've removed had been planted by previous tenants or are weeds, but they were spreading like weeds, so for me that was good enough reason to remove them. With a bit of luck from the weather, I should have it finished soon. </div>
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It wasn't until I got back and made myself a cup of each that I realised how cold it was out there, so it was just as well that I stopped when the rain turned a bit icy. So my potatoes are now chitting and there seems to be two camps on this subject, those that chit and those that don't. I like to think I have a foot in each camp. I'll chit until I get too impatient and then plant them out. To be honest, I'm not sure what the right amount of chit should be. Either way, they've always been bug damaged.</div>
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The reason I chose the flat I'm living in now is because of the three window sills it has and the fact that they face the sun from when the it comes up in the morning till it goes down at night. In the first window will I have, from top to bottom, lemon cucumber, sweet peppers, aubergine, basil and tomatoes. Apart from the lemon cucumber, these are some of the plants for Garden Connect. After last years fiasco with the lemon cucumber, I wanted to prove to myself that I could grow them. I'd like to see the bastard slugs get to them now. </div>
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Window sill two has pimientos de Padrón. I'm growing these together with Suffikboi, Sally Harvey, Michelle Stacey and Liam Stanborough. The seeds do take time to germinate, but they do. A few of them are doing OK, but it's early days yet. </div>
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The last widow sill is looking a bit busy. The bottom left is full of lemon cucumber and bottom right is full of more pimientos de Padrón. The top tray has two types of tomatoes, plum and Tomkin's, okra, kohl rabi and cayenne peppers. Again most if what's sown in this tray is for Garden Connect. The cayenne peppers I'm growing for my chilli jam. </div>
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I had a bit of misfortune this week, I had my bike pinched. So when I opened this packet of seeds and two sachets fell out, it felt like life wasn't all that bad. I know one packet of seeds won't replace the bike, in any way whatsoever, but it's nice to know that some things go my way. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-40636714644123317012015-02-07T10:00:00.000+00:002015-02-07T10:00:53.755+00:00The Great Parsnip Give Away.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Although I'm told that the parsnips should be OK left in the ground for a while yet, I wanted to dig them up to be ready for spring and I will be giving away many of them to friends and family. It's a good job I have plenty of friends to give them to, because even I couldn't eat this lot before they started going bad and I don't have room in my freezer to save them in any way. Not only that, the local rats have taken a liking for them and it would be a shame to loose them.<br />
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But what a haul though, all manner shapes and sizes, no two parsnips are remotely the same in looks or size. None are worthy of the 'Best in Show' table, not even worthy for the supermarket shelf, but they taste far better than Tesco's finest, of that I'm sure. I did think that the box I brought with me would be big enough, clearly I was wrong. I did park as close to the allotment gates as I could, but it was still quite a walk to the car with about 30kg at the very least and to think that I had this lot in my back pocket once, in seed form of course.<br />
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Throughout all my time on the plot today, I had the company of two robins flitting backwards and forwards, pecking at the bugs in the soil that I had just turned over and for those of you who have read my last blogpost, no toads or any other animals were harmed in the making of this post. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-51368677171269240642015-02-05T00:23:00.000+00:002015-02-22T20:44:14.203+00:00What a busy month.So you're wondering, if I've been so busy, why so few posts in January? The fact of the matter is that it's lots of little things, not really worthy of a blogpost individually. I've waited to put them all in one. Also I've had a bit of a writers block, not that I consider myself a writer as such.<br />
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First of all, I've always wanted to grow Pimientos de Padrón. They originate from north west Spain in the region of Galicia. They are a chilli pepper, also known as Russia roulette peppers because you will get one every now and then that is a bit hot. My mum has sent me, from Spain, a few packets of seed, which I in turn have sent to a few friends of mine that I met in Suffolk in November last year, Suffickboi, Michelle Stacey and Sally Harvey. Sally has a head start on all of us. Not only has she sown them before anyone else, she also has a heated greenhouse. Mine are one week behind on my windowsill. Michelle is one week behind me and also on a windowsill. Soffikboi is studying for exams and is yet to start, but I must say, it's not a competion, although one member seems to think so. I'll keep you posted on our progress. </div>
