We have pea shoots

My lettuce box

At long last we have a germinated tray of peas. The tender little shoots appear to be the only living things  in the greenhouse at the moment. My improvised heated propagator a.k.a. the radiator is working a treat on the aubergines while the chili seeds are taking a bit long to push through we have a few front runners making an appearance. I’ll be glad when they are up as they are living on my bedside cabinet which is a bit cramped.

The Brecon farmers market went well yesterday as the shoppers made an appearance which we think may be down to a bit of sunshine. It was a steady day rather than spurts of shoppers which makes our lives easier. The pork pies are popular so we will increase production for future markets. I must also get round to making up sausage rolls although for us they cost about the same to make as a pork pie just a bit less meat and we sell them for less so I’m still not convinced about the economics but they make a good option for the younger children.

My knitting has had to be put to one side as we prepared for the market so I’m eager to have a go at finishing off my first little baby cardigan. The parts are all finished it just needs putting together with a collar and borders. I say ‘just’ but this is the bit I muck up normally. I shall be searching for help and advice before I pick up a needle.

The planting continued today

Unwins 1 horseradish root – I have never grown this before. I put it in one of my recycled tyre planters which was composted last autumn.

Unwins pink garlic – a pack of two also in a tyre. They work well planted in a circle

Unwins Red Sun shallots – another tyre full.

Unwins Asparagus Bachlim F1 Hybrid – a pack of two crowns, another first for me I’ve put them in corners of the raised bed.

The real seed company Brussels Sprout ‘Sanda’  – I have planted up a tyre as a seed bed and I’ll move them into a raised bed later

Johnsons Purple Top Milan turnips – A tyre full again

The real seed company Giant Limousin Turnips – A tyre full

Unwins Bunyard Exhibition Broad beans – I’m trying a bed with a weed suppressant cover. I cut little windows, make a little hole and pop the beans in.

Unwins allsorts lettuce – in a lettuce box in the greenhouse

Mr Fothergills  red Cherry tomatoes- in 3 inch pots in the greenhouse

Mr Fothergills Greyhound cabbage – in cell trays in the greenhouse

The real seed company Serpette Guilloteau climbing peas – The weed suppressant cover covered bed and a tyre for comparison.

Lastly I have followed the advice of vegplotting and I have my parsnip seeds on some damp kitchen towel . http://vegplotting.blogspot.com/2009/01/guide-to-parsnips-you-ask-we-answer.html

Unwins Avonresister and The reel seed company tender and true parsnips.

I’ve planted modest amounts of everything. The idea for most things is to plant again in two weeks so we get a cycle of cropping.

My next ‘job’ is to get some herbs for a bargain basement pot I picked up this morning. The pot is quite large and some tiled decorations had dropped off the rim. I like it better without them anyway and my £7 pot should hold a couple of things. We found the pot when we went to a department store first thing to pick up a couple of basins they had in the sale. Compact & modern for our new bathrooms (the ones that have yet to be built).  We are buying up a few bargain things as we see them for the new rooms, there are lots of offers around now.

Lettuce boxes

Just hanging around

As part of the big spring planting we will do a box or two of lettuce. T-W-O like Romain and I’m not even sure this is technically a lettuce but it is very tasty compared to a flat leaf lettuce (and it’s one of the only ones he’ll eat). We have a bit of a wet climate out here at the foot of a mountain (hill for US people), refer back to the precipitation diagram you drew at school. The sun over the sea, the land and the mountain. The water evaporates from the sea and makes a cloud that gets blown over to the mountain. The cooler air makes the cloud into water again which falls on us!

The slugs love our garden and despite the best efforts of Donald duck to eat them all even he is defeated by the shear numbers. I confess that I do resort to slug pellets every now and then, usually when I’m on my second lots of seedlings as the first lot have been devastated by the beasts at which time I will have lost my temper. The problem with pellets is that I have to keep the chickens and Donald off them so I then cover the plants in chicken wire. It all gets very complicated and they are not good for the wildlife either.

After all this I decided to plant my lettuce seeds in a box in the greenhouse. After a bit of thought and some luck I found that our local supermarket leaves old wooden apple boxes for customers to recycle as food carriers. I was elated (really I was, it strange the things that please me) and I secured one by filling it with shopping.

The boxes are made of thin strips of wood and stapled together. To help retain moisture I lined the boxes with old news paper or cut down layers of chicken feed sacks and filled them with a mixture of shop brought and home made compost. I scattered the seeds onto the compost and finished it with another fine layer of earth. Left to germinate in the greenhouse they quickly sprouted. The lettuce box only works if you remove lettuce to eat at various stages of development. Take small juicy young lettuce from the box to eat and let a few well spaced heads mature.

