As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

hex2

Kimitatsu wrote: »

or if you live near leicester she has a fab shop

ooh, I do - thanks :j

I need to find a bulk supply of epsom salts too (for bathing in before anyone asks...)


We always notice the absence of the dogs on holiday - you ahve to sweep under the table and everything.

I had a moment of genious earlier, I have ongoing joint and insomnia problems, and I suspect it is the sun waking me up at 4am due to two windows - one south facing and one north, with very thin cheap curtains that came with the house. I was vaguely planning on getting some cheap fleeces to back them with, but this would involve both the dreaded shopping, and driving the fuel guzzling monster. I remembered that I have two green thermal pairs that I bought very cheaply when we first moved in, they are not the right size but the two pinned together are working nicely and we actually have near darkness. Fingers crossed this works, and it must keep some heat in. They look a bit skimpy, and they dont match the decor very well, but no worse than the rest of the house :rotfl:.

JIL

Churchmouse wrote: »

Oh I can share your excitement hex, I have harvested about 20 raspberries and 1 strawberry today :j We have had one other ripe strawberry, we shared it for breakfast about a week ago :rotfl:

Got flowers on lots of the veggie plants, but can anyone suggest why my courgettes keep flowering but I'm not getting any courgettes?? The flower seems to "fall off" just leaving a stalk behind. Only my second year growing them so a rank amateur

As others have already said they are the males, but the babies will soon appear and it easy to tell the difference. You can eat the flowers, if you are like me once you have grown it yourself it is extra special and you wont want to waste any of your harvest. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/allotment/2010/aug/19/allotments-gardeningadvice
My impatience got the better of me on Sunday, I had been growing some potatoes in an old black bin from some shop bought potatoes that had sprouted. I found a couple of little potatoes near the top and couldn't stop myself digging deeper. I got a total of 18oz of the best potatoes I have ever tasted. Is it too late now to set some more?? How long does it take to get the best harvest? I had read somewhere it takes 100 days, is there any truth in that or is it a gardeners rumour?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

ChocClare

hex2 wrote: »

I have to share my excitement - eight strawberries and six raspberries this morning :j:j:j:j:j First fruit crop of the year and plenty more to come. Had the first new pots at the weekend and they were lovely too.

Does anyone have :
Home Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables [Paperback]

Fish.& Food,Min.of Agriculture (Author)

and is it worth buying at £8 or so?

a) yes, I have and b) yes, it is. :rotfl:

However, remember that it was published just after the war (please read in your best Joyce Grenfell voice) and it has recipes for things you might not actually like - runner beans in brine sort of thing - which was how people generally preserved vegetables before freezers became common.

If you want to preserve vegetables, then you need a pressure CANNER unless you are going to freeze them or else you need to preserve them in salt and/or vinegar as specified in the Home Preservation book. If you want to preserve FRUIT (incl. tomatoes - which yes I know, they're a fruit, but I tend not to put them in the fruit bowl) then I will happily send you my bottling guide if you pm me.

That said, it is useful. There are no pretty pictures but there are lots of recipes and timings - it is literally a white A4 batch of papers stapled together and looks like a report produced by that department - which is probably what it originally was.

kidcat

Lindy loo - my DS7 is going to the phil next week too, for phil and tedd or something? Its costing us £5 but school have said that if we cant afford they will pay half. DS7 school is incredible about trips and allowing paying off weekly whereas DD5 and the older two school thinks nothing of asking for £35 for a trip at one days notice.

Well at least eight more boxes sorted today and another load into loft - finally managed to get into the airing cupboard and retrieve the washing I put there last week - am finally down to only ten loads of washing to do as well. Dad has promised to fit washing lines at weekend to allow line drying instead of dryer. Car is loaded with boxes of stuff for DS7 school fayre - all of which means less here

Managed to cook tonight - only tortillas but better than takeaway. Have had to cancel my dentist appt for tomorrow - ws supposed to have the infected one taken out - but have now got a chest infection and am coughing and finding breathing difficult - called dentist and was told that he wouldnt be able to work if I was coughing so had to rearrange yet again

One of my bags of potatoes looks like the leaves are dying - have I killed them by moving them? and still not flowers on my tomatoes - no idea why.

ChocClare

JIL wrote: »

Is it too late now to set some more?? How long does it take to get the best harvest? I had read somewhere it takes 100 days, is there any truth in that or is it a gardeners rumour?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Potatoes take 12-14 weeks so that is about right. It's not too late - the only thing you need to worry about is frost, and if they're in tubs (I grow mine in poultry corn sacks) you can bring them inside once it starts to get cold, or at least put them in a shed or garage, if you have one. I know people always try to have new potatoes for Christmas Day so, depending on where you live, it must be possible!

redlady_1

Well, I would like to announce I have one strawberry! And no, I dont have any tomatoes! :rotfl:

JIL

ChocClare wrote: »

Potatoes take 12-14 weeks so that is about right. It's not too late - the only thing you need to worry about is frost, and if they're in tubs (I grow mine in poultry corn sacks) you can bring them inside once it starts to get cold, or at least put them in a shed or garage, if you have one. I know people always try to have new potatoes for Christmas Day so, depending on where you live, it must be possible!

Thank you, I will look through my potato sack to see if there are any suitable sprouters. they should be ready late September. I may even then have a go at doing some for Christmas day in my mums greenhouse.

redlady_1

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

Erm, Churchmouse - I think those "stalks" might be baby courgettes ....... The gardening thread might help.

Freudianslip - are you doing the same exams as Redlady? If so you have my sympathy:o. Actually anyone doing any exams has my sympathy. Fingers crossed for you as well.

Lizzy

Lizzy - I will be going to see FS when I have finished them all!!

Oh and FS, Lizzy has already done what I am doing. I think she is proper mad (linguist too) so would make a good case study! :rotfl:

freudianslip

redlady_1 wrote: »

Well, I would like to announce I have one strawberry! And no, I dont have any tomatoes! :rotfl:

3 peapods here! :rotfl: we can all quit the supermarkets hey :rotfl:

JIL

Another question from me. I saw on tele the other day that you can eat the whole of a broad bean but to do this they need to be picked when they are very young and slender. I just wondered if anyone has actually done this and did they taste ok?? I may have a go and cook a couple. I am not sure about broad beans really, i love the taste but you dont get much (for all the room and effort they take) once they are podded.