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Next, I am now a proud owner of a trug. I've seen them on twitter and on Instagram and thought that it would be nice for my daughter to use. I think I may using it more than she will though. They are made by Liam Stanborough of <a href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/loldeantimber/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=" target="_blank">Loldean</a> Timber Products. They are sturdy and very well made. They have to be with the size of the parsnips this year. He's not asked me to talk about them, but I'm so pleased with it, I thought it was worth a mention. They are reasonably priced and I didn't have to wait long for it to arrive. On his eBay site you'll find, as well as trugs, planters in all shapes and sizes. The lad's worth a go, so check him out.<br />
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I've been meaning to clear my things from the end of the garden and take them to the allotment and I chose the best day to do it. Yes it was cold, but in the space of three hours, I had the sun on my back, rain on my face and driving the car in a snow blizzard. I've got most of it done, but there comes a point when your love for the allotment isn't enough. It just got too cold.<br />
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If it wasn't for the cold, working on the plot could be even more enjoyable. At the moment I'm working on six smaller beds and a flower bed for my youngest daughter to grow what ever she would like. The only trouble is, the areas I'm clearing are perfect spots for hibernating animals. Can you imagine my surprise, no, shock, when pulling my fork up and found a toad impailed. As quickly as I could, I removed it and watched the poor little creature, wondering if I should put it out of it's misery. Then it started to move, slowly it walked off and headed for the shelter of the brambles. The photo below shows the toads injury, but you do have to zoom in a bit on his right shoulder. I hope it survives, I need all the slug busting help I can get.<br />
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The last business of the day is that the planting scheme for Garden Connect 2015 has been announced. Matt <a href="http://www.hiemstragardens.com/garden-connect-2015.html" target="_blank">Hiemstra </a> is the founder of the project. If you've not heard of it, click on the link to find out more and if you're still interested, please <a href="http://yolasite.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e2eb43762b6b41e136e7c0b67&id=3fa6c6a439" target="_blank">sign up </a>. There are a few things I've never heard of, a few I've never grown and one which I know I won't eat. So this is the plan. I have had a look through my seed box and there are only three I don't have. For the YOUR CHOICE space, I'm thinking of planting spring onions. Not that I've given it much thought other than that's what I would like to grow somewhere on the plot, so why not there.</div>
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Well that's it for this blogpost. If you've read to the bitter end, you've done better than me. It has been three days in the making and I've been easily distracted. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-46213882295213211782015-02-01T21:01:00.000+00:002015-03-14T18:34:22.526+00:00Spicy Parsnip soup.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you didn't already know, I've done quite well this year on the parsnip front. So much so that I have a bit of a glut going on. Last week, on instagram, Sarah Lizzy posted a picture of her spicy parsnip soup and was kind enough to share the recipe. It is with her permission that I'd like to share it with you. This is what you'll need.</div>
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<li>2 parsnips</li>
<li>2 leeks</li>
<li>2 onions</li>
<li>2 potatoes</li>
<li>2 green chillies</li>
<li>500ml vegetable stock</li>
<li>1 teaspoon of Garam Masala</li>
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<li>Chop your onions and chillies into small pieces and soften them off in olive oil.</li>
<li>Peel and chop the parsnips and leeks, add them to the pan along with the Garam Masala and allow them to sweat down for about 5 to 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Peel and chop the potatoes, add them to the pan with the vegetable stock and allow them to simmer until all the vegetables are cooked.</li>
<li>Blitz with a hand blender and serve.</li>
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As with all recipes they are just a guide. The quantities I have given are the quantities I've used this time around. For my own taste, I could quite easily add more chillies and Garam Masala, but for the record, the one I've made today had an after kick to it that didn't over power the flavour of the soup. Sarah also added garlic with the onions. I didn't for the simple reason that garlic doesn't like me, let's leave it at that shall we. I'd like to thank Sarah again for sharing her recipe with me. You can find her on Instagram @sarah_Lizzy. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-86870140554547350822015-01-04T19:33:00.001+00:002015-01-04T19:33:43.358+00:00Cold and frosty morning.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had completely forgotten to order my potatoes in October. It wasn't until last week that I remembered when I went to pay my rent, but because I didn't have the cash to pay for them there and then, I waited until this weekend. While I was there, I asked about the problem I've had with pretty much every crop of potato I have had since I started at the allotment all those years ago. As you can see from the photo, they have holes. They weren't all full of holes, but quite a lot from each crop had holes. I've been told that it's eel worm. The plot used to be mostly grass and uncultivated. All I can really do is keep turning the soil over and keep it cultivated to get rid of it, without using chemicals. I've chosen the the same potatoes as last year, Rocket for my early and Maris Piper for my main crop. Some time soon I'll have a descent crop.</div>
