…for the beans and onions. On the way into the allotment on Sunday, I noticed the alpine strawberries had flowers out, so checked the summer-fruiting ones. Removed the mulch and weeded the bed, and found that all 10 plants are still going (some more than others). Mulched around them with chopped up comfrey and grass. The plot’s looking neater.
Craiglockhart Woods were designated a Local Nature Reserve in 2005, and incorporate a wide range of habitats including grassland, marsh and a pond. As well as seeing the woods in their spring-time best, there will also be a chance to learn about local history.
Flier for Craiglockhart Woods walk
Images of Easter Craiglockhart Hill on the Craiglockhart Community Council pages
Craiglockhart Woods Group pages
Lothian Conservation Volunteers go meadow raking on 1 June 2008
After a sunny day spent looking after the daughter, I headed off to the allotment at 6:50. Cue big fat raindrops; I got soaked before getting halfway there, so headed home. What makes it worse is that we went down the plot today, and saw that the weeds are growing big and fast. Add to the need to get my beds in order, and I really can’t waste an evening…
Quite chuffed about the beans, but I do need to get a slug trap set up. Last year I lost a lot to slugs, and the nibble marks on these tiny bean plants are goading me into action. It also means I need to get some more beer for the plot …
Two horsetails from Hell have appeared by my blue shed, and I spotted the first standard horsetail. Made up for this by pulling my first rhubarb. Still small and awfy green, but tasty.
Was called an holistic gardener by a neighbour … kinda nice but also a bit sarky. Anyway, I’ve taken down the crappy chicken wire fence and added some subtle boundary markers: a small raised bed (30cm x 40cm), some red and white bricks to emphasise the corner and a few pieces of wood that’ll be made into the edges of a longer raised bed. Planted two rows of coriander (variety for leaf) in the small raised bed, and in the nascent one some parsley close to the lavender, and transplanted several crocus (?) bulbs.
Have decided where I’ll put one of the French Bean tepees: where the larger raised bed is languishing. Just need to dig the area and make a bean trenche. The comfrey’s coming along well and a few nettles are poking their heads up, so I’ll dig a hole, put down some newspaper then some comfrey and nettles, and cover it up. Still need to think of where to put the second tepee, and am in two minds about putting it between the blackcurrants and comfrey, as it’ll cast some shade on the blackcurrants.
Finished my response to the consultation on a draft Scottish Climate Change Bill. Most things look sensible; usual caveats about issues of business competitiveness creating softer targets.
I have 2 down the allotment, and now a second one at home:
Pigs make great gardenerz — chowing down on nettles from the permaculture principle Flickr group.
Hey! WordPress 2.5!
The flat has been quiet over the last few days, and I’ve had some time to change things round. Worked ’til midnight last night moving the back room round. Eventually it’ll be the daughter’s bedroom but it’s been a clothes drying room and general junk room for over a year now, so I’ve created an interim configuration and cleared some trash. With the cabinet by the window, I can propagate seeds:
On the left are 28 broad bean seeds (Bunyards Exhibition) to go where the first lot of Aqualdulce Claudia failed to germinate (outdoors sowing is more tricky). I’ve fashioned a bubblewrap cover and use a bent coathanger to keep it off the modules. On the right is a tray of parsley (plain leaved 2) and a tray of leek (bandit). Still got lots of seed left: 27 broad beans; 2/3 of the parsley; 1/2 the leeks.
Enjoyed myself thoroughly this evening sowing the seeds, playing Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth on the hifi. It’s probably my all time favourite album…
Everybody’s talking about the stormy weather, what’s a man to do but work out whether it’s true?
Shame I couldn’t find a decent video of Hey Joni on youtube:
In this broken town, can you still jack in and know what to do?
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/plants/blackcurrants/375217/
Everything you want to know about powered juicers, from Ethical Juicers. and their recommendation is to use a low-speed gear juicer, or a go-juice manual juicer. OTOH why juice? You’ll lose fibre and you’ll have to clean the mechanism. Perhaps I should use a sieve and a spoon on the odd occasion that I need juice!
juicing versus blending … fruit has soft cell walls, vegetables have harder walls. Some soft fruit like bananas should be blended.