Once the weather has improved a bit the box gets moved outside. I either set them down in front of the greenhouse where I have a bit of a graveled area or by the side of the path. on a few stones. The idea is to stop the slugs making the climb into the box somehow, the gravel helps enormously and I also grow my courgettes in this area.

The boxes are not unattractive for a recycling idea although I appreciate they are not quite pretty terracotta tubs. The best bit is that once the season is finished the boxes starting to rot and then they can be used again. I empty the spent compost and paper onto my compost heap. Then if the bottom of the box has rotted away I brake it up a bit more and chuck that on the heap as well. It does take a while to rot down but it’s already on it’s way remember. 

Any wood that is ok I brake up and use as fire lighters or kindling on the wood burner. The bits of metal staples drop into the ash box and can be removed then if you wish.  I have collected a couple of boxes in preparation and I am considering planting spinach in the same way as it has become so expensive in the shops and again would suit the growing cycle where you take young leaves first.

Gardening Calendar for March & how Simon the sourdough starter is doing

 

The black sheep of the family

Simon the sourdough starter has a life of his own now, I’m fascinated to watch the bubbles burst as I look into the jar. He will be fed again and then move into the fridge tonight in preparation for some bread baking later this week. The next stage is making a sponge which I gather is an extra large version of the starter.

The idea now is to keep Simon alive and use him as when I need him until  Peter pushers him out  or he peters out (ha ha couldn’t resist that).  I have to get through the sponge stage first to know if he really is going to make a proper loaf of bread. If it all works I’ll do a complete post on the subject.

We have a friend coming over for dinner this evening (and she is bringing cake with her) so T-W-O will be making a prawn risotto. We have been freezing reduced price prawns from the supermarket for a few weeks now and it’s time to make a bit of space in there.

I have been reading up on what I should be planting in March and I’ve petrified myself:

 

Asparagus

Beetroot

Broad beans
Carrots
Cabbage

Garlic

Jerusalem artichokes
Leeks

Lettuce

Onion sets
Peas

Potatoes
Radish
Spring onions
Spinach

Shallots
Turnips

I hope we get some good weather this weekend. I’m off now to order up some Asparagus and check what seeds I’ve got left

 

 

Starting a seed planting calender

I always intend to make a seed planting calender so I can better remember whatever I managed to grow or what conditions have affected the growing season. Last year I could have written ‘washed out disaster’ for most of it . I did make a tentative start in my on-line calender but life took over then I forgot to write up germination times, then progress and then I just forgot. I want to add it to the blog this year to encourage me to keep going.

So to kick off this weekends planting is as follows.

Planted Saturday 21st Feb

Living in the green house are;

40 x broadbeans ‘ Witkiem Manita’  in cell trays . From Johnsons seeds

40 x peas ‘ Early Meteor’ in cell trays. From Unwins

Living on the bedroom windowsill are;

I packet of aubergine ‘Moneymaker’ , seeds in a seed tray. From Unwins

peppers ‘ Tequila Capsicum annuum’3 x 3 inch pots with 3 seeds to a pot. From www.reallycoolseeds.co.uk

peppers ‘Sweet California Wonder3 x 3 inch pots with 3 seeds to a pot. Mr Fothergills

chili peppers ‘ NuMex Joe E. Parker Capsicum annuum’ 6 x 3 inch pots with 3 seeds to a pot. From www.reallycoolseeds.co.uk

I have relied on Aubergine cast off plants in years gone by from friends or family so I am a  first timer from seed. I’ve never purchased from really cool seeds before either so I’m interested to see how the peppers progress, they were at the Abergaveny food festival last year boasting a stall full of great plants groaning with chili peppers and packets of seeds.

Normally I try to fine mist spray the compost once the seeds have gone in. This year I thoroughly soaked the soil, popped the seeds, beans, peas on top and then gave them a dry covering. I’m hopefull this will boost their chances of germinating. The spray will be fished out from the back of the under sink cupboard soon.

Spring into action

Can you spot the bird enjoying some early pollen yesterday in the garden

Some weeks ago I was to test plant some early peas, beans and aubergines but having the old wrist in a cast curtailed that sort of behaviour. Now the cast is off and the hand is back in action I will make a start this weekend. The chili pepper seeds are now late in being planted but I think after the cold snap this may have been fortuitous.

My plan of intent is to start with a tray a week of broad beans and peas. Put the aubergine seeds into 3 inch pots, a few per pot to try the thinning out method, again a pot a week whilst I modular plant the parsnips and carrots so I don’t disturb the roots when transplanting. I have a couple of old wooden fruit boxes I intend to fill with compost and then start a few rocket seeds in  – lets see what I end up with on Sunday.

For the first time I am going to use the compost that is ready as my potting compost. I may also buy a bag of compost as insurance and plant 50/50. Last year I mixed my compost together with the shop bought version to bulk it all out but I am so pleased with last years compost I am going to risk using it on it’s own.

