Sunday 31 January 2010
It's been dificult to get going in the garden this weekend. It was lovely having the mother-in-law to stay, but labouring under a modest (belated) Burns night hangover meant we didn't really get going on Saturday. Plus work has been full-on this week (a semi-pitch and a quarterly review on a big account) - leaving me craving a bit of veg-time on the couch rather than in the garden. Besides, it's all justifiable with the ground frozen and a dusting of snow that hasn't shifted all weekend.
Notable signs of progress this week:
- The sun is just hitting the back of the raised bed for the first time in two months; we're in the shadow of a workshop when the sun's on it's lowest trajectory. I'm hoping that in two weeks' time the whole veg patch will start getting the sun. As soon as it does we're in business.
- Roots of the Garlic are visible when we unfold the bottom of the recycled paper pots. These are all lined up on the shed's workbench. As soon as we start seeing shoots we'll move them in to the light and will plant out as soon as we can get the ground ready.
- The first set of true leaves are appearing on the tomato seedlings, which have been moved to the more evenly-temperatured sitting room. This is just two weeks after sowing.
- The seed potatoes are sprouting nicely in the dining room and have proved to be an excellent talking point.
- Started-off a mushroom kit indoors.
- Visited a Hackney Garden Centre called Growing Concerns. Nicholas will post a review.
- Bought some cool zinc plant labels and wrote-out the full set for the end of the rows in the raised bed (opposite).
- Bought organic potato fertiliser and blood and bone meal for the vine that I've been growing for the last five years. We had some lovely grapes off it last year.
4 comments:
I love your plant labels, very posh and they'll look great at the end of the rows. I haven't started any seeds off yet, but my fingers are itching to get started now that February is here.
Those zinc plant labels are very grand.
Review of growing concern
While we love our garden centre on Stoke Newington Church Street we do like to discover other hidden gems around the area. Stephen found Growing Concern on the web and on Sunday we got the bus all the way to Victoria Park and checked it out. What a fab place! Right on the edge of Victoria Park and the canal there is a small shop and large outside area with a jealously induced polly tunnel. Lots of plants and pots. You can tell that fruit bushes are in vogue at the moment – they had dozens of blueberry bushes (bigger than ours ).
We bought the very posh veg labels which are proudly displayed above, and some other nick naks including a wooden lemon squeezer that was an impulse, unnecessary purchase but I like it. The very kind lady at Growing Concern also made us a cup of tea as it was freezing. We’ll be back soon no doubt, maybe when I have passed my driving test and we can load the boot up with plants. Growing
NRW i know precisely what you mean regarding the 'jealously inducing polly tunnel' that you admired at Growing Concern. The sight of a high quality polythene tunnel has the same effect on me - i go (appropriately) green with envy.
Post a Comment