LittleErnie's Blog
LittleErnie's Blog
Last Post 16 hours Ago
Oct 12, 2008 | 8:01 AM PST
Six weeks ago my 92 year old mother in law fell off the toilet and broke her hip. So it has been hospital visits every day coupled with the usual worries so little time for blogging. The weather is superb for October, the grass need regular cutting and my push along lawn mower needed a new wooden front roller. The solution was a wooden rolling pin drilled at both ends to tale the axle pins. Save a great deal of money in this throw away society. The gardening group has restarted and there a many new members. If you remember we meet in a garden center every two weeks. We get the premises free providing we all have a cup of tea/coffee/chocolate/Etc. This tuesday they want me to talk about soil and compost and how to make strawberry wine. I have loaded up the green house with potted plants in anticipation of the cold weather and then it turned hot (for us).
The world has gone crazy with banks folding, executives being paid for failure and reports of your impending election.
A few years ago in order to avoid conflict in the presidential elections in Brazil a hippopotamus in Sao Paulo Zoo was elected president. A novel solution!
Well back to the grind
LittleErnie
Aug 26, 2008 | 1:43 PM PST
Where has the time gone? I have been trimming, mowing, pruning. My peppers look magnificent in their red coats. The cactus have flowered well this year and I have seed to collect. I have been getting my caravan (trailer) serviced and back on the road and we had a short break on the Norfolk Coast. This week is the sign up day for the gardening group that will start again in september. We have been doing some late spring cleaning in the house. My sister came on a visit from Canada where she is an official flower show judge amongst other things. I rearranged the blue LEDs on my blue fir in my front garden and it looks great lit up at night. Trees are meant to be lit. The flower baskets finally filled out and have lasted well. In the house the Frangi Pani is growing well and the hibiscus fills the room with perfume at dusk and dawn. The orchids survive in spite of us!
The eldest daughter moved into a new house and now has a good size back garden so I have been weeding that. The middle daughter has started a new job that looks promising and the youngest daughter is also doing well.
The only fly in the ointment for everyone are the increasing fuel and energy charges. The recent events in Georgia(Europe) made me continue my search on my father's activities during world war one for he was in Georgia from 1919 to 1922 guarding the oil pipeline that runs from Baku to Batumi. He was part of a British Expeditionary Force (BEF). I hope you are all well whereever you are. Remember we all bleed when we cut ourselves.
Jul 13, 2008 | 9:10 AM PST
Tag: July 2
Where to start? Well the weather is back on track, the lawn cut and pruning done. I don't use a powered mower, I put that away. Why you ask: well using an old fashioned push along MAKES me get good exercise and trims the grass to perfection. The still use them on grass bowling greens (no skittles). This brings us along to dandelions. These were introduced into the US by settlers because the leaves can be used in salad, the flowers make an excellent wine and the roots are used as a diuretic. If you visit rural Greece the leaves are still sold in the markets. Another plant that is good in salads is nasturtium with a peppery taste.
Now for a request; a few years ago I brought some cuttings of a plant back from Portugal. Two of the cuttings took. I now have this bush growing in the green house but I have never succeeded in striking a cutting since but last year it produced viable seed and I now have several seedlings growing. I discussed this plant with a professional gardener who had worked in the southern US where the plant also grows and he admitted that he never succeeded in getting any cuttings to grow. The plant is evergreen and in the spring it produces clusters of highly scented white blossom that turns cream with age. It is NOT the Mexican mock orange blossom. The leaf groups are similar but the leaves are large and more pointed. Can anyone suggest names for this shrub please? I can then follow up its botanical data. In the Med regions it is cut into hedges.
