Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

I love preserving. We've bought some mangoes today for making my own secret recipe hot chilli sauce. You're right that it's good to be using home made jars of loveliness over the year. I love seeing a store cupboard full of tasty jars. 
F x

Kantankrus_Mare

Another one here would recommend Autumn Raspberries. I have two rows at the allotment and last year had a fantastic crop. I have to admit that I like Autumn ones as they fruit in the summer contrary to their name and when it comes to pruning, just cut them all really short whereas with summer ones I believe you have to work out old growth and new growth and tie them into supports which sounds a bit of a faff to me. 
Rhubarb is fantastic this year and I gave some to a fellow gardener who passes me every day on his way home.About the only person I speak to outside of immediate family at the minute.

Baileys_Babe

We only have standard raspberries at the moment but I would like to add autumn raspberries.

My MIL gave me a tip about standard raspberries, leave them all to spring, as the stems that need removing will be obvious as they won't be sprout new leaves.

If the weather is cooperative this weekend I may go and pay my raspberries some attention.

foxgloves

Thanks for the Raspberry Info. I'm looking forward to setting up that bed as an ongoing project. Looking forward to some serious garden progress this weekend. I have quite a few trays of seedlings ready to pot up & as warm weather is forecast, I intend to move all my veggie plant babies out from the conservatory dining table to the greenhouse. It's always a bit of a tetris operation to fit everything in there at this time of year, so I'll also need to see if anything I've been overwintering can go outside.
Just going to finish the last few pages of my book, then I'm seriously going to get cracking. 
Will pop back later with proper update. 
F x

PurpleFairy26

I’m planning on spending some time in the garden too as the weather is meant to be better. Yesterday I audited my seeds and have an idea of what I want to plant. Enjoy your day. 

foxgloves

Thanks, Purps. I will. At this time of year, my greenhouse is like my little den. I could do with a waterproof chair in there. I saw one outside a vintage/junk shop in our village a week before lockdown & wish I'd bought it now.
Never mind, dibber & shuttle trays at the ready!
F x

Kantankrus_Mare

Happy tetris playing!!  Hope everyone enjoys the sun this weekend whilst being stuck at home. Im still digging over my ground at the allotment which is hard work on the back so only do a bit each day. Getting there slowly. I have lots of new strawberry plants which I got from the runners in my three beds at the plot. My dad built a new bed a while ago and I am going to make a new strawberry bed with these plants. My 3 strawberry beds have been in for 3 years now and not looking brill at the moment but green shoots coming through. Will see which is worst performer and completely clear after this season......after propagating more runners of course. 
Well, sat here in my dressing gown isnt getting anything done so I best move!

foxgloves

Very useful tetris, Kantankrus & some pottinh up! Now sitting out on my pondside bench with my book.
Small caramel egg consumption = 1
F x

Onebrokelady

We used to get masses of raspberries from our allotment when we had it,they were already there though so I didn't know which ones they were,most of them never made it back to the house because we used to eat them while we were there 😀

foxgloves

Hello Sunbeams, 
Quite a pleasant day here on the whole, well..... as long as I could keep my head out of news websites, which is difficult atm but sometimes necessary.
Mr F has been as happy as a pig in s**t today, because the new TV & related man kit arrived this morning. As the budgeter in the relationship, I've had that money saved & sitting in our 'Tech Replacement Pot' for ages while he did all his reaearch re what to buy. Am delighted that a soundbar has replaced 2 large floor standing speakers. (What is it with blokes & speakers?) which I'm hoping will be going to pastures new at some point, rather than sitting in our loft for the next ten years. Anyway, I digress (again)..... so he's been busy setting everything up today.
I've been in the greenhouse most of today. I moved the rest of my baby veg plants off the dining room table down to the greenhouse, then pr*cked out 5 trays each of calendula & cornflowers plus one of ipomaea. Isn't it ridiculous that I can't use the perfectly correct horticultural term 'pr*cking out'?!! As if I have ever filled my diary with the attributes (or lack thereof) of specific male anatomy!
I also moved my spare strawberry runners outside. I potted them up last autumn in case I lost any outdoor ones over winter. I didn't as it's been so mild, but I think I'll still squeeze them in. I stood the sweet peas outside too to start hardening off, as I can plant those out next week with a bit of protection.
A big packing away session in the shed, locating the stuff I need for tomorrow's greenhouse jobs & that was me done. A bit chillier by then so put my coat on, but sat out on my bench by the pond with a cup of tea & started my new library book. It's a mystery set in Cornwall & has got me intrigued right from the beginning.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to an even sunnier day tomorrow.
Take care all of you, in these difficult times. 
F x