The Compers Inn part 41

sheils6

lomaxsylvia wrote: »

Good morning everyone, it is a funny old morning again, doesn't know whether to rain or shine.


Sheils - sounds like your DD had a good time at the Festival, bet you were relieved when someone's Mom went for them.

They thought there was a bus at 10.30 Sylvia or we would have arranged to pick them up. We did know the last bus at 11.30 has to come here as it stays here overnight. Thats The Wickerman and Youth Beatz over now thank goodness.

LadyMorticia

Testing...testing...123...:rotfl:

LadyMorticia

Testing...testing...123...

My post looks so bare without smilies. Booo.

LadyMorticia

Gah. Can't even delete the post that I didn't realise posted! Booo.

fire**fly

lomaxsylvia wrote: »

Had to edit out the smilies and the pictures before I could get this to work. This is the first time it has happened to me, are any of you still getting problems?

LadyMorticia wrote: »

Gah. Can't even delete the post that I didn't realise posted! Booo.

Fermi got them going for me sylv/LM

here...

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=62799976&postcount=8



https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4737791


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4737791

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4737791

all working for me now & no more messages :j :j

fire**fly

lomaxsylvia wrote: »

Firefly - 3 hours sleep, at the most, you need a Nanny nap otherwise you will not keep going. I do hope that it is nothing serious with your SIL's OH, big hugs to you all and will be thing of you.

SYL

will prob drop off some time this afternoon sylv &
have a nap xx
thanks for hugs & thoughts :A xx

lomaxsylvia

Thanks for the info firefly, will give it a go.

Just managed to use some of my coriander and basil. As it is feeling quite Autumnal I have made a carrot and sweet potato soup for lunch and was able to use my own herbs. Is it a case of the more you cut the more will grow or do I need to keep planting more?

lomaxsylvia

Just trying it out:):T

lomaxsylvia

Thanks firefly think its sorted.

AlfieBlue

lomaxsylvia wrote: »

Thanks for the info firefly, will give it a go.

Just managed to use some of my coriander and basil. As it is feeling quite Autumnal I have made a carrot and sweet potato soup for lunch and was able to use my own herbs. Is it a case of the more you cut the more will grow or do I need to keep planting more?

Here you go sylv Got this off telegraph site - plenty more but more or less say the same. Copied it for you as was a lot of typing from me gardening book xxx

Q I enjoy using coriander, but find it soon bolts and runs to seed
A Choose a named variety, such as 'Confetti’ that is slow to flower. Or sow regularly through the summer, two to three weeks apart, and protect the later sowings with a cloche, or grow them in a greenhouse; then you should have fresh leaves for a long period. Allow some early sowings to flower and produce seed. Harvest seed and dry it on a tray. When brown and dry, store the seed in jars for kitchen use. Lemon coriander is also available.
Q When should I harvest from my herb plants?
A Herb foliage is at its most potent before the plant begins to flower and set seed. If you are picking herbs en masse to freeze or dry, harvest early in the day before it gets too hot. If you want a small quantity to use fresh, pick just before you add it to the salad or cooking pot. Otherwise, pick regularly and remove flower stalks, to encourage fresh leaves.
Q Which herb flowers are edible?
A Many herb flowers offer interesting texture and flavour, as well as colour, for salads or garnishes. Chives, nasturtiums, pot marigolds, heartsease, rocket, rosemary and thyme have edible flowers. Try also anise hyssop, lavender, borage and sage flowers.
Q Which herbs work well in the border?
A So many herbs are already in the flower border; many more should be. Bronze fennel, statuesque and feathery, has been a star plant at Chelsea over the years. Low-growing chives, parsley and fragrant pinks are old favourites. Red orach, like stately angelica, self-seeds copiously and offers a useful colour block and height in a hot border.
Q When should I cut back herbs?
A Herbs grown for foliage (mint, chives, lovage) need a cutback after flowering to encourage more shoots. Woody herbs (thyme, lavender, sage, rosemary) need a light prune to keep their shape and to prevent them from becoming too woody. Do this after flowering or in autumn.
In late summer, cut flower heads for seeds, but leave some, particularly angelica and fennel, as they are so good-looking in frosty conditions. To shape bay trees, cut them back in spring.



And this re basil from another site ......


It is a sun lover, and grows wild in Mediterranean climates. It will do reasonably well in containers if the temperature is kept above 10 Degrees C.

The cold or any kind of frost will kill Basil straight away, but it will thrive in 6-8 hours of sun a day.


Popular
Basil is pretty much the world’s most popular herb. It is a key ingredient in many dishes, in particular Italian, and is great in fresh salads.
Fresh Basil is by far, more tasty fresh than in dried form, but it is sometimes quite difficult to get hold of fresh Basil in the UK, so growing Basil yourself is a great way to get around that. Basil is also quite expensive to buy, so growing your own will save you money.

Basil is a perennial plant so will keep supplying you with fresh herb all year as long as you bring it indoors and give it plenty of sunshine during the winter months.

Pruning is Important!
This is a step that many people growing basil for the first time fail to do. In order to get bushy Basil plants, instead of long spindly ones, you need to prune them in a very specific way. The basil leaves appear on opposite sides of the stem. Once you have three or four sets of leaves, it's time to prune the plant.
Do this by pinching off the top of the plant just above a set of leaves. The leaves now at the top of the stem will go on to become branches.
Once the branches bear three to four leaves, again, pinch off the tops just above a pair of leaves, and it will branch again.
Continue to do this as much as you like go get a healthy, bushy plant, as opposed to a spindly thin one.

Also when the plant produces flowers, it is important to remove them so that the plant puts more energy back into producing more leaves.


Feeding
Basil plants are heavy feeders, so it will need to be supplemented with nutrients. Use an organic liquid fertilizer during the summer months. An effective way to apply the fertilizer is to apply it directly to the leaves, in its correctly diluted format, with a spray bottle making sure you spray both the tops of the leaves and the undersides.


Harvesting
Simply cut off the leaves as you need them. For everyday use, don't cut the stems, only use the leaves, unless you are pruning-back. You can eat the stems, but removing them will affect the growth of the plant.

Do not put them in the fridge, or this could turn the leaves black. Instead, put them in water and leave them out at room temperature.

Preserving
To dry basil, place the leaves up in a warm, dry, dark place and allow to dry out completely. Once brittle, simply crush them up into a bag or a jar with an air-tight lid. They can also be frozen.

Hope this helps xxxxx