My gardening diary, ( amongst other things)

ani_26

recoverydust wrote: »

I have plans for it next year, OH is currently unaware of my need for him to dig.

Oooo dear. That sounds a bit ominous. Is there something we should know? I think i should err on the side of caution, and i am definitely not going to visit. :eek:

Now is a good time to make cuttings from fushia, geranium and most bushes and climbers. There are fancy ways, but I generally pull off a stem like bit from a main type bit, so I get what my nana called a heel and put it in water till roots appear, then plant it on in the new year and stick it on a windowsill.
Xxx

There's no room at the inn, ( or the window sill.) Actually, window sill(s) :rotfl:

ani_26

Considering i didn't want anything on my window sills, in the first place. Clutter free window sills? Not a chance. Sigh

*Robin*

ani_26 wrote: »

In fact, you've done ME a favour, as i wondered where all the berries disappeared to. I thought it was the sc's or maybe the birds, but now i know, i won't cut my bushes back. I have two, in my side gardens, one which climbs the wall, ( which is why i thought it might be the sc's, as i found a colony of them behind the trellis.) It's also not the easiest bush to trim, as the stems are so thick and spiky. xx

Your battle with your slimy critturs has reminded me; earlier in the summer there was talk in the media about how the UK was overrun with SCs due to the wet weather.. I couldn't find any in my garden even late at night [yes, with a torch!]. I assumed this was down to the shyest member of the household - a hedgehog - who's been living beneath the sheds for at least seven years (though in fact I've no idea how long they live, so perhaps there are a family of hedgehogs in residence?).
Maybe you could try and attract [or rescue?] one for your garden to deal with your SCs?

Pre-war_babe_33

Ani I would strongly advise you to pick that lone tomato if it has the slightest blush of pink or else one night while you are not looking a snail will get there first - I speak from experience! You can finish ripening it off on a window sill or if you simply can`t find a square inch of space put it near a ripe banana for a day or two and that should do the trick.

ani_26

*Robin* wrote: »

Your battle with your slimy critturs has reminded me; earlier in the summer there was talk in the media about how the UK was overrun with SCs due to the wet weather.. I couldn't find any in my garden even late at night [yes, with a torch!]. I assumed this was down to the shyest member of the household - a hedgehog - who's been living beneath the sheds for at least seven years (though in fact I've no idea how long they live, so perhaps there are a family of hedgehogs in residence?).
Maybe you could try and attract [or rescue?] one for your garden to deal with your SCs?

Ok. I NEED A HEDGEHOG(S)


Aha, another midnight gardener.


Aren't hedgehogs classed as vermin, or is that urban myth?


Somehow i think the problem of the sc's will always be there to torment me, as there are trees in abundance and a brook, at the back here. If you go out at midnight, you can spy tens of them making the trek to my garden, ( literally.) The best restaurant in town? My neighbour says the previous occupant used to collect bags full of them too, so it seems it will be an ongoing problem.

ani_26

Pre-war_babe_33 wrote: »

Ani I would strongly advise you to pick that lone tomato if it has the slightest blush of pink or else one night while you are not looking a snail will get there first - I speak from experience! You can finish ripening it off on a window sill or if you simply can`t find a square inch of space put it near a ripe banana for a day or two and that should do the trick.

The time is almost ripe, ha.


30p spends today from the 10p shop. A fresh pineapple for 10p,a pint of milk for 10p, and a pack of bacon, for 10p.:p


Okay, tomorrow i will have a bacon toastie with.................drum roll. THE tomato? ( not cooked.)


I can have bacon as i succumbed to buying a small electric grill i saw in a*i for £19, last week, and since i still haven't got my act together re a cooker, and i'm now completely fed up of stew and pasta.


Plus, i have enough cheese to last me until january 2013, ( if i make it that far,) and i seriously fancied a cheese toastie. So, the cheese ended up costing me a small fortune, by way of an electric grill. Aaaah. Bliss. I haven't had one for such a long time. Who cares whether cheese is healthy? Not me.:rotfl:


I still can't cook f & c or yorkshire puds, though.:(

*Robin*

ani_26 wrote: »

Ok. I NEED A HEDGEHOG(S)

Don't know where you are, but maybe you could rescue some from here:
http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/

ani_26 wrote: »

Aha, another midnight gardener.

Oh yes indeed, it's amazing how much can be done with the aid of a head-torch.

ani_26 wrote: »

Aren't hedgehogs classed as vermin?

