Jack's back ! 30.12.08

Welcome back to Reads Retreat.
Old Jack Frost has once again graced the plot with a covering of crisp white coldness, that just makes you want to nip outside and walk across the grass. However, it's still nice and snug inside, so I'll stick to my cup of coffee and central heating.
Hope all my readers have enjoyed a good christmas, and like me I'm guessing you're looking forward to next season's plantings and growing etc. Most of my efforts of late have centered around the Allotment , as there is a monumental amount of work to do there to get the site readied, not least a good few weeks of digging! Thanks then to SS / WTB for buying me a new Spade this Christmas. Other gardening presents were the RHS Encylopeadia of Gardening, and a Note book style garden planner - both from B & E. I'm looking forward to using the latter here at RR, to supplement this blog, and will keep you posted.

That's all for now. Wishing you all the best for the year ahead.

TTFN.

Merry Christmas Everyone 25.12.08

Hope you all have a great day !

TTFN

x

Brrrr Winter on it's way! 07.12.08

Welcome back to Reads Retreat, our guide to growing your own veg in Raised Beds.

Not a lot has happened out on the plot in the last week. There's still a fair bit growing: Leeks, Beetroot, Chard, Carrots to name a few, but the garden at this time of year is very low maintenance.

One job that needs daily attention though, is to break the ice every morning in the bird bath. Also keep an eye on bird feeders - keep them topped up or your feathered friends will steer well clear of your garden. More info can be found on the RSPB website.

One thing that really does bug me though; as the growing comes to a close and beds are cleared, is the amount of Cat poo all over the place! Many is the day I've taken great delight in launching it over the garden fences! I think that's ok, as the neighbours have cats and we don't!

I've made a couple of visits to the allotment this week, read the updates at Reads Allotment Retreat.

I've a couple of jobs to do on the plot this week, and hope you will find time to come back next weekend for the next update.

Till then

TTFN

Rich Pickings 30.11.08

Welcome back to Reads Retreat, our guide to growing your own veg in Raised Beds.

The last day of a chilly and damp November is not normally the time you expect to be pulling carrots to grace the sunday lunch, but what a blessing these little beauties were. As fellow growers will know, they taste amazing. Although not a great size, they were a real treat. I think they're stunted in size for a couple of reasons; mainly their late sowing , and the fact that I neglected to thin them out! There's still a few more to come yet - who knows, that might even make it to the yule dinner plate. Whatever happens, the taste is a constant reminder of why we grow our own. Next year we will be growing some different varieties, namely to get some different colours on the plate, I must say I'm looking forward to white carrots!

Also today, managed to dig up a few Betroot for SS to bung in her sarnies. This little gems - each about the size of a golf ball, should be enough for at least 2 sarnies !
Again, these will be grown on the lottie next year, and it would be grand to emulate fellow plotholders who have this year harvested some truly huge roots. The key to this developing gardening / allotmenteering, is that we now have much more space to grow that much more.

As for the "Rich Pickings" title, I am still amazed at the amount of Chili's we've been able to harvest this year. This may be the final harvest, but they went straight into the freezer ready to be used at a later date. We're getting a bit more daring in terms of how many seeds get left in the pot for cooking, and find the heat from them is a much more rounded flavour than those you can buy in the shops. Looking forward to growing many more of these next year.

Managed to get a few jobs finished today, which included the final clearing of the beds that were home to the runner and french beans. The larger of the 2 beds was filled with green kitchen waste last year, and covered with general purpose compost prior to planting the climbing french beans this spring. The size of the crop from these beds lends weight to the use of home made compost, and we will continue on this vein in the future.


Not a lot else to tell you about from the plot, but hope you will join us again soon.

Till then,

TTFN

Planning Ahead ! 24.11.08

Welcome back to Reads Retreat, our guide to growing your own veg in Raised Beds.

Whilst there's not much happening on our garden plot at the mo, I always find great interest in the many reference books that i have acquired over the years. It doesn't matter how many new books i buy, i still go back to the older tomes !
One thing that constantly annoys me in the newer books though, is their conversion to metric. Why do they do it ? I sit there and read "23cm apart in rows" whilst mentally converting it to inches! Do you do that ? Do you really have an idea of what 23cm actually relates to ! Has the whole world gone mad!
Sorry - rant over. If however you are a publisher reading this then please please please take note.

Elsewhere at home the seed collection is growing at quite a pace. Next year we will grow the sturdier / hardier veg at the allotment, so we can make space for the more attention seeking veg plants at home. We had, for example , limited successes with Sweet Pepper, Aubergine, Turnip etc. and want to take these crops to the next level.

There's still a great deal of tidying to do on the raised beds, getting them ready to lie fallow over the winter months. A little and often is the best way forward.

I'll be back soon with further updates from Reads Retreat, and hope that you will join us again soon.

Till then,

TTFN