Dereks Diary Part 2

[derekbrooks]

Mostly dry today,just a shower.This afternoon I planted the rest of the border between the back lawn and the fence. Went on the allotment this evening.I took the third frame then finished weeding the runner bea/sweet pea bed.

[derekbrooks]

A bit showery but dry this evening. I potted up some plants from the winter baskets that I want to keep,a small conifer and some ivy.When it was raining I went in the greenhouse and potted 25 fuchsias from small custard pots into 4 inch pots. I also did some tidying of some of the plants.
Went on the allotment this evening. Raked some fish,blood and bone into the runner ben/sweet pea bed and fixed up the structure of canes.There are two rows of 21 canes about a yard apart with a horizontal cane along the top of each row.There are 5 canes across the top between the two rows.I still have to tie each cane to the horizontal one along the top and put in some diagonal canes between the two rows to strengthen the structure.

[derekbrooks]

This afternoon I went for my walk round Blackleach recording the birds and flowers.On the way home I went to the allotment and tied most of the canes that I put in yesterday to the horizontal ones along the top. I went again this evening and planted 15 runner beans .I thought it more important to get these plants in than to finish tying the canes.I secured the plants to the canes with twistits.I don't need to keep doing this because they will grow up the canes themselves when established.I gave a lady at church some runner beans this morning.

[derekbrooks]

It rained a bit first thing but dry the rest of the day.When it was raining I went in the greenhouse and put longer canes in the tomatoes. After,I went to the allotment and planted 33 sweet peas.I reduced the shoots to one and secured it to the cane with a sweet pea ring.I had about the same number of sweet peas left over so I left them in boxes neer the allotment gates for anyone who wanted them.
This afternoon I have been weeding my rose beds but didn't quite finish them.
Went to the allotment again this evening and tied the rest of the canes to the horizontal one and also fixed up 5 diagonal canes between the rows to strengthen the structure.

[derekbrooks]

This is a picture of the structure of canes for runner beans and sweet peas taken a few years ago but it is the same today so I decided to show it to you.

[derekbrooks]

What has happened to yesterdays post,I'm sure I did one?.Just briefly,I planted a row of annuals and weeded half of the dahlia bed on the allotment,and I mowed the lawns.
Today I have got all my tubs ready for planting.I put fresh compost in about half of them.With the rest I remove half of the compost and mix some Q4 fertiliser in with the rest then top up with fresh compost.I write in my diary which tubs have had fresh compost then I will know for next year.The planting will have to wait till next week because we are going away again tomorrow till Sunday.I just went to the allotment this evening to put weedol on the potato bed .It is not long since I planted the potatoes and not many have come up yet but the bed is covered with tiny weeds.
Have any of you ever eaten a watering can? .I have done so because Heather bought me a box of gardening tools and equipment for fathers day made of chocolate .
You won't hear any more from me till we come home on Sunday

[derekbrooks]

We arrived home from our holiday this afternoon.We have been to Shropshire.I spent a lot of my childhood there at a place called Little Dawley.My mother came from there and was part of a large family.So I had aunties and uncles there and at Lightmoor which is inly about half a mile away. As a child I spent nearly all my holidays there ,3 or 4 times a year.For this holiday ,Martyn took us and we stayed at Ironbridge which isn't far away and Heather came too.It is many years since I went there.We went to Little dawley and Lightnoor yesterday morning and we had a chat with the people who live in the houses where two of my aunties and uncles live and we walked to a lake where I used to go fishing.There are several new houses there but it isn't as built up as I thought it might be. We have spent the rest of the time visiting museums ,5 altogrther.Today on the way home we have had half a day at Shrewsbury and went in the Dingle and walked along the river.Heather left for home when we did.The weather has been kind to us, it didn't rain at all.
So tomorrow it is back to "normal" again and back to weeding and planting.I told you before how far behind I am with my planting but hope to get it finished soon.

[balc2]

The structure you made for your runner beans & Sweetpeas is similar to one I made up on the allotment I shared with a friend some years ago. Only I think yours is much more "professional" than mine was!

[derekbrooks]

Hi Balc2
It doesn't matter whether or not it looks professional so long as it does the job

[derekbrooks]

It has been quite warm today.I have been on the allotment this morning and evening just weeding the dahlia bed and I still haven't quite finished it. We went a walk this afternoon and then I begun planting my tubs.Planted impatiens in the 2 large tobs under the carport.I then fixed up the obelisk in another tub and planted 4 climbing French beans to grow up it.

[derekbrooks]

This morning I fixed the window box up under the kitchen window and planted it with diascias.
Went on the allotment this afternoon .First of all I got the communal tubs ready for planting.Removed some weeds and some of the compost and filled them up with fresh compost.
I then finished weeding my dahlia bed,raked in some fish,blood and bone and ut the canes in,20 altogether in three rows.I went back this evening and planted the plants and tied them to the canes.I stopped them if they hadn't been done before.

[derekbrooks]

Another nice warm day.I went on the allotments this morning and planted the communal tubs in front of the cabin where we meet.The plants I put in were impatiens(Busy Lizzies),French maigolds, non stop begonias, gazanias and godetia.I would have liked to take a picture of them to show you but there are weeds on the path in front of them so it wouldn't have made a nice picture.I went back this evening and sprayed them with roundup.Also this evening I did more weeding on the spray chrysanth bed.I had weeded a section of it before and planted some chrysanths in it.
This afternoon we went a walk then I planted some more of my tubs.I was short of a few geraniums so I called at the garden centre for some on our way home from the walk.

[derekbrooks]

Went to the allotment this morning and carried on weeding the chrysanth bed.This afternoon I went to Blackleach for the art club then to school.This evening I mowed the lawns .Wanted to go to the allotment again after but it started pouring down.
Now some good news.I received a letter this morning from the National Vegetable Society saying that I have been awarded a GOLD MEDAL mainly for the books I have written and the articles I write in the magazine each quarter called Seasonal Jobs telling people the jobs they should be doing each month.

[SueA]

Congratulations on the gold medal Derek, well done! 😊

[derekbrooks]

Thanks, Sue
I have been on the allotment this morning and evening carrying on weeding the chrysanth bed.
This afternoon I went to the garden centre for 2 more geraniums and some petunias and planted them when I got home.The petunias I grew were eaten by slugs.Also did some more planting in the tubs.