I have just put in some Chasmanthe – yellow and orange – we will see how they fare. i am still giving away tomato plants – 16 so far with at least 12 more promised – a good £100 worth! I also have nasturtiums and lemon coriander to plant out, and basil to give away. Wisteria and honeysuckle is lovely to sniff in early morning.
GARDEN
It seems silly to plant up more tomato plants when I have already done a dozen – How many tomatoes do I need! The same with the roses – my red ones will continue as before, but this year I have loads of yellow ones and maybe some black, white, pink, etc. It is always exciting to see what appears – I plant random bulbs and things and then forget about them. Last year it was evening primrose and chicory that I did not plant, and fennel that just appears in odd places, I did plant some 5 years ago and even found some plants in the gutter 50m down the street. Rosemary is slowly spreading as is the sage. Mints are variable and the labels for most have gone missing! Nasturtiums are doing well and so is the lemon coriander which is supposed to attract friendly predators.
Few birds in the dawn chorus again – just a loud blackbird and a couple of pigeons. Also no butterflies yet – I have stinging nettles and buddlia amongst everything but no sign yet – it is sunny but cold and windy today. just made some bread – OK’ish.
The JamJam Journey: Crafting Homemade Delights
OK so my nick name has nothing to do with jam – it was my granddaughter’s corruption of gran I think. However I have made a lot of jam! mainly strawberry as I live 30 minutes from Warrens Farm shop in Draycott who sell the best strawberries – ever? And now I have my own label thanks to Aaron at Sandford Stores, North Somerset.
Orders cannot be placed as it is friends only! I have just made first 2kg and plan more tomorrow. Will I need a label for pickled onions? Maybe one for Kate to design? Other ones? Tomato recipes – not sure where to concentrate if this summer leads to a bumper crop? Suggestions welcome – the JamJam brand will expand? maybe pots of dried herbs? Or if I get clever rose petal scent?
SPRING
Wow – sunny and eventually warm. i just went and got jam strawberries from Draycott – they had none so picked a tray for me so I now have over 2kg of strawberries to hull and make into jam. Last weeks strawberries were bordering on orgasmic, these are just as good. i woke up early and was sad – it was quiet outside – I was hoping for a rousing dawn chorus. I only live 100m from woods but all was quiet until the blackbird and some doves started a duet.
Weather looks fair for next week, 10% chance of rain later, but 10% is like a heavy dew, right? So I will be watering every day from now until October! garden is rioting and out of control – brilliant! My yellow rose bush might have over a hundred blooms, I will wait and see how the newest arrivals do – a mearly black rose would be good if it can grow a little. Shropshire Lady rose is already in bloom (pink) and red rose not yet. But there are 8 others of various sizes and scents and blooms! I might take some to the shop – see what happens? On which – tomato plants were £4.50 each at Draycott. I know this is expensive but I have already promised most of my 50 seedlings away. I will plant a few more in greenhouse – 4 pots so maybe 8 plants and then save a few for braving the patio and front garden.
TOMATO PLANTS
I have just planted up into big pots the first 8. A second lot will be done early next week – I will see how these get on. Lemon coriander and nasturtium doing ok. Chillies not so good. hanging baskets slow but it has been chilly at night. Apple blossom good, vine has leaves, as do the mulberry trees in the front. Apricot not flowering this year – maybe next. Wisteria in bloom – lovely. Lily is doing ok after mouse attack just one of three destroyed. Bulbs do not like me so summer collection have not sprouted – yet?
Yet to plant are coriander and basil. I might try a wild flower mix in the paper/card trays that have come with pots in the post. If I plant them in the greenhouse, then put out on the grass when they start to fall apart, the roots should grow through the board? Worth a try?
Garden
22 April – 50 tomato plants now 10mm high – labels are awry! so a bit random – plum, cherry, normal – whatever! I will put them 2×2 into pots in greenhouse = 16, then another 10 in pots out front and on patio. So about 30 to give away – Aaron and Kate have had a couple so far, Matthew might like a few and then the children. I also just put in basil seeds. Nasturtium are doing ok. Pretty woman lily seems ok, and bird of paradise lily slower, no sign of flame lily yet. Lemon trees are looking OK’ish. Wall flowers are blooming lovely. What else will come up? Exciting to see if evening primrose and chicory reappear this year. Rose plants look ok so I hope to have yellow, red, black, white, pink and more.
OMG WHAT A PLONKER!
So Trump says tariffs are going well – that is a bit like a football match and the teams line up – and saying that the match is going well! Stock markets around the world are falling, American businesses are having to pay more for raw materials, even if the product replaces imported ones. Other countries have not responded with their own tariffs – yet.
It makes no sense logically to impose tariffs on countries like the UK which have a nagative trade balance with the States? Personally I believe there are better ways to hit back rather than imposing tariffs in return. Making on line warehouse firms like Amazon pay high street rents would benefit the High Street too. Reciprocal tariffs will add to inflation at a time when firms are already struggling with new taxes and wages. The on line safety law should give a warning to social media companies – alternatives are available! Clamping down on the use of tax havens would be a brilliant start too.
Much is being said about pension funds. Those paying in will get more shares for their contribution than in the past, those like me with smallish pension pots will see their value decrease, but unless actively using the capital it makes little difference. So the press will make a big deal about nothing (except for the few caught. The press have made headlines with $trillions wiped off value – but then when you look at the figures it is a max of 5% fall so far. That might add up to trillions, but for the likes of me it means nothing even though I have a pension fund.
And the weather – temperatures are up but with a cold east wind it does not feel like it! It is windy. Just watered the greenhouse and tomato plants are doing well, as are the bedding plants for the hanging baskets, which are full already. I have planted nastutiumas I actually love eating them – other fads are ok, e.g. avocado – its ok but bland?
PLANTS
Just planted :- lobelia ultra cascade; Nicotina eu de cologne; Petunia double orchid; petunia frenzy; Rudbeckle all sorts; Verbena quarts; bacopia Snowtopia; B.Lotto; B. Ormandy; gazania tiger stripes; geranium jackpot; impatiens busy lizzie island. I will put rest of lavender out next week.
GARDEN
Hanging baskets planted with mixed begonia – I will not hang them quite yet – it should rain a little later and once hung they have to be watered everyday. Heater is on in the greenhouse for the tomatoes – so they will need waterint every day! Snake plant given to Aaron – below
I will split the remaining plant and the one in the bedroom to grow more!
Temperatures of 5C night to 16C day. So I might risk a bit more planting basil, sweet peppers, and then maybe buy a cucumber plant or 2. We are due a hot summer.
I have rosemary and lavender plants to put out tomorrow – by the path I think. Roses are looking good too – maybe 10 different ones, from almost black to deep red and also yellow and pink. Herbs are looking good, well rosemary and sage and bay are, the rest need a little more time – I need to weed/repot mints and then wait and see what else comes up – I think fennel will reseed (it was growing along the road in the gutter! and I hope the chicory and evening primrose make a welcome appearance.
Saw 2 brimstone butterflies yesterday which was great – I need to put the bee hotel up – by the kitchen side window I think – facing east for early morning warmth and avoiding heat of the day during our long hot summer.. On which, will the water companies whose reputation is trashed already by sewage and rising costs, cope with the negative publicity when they impose hosepipe bans and worse?
SPRING IS SPRUNG
Well during the day it is – temps up to 19C here so … I have put in tomato seeds and some bulbs. Next up are some aubergine seeds and californian poppy and some lavendar seeds. The rest can wait until next month.