Happy Gardening E
Jul 9, 2008 | 8:00 AM PST
Since the last blog it has been hot and sunny in my patch for two weeks in spite of the weather forecast. My peppers are fruiting in the green house and the cactus are in brilliant flower. The perennial sweet-peas have finished blooming and have been tidied up. The soft fruits - raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries and redcurrants have done very well and we all have feasted on them in pies, fools and fresh with clotted cream or condensed milk. Naughty but nice. Now some of the ramb ling roses are finished it is time to cut back. My lavender has gone into super growth and in must be replace with a shorter stemmed variety. The weed wand (a gas cannister powered torch) has done good service, An organic way to keep weeds down. Our garden group had its last meeting until September. An amazing number of plants have been swopped. At the last meeting a member brought in a plant and said,"What's this?" holding up a bunch of Japanese Knot weed that is becoming a real menace. I had north american pig weed in my garden last year and the only explanation was that it must have bee in wild bird seed that we buy for the feeders. On time whilst visiting the US the guy next to me at customs was found to have an apple in his pocket. I thought that he was being sent to devils island how he was treated - he should have eaten the evidence when they went for the paperwork.
Then the sun was gone after two weeks of joy and today we are to be blessed with one months rain in a day according to the weather forecast. Weather it will or weather it wont just have to wait and sea,
Carry on gardening
E
Jun 23, 2008 | 2:10 AM PST
Since my last blog life has been full of events both happy and sad. With rain, wind and plenty of sun the garden now has a tropical look. The last weekend was the East of England Show. The best description is that it is similar to a State Fair. On the wednesday previous a dear friend died of bone cancer. She was the hub of the local branch of the Red Cross; so on the opening day of the show there was one minutes silence in her memory.
The show had good entries for the garden design competition and the flower arrangements were very good this year. On of the highlights was the international orchid display and contest. The livestock entries were excellent - if you like cattle, sheep, pigs and goats.
I always go and visit the Alpacas. These are now being farmed for their wool. There were masses of show jumping; points accrued at the show count towards entry in the big national events. The dog agility was also great.
Old steam driven agricultural equipment gave working displays and there was a steam driven roundabout (carousel?) with gallopers. (horses that go up and down).
The food displays were good and so much more from garden plants, summer houses, poultry - you name it and it was there.
This year the roses are spectacular.
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Jun 7, 2008 | 2:07 AM PST
The first thursday of each month a group of us from the U3a visit a church for a tour and then have a cream tea. This week we went to St Andrews Church Lyddington and the tea was provided by the church ladies. The present church dates from the 15 centuary ans has many unusual features.The countryside was glowing with all tones of green, The hedgerows were having the cow parsley and other Umbellifers replaced by Dog Daisies and wild roses. On the way back we stopped at a nature reserve at Fineshades and saw on CCTV the Red Kites nesting; they are a bird of prey that have been reintroduced and are doing quite well. They are a magnificent bird as they circle overhead looking for food. Some 20 miles away is Rutland Water a very large man made reservoir with a nature reserve where Ospreys nest; these are fish eagles. The majority of birds, wild animals and plants are protected by law. There are six species of deer in the local country side and often the small muntjac are found in urban gardens. They originally escaped from a stately home many years ago and have spread across Englnd.
We all encourage wild life in our gardens with bird feeders log piles and ponds. If you are interested the places we visited can been found on Google satellite pictures.
E
May 28, 2008 | 3:17 AM PST
I am writing this during a tea break. Following hot weather and a week of rain I am in the process of a big clear up. The forgetmenots have finished and they are being taken up along with weeds and spent bluebells and daffodil leaves. The raspberries and strawberries are in full bloom so there is promise of plenty of fresh fruit. Zac our Red Burmese cat is chasing the mouse - on the computer!. The hanging baskets are filling out, one day I will perfect the art of the hanging basket. Some people use tomatoes in them - the tumbling variety. The peppers are established and the cacti in the green house are in full flower. A visit is to be made shortly to the cacti nursery some 18 miles away where three football size glasshouses are filled with them.
I note in some blogs concern about fuel prices, with diesel at over £5 ($10) a UK gallon I no longer use miles/gallon but pounds(£) per mile. I can get £11 per mile on local motoring.