I have decided not to use toilet roll holders after comments last year that they may contain some anti fungicide that prohibits root growth – all too much risk when you pour your heart into the crop. I will however continue with old tyre cases as a means of lifting the roots off our heavy clay despite warnings that these too may have something nasty in them.

One of the other pressing jobs is to site my new veg beds. I hope at least to start to clear the soil and mark out where I want the sleepers to be laid and the paths to be made.

I’ve gone mash mad – turnip mash

You going anywhere special today? (A grandad, T-W-O & his granddaughter)

 

The photo is nothing to do with the post but I came across it today when looking through some old shots. I love this picture, taken on the morning of middle daughters wedding, T-W-O and Granddaughter (niece of middle daughter) went to look for the horse and trap that were to transport the bride and her Dad to the church.

 

I’ve now purchased some broad beans, peas and aubergine seeds. This weekend will see me plant up the first batch in the greenhouse. I already have some sweet and hot pepper seeds from last year so I can get on with planting them. It’s time to get the seed trays out and give them a clean up. I’m really itching to get into the greenhouse!

 

I will be pulling up the last of my turnips tomorrow and using them in a turnip mash, another recipe from the chef at Brecon farmers market.

 

You need

Turnips – as many as you would use potatoes for mash.

Horseradish sauce

Seasoning

 

Peel your turnips and cut into chunks.

Pop into a pan, cover with water, add a good pinch of salt and then bring to the boil.

Turn down to a simmer, put a lid on the pan and cook until tender.

Drain and mash well

Stir in salt and pepper to taste

Add half a teaspoon of horseradish sauce, stir and taste. If you want it stranger add some more and keep trying until you can taste the horseradish but it doesn’t wipe out the turnips.

 

Serve as a healthy option instead of mash potatoes – for a less healthy version stir in a couple of spoons of cream and a slither or two of butter.

 

This works well with chops or boiled gammon.

 

I am also trying to buy some horseradish roots so I can make my own horseradish sauce next year.

My goodness – time to plant things again

I have been planning the move of my garden to make way for the extension and new parking area. I am taking a portion of the field behind us and putting a gate from the garden for easy access. I have a vision of an orchard for my apple, plum and pear trees with a wild flower meadow growing underneath. There will be 2 paths meandering through the meadow with a couple of decorative seating areas as you go. One path will lead to the yet to be dug pond, where our ducks and chickens will enjoy a new home fenced in from beasties but with a swing bridge to allow day time escape while the other path will lead to my new kitchen garden.

The kitchen garden will have new raised beds, a fruit cage and a poly tunnel (when money allows). I have been imagining this as our arcitect (son-in-law) imagines how the house will look when it’s finished. I am as excited about this project as I am about our extension.

Now the time is over for planning and somehow my dream needs turning into reality. My first jobs will be to organise a digger for the pond and order the raised beds. The weather has been against us though and the ground has gone from hard as rock to mushy wet clay. However the seasons wait for no-one and there are seeds that need to be planted in the greenhouse this month.

I intend to start with aubergines as I understand they need to be planted now and then at the end of the month move onto peppers, broad beans and peas in modules. I may put some more onions and garlics in old tyre casings in the field roughly where I want my veg beds to go.

Another issue is the fruit trees. They need good soil and flower meadows need poor soil. A puzzle to be solved. Once it all starts to come together I would like to put a bee hive at the far end of all this, away from the seating but close enough to the veg for the bees to work their magic. I hope they will have a nice life pollinating my fruit and veg and in return provide us with pots of honey.

Lastly when we have the areas separated my dream is to put a couple of pigs in the rest of the field held in smaller areas with a temporary fence I understand they are great for rooting the ground over – which it needs and then they would give us meat for the freezer.

a good weekend and how to make a cheap compost bin

This weekend has seen some play but mostly work.

Yesterday we stole half a day at Aberearon and (not) totally in line with our diet we feasted on fish and chips for lunch. The sometimes sunny, breezy autumnal day and slightly choppy harbour made a perfect Saturday morning out. We keep saying we are going to have an overnight stay there in a B & B but so far that luxury has escaped us.

Returning home we started to tackle the big list of jobs awaiting us. I emptied, sorted and refilled the greenhouse whilst the Wilf one was trying to recover from Watford F.C. winning a match!

Today has been a long day, I am aching from the small amount of gardening I have done. Through the week I have been snatching half an hour each evening to prepare and lay the weed barrier material on three quarters of one of the veg beds.

T-W-O fixed the gate to the dogs area and finally fixed the fire tools in the dining room – we have only had the for around six months!

This morning the Wilf one (T-W-O) and I went off to the tip where they sell shredded wood for £1.50 a bag, they supply the bags and the shredded wood, all you have to do is fill them yourself. We did have a second reason for the trip and that was to dispose of the evidence of some of our wine consumption. On the way we called into Martin and Aura for a coffee and a chat, he is off to North America tomorrow, we added the evidence of their wine consumption to ours. We were saddened to see they had consumed a bottle of Baileys but we had seen none of it. What are friends for I ask myself!

