LittleErnie's Blog

Down in the Jungle
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 

All Change
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 

Leeks
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

Hot Hot Hot
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