My Garden

Idle chat

Last post 22-11-2009 3:34 PM by miranda. 4427 replies.

• 25/09/2009 07:24 PM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809

  Reply | Contact   My runner beans are just about finished now BB-just a few left on there for seeds. Glad your OH is feeling a bit more chirpy, and I hope you and your son are keeping well also. Are your tomatoes turning red OK? or do you have to bring them inside to ripen? all my toms are green at the moment. Your yellow tomatoes sound different Miranda- we could all get together and make some tomato traffic lights with these three colours! You have done a lot better than me for spuds Sue and that home made tomato soup and garlic bread sounds nice. Garlic keeps you healthy or so I am told, I've not tried it raw either. I sometimes rub a clove of garlic around the bowl that I have a salad in as it gives the salad a nice mild flavour. This morning I took OH to the hospital for a final session of phsio on her knee, and this afternoon a friend came around to sort out my son's computer which has been running slowly-it is OK now-fixed. Richard

• 25/09/2009 10:08 PM

  In reply to

  BB Location: Hereford Joined on: 12 May 2009 Posts: 573

  Reply | Contact I hadn't realised the Maxine were slug resistant Sue, but now you mention it they were pretty well blemish free. Yes Richard, the tomatoes have ripened outside. There are still a few which are just 'on the turn' which I haven't picked yet and a few green ones too. They are in the sunniest spot in the garden which gets sun virtually all day, so I have left them there at the moment, while the weather is still O.K. I will probably have to pick the last few greens ones and bring them inside to ripen. That's a good idea with the garlic rubbed around the salad bowl BB

• 25/09/2009 11:40 PM	In reply to
  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809	Reply | Contact My greenhouse is not in a sunny position BB so many of the toms in there are still green. I have some tomatoes outside but most of those are in semi shade, even the ones in 'full sun' are still green. I think I will be collecting them in when they are still green probably -so green tomato chutney looks to be on the cards. Richard

• 26/09/2009 08:22 AM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200

  Reply | Contact  You still have some time left for the toms to ripen Richard, last year it was the beginning of October before the last ones ripened up in the greenhouse (in full sun).  The tomato soup was made by softening an onion in olive oil, then adding some chopped tomatoes of different varieties, cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked, add a little water to thin it down, simmer for another 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper and serve. The sun is out here and Sasha is having her stitches out at the vets in about an hour's time.  We didn't need to use the lampshade at all this time so that can go back up in the loft sue1002

• 26/09/2009 09:24 AM

  In reply to

  BB Location: Hereford Joined on: 12 May 2009 Posts: 573

  Reply | Contact I hope Sasha doesn't mind having her stitches out too much Sue. She will probably feel more comfortable once they are out. It's good that you didn't need to use the lampshade this time! That tomato soup sounds good - I think it would be nice with a splash of Worcester Sauce. My garlic cloves have arrived in the post this morning ready to be split and planted in a few weeks time. I have gone for the Albigensian variety which are supposed to store for longer and produce big bulbs. We have a grey, cloudy start here again - I have been outside and picked some Rudbeckia to put in a vase (I hardly ever cut flowers from the garden) to cheer the house up. BB

• 26/09/2009 09:32 AM	In reply to
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 3,347	Reply | Contact  I don't like green tomatoes, so I leave mine on the plants. We rarely get early frosts here, so most will ripen. If I think the last ones might get frosted, I pick them and put on a windowsill to ripen. I was eating them in November last year. Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 26/09/2009 09:53 AM

  In reply to

  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 2,977

  Reply | Contact Did your Sante have any slug damage Miranda? A bit, Sue, but nothing to get too wound up about. Maybe the 'Maxine' would be the way to go?  Hope it goes/went okay with having Sasha's stitches out. She's been very good if you haven't needed to put the lampshade on her. How is her mobility now? That tomato soup sounds like what I do, only I often add fresh basil and usually some garlic and I leave it thick. Lovely, isn't it. With the ripening of the green toms, I've been leaving them in a bowl with some ripe ones and they've ripened up nicely. Last year, I had a load of green toms and I put some of them in a dark corner in the shed, just for somewhere to put them, and forgot about them. Found them several weeks later, still surprisingly fresh and all of them ripe.  BB, we seem to be getting the same weather a lot of the time. When did it last rain where you are?

