More is less

It’s funny, we’ve had a week off work and one job we specifically wanted to do was tidy the front garden. Well how come we spent so much time in the back then?

The other day we tidied up the bed near the house and we blocked off the end of it and made a small veg plot (above) using old crazy paving slabs. In the top right-hand corner of the pic you can just see the seed potatoes in hanging bags (off the strange coat holder thing we found in the street). We chose growing the spuds like that this year as we hoped it will be easier to harvest them rather than the usual forking them up in the ground only to accidently leave some in that’ll wind us up next year.

Today we cut down a load of overhanging branches of the Pyracantha over the pond and gave the Ivy which is holding up the back fence a light cut. The last time we removed Ivy in force was on the front garden wall during lockdown. It looked great after the job but a couple of weeks later part of the wall fell down so we’re taking no chances this time.

The pond area is now looking a bit bare but we now have a blank slate to think of what to grow between the cracks in the slabs. If you remember we had lots of broken ones to get rid off as we took up a large paved area in front of the back door which we subsequently grassed over. There was no way we could hire a skip to get rid of them so stuck them around the pond. It may look a bit sterile but at least it keeps the weeds down. Touchwood we may start on the front tomorrow. Or will we?

How much more can you fit into a raised bed?

A few years ago just before lockdown we were given some ace pallet box collars which were ideal to be used as raised beds. The one above is packed to the brim now so God knows what it’ll be like later this season. The top contains some giant garlic, below that from left to right: parsley, the early tomato plant under one of the two cloches and in the third column an end part of some shop-bought celery which is regrowing. Below that some marjoram bought from Shannon’s years ago and a solitary egyptian onion. That’s one variety pack of a raised bed isn’t it?

Above is a simpler arrangement of some giant garlic with a seed potato stuck in the middle. We may get away with it what with hopefully harvesting timings but who knows. The seed spuds we put in a couple of large pots are doing well (below), fingers crossed we’re into the frost-free zone now.

Also we’re starting to use some of the nettle tea we made a few weeks and and starting to get some comfrey veaves going for a herbal compost brew. It all helps and it’s all free.

Imaginary vibes all served in a Collins glass

Below is the studio version of Sunday night’s Skybird Supper Club Imaginary Lounge Episode 2 live from Paris, Maine programme on WRMI for your chilled out, silk dressing gown wearing, listening pleasure.

At 39.49 in is One Deck Pete with a mix called “There’s someone sleeping in my lounge again” mix and here’s the tracklisting:
Opal Vessel – Libidine
Sounds for the office by コディ (Kodi?) – Clocking in
Godspeed – Night crawling

So enjoy your complimentary totally free cocktail possibly the “73” (Premium Vodka, Vanilla Liquor and half a Guiness), slump down on the sofa and chill out to the show. To apply for your free cocktail there’s more details of the offer at 1 minute into the transmission above (*Subject to availability of course.)