Thursday 29 March 2007

Sweet Potatoes

Last year I purchased 15 sweet potato slips from T&M - they grew really well, but they were pretty expensive, so I decided to try and grow my own this year.

Its taken quite a while for anything to happen - I think they've been in water now for a couple of months. Four of the five potatoes have developed roots. Of those, three are now developing slips - the biggest is about half an inch so far - a lovely purple colour with delicate leaves.

I'm hoping for even better success this year, especially as they'll be planted behind the greenhouse this season - if that base ever gets laid ....

Frog Chorus

2007-03-11---Meiche---Boys-

The pond was finally christened with frogspawn at the beginning of the month. I've been watching it closely ever since for the slightest change, but nothing's happened yet. I hope that its survived the hard frosts that we've had recently.

In total I've had 9 amorous froggies jumping and croaking around and it's proved a great alternative to daytime TV - sitting in the sun, watching froggies frollicking.

OH has helped me create a little froggie flash gallery - click the frog picture to see the Froggie Chorus gallery (or use the link at the top right).

Springtime has arrived ....

well its been pretty quiet up at the lottie for the last month, I've been restricted to 'light duties'. OH got me some compost (being ill does have its advantages after all) and some John Innes No. 1 and I've managed to sow the following

Aubergine - Calliope, Baby Rosanna, Mohican, Red Egg, Black Beauty
Peas - Kelvedon Wonder
Sweetcorn - Incredible
Pepper - Tasty Grill Red, Tasty Grill Yellow, Gypsy, Redskin, Big Banana
Tomato - Golden Sunrise, Tigerella, Sweet Olive, Cristal
Cauliflower - All year round
Cabbage - Hispi
Cucumber - Bella

cyclamen
Cowslip
Echinacea
Ox Eye Daisy
snapdragons
Verbena
Marigolds (a staggering 240 germinated)

I'm pretty pleased with the germination rates, only a couple of tomatoes / aubergines / peppers not arrived. Now all pricked out and put into their own pots to grow on a bit. Have hundreds of Ox Eye Daisy - some are finding a new home at the w/e along with the surplus cabbages and cauliflowers. Cucumbers have been poking through the soil for a week or so.

Flippin meeces have eaten 20 sweetpeas, 120 marigolds and chomped on a couple of my rocket seed potatoes. They've also eaten both rows of peas, so I've sown another 80 into cells and taken home to germinate. Sweetcorn hasn't germinated yet ... hmmm, I wonder.

Very disappointed with the flower seeds - only Ox Eye Daisies and Marigolds germinated so far ... will give the rest a little longer, the greenhouse could be a little cool for them yet.

Saturday 3 March 2007

... and tonight's entertainment

... is becoming a crime statistic.

Sat in the back room at 11.45pm tonight with the curtains closed, TV and lights on, when I hear a noise like someone trying to scrape the putty out of the window frame. Thinking perhaps its one of our friends I opened the curtain. No one there ... toyed with the idea of opening the door, but decided to watch a bit longer out of the window. Haunched figure runs past and down the alleyway .... am speechless. Called OH and we spotted the same person going in other alleyways. OH called the police who arrived within minutes and apprehended the person in the next street to us. Just spent the last 2 hours giving statements - they managed to get into one house and broke several other windows.

Police reckon it is drugs motivated (ie, obtaining things they can sell to fund drugs). Brazen as anything and sauntering up the street.

OH got a photo of the person's wet footprints in our alleyway !!

Cor, the excitment.