• 26/09/2009 10:56 AM	In reply to
  BB Location: Hereford Joined on: 12 May 2009 Posts: 573	Reply | Contact I am struggling to remember the last meaningful rain, Miranda. I don't think we have had any at all in September and I only remember a thunderstorm in August which lasted about 20mins. Could it be as long ago as July? BB

• 26/09/2009 11:33 AM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809

  Reply | Contact Morning (just) all ! That soup sounds quite easy to make Sue-I think I could manage that one,all I need is the red tomatoes now-still as you say they might go red, glad you've had some red toms BB-hope your OH is OK. Its good that your tomatoes last until November Phot's- mine will be gone long before then. My sweet peas have come on OK and I've picked some to bring in the house, the Rudbeckias are OK too apart from the one that I accidentally knocked the flower off with the hose pipe- that one is pressed now! It rained here a few weeks ago Miranda, even had a thunderstorm . Its looking a bit grey at the moment. Richard

• 26/09/2009 11:44 AM

  In reply to

  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 2,977

  Reply | Contact I think it could have been August, BB. Awfully long time, isn't it. My weather station has said rain a few times over the last few weeks, but it's never happened. Glad you've had some rain, Richard! Chuck us a bit down here, would you? Hope your husband is feeling better, BB! I'm toying with the idea of trying to make some chilli sauce today, Tabasco style. Went out and bought a big bag of fresh chillies what seems like weeks ago. They didn't have red ones so we bought green and they've only just ripened.

• 26/09/2009 11:55 AM

  In reply to

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1,104

  Reply | Contact Hi all. Really hope everyone is keeping well? Phew - what a busy few weeks I've been having, with going to the hospital everyday for my mam. It looks like she's going to be there for several weeks yet, and I've really missed chatting to you all. Also hope Sasha's stitches came out with no problems Sue? My mam had the staples taken out of her hip on Tuesday, and the wound was clean thank goodness. Well I managed (just) to get my entries into the local annual show today, I'm going back at 1.30 on my way to the hospital to see if I've actually won anything! I was doing the 'green hedgerow on a log' display at 1am this morning. I picked some lovely dahlias first thing this morning, but when I got to the hall, there were some really professional displays there, so I'm not holding my breath on those! Hoping to catch up with you all again next Wednesday, as I've got to dash down to London tomorrow, and back again first thing on Tuesday.......

• 26/09/2009 12:28 PM	In reply to
  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809	Reply | Contact  You sound as though you've been very busy Susiq -hope your mum is getting on OK now I expect she's ready to come back home for some pampering. Hope you win a prize at the show if you do drinks are on you!. Have a safe journey to London tomorrow. You'll be a bit of 'hot stuff' today Miranda with all those Chillies! Richard

• 26/09/2009 01:07 PM

  In reply to

  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 3,347

  Reply | Contact  I'm jealous of your sweet peas, Richard. Mine were rubbish this year (my fault) and are long gone. We haven't had much rain for ages either. I tried to dig on the allotment, but the ground was too hard. Instead, I removed as much surface weed as I could and spread compost on three empty beds. Started turning a second compost heap and found a snake! A fter my nasty experience with wasps last year, I didn't take any chances and left it well alone. Have now looked it up and am reassured it was just a slow worm. (still is a slow worm as it's still in the compost bin and I'm not going to evict her) Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 26/09/2009 01:47 PM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809

  Reply | Contact The sweet peas have been a bit slow Phot's and I've not had a lot of them,still there are enough to bring some in the house now and again. I don't think I've seen a slow worm before,not seen that many snakes only in a zoo.I think there is only one poisonous snake native in the UK I believe its the adder. Mind you there are a lot of spiders about, some large ones.I was reading in the newspaper that there are a lot of them around this year. My daughter's sunflower has just bloomed today-I'll take a photo shortly to send her as she is away in Wales for the weekend.  Richard

• 26/09/2009 01:48 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200

  Reply | Contact  Good luck with your show entries Susiq, you'll have to let us know how you got on.  Glad your mum is well on the mend and hopefully you won't need to do all that much travelling for too much longer. It seems like an absolute age since it rained here but I remember the date, it was 11 days ago as it hammered down the day we took Sasha to the specialists.  Everywhere has dried out since.  Sasha was a good girl when she had her stitches removed and sat there quietly while it was done. I bet you were really pleased to find out it was a slow worm Phot's and not a snake. sue1002