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While we were there, my daughter and I, popped to the plot to see what's happening and to dig up some veg to eat today. I passed her my phone to take some photos. I must say they are very good and she only had the phone for about five minutes.</div>
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On days like today, my plot doesn't look any worse than any other. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-15051480365650383742014-12-28T22:27:00.000+00:002014-12-28T22:27:13.660+00:00The Root of the problem.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, so much for 'No dig beds'. I've made a start on roughly digging this area that will become my six raised beds. I say roughly because all I'm really trying to do is remove bramble roots and the other woody roots that I've uncovered. I haven't identified the other weed, but to be honest, I don't give a monkey's what it is, I just want to get rid of it. I'm led to believe that any other weeds that are left will all die off, hence the rough digging. So far, from this small area dug over, I've got quite a pile of roots ready for the bonfire. I had to leave the plot early due to the first snow fall of the winter. It never really settled, but it was bloody.</div>
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This weekend I've paid my rent for the plot for another year. It's cost £21.50 this year. That's up on last year by only 25p. I mentioned it on twitter and got quite a response. As it goes, for 300 square yard's, I pay very little for what I have. Now, I don't want to get on my high horse and I haven't done any research, but for similar sized plots, I've found out, you can pay from as little as £10 to the dizzy heights of £200. The most expensive plots I've heard of aren't even in the London area. It does seem a shame that our basic need to grow fresh produce at a time when we're told the government, doctors and the media in general that we all need to eat healthier, seem to be out of many people's reach and affordability. I hope that something can be done to make allotments more accessible to everyone and that it doesn't become a hobby for the rich. Let's see what the New Year brings. Have a Happy New Year everyone, till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-75338449569781688282014-12-22T18:44:00.000+00:002014-12-22T18:44:41.748+00:00Digging for Christmas.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This weekend was the last chance I had to dig up some root veg for Christmas dinner as I will be working constantly till late on Christmas Eve. I've dug up what's left of the swede and some more of my bloody great big parsnips, which I'm still astounded by. As regards the size, they really should be the other way around, but they both taste equally as good. </div>
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It does feel like I'm harping on about my parsnips this year, but I don't often get to boast, besides come next year, everything will be back to normal and I'll be back to a harvest of just seven pathetic parsnips. So my point really is, how many different ways I can cook them so it don't get board. So far I've had leek and parsnip soup, really nice, roasted parsnip, goes without saying, parsnip crisps, both fried and in the oven. They cook really quickly when you slice them thinly you know. I did burn a few batches, luckily the fire alarm didn't go off. If anyone has a tried and tested method of making parsnip crisps, please let me know via this blog, twitter or Instagram and any other ways of cooking this lovely root veg, but not pie, I like the filling in pies, it's just the pastry that gets in the way. </div>
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Little progress has been made on my 'No Dig Beds'. I have managed to acquire quite a bit of corrugated cardboard sheets from where I work. It was going to be thrown away, so I've taken full advantage of the big recycle bin. As for the actual No Dig side of things, I fear some more digging will be involved. While I was removing some bramble roots, I discovered some other roots, very thick and very much alive. No amount of cardboard would stop that from coming through. I won't go crazy on the digging, just enough to get rid of the big roots.</div>
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Now, I have a confession to make. Due to my change in circumstances, it's not so viable to walk to the allotment any more, I have to drive there now. There, I've said it, it feels like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. But fear not Eco warriors, I make the most of every journey, this last week, for example, I brought all that cardboard in the car. I would never have been able to do that without the car. These fexable white plastic strips you see pictured below were transported at the same time. It's hard to explain exactly what they are used for, but my boss knows that I like to make use of anything if I can and said to me 'Make use of that if you can'. It took me less than ten seconds to realise that it would be perfect to arch over my strawberries to support the netting. Another thing put to good use rather than being thrown in the recycle bin. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No strawberries here yet, but you get<br />the idea</td></tr>
