Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

bargainhunterss

Fuddle, would you recommend that 'Thrifty gardener' book? I'm a complete novice and just really getting started gardening so a book with basic advice would be great!

fuddle

I won't be buying it as a go to manual to learn from. A nice read that brushes over all aspects of gardening but it talks about flowers and plants a lot, not just allotment gardening. She has some nice ideas but they are ingrained in us anyway.


She talks about container gardening, soil structure and composting, sowing and protecting, pruning and propagating, weeding and control, harvesting and tools of the trade. Each subject is only a paragraph or two and is a rounded take on all gardening mostly. To learn from I feel I need a much more in depth manual.


It's a nice read, she's very like minded to us but I wouldn't buy it to help me learn.

janb5

Hi Everyone!


I haven't been around as the old internet was playing up. Dear old PlusNet really messed up yesterday as we have been waiting about a month for fibre + loads of missed appointment.


I finally exploded yesterday as the router hadn't been sent and demanded to speak to the manager when I asked him why they were so insistent of portraying blond bimbos( robots) on the site who had no use whatsoever. I think he nearly choked! Also what they were doing is the equivalent of ringing the doorbell and running away in the case of cancelling appointment willy nilly and then emailing me. No telephone call! Also `closing down` complaints without dealing with them.


Soooo much calmer now but aware that the weather may not be kind on Friday so please bring cardies etc!


Really looking forward to seeing everyone and hopefully someone will take pictures and post them on here. Any volunteers?! xx

silvasava

Fuddle ( & anyone else new to gardening) I've got Carol Klein's Grow Your Own Veg & I've found its become my 'go to' book. I consider myself to be a more enthusiastic gardener than experienced but I do manage a healthy crop of fruit & veg through the year - lots of lovely gardening tips on the forum too.

fuddle

Is Carol Klein from Gardener's World? I used to watch it back in that former life when I had a blank canvas of a new build garden to make nice. Actually I had Alan Titchmarch's The Gardener's Year back then. I must have ebay'd it to make some money. If memory serves me that was a very useful book that showed what should be sown, harvested etc through the months of the year.


Will reserve them both at the library. Thanks


Oh, can I ask how do you sterilise jars for preserves? I'm thinking Milton fluid or the like. Is that right?

[Deleted User]

Give them a really good wash in hot soapy water, dry them VERY well, pop your oven on a low heat about 150degC or gas mark 1 and pop the unlidded jars in not touching each other for about 30 minutes and they're sterile and ready to use for jam/chutney/pickle etc. Lyn xxx.

bexster1975

Hello all

I would second silvasava re: grow your own veg. Great book. Also have the alan titchmarsh one ( £2 from a car boot!)

Have some lovely bits growing outside. Have my eye on an allotment across the road too

Bexster

Rosanna79

Lyn so sorry to hear about Docky. It will feel strange without him. I love animals and we seem to acquire rescue cats. After our beloved Jennicat had to be put to sleep in Sept 2011 we weren't going to have any more pets. A big bruiser of a stray moggy had been casing the facilities and literally rehomed himself with us the following day! OH was most reluctant and yet nearly 4 years on Henry is ruling the roost and adored by both. I keep saying he's our last pet at our age. Although I love dogs as well and my neighbour has a really cute little daschund I could borrow for walkies it's sadly impractical as I have to walk with 2 poles. At least I'm not currently in need of a wheelchair so making the best of it. Little Jeorge is smaller than Henry but loves to race across the road to play whereas Henry will only spit at the poor little chap! Today I decided to get started on what will be a massive house sort out. Decided to check out my store cupboards and found quite a few things a lot out of date which OH simply will not touch. After sorting
out I found a fair quantity of strong bread flour which needs to be used up before the end of August and a matching quantity of dred yeast with a longer date. So it the bread maker will be back on duty and a bit more forward planning on the meal front as well. It certainly feels better to know what I actually have in the cupboards. I've just been so tired since I had that flu earlier this year I've been struggling with life but keep going. I recently attended a music weekend, had a fabulous time and saw alotof old friends. We're all 20 years olderthan when I started attending these weekends and quite a few have recently retired. It was amusing to hear their stories of depleted energy now they're in their 60s and how they manage life! Whereas my 74 year old friend who was widowed last year a few weeks before another of the gentlemen in our Quire is out gadding and helping the old people with their shopping. Both my friend and the widowed gentleman are going out together now and it's a great inspiration to see their enjoyment of life after 20 years of caring between them. It's certainly not about having a lot of money but a real enjoyment of whatever simple pleasures they can share. Anyway it is great to hear everyone's stories and so I continue to lurk..... Has anyone who normally gardens successfully as I do been having problems with their plants this season? The unseasonably cold sprng and biting cold winds up here in North Lincs have not been helpful to plant growth. Would love to hear other people's stories of their gardening attempts this year. I normally do very well but seem to be battling the elements at present with successional sowing and a supply of spare plants an absolute necessity. It's a poor show really and so frustrating after years of success. Also finding this tablet difficult to correct or proof read.

[Deleted User]

Thanks ROSANNA, it's very strange not having him at the door when I come in, we've had a dog for the past 30 odd years with few breaks and life is out of normal routine as most of it was round the Dockling. Early days and we're sad still but I know that will fade as time goes past and we're keeping busy and doing lots together and walking together every day and being here for each other. We'll be OK, thank you for caring about us, Lyn xxx.

GreyQueen

Hi rosanna, is it really 4 years since Henry-cat moved in with you? I think cats abhor a vacuum and just sense where they're needed and move straight in. My family is one of those who gets targetted by cats, we've never had one move out, they're all trying to move in.

I've had a complete flop with parsnip germination this year, as has my Dad on soil of a different type and about 40 miles away. Beetroot germination was patchy and I will be re-sowing with fresh seed this week. Carrots have never ever germinated as well as they have this year, for some reason.

Some of the old boys on the allotments have been there, boy and man, and their old dads before them, and the saying is No one can grow a good carrot on (insert site name). It seems to be a truism, but the soil is very beetroot-friendly, I've had beets that would barely fit one per 8 inch saucepan. Along with the effing hell potatoes (comments from passers-by when I was digging them up).:rotfl:

Sooo, I don't quite know how the season will be shaping up, except that the parsnips will be coming from the Magic Greengrocer not the allotment in 2015. You can't win them all; trust me, I've tried and failed at this.

Am having the last of pasta-thing with some hg (but not by me) aspargus given by a pal yesterday. Have decided to stay home, was going to not be able to go to archery tonight as was doing something else, that something else was switched Tues to Monday, so I am technically free but a bit too whacked to venture out. If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I'd go, but I have ME and when tired, I transpose numbers and forget what I'm doing at work, so not really acceptable to get so tired by midweek that situation becomes inevitable.

Besides, I only spent 1.5 out of 15 hours at home yesterday when I wasn't asleep, so it's good to see the old gaff.

I minimized the ironing by taking it all off the airer and putting it away unironed. I am expecting the Fashion Police to arrest me when I venture out in those tops but, if no one appears to notice, the iron will be getting even less use than it has now.

I got that iron in about 1987. Ye gods, I have colleagues who weren't even born in '87. Shows how long things last if you don't use them overmuch, doesn't it?

:cool: GQ, energy-saver extraordinaire, leading by example, one skive at a time.