Preparedness for when

Siebrie

A redcurrant bush, rhubarb, new zealand spinach...

boultdj

You can still do potatoes this year, NewShadow,everbear strawberries will give fruit from July till the first frosts,runner beans do well in tub's as do courgettes, that is if you like eating them, I know not everybody does.hth

Cappella

Chard and spinach beet should do well, carrots need to be in tall tubs otherwise carrot fly can be a pest. Mint, thyme, sage and rosemary should thrive especially if its south facing. Have never grown runner beans in pots but salad greens and dwarf French beans do well here,- the cut and come again varieties especially.
Alpine strawberries certainly should do well, fruit bushes have not grown well here in pots otherwise though.
Tumbler varieties of tomatoes in pots and hanging baskets gave us a good crop last year too.

NewShadow

Anyone know if I could plant alpines around the base of my blueberry bush?

They're only small plants.

Oh, and any advice on the best place to get just a couple of seed potatoes?

Thanks for the suggestions - I'm thinking I've room for maybe 4 tubs, so one could do a selection of hardy herbs.

GreyQueen

If you ask around, gardeners and allotmenteers could probably spare you a couple of seed spuds. You can also get a few in a bag at £land if you don't want to buy the usual size (2 kg) bag. You can also plant any regular spuds you may have lying around. They'll produce something.

Mardatha's right, spuds are easy-peasy. I dig a row of holes with a trowel, post a spud in and use a rake to drag up the baulk and then that's it, apart from a bit of weeding if the fat hen and horsetails get too insolent.

Will be planting the other half of my spuds this weekend, two weeks after the previous lot. Mostly Desiree (a main crop) and the leftover Maris Peers (second earlies).

Blackcurrant bushes can give a lot of bang for your buck, if you could get some manure to chuck on them. They really like manure, mine was a sulky little twiglet until it got 4 tonnes of mixed cow and pig manure on top of it with a tipper truck. I did move most of it across the allotment but enough was left to make the darned thing grow like a triffid.

I'd noticed we'd lost the SHTF off our thread's title, too, wonder if the mods have done it or if it's just one of those random IT thingies. Hope it comes back again, we look a wee bit truncated without it.

elaine241

Hello All

I miss a couple of days and we lose the SHTF bit which seems rather stupid as its been around for years, campaign anyone to bring it back?

Also glad to see the level of conversation has remained in the gutter re s*x etc. TBH skipped over the politics bit although I do find D T scary, I had a picture of a ginger guinea pig with a spotty hanky on a stick come through on FB the other day with the caption "even DT's hair has decided to leave for pastures new!" made me giggle!

I was actually in court the other day, several floors up, when the fire alarm went off. Security did say to stay put but I totally ignored them, went straight down the stairs dragging a co worker with me. I went into the front foyer where exit was v easy but we could sit on a sofa watching the tele! Nobody else moved despite the alarms continuing, which was worrying. Eventually 15 mins later the masses started to descend the stairs and went out the back to the carpark, but not all by a long way. The firemen still hadn't arrived, my thoughts were that they thought that a few judges and solicitors would not be a great loss to humantiy, lol! Eventually 3 engines turned up and found out it was the Quick Save next door that had set the alarm off accidentally. They reset the alarm and everyone trapsed in. One very worrying thing was there was a disabled man on the 5th floor who the security guards went back into the building for as it was discovered he hadnt evacuated. They did have an evac chair but they decided it was quicker and safer to put him over a burly security mans shoulder and carry him down, he saw the funny side!

I work in offices above an indoor victorian market which does give several routes of escape. I was thinking the other day ( whilst in the loo) what would I do if gun men were rampaging in the building or if I heard shots. Above me there is a shelf that I could climb onto and lay quiet, switch off the loo light and leave the door open, I would not be visible to anyone who checked the loo. Also the old stair case leads down to the cellars, v v spooky, and up to the clock tower full of pigeon poo and derelict, either way I could hide! Whilst heating my lunch in the kitchen I also stood there thinking where would I hide in the same scenario. One of the units in the corner has lost its shelf so I could get into it and hide easily. Just wondering how many other weirdo's think like this when in the office?

As for growing on a patio cut and come again salad is easy along with herbs you use regularly. I find its best to grow what you like and eat, alpine and normal strawberrys, tumbling toms, courgette and fresh peas. Peas never make it onto the dinner plate they are eaten by the kids fresh from the plant.

Anyway I'm likely to be off line or limited as I am away on the kids rugby tour and the Haven sites have very limited wifi that is free. It will be interesting to see what you lot have been discussing when I get back!

Karmacat

Elaine, I love thought experiments like that - I was doing that earlier this year with a train station I often use, if there was a chemical spill in the forecourt, or a terrorist attack, how would I get away? It was interesting. My train home was delayed by half an hour, I had nothing to read but I *did* have my camera, so I wandered about the platforms taking pix for the escape routes it was fun!

Siebrie

Newshadow, is there a wall you could hang pots on? If you only have limited floorspace, the only way is up Maybe the g.ardenersworld website can give you some ideas.

armyknife

You've sorted the Who, the What and the Where, but it's often the when that stumps you, isn't it.

So how prepared are you for The When?

NewShadow

Siebrie wrote: »

Newshadow, is there a wall you could hang pots on? If you only have limited floorspace, the only way is up Maybe the g.ardenersworld website can give you some ideas.

Not really - I'm in a rented house and I think Mr Landlord might object. I could get one of those stacked planters.

But really, I don't want too much - as I said, I'm really quite lazy. I just like the idea of having a couple of things. Just to pretend I'm making the effort.




I'm also in shock. I just spent more money than I can countenance on a new coat. :eek:

One of these (barbour belsay wax jacket)



I've been watching a seller with cheapish ones for a while, and ebay had a 20% off sale.

£128 is a fair price for it, but it's still a darn sight more than I've ever paid for a coat before. Better last a good few years...

Darn payday!:mad: