Is 2023 going to be a good year in the garden

[plantfit 7,601]

Me neither Phil, but you know what some of these hayseeds are like

 

Rog

[Beekay 5,153]

During the war, when my dad and his buddies were passing through a little village in France, they were invited in by a family to join them for a meal. They sat down at table and the meagre meal was brought out by madame and her daughter. Dad told us it smelled lovely. So they tucked in with bread and what they thought was a stew or casserole. Dad, in his broken French said, 'mmm, very nice, Lapin(sp)? thinking it was was rabbit.

But Monseiur, who couldn't speak English replied, 'Non, miaow! '

His mate ran outside ànd threw but up. But Dad had seconds.

(They were all starving. They had become detached from their unit).

[plantfit 7,601]

"Friday night dinner" sit com about a Jewish family, Nice bit of squirrel" those who have seen it will know

 

Rog

[MRS B 522]

 

This is tonights visit, obviously hungry and no Beekay not fattening it up for a BBQ.

[Beekay 5,153]

I never said a word !! Who you invite to a BBQ is your business.  But why are you feeding it goat droppings?

[MRS B 522]

Sustainability and recycling Beekay. 

[MargieH 7,600]

Here’s a photo of some ‘Pattipan’ squash that I’ve been growing in our garden.  The fruit are about 7 inches diameter and I wondered if they are ready to harvest them yet?  Anyone know?

[philmayfield 6,144]

They look interesting. No idea if they’re ripe though. I have the same quandary with a surfeit of aubergines. They’re not the usual ‘egg plant’ black ones but long phallic- shaped deep purple ones. I was just looking at recipes for moussaka which I’ve never had before. Maybe they could go in a ratatouille?

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

Veggie I might be but I cannot abide aubergines.  When I was doing my PGCE at teacher training college, I shared a flat with another student who was also a veggie. The only dish she knew how to make was aubergine moussaka. She also had a thing about curried baked beans. Not nice! Seriously not nice.

[MRS B 522]

Margie, you should harvest Patty Pan squash when they’re between 2-4 inches across. Any bigger than that they can be a bit tough. Why don’t you try one and see? Leave a good amount of the stalk on when you cut them off the plant and that gives you something for them to rest on for storing them. They should store quite well. Great for soup.

[philmayfield 6,144]

I don’t think I’ve ever consciously eaten an aubergine but I’ve eaten loads of so called ‘foreign muck’ overseas so they must have been in there somewhere. I’ll have taste in the raw and see what they’re like. I only put them in to fill a space on a greenhouse staging. Our daughter’s a veggie so she’ll probably bear them away. Now what to do with the surfeit of peppers, both hot and bell shaped?

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

You can stuff them. Phil ...with something 

[philmayfield 6,144]

I’m not the chef, I eat what is presented to me. She is an excellent cook though!

[MargieH 7,600]

@MRS B  Thanks for the advice - there are several forming on the plant now

[MRS B 522]

Margie, you can stuff them as Jill says. If you Google “stuffed patty pans” (LOL) there are loads of recipes. The pictures give you an idea what size they should be as well.

[Beekay 5,153]

Margi, I've just Googled 'Patty pan recipes, just out of interest because I've never heard of them before and there's load of stuff on there, including 'how to' etc.

[MargieH 7,600]

Mrs B and BK. Thanks - I’ll have a look at recipes tomorrow

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

Excellent news. Tonight I spotted a baby hedgehog in my garden. Around four or five weeks old. Very cute, healthy and hungry. Tucking into cat food and biscuits.  I've decided to call him Spike. Jezebel the cat seems to like him, too. 

[MRS B 522]

Jill, we’re still feeding our little one too, we have named it Harold, my two cats are interested but no more than that. Florence my little cat clearly thought it was time for a BBQ earlier! No comments Beekay.

 

[DJ360 6,730]

It must be me.....

My outdoor tomatoes seem healthy enough but the incessant rain and less than tropical weather seem to be holding them back. Fruit so far is small and determinedly green.

My outdoor 'Marketmore' cucumbers are bigger plants than ever, but hardly any female flowers and not a single fruit. 

Runner Beans are very reluctant to climb. ..

Flowers on the other hand. ...

