Thursday 29 July 2021

Thursday

 Good morning, everyone.  After some real downpours yesterday, today has dawned nice and bright with clear skies and a cool, fresh feel.  Beeb says it will be lovely and sunny all morning - great!

I sat down with the relevant catalogue yesterday morning and did what I have been planning to do for a while - ordered a couple more Minarette fruit trees to keep the Flamenco apple company.  Nothing too adventurous, just well known, popular ones.  I ordered a Braeburn apple because that's a favourite, and a Victoria plum because I think we've given up on the allotment one.
The Braeburn flowers at the same time and the Flamenco, so that's sorted out the cross pollination issue and the Victoria plum is self pollinating (says the catalogue).
And then I went slightly bananas and also ordered a fig tree, to be kept in a container with a root restriction bag.  That was rather an impulse buy and I need to read up about them but it's quite exciting!

I don't think they will come until October so that given me time to get pots and soil, etc. 

That was yesterday's little extravagance but I've done two tuition sessions this week which has gone a bit of a way towards covering the cost.  Not entirely but better than nothing.  And I got a tax rebate, of course, so it's all fine.

After tuition, I had a lovely fruit platter for breakfast and then set off for personal training with Lindsey.  Half exercise and half massage, the same on Friday and then back to the usual hour next week.
By the time I got home, Beth had arrived and Sharon was busy doing her hair.  Then she did mine and I'm really pleased with the results.

While she was working, the heavens opened outside which put paid to any need to go and water the allotment.  However, I wanted to go and see how the courgettes had settled in so I went anyway.






As you can see, they look quite happy at the moment so fingers crossed.  At least we have tried.  At a pound a plant, one can hardly go wrong really.

The first dwarf French bean to emerge is doing nicely and several others are racing to catch up.  Nice
I remember from last year that, just as the runner beans were slowing down, these were ready for picking


Eileen sent me a link (many thanks to you, Eileen) to an online shop that has some Autumn picking broad bean seeds.  I've never heard of these before but it's worth a try so I ordered some.
Then, coincidentally, Beth messaged me to ask if I realised that it wasn't too late to plant some more mangetout - we lost the first planting to marauding pigeons.

So that seems to have sorted my 'what to plant' question.  Thank you very much ladies.


On to today.

I am hoping that Chris can come round for a garden chat or online if the weather doesn't play ball despite the forecast.   Also, I managed to get a slot for PYO strawberries at Lathcoats later on in the morning, so I am very much looking forward to those two things.
 Apart from that, I'm hoping to weed down the allotment and to talk to the courgettes and keep them happy!  I could clear the rest of the broad beans; they are really well over and past it now.  That would clear some space for the new sowings when the seeds come.

I'm hoping for a nice, easy day.  Hope yours is too.  xx



14 comments:

  1. I bet you have fun at that PYO. I haven't been to one of them in over thirty years. How many kilos are you aiming for?

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    1. LOL - I have a plastic box and am aiming to fill it. That should be enough to share round a bit as well as plenty for me. I need enough for strawberry gin as well. Might possibly have to go again, you never know! :-)

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  2. Good luck with the weather it is very fickle at the moment.

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    1. How very true. It's lovely right now with a fresh breeze and wall to wall sunshine but, as you say, you never know!
      xx

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  3. Are the minarette trees and fig tree for your garden or the allotment? Also glad the autumn broad beans was of interest ... I know how much you like your broadies!

    I haven't been to a PYO for years. The local ones closed down and it's a long drive to the nearest that I know of, plus you have to book a time slot now and there never seems to be any vacancies. I hope you have a good time there anyway. Is it just strawberries or are there other fruit/veg as well?

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    1. For my garden although if we like the plum, we may get one to replace the allotment plum tree which is doing nothing except grow way too big for an allotment!
      It was of great interest and nice of you to think of me.
      They do other fruit but I'm going for strawberries. They're renown for their apples come the Autumn.
      xx

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  4. It was going to a PYO way way back in 1974 that got me into growing more for myself. Sadly they don't exist around here anymore

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    1. That's a shame. They are certainly not as widespread as they used to be and we're lucky to have Lathcoats.
      xx

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  5. I'm sure you were happy to see the courgettes looking good. Fingers crossed. My cherry and grape tomato plants don't look pretty (had fungus early on so I made up a home remedy, sprayed them and cut back leaves), but they have been producing well so far--liking the heat and humidity here. Hope weather cooperates and you are able to meet up with your friend.

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    1. I was very happy. :-) A shame about your plants but the bottom line is are they producing and it sounds as if yours are doing a great job.
      We did meet up, thanks.
      xx

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  6. We had a lot of rain here yesterday too but it is dry again today.
    I love hearing how your allotment is developing Joy and hope your new trees settle in wherever you put them. A fig tree sounds fabulous.

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    1. It was lovely yesterday (Thursday) but rain again this morning (Friday). A fig does sound pretty exotic and I have a few doubts but it's worth a go, I think. I'm reading up about it all.
      xx

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  7. I envy you being able to get dwarf fruit trees, I don't think they know what a dwarf tree is here in Saskatchewan.

    God bless.

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    1. They're specially bred to be small for smaller gardens and container gardens. Yes, we're lucky.
      xx

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