My Garden

Idle chat

Last post 22-11-2009 7:57 AM by Roundelder. 4420 replies.

• 04/11/2009 06:02 PM

  In reply to

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

  Reply | Contact  The spuds in the greenhouse are the new ones Richard and should be ready just in time for Christmas.  We've eaten all the maincrop ones I grew and now have to resort back to buying them again.  Like you, we get ours in a sack as it's much cheaper than buying the smaller packs and the sack we picked up at the weekend has some really huge ones in it. It's good you have some of the polytunnel material left to make replacement covers for the little greenhouse Miranda, it sounds like it might last longer than the other stuff. sue1002

• 04/11/2009 07:06 PM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 807

  Reply | Contact  That's nice to have new potatoes for Chrismas Sue. It will not be too long before we will be thinking about planting for next year-I'm making sure that I'll not be late and start things off as soon as I can by using window ledges and the little greenhouse next time. It's good you had some spare rolls of covering that you can use for your greenhouse Miranda. Hope you enjoyed your pot roast with veg. Yes the boxes will provide extra insulation. I'll have to be careful not to put too many more boxes in the attic, although I have boarded it , as I don't want them all coming through the bedroom ceiling! Richard

• 04/11/2009 08:13 PM

  In reply to

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

  Reply | Contact I've still got plenty of spuds left (she says smugly) I don't have anywhere to grow new ones for Christmas, but I'll make sure I save some maincrop ones to roast with my dinner. I'm going to have less gardening time next year, so will be mostly having easy to grow stuff that'll look after itself while I'm away from the lottie, so might try some different potato varieties. Quite fancy Pink For Apple, or Ratte - anyone  tried these?   Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 05/11/2009 08:34 AM

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  EvaInNL Location: Holland Joined on: 25 Sep 2009 Posts: 59

  Reply | Contact It's raining buckets here near the dutch coast, I'm quite enjoying watching people cowering and running across the parking lot, trying to avoid the puddles, makes me feel extra warm and cosy up here in my study on the 7th floor. It also makes me feel better about the delay in getting my allotment, now set for January 1st. I'm sure there will be days next year when people drive past there and snigger at me..  I'm so sorry to hear about your glass house problem Miranda, but it seems you're on top of things, but still annoying! I'm trying to redesign the planting plan, it's quite a puzzle! Literally; I've got a stack of different coloured post-its, each colour representing the different types of crops so I can take into account crop rotation, and each post-it representing a planting bed of 1x1m. Next to it is the stack of seed packets with which I'm now trying to figure out how many plants will fit in each bed. The post-its will then be stuck onto a large piece of overhead paper from the office and shoved about until it all fits. Well, that's the plan... The only thing I'm really stumped with is how many cold frame I should have! A friendly glazier (is that the right word?) has kindly offered me access to his site where I can pick up as many old window panels I want. I've got access to enough wooden panels and hay/strawbales to cover the entire site with coldframes! It's knowing where to stop that's the problem!  Hey ho, it keeps me off the streets and well amused while I'm listening in to my conference calls. Anyway, just a bit of idle chat from me...  PS: there's a woman standing in the car park below right now, looking very wet and resigned to the fact that her son just HAS to jump in every puddle! I think I may join in...

• 05/11/2009 08:40 AM	In reply to
  EvaInNL Location: Holland Joined on: 25 Sep 2009 Posts: 59	Reply | Contact Good morning Phot's-Moll, Can't wait to join in on the smuggery next year! I believe there was an article on John Harrison's allotment.org.uk website on the Ratte variety, he seemed very pleased with them....

• 05/11/2009 11:07 AM

  In reply to

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

  Reply | Contact  I haven't tried any of those spud varieties Phot's so I don't know what they are like. I'm sure you will have fun with working out where everything will go Eva, I only have a small amount of space for veg growing and quite often plant things too close together to fit all the plants in.  They usually grow quite well but do tend to be smaller than they would have been if they were given more room. I can imagine how much fun that little boy was having that you saw jumping in the puddles - it sounds a lot like our dog who insists on walking through every puddle she comes across and drinking the water as she goes through them. It's sunny here again for now but I think we are supposed to be getting some rain later. sue1002

• 05/11/2009 11:21 AM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 807

  Reply | Contact  Good Morning all, not so good here though as its raining. I've just made two trips! to the docs for a blood test, first time I forgot to take my form so had to come back for it. Then did a bit of shopping. OH and daughter have gone to NEC Birmingham for a craft exhibition so they'll be gone all day and I'm cooking tea, we're having spaghetti with tomato and herb sauce. Can't help with potato varieties Phot's as I have only grown them for the first time this year and I had a poor crop-better luck next time-I hope. It sounds as though you are well organised with your planting plans Eva-you are well ahead of me.You  must have a nice view from the 7th floor. I use old window frames to cover my troughs and this gives my veg a good start-its good news that you can get plenty of frames. Richard