Well back to the tidy up.
E
May 19, 2008 | 6:40 AM PST
After two weeks of high temperatures it was then one week of rain and now the weather is mixed, result mammoth size weeds and plants at an in between stage, not quite right for taking up the dead leaves of daffodils, bluebells etc so new planting held back a little.
This week is the Chelsea Flower Show, so all gardeners will be glued to the TV for twice daily presentations. If you have a high speed internet connection you can watch it it on www.bbc.co.uk/chelsea and
take it from there. There are garden designs to download, video clips and so on. The exhibitors come from around the world. One word of warning some of the displays are only achieved by keeping plants in the fridge until exhibition and some brought on by steam heat so some combinations that are shown rarely occur together naturally, nevertheless it is a feast for you eyes.
Today I have done a lot of potting on. It is amazing how much compost you use. Five years ago our local city council gave all residents a large composter bin as part of the green initiative and rain waterbuts to connect to the down pipes from the roof .
The lamp unit on the tropical aquarium blew up and looking for a replacement today blessed the fact that I am a professional engineer because of the nonsense that some shop assistants talk. Have now found a sensible source.
Back to the grind.
By the way you will be pleased to know that there are no giant leeks at chelsea!
E
May 12, 2008 | 7:41 AM PST
Photo is of Ken Patterson of Cramlington County Durham with his giant leeks these are not the biggest but when I find more will post them to site
May 11, 2008 | 8:40 AM PST
It has become very hot this week, today it is 76degF and has been in the 70s all this week. The garden furniture is out and we have been enjoying our meals out doors. The scree garden is full of colour and the forget-me-nots and bluebell give a blue haze over part of the garden. This is a contrast to the tulips, daffodils and hyacinths of last month and the yellow of the forsythia. The camellia has just finished flowering, it started in february. Several visits to garden centres and nurseries have been made and many plants obtained and yet another orchid. The strawberry patch is covered in blossom so there is the promise of a good crop. I have masses of repotting and planting on to do and the greenhouse has been cleared and is ready for peppers and other things. Fridy we wandered round a nearby small town - Uppingham - looking for an antique plant stand or 'Whatnot' and ended up swapping recipes at the delicatessen. Here is mine for leeks. Shred leeks into a lidded frying pan and toss in olive oil until they are all covered add grated fresh ginger root and sweat them over a low heat with the lid on the pan - it keeps the moisture in - until they soften for eating with a main dish.
Believe it or not, leek growing in the north east of England is a major competitive past time with large cash prizes involved. When you see a six foot leek of 18 inches diameter you realise it is a serious business!
Bye for now E
Apr 23, 2008 | 6:32 AM PST
At last the weather is as expected, tulips in bloom, daffodils just finishing, carpet of Forgetmenots, bluebells in bud and the alpines in the scree garden starting to bloom. I will shortly post another picture. Our gardening group has acquired four new members. At the last meeting we discussed penstemons and taking cuttings. By accident I have found that white (spirit) vinegar sprayed on paving slabs remove algae and moss; just a fine spray is needed. It is about one tenth of the cost of garden centre products. The city parks and gardens are splendid with beds of primulas and pansies. Each month or so we have a continental market in the city streets where vendors come from all over Western Europe, the prices for some of the goods are excessive compared with our own market but one highlight is the Dutch flower seller who literally paves the area in front of the town hall with flowers. The city is very cosmopolitan with all the recent immigrants - 95 languages and one school has to deal with 54! All the elementary schools (infants and juniors) have some sort of garden flower and wild life and often vegetables and many have a wild life pond. Catch em young.
I purchased a unit for my computer system form a Co in California only 2 days to get to me. If it were not for the Customs and export restrictions and paperwork and ..... the world could be our shopping basket.
Apr 4, 2008 | 10:28 AM PST
Things are progressing in the garden. We discussed Clematis at the last meeting. Have you thought that when we read a blog, we read it in our own accent and pronunciation. One of our cats died last week. He was 18 years old and quite a character. Several houses are in mourning for him, he was a real six breakfasts cat. The vet even sent a condolence card.