Not in my book! They do have fleas, but I've never found that they pass them on to the dogs, so as long as one doesn't cuddle them - which is pretty hard - I can't see a problem?

ani_26 wrote: »

Somehow i think the problem of the sc's will always be there to torment me, as there are trees in abundance and a brook, at the back here. If you go out at midnight, you can spy tens of them making the trek to my garden, ( literally.) The best restaurant in town? My neighbour says the previous occupant used to collect bags full of them too, so it seems it will be an ongoing problem.

It's all a matter of perspective: Not so far from where I am now, there's a town where they're so keen on snails that they have an annual festival celebrating 'em. :eek: They hand out free snail tapas to all comers - I've tried it, but can't say I'd go back for more. Anyone who likes oysters might find 'em tasty though.

In my local village here, the old ladies still go out after rain and collect snails, which they put into string bags and dunk in the fountain for a couple of days (to get rid of the muddy taste). Stewed up with plenty of veg, they apparently make a very MSE dinner!
..So that might be another solution to your dilemma?

ani_26

*Robin* wrote: »

Don't know where you are, but maybe you could rescue some from here:
http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/

What a shame, not in my neck of the woods, thanks

Maybe i should use my friend google?

It's all a matter of perspective: Not so far from where I am now, there's a town where they're so keen on snails that they have an annual festival celebrating 'em. :eek: They hand out free snail tapas to all comers - I've tried it, but can't say I'd go back for more. Anyone who likes oysters might find 'em tasty though.

In my local village here, the old ladies still go out after rain and collect snails, which they put into string bags and dunk in the fountain for a couple of days (to get rid of the muddy taste). Stewed up with plenty of veg, they apparently make a very MSE dinner!
..So that might be another solution to your dilemma?

Backyard Escargot: Would You Eat Snails from Your Own Garden?


If your garden is besieged with snails, you’ve probably joked once or twice about making escargot. They're a delicacy, right? But joking about eating snails is one thing. Actually doing it... that's weird, right?
Miss Snail Pail, aka Colleen Flanigan, disagrees. "I can’t believe people poison and waste this food source."
Colleen isn't just a snail activist: She's a 2010 TED Fellow who works to restore dying coral reefs around the world. When she's home in Portland, she runs a unique pest control service. For a fee, Miss Snail Pail will harvest the snails from your garden, take them home, and eat them herself.

On the weekends, you can find Miss Snail Pail at fairs and festivals, spreading the word about homemade escargot. Her costume makes her approachable, which makes it easier to broach the topic. The only people who disagree with her tend to be vegetarians, and Colleen understands that. She's occasionally conflicted about eating living creatures, but ultimately believes that her method is sustainable and ethical.
“It’s not about eradicating, not about saying, ‘hey everybody, go eat snails.’ It’s about finding moderate balance. It’s about noticing that you could have eaten them instead of poisoning them."
Making Backyard Escargot

Cavemen ate snails, and so did the post-war French. In fact, escargot (French for "snail") became a 20th-century delicacy after the war-impoverished nation of foodies rediscovered this abundant food source, and figured out how to make it truly delicious. They ate the snails from their own gardens, and so can you.
Still, don't attempt to make your own escargot without thoroughly researching how it's done. The most important step is "purging" the snails of any unhealthy substances by controlling their diet. Then it's a matter of preparing them to your taste -- which, for most people, means plenty of garlic and butter.
Here are Miss Snail Pail's methods of preparing snails for food, and a traditional escargot recipe. Would you try this at home?
Still squeamish? Then perhaps these natural pest control methods are for you.






I've contemplated this, before.............:rotfl::rotfl:




but since i'm not a huge meat eater, anyway. Urghhhh

ani_26

Google IS my friend. I have found a hedgehog rescue but a few miles from here, ( and i didn't even know it.) I wonder if they could be persuaded? I have a perfect spot, not too far removed from some lupins.

Pre-war_babe_33

What country do you live in Ani? Is that English money you are talking? I am confused. It is many years since I saw pineapples, milk and bacon for 10p. Never heard of a 10p shop either but there was a Poundland near where I used to live - and yes I do live in England. I think if a 10p shop opened near me there would be queues halfway down the road and beyond!

I did shop in Poundland a few times before I moved house but it was quite a squash to get in and then you had to queue for about half an hour or more to pay for your purchases before you could get out again. No Poundland or similar where I am now and the small local shops seem to charge what they like - about twice the price of Mr M where a friend takes me to stock up about once a month.