Bills 2012 garden diary

Forgot what happened last year - maybe it's here!!
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Benny&Co
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by Benny&Co »

Thanks Bill )t' :-D
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billnorfolk
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

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Saturday 1st September 2012

These are what i have bin waiting all summer for ,nothing beats the taste of fresh plucked sweetcorn ,first two today.
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Will i enjoy the with my tea tonight )t'
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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davina112
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by davina112 »

They look delicious, don't think I am going to get any this year )hic(
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Richard
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by Richard »

You're doing famously Bill.

Richard )t' )t'
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billnorfolk
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by billnorfolk »

davina112 wrote:They look delicious, don't think I am going to get any this year )hic(


That is sad ,at one time i had my doubts but come good in the end ,think they do better in the rich ground though than in pots ,but dont give up. >gl<
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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billnorfolk
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by billnorfolk »

Richard wrote:You're doing famously Bill.

Richard )t' )t'



It has bin better since retirement Richard as got more time ,and its my back garden so dont have to go to far.It has come better than i thought it would this year though,and the east hasnt had quite so much early rain as other parts of the country ,which has helped. )t' .I have realy felt for some members reading there posts about the crazy weather {cry} ,hope next year will be better. )t'
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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billnorfolk
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by billnorfolk »

Monday 10/09/2012

With the weather set to change and rain forcast thought today would get the rest of me spuds up and into bags ,we havent bought any spuds for 3 months or more and hope these will last for another 3 or so. )t'


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Drying off before we bag them ,these are Desiree pink flesh and white flesh varietys good cropers and a good taste.
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These are destined for the chip pan tomorrow,sausage and onion patty,real chips,and sweatcorn cant wait. )eat(
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These are the last of me second earlys Charlotte have croped well and put up with the wet weather ,and the dry weather of the last few weeks.

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These are the parsnips i put in pots then planted into garden,dont want to disturb just yet but hopeing they will be ok.
Autum is just about hear still a few things in the garden,leeks,cabbages,lettuce,autum carrots,and still some sweetcorn to pick.
We have lettuce,cabbage,redbeat,and carrots in the polly tunnel ,hopefully to take us into the winter and with the frozen peas,beans runner and french and caulies should hopefully be a while before we need to buy any veg. >gl<
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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billnorfolk
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by billnorfolk »

Saterday 15th September 2012

Its allways a sad time of the year,things you have bin waiting months for to produce have done there bit and its time to take them out and clear the ground ,the runners were the first to go.
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We got stuck in and very soon there they were gone.
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Sweetcorn were next ,still several on but decided to freeze them as all ripe.
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Ended up with a nice lot to freeze
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Layed all the storks out to dry and will go on our November bonfire.
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Lookig forward to digging the leeks out realy swelling now .
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A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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billnorfolk
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

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21/09/2012 Friday

Bit on the cool side today ,so gathered some berries for a summer fruit crumble,that should cheer us up . )t'
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Picked me last cucumber today from outside,probably the best i have done 3 from outside and 5 from inside ,better luck next year.
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Got a few green peppers on ,will use them next week .Would make a nice plant for indoors as folage a lovely green .
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A few tomatoes left but apart from them greenhouse looking a little sad now. {cry}
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A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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Annie
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by Annie »

Its not a proper greenhouse without a comfy seat to sit in and have a cuppa, while you mull over what to do next year, is it Bill ?
Pulled all the runner beans up too today, they have been good this year though can't think why .
Autumn does bring that sort of sadness with it but then if its a cold snap but bright and you can get out and do the tidy up , it sort of feels like a fitting end and you know you can put your feet up for a bit.
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end .
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billnorfolk
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by billnorfolk »

Good morning Annie

As you say every greenhouse should have a seat ,on a cold bright morning you can sit in there and dream of spring. )t'

After the lousy spring we have had some good crops better than expected and have realy enjoyed it this year .I think doing a diary and shareing with others the ups and downs of the year .We have felt so sorry for people whos crops have failed due to the bad weather and hope they do better next year,it is hard work but realy good when it all comes together.
I bet livivg in Scotland its not easy with later springs and early autums,strong winds and early snows all play havoc with the garden.
Will be forking the plots over soon spreading me compost and manure and covering over for the winter >gl<
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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perchy
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by perchy »

You really have done so well, I am just a little bit envy}}

Enjoy your fruit crumble )t'
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billnorfolk
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

Post by billnorfolk »

perchy wrote:You really have done so well, I am just a little bit envy}}

Enjoy your fruit crumble )t'


Hi Perchy

We are lucky in we have light but very fertile soil ,needs water when weather hot but soon dries after lots of rain.
We lived for a while when i was a youngster in Horsham in Sussex and well remember helping dad with the digging the cley type soil was alot harder to dig than the light soils of East Anglia.
Got some of the family hear today for dinner,so hopeing for fruit crumble )eat(
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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billnorfolk
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

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Thursday 27th September 2012

Started to winterise some beds today ,forked over to get all the weeds out and leveled off ,put 3 good barrows of well rotted compost on and leveled that off ,covered with black polythene and weighted down ,hopefully wont see it again untill spring 2013 and should be ready to plant. )t'

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Found this rather attractive caterpillar munching on my leeks wasnt doing to much damage so left alone ,any ideas as to what it could be. :?
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A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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billnorfolk
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Re: Bills 2012 garden diary

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Sunday 7/09/2012

Woke this morning to a wonderfull aroma wafting through the house ,chutney i thought ,first lot was on its way ,second lot being weighed up.
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Yellow tomatoe chutney hear is the receipe if you want to give it a go just tasted first lot it is scrummy.
Yellow Tomato Chutney
1.65kg yellow tomatoes, quartered
280g (unpeeled weight) cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced
280g (unpeeled weight) dessert apple, peeled, cored and diced
625g yellow peppers, deseeded and diced (3 peppers)
560g unpeeled weight onion, peeled and diced (2 large onions)
1 tsp salt
90g fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp turmeric
3 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds, ‘popped’ with the cumin in 1 tbsp sunflower oil
650ml white malt vinegar
4 dried red chillies, chopped
500g golden caster sugar
Proceed pretty much as above, cooking everything but the sugar until the contents of your pan have reduced by at least half – with the larger quantity involved here, I found it easier to start with the tomatoes, apples, peppers and most of the vinegar in one pan, and the onions and spices in another, mixing them together when they had reduced enough to be combined.
When the mixture has cooked down and looks quite dry, add the sugar and cook again until it thickens. Pour or spoon the hot chutney into the sterilised jam jars and cover as above, with either acid- and vinegar-proof lids or cellophane covers.
Courtesy of Perchy down the lane forum.

With the wife busy in the kitchen thought i better have an hour or 2 in the garden.
Covered 2 more beds over after top dressing with well rotted manure.
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Leveled off ready to put manure on ,didnt fork this over as got turned over when takeing spuds out so just took any weeds out and leveled off ,need to keep firm as brassicas going in hear next spring.
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Cover on and frame on will hold plastic in place.Done the bean bed ready for next year.

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Greenhouse empty now just me chair for them sunny winter days where you can sit a dream of spring
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Few things still to harvest ,winter lettuce carrots red beet and cabbage still in polly tunnel.
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Caulies and parsnips in a raised bed.
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winter lettuce and carrots in the other one.
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Just 2 cabbage and a few leeks in one of the main beds.
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The experimental parsnips set in pots and transplanted into garden havent bin disturbed yet but tops looking huge.
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So just one main bed and the 2 small ones to finish and empty and thats it for this year.
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

Bill's Diaries.....2012 2013 2014
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