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Now I had this great idea to show off my plot by having my daughter on my shoulders to take a photo from the highest angle possible. Trouble is, she doesn't like heights, even if it's only five feet off the ground. So that explains the view of my plot at a jaunty angle. Not looking to shabby for the time of year.</div>
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Well I don't think I will be writing another blogpost before Thursday. So with that, have a Merry Christmas, till next time and thanks for reading.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the glum look,<br />Sunday morning and the sun's in my<br />face</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-64832822033819908252014-12-12T17:04:00.000+00:002014-12-12T17:04:45.783+00:00No dig please, I'm lazy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've heard a bit about the 'No Dig' method of gardening and as with most things I do, whether gardening or otherwise, I find out the basics and fumble my way through, wondering afterwards why it didn't work and think what a stupid idea it was in the first place, or on the rare occasion, be bloody amazed that it did work. This I think will be no exception. I did take a look at <a href="http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/" target="_blank">Charles </a>Dowding's website, he's quite an authority on the subject, but with so much information and so little time, I quickly found what I needed and set of to the allotment. Basically, you can turn a lawned area turn into a veg plot without any digging. All you do is mark out your bed, put cardboard down in that area and wet it, put some leaf mould and/or manure at least 2 inches thick on top of the cardboard and then compost and topsoil on top of that. As far as I can see, that is the bare bones of it, but click on the link to get the full picture. In fact I strongly recommend you do, I'm sure that in my haste, I may have missed some details.</div>
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So pictured above is how the area looked as I arrived at the plot. I thought it would be an easy task, clear everything to ground level and put the cardboard down. If only, so much for being lazy. The dreaded brambles had taken root, 'No Dig' was out the window before I had even started. So of I trot to get my fork. Where I was digging out the brambles is also where the raspberries are growing from when I first acquired my plot. To be honest, until they fruit, I can't tell a raspberry from a blackberry. I think it may be a case of starting from scratch with the raspberries and dig it all up. After being whipped in the face a few times by the brambles and a hawthorn piercing through TWO layers of leather gloves, it was a bit chilly today, this is how it was left this afternoon.</div>
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I know its hard to tell from these photos exactly what I've done, but I can tell you that I've cleared the width of the plot by five foot deep. I have been working away at the plot these last few weeks, but I've been doing the same task for a while now and it wasn't really blog worthy. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-51634959212965598192014-11-22T20:00:00.001+00:002014-12-23T19:53:02.571+00:00Garden Connect review.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today was one of those days that I was really in the mood for spending time on the plot and I feel it was a productive day. But to tell you that I moved a few slabs about, dug up some weeds and tidy up sooner than I wanted to because the rain got heavier won't make for very good reading. There is only so many times I can add that sort of stuff to my blog before I'm tiered of it. You now know what I've been up to today, so I'll take this opportunity to review my first year taking part in Garden Connect. For those of you who are not quite familiar with it, here's a brief description. It's the idea of <a href="http://www.hiemstragardens.com/garden-connect.html" target="_blank">Matt Hiemstra</a>, a young Canadian studying horticulture. In a bed that is 6'x2' and divided into 12 equal squares, myself and many other gardener's across the globe grow the same plants and vegetables in the same order as everyone else. Posting comments on various social media, good or bad, for others to compare and learn from each other. For a more in depth description, you could click on the GC link. This was the planting scheme for the very first year of Garden Connect.<br />
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First we have kale. I've never grown it before and as far as this single plant goes, it seemed fairly easy. The seed was sown straight into the soil and seemed to be quite happy in its little corner. I got to eat this little beauty in a soup and I'm pleased to say that I plan to grow more next year.<br />
