Monthly Archives: August 2013

construction, Preparation, project othello, Taking stock

Room enough for a view

In taking up the other of the plot, we have gone from 89sq metres, to the grand sum of 200 sq metres. I borrowed Dad’s measuring tape so that I could arrive at that figure. Allowing me to further take stock of what was where.

20130824-035752 PM.jpg

There are a lot of builders bags at the back, I know. All to be used, filled with waste and autumnal leaves. The Wendy house is there, as are the raised beds, daleks and water buts. In addition, there is the top end. Sukh shanti garden at the bottom is separated from project Othello by the arch.

A bit of hard prep today, for project Othello. I hate digging, and generally avoid it.

20130824-040121 PM.jpg

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

construction, Preparation, project othello

Project othello:#5 Arch-nemesis

One is not talking about slimers or slugs. But this:

20130823-060343 PM.jpg

Had seen one in wilkos, and thought it might be nice as a gateway to Project Othello. This really was a two person job. Ma and I had to fight to out it together. The holes were wonky. The instructions unclear. However, Ma and I laboured on, and managed to get it raised.

20130823-060610 PM.jpg

Asked a lovely plot neighbour-he in the background-to help sink the legs. I concede that it’s probably not very robust. In fact I need to fix some of the rungs that are loose. But it might serve its function. All being well, red and yellow roses will climb up it. And perhaps will line the side if it too.

Project Othello is now levelled entirely. It as neat as it will be, at this time of the year. The area marked out will dug, for the possible, hypothetical poly.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

20130823-060832 PM.jpg

classroom experimentation, onions: seed to soil, Preparation

Onions: #1 seed to soil

20130823-010410 PM.jpg

Have only ever sown onions from seed once before, and didn’t have much success. Am trying again, with some Ailsa Craig seeds. Two trays, with seed modularised. May well be too early or too late depending on what you see or read.

In a bit of pickle

Tri, tri, again: chilli jelly

20130822-044844 PM.jpg

Along side 2 red sweet peppers, there are lots of purple rainbow chills, some frauzauber and another chilli in there. Have been meaning to have another go at the nigella chilli jam. So this is just a different set of hot chillies. Has a slightly different colour, and a different kick too.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

In a bit of pickle

Jammin’ a la Aunty Lorraine

There are brambles to the side of Project Othello that have been chopped back a bit. There are not many folks on the site who pick them, but today I jointed another plot person to pick some. The plan was to make Aunty Lorraine’s blackberry jam:

20130822-043836 PM.jpg

So we found about a 1lb of blackberries . Braving the brambles and the thorns.

20130822-043931 PM.jpg

20130822-043944 PM.jpg

20130822-043956 PM.jpg

And the wrestled with the recipe. I don’t have a jam thermometer, so had to the saucer test where it actually set immediately.

20130822-044056 PM.jpg

20130822-044109 PM.jpg

As lovely as it is, some of it has set like concrete. Will have to try again!

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

success, Taking stock

Peck of purple peppers

20130820-074134 PM.jpg

Think these are lipstick . First of the peppers to turn and ripen. Not very big, but better than nothing! Expected to go red.

construction, Preparation, project othello, Taking stock

Project Othello:#4 levelled

20130820-122219 PM.jpg

20130820-122228 PM.jpg

So very close to a levelled playing field. Now which way to place a hypothetical poly?

So very proud of Mama H!

construction, Preparation, project othello

Project Othello: #3 oh four-tonner

1 Comment

oh fortuna

20130818-034001 PM.jpg

Find your mamas, and give her a hug. I did.

In the week and a half that she has been off, Mama H had managed to generate four builders bags of dried, dying, decimated grass. I have contributed, before you get ask! I have been given the duty of shovelling the grass in to the bags.

The playing field is slowly being levelled. Mama H is a woman on a mission. Thanks to the rain, much of it can be hoiked up to reveal the dirt.

20130818-035158 PM.jpg

20130818-035211 PM.jpg

The plastic does actually look quite nice. As nice as plastic can look, it has the look of potential about it. The grass has been chopped down, and then covered with cardboard or newspaper in places. At the moment, half of the plot is cleared, with not a lot left.

Just behind the builders bag are the the devil’s own brambles. As lovely as raspberries are there are some along the side anyway. Trapped behind the bags, the brambles can be kept away.
Till I decide, that is, whether I am cutting them down or cultivating them. Those bags can also be filled with leaf mold over the autumn winter, so nothing here is being wasted. The plan is to clear up to the bags.

The adventure, is only just beginning.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

classroom experimentation, Taking stock

S’not easy bein’ green

There are lots of green tomatoes hanging around, biding their time. Mama has suggested an experiment, that hasn’t been done for a while.

20130818-112431 AM.jpg

Have harvested a handful of the tomatoes. I know one of them is a Ukrainian purple. The others i couldn’t identify. These have been washed and are now sat in a transparent glass Pyrex bowl; positioned on a sunny window sill.

20130818-112636 AM.jpg

Here they are, sat next to the fickle young lady that is Ma’s Holy basil. To holy basil doesn’t like to be moved.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural hobbit