Dereks Diary Part 2

[derekbrooks]

Been on the allotment this morning and this evening.I pulled up a lot of weeds from the veg beds that were easy to do before they seeded.Filled three sacks with these. Then started weeding a strip on the brassica bed.
After going a walk this afternoon I went in the garden.Between the front lawn and the rose bed there is a row of bricks for a path but the grass grows over the bricks if I allow it to and weeds grow between the bricks.With a knife I cut the lawn straight against the bricks and got the weeds from between the bricks.I had to lift up each brick in turn to do this.

[derekbrooks]

Not much gardening time today.I went to the hut this morning and did my walk round Blackleach with Janet this afternoon.When I got home this afternoon I staked and tied the potatoes that I had growing in bags near the greenhouse because they were leaning over the path. Went on the allotment this evening and carried on weeding the brassica bed.

[derekbrooks]

Our church service today was in the afternoon instead of this morning because it was a farewell service for our minister and people from other churches came.So this morning I had an hour on the allotment.Because of all the weeding I have to do other jobs tend to be neglected so I decided this morning to tend to the sweet peas.I reduced them to one shoot per plant and tied them up. Went again this evening and carried on with the weeding.

[derekbrooks]

Went on the allotment this morning and evening just carrying on with the weeding.This afternoon I tied up the dahlias, gladioli and chrysanths and did some disbudding and side shooting.

[derekbrooks]

I have been to my allotment three times today,this morning,part of the afternoon and this evening.I finished weeding the brassica bed and got it ready for planting. Raked in some fish,blood and bone. This evening I made the first preparations for my Christmas dinner by planting a row of 10 sprouts along the back.

[derekbrooks]

Another hot day .I have been weeding in my garden most of the day mostly on the back rose beds.

[derekbrooks]

It rained overnight but we have had another warm day.This morning I finished tidying the area in front of the shed.There were still a lot of boxes and pots there and I sorted them and put them neatly away behind the greenhouses.
I told you last week that garden club at school had finished for the holidays but I will have to go every week to feed the tomatoes so I went this afternoon.Afew tomatoes needed tying up so I did that. I also planted some courgettes.They were ready for planting so I thought that they had better go in now rather than wait till September.
Been on the allotment this evening and started weeding the root crop bed.

[derekbrooks]

Went on the allotment this morning and carried on weeding the root crop bed.We went a walk this afternoon .It started raining a bit when we got home so I went in the greenhouse.A friend on the allotments gave me 5 cucumber plants in 4 inch pots two weeks ago.They have grown a lot since so today I potted them into 9 inch pots and put a 3 foot cane in them and tied them to it. Hoping to go to the allotment again this evening but it started raining again so I stayed in and watched Beechgrove and Gardeners world.

[derekbrooks]

A dry day today so I have been on the allotment this afternoon and evening.I finished weeding a strip about 6 feet wide along the back of the root crop bed. I intend putting the frames on here in which I grow carrots. I also tied some of the dahlia labels on the top of the canes.I forgot to tell you yesterday that Heather arrived for the weekend .While I have been on the allotment she has been doing some weeding in the back garden. Do you remember a few weeks ago I showed you a picture of a conifer for which I had a box made to go round the root ball?. The tree died and Heather has chopped it down and lifted the root ball out of the box.I will have to take it to the recycling centre now.

[derekbrooks]

I am showing you some pictures that I have taken in the garden to send to Garden News

border in front garden


Border in back garden


Tub of begonias

[derekbrooks]

I can't understand why some pictures are not named.In order, they are "Windowbox of diascias", "Containers in front garden", "Containers under car port", and "Antirrhinum mme butterfly"

[derekbrooks]

We had a shower but it has been dry most of the time so I have been on the allotment this afternoon and evening.I told you in June that I took 3 of the cold frames that I use for hardening off plants to the allotment for growing carrots.The reason is that I cover the frames with fine mesh to keep out the carrot flies. Today I put them in position along the back of the root crop bed where I had been weeding.I grow the carrots in bore holes filled with fine compost that I had mixed. I have a pole to make the holes with,knocked in with a mallet.I waggle it about to make the top of the hole wider than the bottom (the shape of a carrot).It is hard work pulling the pole out of the hole.When putting in the compost I push it down with a cane so that it goes to the bottom of the hole and so that there are no air pockets.I made 14 holes in one of the frames,filled them up and sowed 3 or 4 seeds in each. I have the other two frames to do next time I go.
Heather went home this evening back to Portmadog.She has done a good job weeding my garden for me.

[derekbrooks]

Went to the recycling centre this morning with the dead conifer and some bags of weeds.Called at our local garden centre on the way home.I wanted something to go in the container where the conifer had been and I got some geraniums.I also thought that my containers on the terrace under the kitchen window needed a bit more colour.Marigolds that I planted in these have been eaten by slugs, so I got some pansies.I planted these this afternoon.While Heather was here she went to Bents garden centre and got some alpines. She planted some in the terrace near the form where she had been weeding and saved some for an alpine pan that needed re-planting. I planted these this afternoon. I have also planted a begonia in each of two small tubs next door,one at each side of the front door.
I have re-tied all the chrysanths and dahlias that needed doing and done some disbudding and side shooting and tied some of the labels to the top of the canes.

[derekbrooks]

Been on the allotment this morning and evening.Made bore holes in the second frame and some in the third and sowed them with carrots"sweet candle".There is room for another row in the third frame.The last sowing of brassica seeds in pots germinated O.K.but most have been eaten by slugs so I sowed some more this afternoon in the same pots,cabbages, cauliflowers and calabrese.I have also finished tying the chrysanth labels to the top of the canes and did most of the dahlias.

[derekbrooks]

Went on the allotment this morning.I said yesterday that there was room for another row of carrots in the third frame.Those I have sown up to now are "Sweet candle" which I grow for showing.I have no seeds of this variety left so I sowed a row of "Topweight".I didn't make bore holes for these,I just sowed them in a drill.I told you that my first planting of runner beans had all died and I had sown some more of the same variety,"Stenner".These were ready for planting and I planted half of them but then it started raining.I sat in my car for a while hoping it would stop but it didn't so I came home.It was dry this afternoon and evening so I went back this evening and finished planting them. This afternoon,at home,I finished weeding the rose beds.There was some couch grass which I couldn't dig out properly without digging out some roses but I got out aS much as I could.