Live from the Potting Shed!

That's right folks, I have managed to take my laptop out to the garden and fashion a little writing haven for myself. Until moments ago, I was sitting by the door and there was a rather chilly draft coming in through the broken piece of glass. But, huzzah! I fixed it and now I'm all cozy and settled at my new desk (a shelf in amongst the seed trays and pots) although I'm still hoping it doesn't rain as there's a great big slit in the glass right above my head. However, this doesn't really bother me as if it starts to rain, there's something covering my laptop - another thick shelf - and it means that I only have to worry about keeping myself dry. Worst comes to worst, I move 3 feet over to my right...

Now, I have decided my pepper seeds are a failure. They came with their own little pot, complete with compost and a cover. I must admit though, the compost seems to be awfully waterlogged so the lid is off but alas, nothing is happening. So I bought some new pepper seeds to see if these are more willing to sprout than the last lot. If they're not, then at least I've tried! A quick update on my current little babies (while I remember): rocket, salad leaf mix, cat grass and lettuce. Nothing else has appeared yet but I am ever hopeful that my killer fingers (you think I'm joking?!) are slowly starting to turn green. My clematis' are doing fine too, slowly climbing up the stakes I put in with them as soon as I bought them. One is still a lot weaker in appearance compared to the other but at least it's not dead. Yet.

I have also just bought 3 planters so I can get at least 3 tubs of tatties on the go. It'll be nice to see how well I can grow them, although the pressure is on since my dad is such a dab hand at growing them! He also grows neeps (swedes) and a huge variety of other things, although his tatties and neeps are grown in fields as apposed to planters or a garden. But never mind having fields to plant things in. I have my own garden and it's got plenty of room for the things I'd like to (try to) grow.

Dare I say, being in my greenhouse is bliss? Yes, I think that's what I'd call it. It's my own little heaven where I can truly be myself, write if I like, have munch and not feel guilty and let my thoughts and troubles drift away on the breeze that floats in when I have the top vent open - which is all the time when I'm in here. It's just so relaxing and it means I can look at my little seedlings and feel good about myself for once. I don't have to pretend to be someone else, I don't have to tidy up everything, I can get my hands dirty and not worry. I love it out here. I also feel like it's a little escape from reality and someday, I'll be able to eat my produce, saving some money and feeling the benefits of knowing there are no artificial things lurking in my own herbs and veg. I'm not growing fruit (yet) because neither of us eat that much of it and I don't know what to do with it all. I could make raspberry jam and keep it to use over winter and start making Christmas presents out of it all, I suppose, and that's another route I could look into. Other people could enjoy my little hobby. This is all making me very happy.

I know my venture is going to cost money for a while since this is the first time I've taken gardening even remotely seriously, but after I have all the equipment I need, I won't have to buy any more for next year and the years to come because it'll all be here. All I'll have to do is keep myself in seeds and compost, and maybe splash out and buy a new watering can (see what I did there? Splash, watering can, never mind...). I have to admit I spent a fortune on this weeks shop (£76!!!) but that was because I'm buying store cupboard ingredients and again, they last through a lot of meals. I like my asian food, be it thai, chinese or indian, so I thought it would be worthwhile to buy all the proper sauces and seasonings so that we didn't have to phone up a takeaway to get good takeaway food. I'm a fairly good cook and I'm learning all the time, so why not try and do it all properly? I was quite honestly sick of reading through my cookery books and realising I have all the meat, vegetable and starchy ingredients but nothing that was required to make the sauces. So, that's now sorted and I can get down to making my own sauces, experimenting with flavours and learning what I like.

This is all sounding a little housewife-ish, isn't it...

Gardeners World

I think I'm becoming domesticated...

As you might know, we just moved house before Christmas 2011. We aquired a garage, drive, layby parking space, gardens to the front, side and rear to the property and also... a greenhouse. So today, I thought I'd take a travel out into the garden and investigate this metal framed structure lurking in the corner of our garden. On first inspection, it's in pretty good nick, if a little green in places and has a few problems with a few of the windows and joints between them. However, on the inside, it was an Aladdin's cave of goodies left from the previous owner, including a flymo strimmer, a hedge trimmer and a rather suspicious looking hover mower. I think it will be disposed of, but the other electricals seem in good condition so will need to try them out to determine whether they stay or go. There was also an abundance of used (and reusable) flower pots, a watering can that not so much sprinkles but explodes, a selection of weedkillers and an anonymous bottle with fluid in it - I don't want to spray it in case it kills something! So all in all, I've found a heap of stuff which I now don't need to buy, and some things which need repaired like the hand tools and ground tools. My dad's going to help me out with some things, but he's a bit of an expert being a farmer and all, so that's ok.

 

Upon seeing the mess of dirt, old compost, spiders webs and dust, I concluded that it's time the greenhouse got a bit of a clear out. It took me a couple of hours, but I've been successful.

After making sure everything was cleared properly, I started to put back in the items to be kept and also new that I'd bought over the past few weeks. Several seed types are now sown and I've also repotted the clematis' that I bought yesterday because they looked a bit weak and in need of a bit more space.

Fingers crossed that I learn to grow flowers and veg sucessfully, but there are - of course - no promises! But I have the best chance now...

After finishing in the greenhouse, I also made some soup - 2 pots! The first is vegetable soup for both me and the man, and the second is broccoli which I'm going to freeze in single servings so that I have a stock of them for quick lunches and meals when I need them. And I put washing out after lunch to dry a little bit. Goodness me, I'm nearly a housewife! But this does beg the question - how long will it last?!