Bits and Bobs 1

It is hard to see the broccoli here but we have some good size heads, and they taste devine! We thought they were brussels sprouts ( see master plan at end of page) until the florets appeared, but who is complaining?!
The strawberry runners being pegged into pots for growing on. Our strawberry plants were growing around the plot when we took it over, We moved them in to this bed, but have since discovered they have an optimum life span of 3 years. We will start a completely new bed next year and then we will know exactly how old the plants are. I just put the new plant into the compost in the pot, leaving it still attached to the parent plant. I placed a stone on the plant to hold it in position while it takes root.
The new strawberry plants are growing in the pots and will be left in them over the winter ( I think). Once they were growing strongly I cut them from the parent plant.


The Leeks have now been transplanted into a permanent bed as per advice on Dave's allotment blog. I made holes with a spade handle and watered them in. The first few were a bit fiddly and disappeared down the holes! Then I dropped them into the hole and held on to the plant at the correct height and filled the hole with water. About half of the leek is in the hole to help them blanch and the hole is not filled in to give the leek room to grow.
Our pumpkin, this photo was taken a few days ago,I just did not have time to upload them.It is now a decent sized tennis ball size!
















The white turnips planted on 16th June, on the advice of Donal Kelleher at our open day. I scraped away some of the earth and there are turnips under there alright, golf ball size at the moment.


The largest of the pepper plants in the greenhouse. I have pinched off some of the flowers, to give the plant a chance to grow the ones already on it. For some reason we have about 8 plants ( are we that fond of peppers?)and gave some away as well!

Comments

Diary From Africa said…
Peggy, looks like you've been very busy lately ! Mmmmm .... broccoli, strawberries & leeks are 3 of my favourites :)
August 4, 2008 at 8:29 AM
Ian said…
Hi Peggy,

Sorry to be a bit off topic here but....Hey there,

I run a blog (completely and entirely non-commercial) called www.farmblogs.blogspot.com

At Farm Blogs I am trying to gather in one place the very best of global blogging about farms and farming.

You can find a blog roll, sorted by country (and a General Interest section.

My posts are made up of the blog recommendations from farm bloggers and I also post regular stories about world farming.

All blogs have been recommended to me by other bloggers or identified by me during my occassional browsing.

You were recommended to me by Lynda Hayes at Food, Fun & Farm Life In East Africa ( http://www.foodfunfarm.blogspot.com ) and you can find the posting about them and you at http://farmblogs.blogspot.com/2008/08/food-fun-farm-life-in-east-africa.html

(If you'd just like to see recommendations please use the label 'Recommendations'.)

I have a pretty broad definition of farming - if you're producing food, you're a farmer, to my mind at least.

So blogs range from ranches to part-time smallholders, and resources for them.

Once recommended, I add them to the blogroll and then contact the bloggers asking them to send me a few words about their farm/small-holding and their blog and, critically, to recommend their favourite farm/farming blogs.

And so it goes and grows.

So, I've added you to my blog roll and I would very much appreciate it if you could:

a) write to me with a brief description of your blog

b) write to me with your favourite farming/rural blogs recommendations, like Lynda did about you

c) add a link, if that's possible, to www.farmblogs.blogspot.com

d) please feel free to send me the odd photo, both now and on and ongoing basis. The blog tries to pick up different seasonal activities in different parts of the world at different times, so any photos would be much appreciated - they also help drive traffic to your site.

Very much hoping to hear from you,

With kind regards,

Ian



www.aplaceintheauvergne.blogspot.com

www.farmblogs.blogspot.com

www.ianwalthew.com
August 4, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Anonymous said…
Hello Peggy,

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave the irishallotments.net visitors on Sunday, and especially for your patience with my junior gardeners!
August 5, 2008 at 4:53 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Faux Stone Trough

Image
The word faux is a really nice word,somehow it does not seem to mean false, just a kind of copy! I had read about making these stone looking troughs or flower pots and again it was on my list of things to try.With my supply of donated flower pots I decided this was as good a time as any.The first pic is of the completed trough or tub filled with compost waiting on plants. I began with a plain white plastic tub, it does not have to be white it can be any colour.Glue ,I used PVA which was painted on thickly and left to get tacky and either sand or I used a mix of small stones and sand, sold in the builders suppliers as 'filling'. It is not a quick job to do as each side is pasted, shake on the sand thickly and press down to dry, I also did the opposite inside edge. I left it overnight each time but if it was sunny and warm it would probably dry faster.The first side drying, when it is dry shake off the excess leaving a thin covering. The final application and it is completed onl...
Read more

Tumbling Pots

Image
I have seen these tumbling pots in magazines and blogs from time to time, the latest being in KeeWees garden , having got a number of terracotta pots from one of my daughters who was clearing out her shed I decided to give it a go!They look stunning when the flowers have settled in, I had toyed with the idea of putting in strawberry plants which would also look great but having grandchildren around I don't think I would have a lot of strawberries from it! You need terracotta pots with one central drainage hole and in different sizes. First I had to go to B&Q to get the metal rod to support the pots, I also got the pansies there. Place the pot where you intend to leave it permanently as it cannot be moved easily once completed.Place the rod through the drainage hole and fill the pot with compost, it is easier to fill each pot as you go and firm down well. Slide the second pot onto the rod through the hole, this one will rest partly on the compost as well.Slide the remainder of t...
Read more

Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival

Image
I am back from a few days in Co Clare.The matchmaking festival is in full swing for the month of Sept,as it is every year for generations.It has become a month long dance and music event also with dancing commencing at 12 o'clock every day in various venues and continuing around the town and outside until 3 am. It was my first visit and I had a ball!People come from all over the world and every county in Ireland was represented.A matchmaker is in residence in this famous pub (where else) and for a small fee will match anyone up for a week or for life! Couples come back every year who have met in Lisdoonvarna and since married! I did not avail of his services preferring the dancing !Lots of videos on Youtube, just type in Lisdoonvarna. The Burren is a few miles from Lisdoonvarna and is a protected area which is now a National Park, what looks at first sight to be barren rock has in fact rare species of plants growing in crevices.It is a breathtaking sight and no single photo could...
Read more