Category Archives: Jazz Gardening

Opening a can of worms

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The Sunday just gone we were given a small water bottle full of worm liquid AKA worm wee or if you want the technical name, leachate. This supposedly good liquid fertilizer (which needs to be diluted probably one to ten parts water depending on how strong it is) is basically the run off from a wormery and different from worm tea that you hear about which is a brew made using worm castings. We will keep you updated on how we get on with it.

We did a google search for wormeries which took us to this great article about alternative composting methods from the great Bob Flowerdew on his website. There is a little bit on worms but there’s far more on other novel methods. Have a look here for the article. Through this we found a great page of links of Bob’s gardening articles called Best of Bob. Have a butcher’s here for some informative reading!

Rainbows over Lewisham

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Yesterday the weather forecast on the telly said it was officially the first day of spring even though we thought spring started around the (spring) solstice but what do we know? We’ve just looked online and here’s the official line: “The spring season associated with the vernal equinox, called astronomical spring, occurs on or around March 20, but meteorologists recognize March 1st as the first day of meteorological spring, which is based on annual temperature cycles and the Gregorian calendar.” Ah so now we know.

It’s been a weird mix of rain and sunshine here today and on the way back from an early morning jaunt to see if they had any gardening based centre-aisle specials in Lewisham Lidl, we caught a rainbow (above).

This afternoon between the showers we tidied up the bed next to the garage, trimmed off any dead wood and gave the soil a good hoe over. A couple of days previous we cut the lawn (giving it three quick cuts as it was so overgrown. We did the old council springtime trick of first cut of the mower on long and then two “shorts”, also a rake in-between every cut) it looks a bit better now and another cut in a week will have it looking great. For a maximum “crisp” look to a lawn, tinker around the edges with some clippers or a strimmer.

Whenever you think the season starts, watch the weather as it’s well cold tonight and for God’s sake don’t be fooled just because we have a couple of sunny afternoons of late that spring has finally sprung.

 

This time there is no talk of old washing machines

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And going through records for the shortwave mix when we found “Step Forward Youth” featuring Prince Jazzbo, I-Roy and The Aggrovators we also came across this wonderful EP by L. Pierre (one Aidan Moffat of Arab Strap) called Touchpool from 2005 on Melodic Records.

While trying to find the tracklistings, it took us a few minutes to realise that they were printed on the inside of the cover. It’s a great 12″ with eight tracks on it and the above Total Horizontal (at nearly ten minutes long) is a good place to start exploring!

We’re just looked on the Melodic Records Bandcamp and found some further wonderful stuff from L. PIerre (alongside the odd release from Bogshed, now’s that’s a name from the past). This track Weir’s Way is something else, it really is.

 

And here’s something else released by Aidan. Now this is mad and as the text on the track says “See anyone who tells you things were better when they were young? They’re talking shite.”

The Bedworth musical connection

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The other week we had a bit of nostalgia for second-hand shops that smelt of damp and mould (Post here). Recently whilst going through records for a shortwave mix we found an ace LP called “Step Forward Youth” featuring Prince Jazzbo, I-Roy and The Aggrovators with a stamp from one of the shops we visited that day.

 

We checked on google to see what the shop is now and of course we weren’t expecting it to be Westminsters New and Used Furniture as we’re talking 1978/79. It was worth tapping it in though as what a nice suprise we had to see it now as Keith Richard’s Hairdressing. Great stuff, we love it!

Life is one big circle innit?

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And they’re off! It’s taken nearly three weeks for the Chillies to germinate in the propagator with the lid and the Lemon Drop (aka Lemon-flavoured Aji from Peru) are the first to show their faces. We’re now waiting for the Pretty in Purple and Albertus Rotoco to get going now. We started them early and know some chillies are hard to germinate due to some of the seed being dormant so even at this early stage we are chuffed.

And the Tomatoes which were started in an uncovered tray are slowly starting to grow. These above are the (first vertical row) San Marzano (second row) Florentino which we are sure we obtained from a Glengall Wharf Gardens SE15 seed swap from two or three years back and (third row) a Cherry Tomato called Cerise from those 6 in 1 vegetable pack from Ebay. Springtime we’re waiting for you to spring!

A nice dub for a once frosty Saturday

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What was funny, yesterday we were considering giving the lawn a cut after work as the weather was sunny and bright in the morning. Come 5pm the heavens opened, there was a flash hailstorm and then overnight there was a frost. The weather eh?

To take your mind off the cold here’s a nice dub from Mikey Dub which is the B side of the also great “Causeless shall not come” by Don Hartley. Cheers to Thomas at Explorations in dub for sending us this.

The great indoors

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Thanks to Debby H for sending us pictures of her collection of indoor plants. Because until recently, she didn’t have a garden; she has an abundance of them. As we here at Weeds are not very good with houseplants, we love to see other people’s. The flowering cactus (above) looks great.

Now the picture above is brilliant, the Orchid is blooming and there’s a healthy looking Pineapple. We didn’t even know you could grow them here, even indoors! More on growing Pineapples here.

Debby wrote “I grew the Strelitzias AKA Bird of Paradise plants (above) from seed about 5 years ago. We are hoping they may flower sometime.” Wow and when they flower…

“I also grew the Canna (below) from a tiny plant. Last year it flowered continuously with beautiful bright red flowers. The Canna lives outdoors in the summer. We put the Strelitzias out too, but they hated it and wilted every day there was any sun! Strange because they generally live outdoors in warmer climates.” Brilliant stuff Debby, thanks a lot for that and do send us some picture updates and also when the strelitzias flower as that’ll be great.

Radio (and Gardening) connects us all!

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Thanks to Wlad (US7IGN) from Ukraine for getting in touch this week with some pics of his germinating dill seeds and sprouting garlic and potatoes that are all looking healthy. For some reason the old trick of cutting up seed potatoes in two so you can have two potato plants instead of one just came to mind. We are sure it was a reader of the blog who sent us that tip many moons ago.

His good friend Sergiy (UT3UFD) has now started off a date palm and he’s also got that great looking banana plant and the both are growing well. Brilliant stuff and good to hear from you Wlad, keep us up to date how the plants are getting on!

The interview keeps on coming

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As we posted up the Andrew Weatherall at the Chinwag night at Outlaw Yacht Club, Leeds 2013 mix yesterday, we were reminded of the brilliant interview with Andrew by our good friend/Steroid Abuse DJ Chris Madden from the same evening. It’s a six parter but well worth watching!

The music keeps on coming

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It’s been four years since the passing of the great Andrew Weatherall can you believe. We saw on Facebook a link to this great mix from Outlaw Yacht Club, Leeds 2013 (from a great night presented by our good mate Chris Madden) and we just had to share it. The mix starts off with Big Youth, Ari Up, Dr Who in dub then goes into rockabilly and much more and you know what? It’s downloadable. RIP Andrew Weatherall.