• 05/11/2009 11:27 AM	In reply to
  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 807	Reply | Contact  We just crossed Sue!. How is Sasha getting on these days?  Its good that you have some good weather hope it will last a bit longer for you. Richard

• 05/11/2009 12:49 PM

  In reply to

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

  Reply | Contact  Hope you didn't have too far to go to the docs twice then Richard  The dinner shouldn't take you too long to make either Sasha is still doing very well, we've added another road into her walks so she goes a bit further and then next week, we will add another road to build the walk up gradually.  I did cheat when it was raining the other day, I was intending it to be a very quick walk around the block but Sasha had to do her usual sniffing along all the hedges and gate posts along the way. sue1002

• 05/11/2009 01:07 PM

  In reply to

  BB Location: Hereford Joined on: 12 May 2009 Posts: 572

  Reply | Contact Hi All, I'm just back from B'ham visiting OH in hospital. He has had his op and spent a couple of days in the IC unit which everyone does after that op. He is now back on his feet and on the 'ordinary' ward. I am going back tomorrow and again on Sunday (with a friend) and all being well he should be back home within a couple of weeks. Fingers still firmly crossed. Hi Eva and welcome to the idle chat thread. I'm glad to see you discussing food, we like doing that on this thread (and other threads, come to think about it!) BB

• 05/11/2009 01:20 PM

  In reply to

  EvaInNL Location: Holland Joined on: 25 Sep 2009 Posts: 59

  Reply | Contact Congrats on you OH's recovery BB, I hope he's back home soon! As for the food discussion, I'm a lot more confident on that front, have been cooking since I could safely reach the top of the stove.. It's one of the reasons I got interested in the whole grow your own idea I guess. Gives me the opportunity to be doubly smug next year, hopefully! Have just had to start again with the design, hadn't taken into account that the post-its weren't on the same scale as the design plan... [:'(]  On the positive side, I can fit a LOT more veg in now!

• 05/11/2009 01:51 PM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200	Reply | Contact  That's excellent news BB, would I be right in thinking that your OH had the op at a different hospital to the one that he has been in? sue1002

• 05/11/2009 01:59 PM

  In reply to

  Roundelder Location: NW Cumbria Joined on: 15 Apr 2009 Posts: 175

  Reply | Contact It is still tipping it down here at present...oh well, means I will have to postpone the fireworks until we get some fine (or at least dryer) weather. Hello there Eva and welcome to the RHS special food banter foru...sorry I mean Idle Chat forum I am beginning to wonder how much (although I am far too polite to ask) the particpants on this forum weigh as we all love growing, chatting about and eating food. I dieted two years ago and went from 15st 13lbs to 11st 2lbs in 12 weeks and yes you've gussed almost all of it has returned to taunt me two years on!  Mind, those around me thought I had some incurable disease at the end of the diet and didn't like to ask what was wrong with me.  I have Garlic shoots appearing in some of the pots I planted up recently, apparently they need a good frost to separate the cloves properly, although I don't profess to know that much about the subject. A speedy recovery to your OH BB.   Wide awake Roundelder

• 05/11/2009 02:26 PM

  In reply to

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

  Reply | Contact  It's still sunny here with bits of cloud now creeping in. You did well to lose that amount of weight in a short time Roundelder, did you return to your previous eating habits for the weight to have gone back on again?  For the amount of sweet stuff than I can put away, I should be more than my usual 9st 10lbs but I do get exercise out in the garden and walking Sasha every day. sue1002

• 05/11/2009 02:29 PM

  In reply to

  BB Location: Hereford Joined on: 12 May 2009 Posts: 572

  Reply | Contact Thanks all. Yes Sue, OH was transferred from Hereford to B'ham last w'end - much to his disgust. It just means a 100 mile round trip to visit now, which is not ideal from our point of view but on the other hand B'ham is where the experts are, so the fact that they were doing the op was good. Anyway, I have arranged visits from friends and family on pretty much every day for the next few days. I'm pretty tired from the journey today as I had the low sun flashing in my eyes while driving, which I hate, as it dazzles me. I have garlic shoots too Roundelder, from the garlic I planted in my raised bed. (Hardneck garlic needs 4-6 weeks of low temperatures to split into cloves. Otherwise you'll just get one large bulb.) BB