Awful weather - typical Brits talk

ArbitraryRandom

Resisting making a joke about apple juice... 

twopenny

Ah well I do have one of those - but it's in the Amazon.
Though I was responsible. But that's another story   

Bright and something like sunshine out there but it's not sure.
I can't go out to check because the garden is full of baby sparrows being fed.
Hopefully my garden is being cleared of bugs.

claire07

Another de-lurking here to say the local starlings (who love our fatballs) imitate the old Trimphone ring tone (which is confusing as it's "rather a long time" since I heard a real Trimphone!

Dustyevsky

claire07 said:

Another de-lurking here to say the local starlings (who love our fatballs) imitate the old Trimphone ring tone (which is confusing as it's "rather a long time" since I heard a real Trimphone!

Thank you. That's the answer seen on many bird forums, but we know it's a corvid, just not which one. Deeper tone than a Trimphone too!

Nothing to report here, except a modestly promising start to the day, weather-wise, so here is another spring photo from Rosemoor's Cottage Garden:

ArbitraryRandom

Happy to report that the (third lot of) beans I've tried to germinate are finally showing roots - a variation on farways method as I can't just leave beans on a windowsill with the cats, I used a BioSnacky jar that I use to make some shoots to eat in winter. 

So now I have about 8 peas (that germinated fairly quickly in the second batch in toilet tubes) and 7 broad beans - still no sign of any life in the runner or dwarf french beans, but there's also no signs of rot/mold, so I'll keep rinsing them and give them a bit longer  

Today I'm also hoping to get my squash and courgettes in the ground and to at least mark out where everything else is going. Then I need to build the bean supports. I'd also like to fill the tubs in anticipation of the potatoes being delivered. 

Forecast is dry today, then wet Monday/Tuesday, so I'd rather get things in now so nature can do the watering for me  

pink_poppy

Thanks for the landscape fabric info & pic, Dusty - you've got a lot of ground to cover. Your project is coming on leaps and bounds - is the gravelly stuff going to be steamrollered or left loose?? Hopefully no more negative interactions with the angry neighbour.

Lovely pic of the tulips and white honesty - that's the kind of cottage garden and colour scheme I like.

I think I've come to a decision about the awkward bit of our garden. After spending time yesterday just looking around (& trying unsuccessfully to see the bird with the annoying monotone song) I'm going to try and level it, then cover with fabric and slate or gravel. At the moment it's all higgledy-piggledy and a trip hazard with stones and rocks everywhere. It will mean sacrificing some bluebells, daffodils, aquilegia and lily of the valley, but I'll try and save some to put in pots. I know it sounds nice with all the above plants, but it's really not in reality. I feel like this is something I could do myself, rather than having to get someone in to do it. It would be used as a seating area for BBQs etc as it gets the afternoon sun - not quite a sitooterie nook as it's too open.

I hope the baby bath pond works out, Farway. We need pics when it's up and running   Our pond is too big - I'd much rather have a smaller one. I'd happily fill it in (& put in a baby bath or washing up bowl pond), but DH likes it, even though it really is a DIY bodge job...

The Aurora was visible again a couple of nights ago - apparently it was likely to be the last chance of seeing it for a while in Argyll... I'm a poet and I know it   

It's a beautiful sunny morning here - forecast heavy rain tomorrow so I'll get out into the garden today.

pink_poppy

AR, do you grow pea shoots to eat?? Apparently very easy to grow - I keep meaning to try it.

twopenny

Just remembered - lidl middle aisle. Here there was masses of garden stuff including various self watering liners for pots, hanging bags for strawberries and more.
They are cheap ones, just a year or twos worth out of them but worth a try. 

ArbitraryRandom

pink_poppy said:

AR, do you grow pea shoots to eat?? Apparently very easy to grow - I keep meaning to try it.

I have done in the past (cheapest way is to get a bag from an Indian shop - sometimes called 'Green Mattar', which you can also use for pea soup ). Other good things to sprout are dried chick peas and mung beans (aka beansprouts). Radish and mustard seeds have a nice peppery taste, but tend to be fairly expensive. I think any edible seed can be sprouted (obviously it needs to be the whole unbroken raw seed - not sunflower hearts for example). It's just a nice way to get some variety of fresh veg in the middle of winter (I don't tend to use it much in summer oddly)  

Some people sprout in trays on damp cloth, but I've struggled with that with the cats and mold/drying out, so I picked up a sprouting jar when I saw one in a charity shop for a couple of quid. It's basically just a large jam jar with holes in the lid for drainage and a stand to keep it at an angle https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rapunzel-BioSnacky-Germinator-Dishwasher-safe-Drainage/dp/B002CD58V4/ref=sr_1_5

You put the seeds in (Only use a spoonful your first attempt until you know how big that sprout gets), fill the jar with water (with larger seeds soak for a few hours), put the lid on, swirl it around a bit gently and pour the water out - then leave on a windowsill it at an angle so any remaining water drips out and the glass is in the sun. Rinse them every day to stop them from souring and 3-5 days later most will types of seed will germinate. As soon as they sprout you can eat them (stir I them through couscous/rice), or leave them two or three days to have a real shoot (for in a stirfry etc)

greenbee

I usually have a couple of kinds of sprouts on the go (I have 4 jars, try and fail to do succession sprouting). I stick them on my salad, and use them year-round to add some variety. Definitely worth picking up in the CS when you see them. 

I buy broccoli/radish and other small seeds in bulk for this - I try to buy organic as I reckon you're eating concentrated whatever is in them/they've been treated with. While the seeds can seem expensive, it's not a particularly expensive way of adding some variety/interest to your diet.