We filled the back of the car with six sturdy bags of chippings and returned home, then carted the bags across the garden (or sodden bog as it rained most of last night) and tipped them out to cover the black weed suppressant material. I have requested a new wheel barrow for Christmas from T-W-O which would make this task much easier on the back. Job done we had another totally (none) diet friendly lunch – roast rib of beef with all the trimmings (yes that does include yorkshire pudding which I hadn’t made for ages).

This afternoon T-W-O has tackled the mountain of ironing I created in my cleaning frenzy, he does it while watching the football on the telly and I carried on in the garden. Opening up two trenches for next years runner beans I went to the ‘resting’ compost heap, half hopeful of finding the sweet soft black stuff. Success, the compost is crumbly, not smelly in any way and looks the part, the best I’ve ever produced. I lined the bean trenches with a few shovel loads as this compost has to stretch a long way. I will be adding to the trench mix until spring.

Inspired I moved on to the tyre veg bed. It was in some need of weeding and I worked away pulling, twisting raking and swearing at the brambles that creep in from the field next door. In between this I cleaned out the chickens house. As payment they came to help me tidy the beds, the funny little things always work around me when I’m gardening. Sometimes I have to shoo them away from the shovel so I can dig and other times I have to tell them off for weeding the seedlings not the weeds.

My compost bins are the cheapest on the market. If you have a corner that isn’t too much on display all you need is 4 old pallets – try asking at your local tip if they can save you a few – some string and something to put on top. I have an old piece of corrugated roofing but I have heard that old carpet is very good.

Stand up 3 of the pallets in a u to form the back and sides of your compost bin. Tie the sides to the back with string at the top and bottom. I find this makes them quite rigid. Then put the front one in place as your gate. As you fill it cover it up with the old carper or whatever you put on top. I like this type of bin because you can wheel in the barrow and tip. My composters have now lasted three years.

A new read for me – kitchen garden

When we go away I try to save up a couple of magazines to take with me. I have one indulgent magazine and one practical magazine a month. I am not one to read TV or fashion related journals so I have Country Living and The Smallholder.

 

Having been in receipt of these two publications for several years now I feel the winds of change coming and as the Smallholder annual subscription has now finished I will give it a rest for a little while. I am also going to cancel Country Living as I feel it’s become more centred on those living in the cities who desire an escape to the country. The items beautifully photographed and priced are often way beyond our means but I very much like the rural businesses they feature each month.

 

This holiday I discovered that I had left the magazines at home, we always forget something, and thought it a good opportunity to browse the shelves and pick up something new. There seemed to be a myriad of magazines on offer, I wandered up and down the aisle so confused was I that I decided only to look at the gardening magazines. I flicked through a few, the Wilf one was by now becoming restless understandably not wanting to spend huge amounts of his holiday in a supermarket, I made a decision! I went for the one with the free packets of seeds (Kitchen Garden), I can parallel this behaviour to our Granddaughters comic buying, and they always go for the one with the best gift. Some marketing does work!

 

The first evening of our holiday we settled down on the sofa for an hours rest prior to our special treat, dinner in the restaurant. Feeling tired but not sleepy I unwrapped the magazine, soon I could hear those gentle deep breaths coming from the Wilf one which signalled he was sleeping. I read the magazine greedily taking in the articles, there was an informative article about planting garlic, a look at a community allotments, advice on what to plant now, a quince feature, an article on mushroom foraging (the photo is of part of our compost heap) and so much more. I have to say I enjoyed my new discovery and it may be replacing my existing magazine purchases. Over the few days away I read every article, cover to cover. The web site gives you a good sample of the magazine but I felt the web page layout let it down slightly. http://www.kitchengarden.co.uk

 

getting ready to go away

We are getting ready for a few days in Devon. The PC is coming and the camera so we hope to give at least an update of some sort, even if it’s just photos.

Today has been a rush of tidying, cleaning and sorting. I sometimes wonder if going away is good for us. I often think that my colleagues at work come back more depressed than when they went away. Lets hope that doesn’t happen to us!

I have been emptying the vegetable pots today, it just proves it’s the end of summer. Then I put the compost on the garden in a bid to make a dent in the enormous amounts of clay out there.

The dogs have gone off to the kennels, Steve and Dianne look after them so well, they enjoy going and enjoy coming home. The chickens & duck have been fed and watered so have the cats. We are lucky enough to have someone who comes in and sorts out the cats and birds for us when we go away.

We were supposed to go today but the Wilf one has to go to the hospital tomorrow morning at 9.30 so at least we won’t be away too late.

Here we come Devon……..