Spring is here but not quite Summer


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Hello to all the gardeners out there.

 

Just to say, don’t be fooled by the warmer days, the nights are still quite cool. Don’t be putting bedding plants in yet folks.

 

I have planted parsnips, beetroot, marigolds, sweet peas, peas and lettuce plants at the allotment, grown from seed and carrots are germinating from seed sown direct. Keep watering as no rain forecast for another couple of weeks at least.

 

happy gardening folks.

 

Mrs B

 

 

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Reply not about gardening but the weather.Weve had some really hot days enough to get a tan with just 1/2 hr each day sitting out. Weve had not a drop of rain in over 100 days. It arrived today but hardly enough to settle the dust. Its turned wintery cold and being not far from the mountains we get the icy cold. We had turned the CH off but have had to put it back on. Hope summer starts soon. I have planters filled with flowers so hope it doesnt get much colder. 

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Hi nonnaB 

Our weather has even up and down too although not as cold as yours as we’re obviously not near the mountains in Notts!

I had an almost disaster earlier with some melon seeds I had managed to germinate from seed from last year, heritage Emir and also Green Nutmeg variety. They were the sweetest melons I had ever tasted, just enough for one person around 26th cms (101/4ins in old money). Circumference.  I dropped the tray that they were on whilst watering them in my little “nursery” glasshouse outside and actually said the Gordon Ramsay F word. Fortunately they all landed upright and largely undisturbed - phew we get to live another day on the melon rearing. They are a faff to get to fruit but love the challenge.

Mrs B

 

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Mrs B We dont have a garden now. My son and family live above us and he also took the fruit orchard at the back of the house. At the front we have the pool and we had the forecourt tiled and we renewed last year just leaving a small strip at the side and 3 squares for fig tree, acer and dwarf palm. Near the pool we have another strip with various plants, 3 peonys, succulents and herbs oh and hostas. So basically it takes care of its self. Only the occasional weed. Our fig tree is laden.

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  • 3 weeks later...

After a longish dry period it was good to see a shower of heavy rain today. We had over half an inch here in the Trent Valley. When I was out yesterday I saw wheat being irrigated which was unusual as that's usually reserved for potatoes. The garden is really perking up now and the fruit trees are blooming profusely. I think I'll have another go at cider making this autumn. There are tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in the greenhouse awaiting planting and our hay meadow is springing into life with a rich variety of wild flowers. I've lived in our village for 60 years this year and can no longer be classed as an 'incomer'!

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8 hours ago, philmayfield said:

I've lived in our village for 60 years

I think I have said before on here that if I were to return to live in Nottinghamshire it would be somewhere in the Trent Valley. We very nearly bought a house in Bleasby in the seventies but stupidly decided it was too far from where we both worked, Sutton in Ashfield. If we had bought it and stayed there would we have been locals too by now. 

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I'm sitting up in bed on this beautiful sunny morning looking out over open fields and lots of trees towards the Trent just under a mile away. The far side of the river rises up with the steep wooded Trent hills. It's idyllic. Must get up!

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

After 2 years of Covid 19 and all the inconveniences it brought today we are getting ready for the summer thats come to us with a vengeance. Missing so much in not being near family and friends we have decided that any excuse for a bbq   A coffee or just an icecream just to enjoy outside sitting at the side or even inside the pool which will be opened finally tomorrow. We spent a while washing the cover and taking it off ready to be cleaned tomorrow. Robbie' s been brought out of the dark shed and had his first chore. Filter and pump will be in action in the morning and once its topped up we'll be in .Cant wait to swim the cobwebs away.

A real change from having war news and chimps being isolated with scarlet fever. 

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Not quite Spring yet nonna preparing to plant the garden this weekend visits to the garden centres,woke up this morning to snow squalls and minus2 temps the apple and cherry blossom are about to burst into bloom and yes the daffodils are poking their heads through not sure whether to come out or not may have to cancel plans until next weekend.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all you gardeners. Please watch the cooler nights this week and close your greenhouses overnight, only 7deg tonight and 6 tomorrow forecast. I have been adventurous and planted beans and sweetcorn at my allotment. Hopefully they will be ok. We need some warmer weather and some rain too. We have had the annual break ins at the allotments, not many of us either keep anything of value or lock our sheds anymore as the hoodlams just wreck the sheds trying to force entry.

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Local allotments here are quite high tech. They are surrounded by a high fence of the type you see around schools these days, have a jazzy heavy duty metal lock-up for all their equipment and the council recently installed an eco loo for the allotment holders. An ugly looking thing it is, too!

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We also have a heavy duty fence all around the allotment site which they cut through with presumably bolt cutters. The council have replaced the panel twice at a cost of £120 each time. I have suggested planting hawthorn whips where the gaps in the hedging are as although they will take some time to establish they would be an extra barrier. Unfortunately the site backs on to a golf course which is next to quite a rough housing estate. Don’t leave anything in the sheds is the motto although they did nick even my gas bottles for my brew kit last time! At least there is no vandalism to the plots which I guess is a bonus.

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Please don't blame Rottie dogs, they are belive it or not a very softie breed, First breed were by Butchers who made the Rottie vicious by having it as a guard dog when taking his takings to the bank. the butcher would tie in a bag his money around his neck, , so if anyone tried to steel it, the dog was nasty as he did not know the person. 

 

I have had 2 Rottie's and have done working dog trials, with them both, my first Rottie when you came down stair's in a morning would look at you, one eye open drag her self across to greet you then lean against your leg and fall back to sleep. She was brillant I could leave her any were and tell her to stay, and she would not move from that spot. even if I left her for the whole day, she would still be there.  As for being vicious its the owners who make them like it. Half way though working trials my teacher ask if I would like to do "Man work " with her it's what they train police dogs for, So I said OK but to do "Man Work" you have to really wined the dog up, well after half an hour of trying and the way my  Rottie was  looking at me and thinking that I'm crazy, I gave up.  I lost the best friend I ever had to bone cancer when she was two and a half.  RIP PIP 

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Why does that not surprise me about the Mansfield allotments Phil. Guess you are joking but can see it happening.

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