I lost many border perennials last winter including all Delphiniums, Achillea, Monarda etc.. This year I just chucked in a few Gladioli and Anemone de Caen, let the self seeded poppies run wild and divided a few other bits and pieces..

Result ...a really nice display..

Maybe less is more...

[MargieH 7,600]

Col, our runner beans are the same, as are the (outdoor) tomatoes.  However, some climbing French beans have done really well.  

[Beekay 5,153]

Mrs.Bubblegum, I've promised your Hog ally that I wouldn't make any snide comments. However, I do hope the BBQ was switched on, so as to keep your kitty warm.  

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

Last night, baby Spike turned up with his mum, Jemima.  She's a very good mum and was making sure he ate plenty of food. They were both making a very loud sniffing noise and baby Spike was jumping around and 'dancing'. Made me think I should have named him Ben!  He has a lot of growing to do, young Spike. He's a very cute, cheeky young hog.

[DJ360 6,730]

Cut the grass front and back yesterday. At least that's growing... but not the veggies. Whilst at it, I noticed that a couple of lupins, a rose and a few other bits are having a second go at flowering.  A very strange year...

Also noticed when out walking recently, that many Fungi are appearing early and some species in great numbers.

 

Friday, I went for a walk, heading downhill and out of the village towards Rainford, with a view to completing a short circular route which basically goes round the 'Eddleston Fields' football pitches etc. The walk takes in fishing ponds, both ancient and new woodland and some nice expansive views.

 

After a short distance, and still on the main Rainford Rd, I was reflecting on how, in early lockdown, I'd found 2 crisp £20 notes in the hedge bottom, close to where 'Stoners' etc., occasionally pull up briefly in their cars to 'do deals'. I put the £40 towards my usual Children in Need donation.

 

As I continued to reflect I was gobsmacked to find a small ladies bag/purse lying on the pavement. A quick look revealed £70+ in notes and change..a rather nice phone, a couple of cashcards, a bus pass and a few receipts. There was nobody in sight. I immediately posted  on two local Facebook pages inviting the owner to contact me etc...and continued on my way. Also in the bag was a bus pass with a picture of an elderly lady with glasses. So, as I processed on my walk I asked everyone I saw if they'd seen anybody of that description, but nobody had...

 

I took the bag home and pondered what to do next. I was surprised the phone hadn't rung, as I'd be calling mine frantically had I lost it. I was trying to unlock the phone to see if I could call one of the owner's friends, when it rang, but not being familiar with it I couldn't answer in time and a 'missed call' appeared onscreen. Seconds later.. a text, the first part of which read.. 'Can you nip round?...' 

 

I called back to the missed call and what sounded like a young woman answered. I asked had she just called Ellen T*****'s phone? She replied she had. I explained that Ellen T***** did'nt have it as I was calling from it.

The young woman then said, "She's here.. sat next to me" and "Ellen!.. You've lost your phone!" There followed a conversation between me and Ellen, where she described the contents of her bag. It transpired she lived on a large estate at Moss Bank between here and St Helens.

She wanted to meet me the following morning at our local shops to get her bag back, but I said I'd drive over to hers. Only 10 minutes away.  As instructed I went to the house next door to Ellen's, where she still was. Obviously the home of a young family.. and also a massive Alsatian barking at the window as I knocked. I saw nobody else.

Ellen emerged and seemed very grateful to have her bag back, but also struck me as a bit 'three sheets to the wind'. She explained that she must have lost her bag 'from the pram', but didn't say whose pram.  I could only assume she was walking a youngster who belonged at the house she was presently in. She described the route of her walk. A lot further than I could walk these days, roughly 8-10km up and down some pretty steep hills and pushing a pram... not bad for someone 60+....

As I drove home I pondered on what was happening there and whether the somewhat 'child like' Ellen was happy being what looked like an 'on call' childminder/baby sitter.. or whether she was a being exploited..  Still, she got her bag back.

 

Today is forecast wind and rain.. Quel Surprise!!! I think I'll carry on rebuilding and setting up my record player after its service, bearing oil change, new 'upgraded' springs and move onto a shiny new posh hi fi rack.

 

[MargieH 7,600]

Col, an interesting story…… I wonder,  like you, what the background story was

 

.

 ……