I will upload some new photos - the garden on easter sunday and the scree garden as it comes slowly into bloom. I will post more later in the month.
In the UK there are very few weed killers and pesticides sold in garden centres. Many have been withdraw to protect both wild life and users. If you garden is destroyed by spray from a nearby farm it is possible to get compensation. All wild flowers are now protected as is the majority of wildlife. Many farmers are now replanting hedges to the benefit of wild life and their crops. Horticulturists now practice the biological control of insect pests.
Bye
Mar 29, 2008 | 3:52 PM PST
Tag: Rhubarb
The good intentions to continue tidying the garden over Easter were stopped by the weather. ON easter sunday we awoke to a thick covering of snow! It lasted the day and was followed by wind and rain. All my small plants in the house are coming on well and I should be able to harden them off now the weather is back to normal. Our cat of 18 years died this week so it has been a sad time. Our younger cat was a bit puzzled but seems to understand now. To night the clocks change so tomorrow we will all be confused. The pond fish have got their spring appetites and come to the surface for feeding. The flower beds in the parks and public gardens look great.
Looking at some of your gardens I wonder if the wooded parts could be planted with primulas and spanish bluebells. They would look great in the spring. The first rhubarb is ready for pulling - the english have an obsession with it - and I am looking forward to a rhubarb crumble. With a lack of horse manure to feed it the compost heap and fertilizer have to suffice.
More later E
Mar 8, 2008 | 3:00 PM PST
Last week I had just finished my entry when there was a power cut so I lost the entry and the will to reenterit.
It has all been happening : first an earthquake of 4.6 strength that caused some damage. One person had a smashed pelvis when his chimney stack landed on him in bed and a few houses were damaged near the epicentre. Then the wind blew at 70 -90 mph with some snow and hard(for us) frost and finally the sun shone. The wind has dried up the soil so I have had to water the garden. Finally the conditions improved and I gave the grass the first cut of the season. Seedlings are growing well, I have them in the house. Tidying up has gone well and it now looks like someone else's garden!
Hyacinths and daffodils look good and the camellia is in full flower. The flowering currants are showing pink and red.
I use a flame gun for controlling weeds on paths it is most effective and good for the back.
On the meditative side I think about other's blogs and the problems they encounter and the relief and uplift that gardening provides. Gardens are often linked to faith and its interpretation - a bit deep I know. The local park has a sensory garden for those with sight impairment and the plants are aromatic and sensual but no thorns or stings obviously.
More later LE
Feb 15, 2008 | 10:05 AM PST
Tag: alpine strawberries
Last Friday we went to Stamford open air market - market days are tuesday and friday- and I purchased three more alpines for the scree garden. More garden tidying up revealed that my alpine strawberry in the growing wall had died. It looked as if birds had beaked it up. On the tuesday round to all the nearby garden centres but no alpine strawberry plants. Back to the computer and logged on to the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) plant finder. You provide a plant common or latin name and it lists up nurseries and garden centres where it is available. Nearest on is located at a place called Pinchbeck in the Fens. Off to Pinchbeck, no sign of said nursery. Called in to another garden center and asked if they knew location. After much discussion on of the staff gave precise directions, so after lunch the directions were followed further into the fens and at last we found it! Joy gave way to misery as the nursery was run down with no stock. Went home by another rout and became ensnared by road works and diversions. Finally back home thinking that a cheap air fare to Switzerland complete with trowel would have been a better solution. The name of the nursery has been omitted to protect the innocent?!??!!. The hunt goes on. For some of you with long memories earlier in the week we went to Connington to see the memorial to the 8th army airforce bomber group that was stationed there during WWII. The runway is still in use by a private company. The church yard was full of snowdrops and aconites and plenty of bird song. Very different from the 1940s. Thought you would like to know.