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As you can clearly see, what is growing is not a lemon cucumber, just regular cucumber. These seeds came all the way over from Singapore and although they germinated really well, the British slugs seemed to like them far too much. So much so that from over 40 seeds, only two plants survived the little bugger's. Just as well really, because I was planning on growing as many as possible and then passing them on to fellow gardeners for those that wanted lemon cucumber.<br />
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This is supposed to be bush beans, or as we know them in the UK, French beans. But could I get them to grow? It didn't matter whether I tried them in the greenhouse, or directly to the soil, nothing happened. So this is my effort.<br />
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All my life while growing up, I was told 'Don't eat flowers, you'll die!' A bit dramatic I know, but it turns out you can eat some flowers. Nasturtiums are edible and after a few weeks of wondering 'Should I, shouldn't I' I finally took the plunge. I wish I'd stuck to the original advice and not bothered, it was awful. What's more, it grows like a weed and self seeds. I think I'm going to be busy trying to get rid of it.<br />
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My apologies, this is the best shot I have of the tomatoes. What's worse is that I couldn't get the plum tomatoes to germinate, so I got some yellow tomatoes, golden sun. Considering they were outside and unprotected, I managed to get nearly a pound in weight of tomatoes from one plant.<br />
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This is as good as the sweet pepper's ever got. I really didn't expect any more that. It just doesn't get warm enough. A greenhouse is definitely needed.</div>
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Parsnips have been my best success this year by far. I had more parsnips in this square foot than I did in all of last year. Four of them were so unbelievably big that I put my fork through them. The seeds where started off in a clear sandwich box, on a wet sheet of kitchen paper. Once they started to sprout, they were sown. This is something I will try again.<br />
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Spinach is another vegetable I have not grow until this year. Not knowing what to expect, I let them go to seed before I realized. Oops!</div>
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I've never done too well with lettuce in the past due to slugs. Not much has really change, but I got a few to eat.</div>
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You see, this is what happens when you don't thin out your carrots. It's something I need to learn to do. I'm just glad to have grown carrots.</div>
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I like to think that I've not really had problems with onion sets sown in the spring. I put them in, they got big, I dug them up.</div>
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I've never been a fan of beetroot, but this year I've sliced them thinly and fried them. Thank you Garden Connect.</div>
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So that was my first year taking part. I'm looking forward to next year to see what I mess up and what I do well with. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2246074298106135761.post-5116565417399975092014-11-14T22:39:00.001+00:002014-11-14T22:39:44.071+00:00Road works.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been a couple of weeks since if made an appearance on the plot, but honestly do have a very good excuse, you see I spent last weekend in Suffolk with a few gardening friends I've been wanting to meet for a while now, Phill (AKA <a href="http://suffikboi.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">@suffikboi</a>), also Sally and Michelle from the 'Big Allotment Challenge'. Three of the nicest, down to earth potty mouthed people you could want to meet. Although it was gardening that brought us together, it was a subject that sometimes came into conversation it's fair to say. We were like a bunch of kids on a school trip that had broken away from the main group. My cheeks have just about recovered from all the laughing.</div>
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So with apologies out of the way, this is what I've been up to this week. With the path that was laid two weeks ago, the rest looked a bit shabby. It was only ever a quick fix after getting rid of the grass paths, but a sort out that needed doing. The picture above shows you what it looked like and it doesn't seem so bad, but when you get up close, it's a health and safety nightmare. If anyone goes onto my plot and along the path, they would surely trip over and I would be sued. It was a good job I had my steel toe capped boots on, it was a most useful tool to rest the slab on my toes to then remove or add more soil to make it all level. This is how far I've got with it. I'm nearly at the end of the plot, but that's not even half the job done. </div>
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I didn't just mess about with the slabs today, although by the time I got home I wish I hadn't started, I also dug up a parsnip for our tea. An ugly bugger I will admit, but also a bloody heavy one too. I recently bought some scales and this was my first opportunity to try them out. Can you believe it's just under a kilo in weight, or just over 2lbs in imperial measurements. Till next time and thanks for reading.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0