An oldie from last year (but still a goodie) to play to those overwintering plants! Unknown Artist – Kultra 1 (Mark E)
One for the greenhouse hi-fi…
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Category Archives: Music to pot plants to
Ain’t bin to no music school
There was a frost this morning and mighty cold out, but I still managed to have a look at my third attempt of a compost bin. A fortnight ago it was filled to about three quarters of a way up with alternate layers of “green” and “brown” material but today when I lifted the lid, it’s gone down to about a third. It looks like things are happening even in this temperature. Today I threw in some veg peelings, ripped up sunday papers, a couple of cardboard middles of loo roll and some leaves, the same sort of material as usual. The neighbours must have thought I was mad taking snaps of it all.
The other attempt of a heap is going great guns too, after throwing in more “browns” and giving it a good turn with a garden fork a fortnight ago after it went slushy and smelly. I lifted off the top and it looked a rich brown colour and the number of writhing worms which were there have lessened, a sign that the thing is finally on it’s way!
I heard last week citrus peelings are a bit of a “no, no” to stick on the heap. I’ve looked for info and found conflicting reports. Any ideas as I throw in a few lemons over a week and really would like to get it right this time. Rot on!
Vinnie Riley’s musical project before he went a bit more “jokey”.
A date with the rain
In the days before the council introduced “wet money”, a couple of extra quid a month to work in all weathers, the rule was you didn’t work in the rain (“It’s a health and safety issue, ain’t it guv”). So at the first sign of grey clouds or even someone walking past in a raincoat, we would stop what we were doing, look up to the sky and put our hands out to see if we could feel rain and if we did, would make our way up to the shed for a few hours of tea drinking.
The hard and fast rule was if three cars passed consecutively with their windscreen wipers on, it was officially raining so we could stop work. How mad is that?
Rock, rock, plan it rock
As the garden is starting to wind down for the year, now is an ideal time to give it a bit of a spruce-up which will give you a head start when things liven up again in the spring.
I’ve raked up the last lot of leaves, bagged up some for leaf mould and stuck a few in the compost bin to add some “brown” to the kitchen peelings, tidied over the beds and generally made the garden look a bit more presentable.
If you’ve anything in pots that needs protecting from the frost and snow move them into the shed, conservatory or greenhouse (if you are lucky to own one). If the pots are too big to move, stick some bubble wrap around the bottom to keep them from cracking. With plants you can’t move, protect them with some horticultural fleece or net curtains (a cheap alternative from the second hand shop or skip). A good layer of mulch around plants will keep the soil frost free and keep the moisture in. Cold frames and cloches come in well handy this time of year too. I sowed some overwintering Carrot and Lettuce seeds well late so have stuck a couple of mini cloches over them and hoping for the best.
Now is also a good time to plan what you want to grow next year. Make a list of what you fancy and have a look through the seed catalogues/on the web and see if there’s varieties suitable for your garden and climate. I’ve already ordered a few packets of seeds and they are now in my scottish shortbread tin, so by January I’ll be itching to start them off in trays on the kitchen windowsill (to the detriment of the paintwork which I have to redo every year!)
So like with anything else, a little bit of preparation and forward planning comes in handy with this gardening lark.
Platters from the potting shed
Two tunes to have on while checking out the seed catalogues on the cold nights to come.
Mustang – Nebula
Hollie Cook – Shadow Kissing
Do it properly!
I spent a couple of hours in the back garden today dodging the old boy next door (he wants me to cut back my apples trees) and started my third attempt at a compost heap. With two behind me, one woody and as dry as a bone, the other formerly a smelly slush but since adding more “brown” material, it’s now on its way, I’m making sure I go by the book with this one.
In the new year I’ll be attending the composting course at walworth garden farm for pointers in the right direction but in the meantime, no twigs or woody material, getting the right mix of “greens” and “browns” and adding the material in two inch layers into the free plastic bin I got off the council.
It was filled to about three quarters of the way full with layers of shredded newspapers, kitchen peelings, leaves, nettles, a few handfuls of rotting material with writhing worms from the other heap and a unmentionable liquid to start it all off. Fingers crossed!
There will be irregular updates of how it’s getting on.
Get up and use me
One thing I’ve learnt over the last few years being broke, is to make the most of what you’ve got and to reuse as much as possible. Bob Flowerdew, gardener’s question time panelist and recycler to the max, always comes out with brilliant ideas, reusing something ordinary in an unusual way that’ll benefit his garden, from old fridges as cold frames, knackered radiators as garden paths and thin strips from old venetian blinds as plant labels. Inventive eh?
Being broke shouldn’t stop you gardening, if anything it should inspire you to be more creative with whatever material comes to hand. I compost my garden/kitchen waste, collect autumn leaves and make leaf mould, reuse all plant pots after giving them a good clean and save all my bamboo canes for next years runner beans like everybody else does but here’s a few more ideas:
- Jam jars: Brilliant as mini-greenhouses for starting off seeds outdoors or giving those just planted seedlings some protection.
- Plug plant containers: Take out the plants, refill with compost, sow some seeds, water and hey presto more plug plants!
- Gardening twine/wire: Wrap onto a small bamboo cane rather than throwing away and use again.
- Long twigs and non thorny prunings: Use as “peas sticks” to support your prize peas!
- Scratched CD’s, jam jar lids and free DVD’s from the sunday papers: Thread twine through them and hang between bamboo canes to keep birds off your seed beds.
- Comfrey and nettle leaves: Make your own plant feed which will save you a fortune!
- Ice lolly sticks: Great as seed and plant labels.
- Margarine tubs, yoghurt pots, persil capsules (or similar) plastic tubs: Stick in a few drainage holes for great seed containers.
- Cardboard egg boxes and cardboard toilet roll holders: Double up the egg boxes for a good seed tray and use the toilet roll holder as a pot for seeds like corn that don’t like their roots being disturbed.
- Car tyres: A local nursery school has a few on top of each other as planters. They look a lot better than you think.
- Small metal dustbin: Drill a few large holes around the bottom of the bin for a great mini brazier for your garden or to take camping (thanks Marc for that top tip!).
- Old biscuit tins: Great for saving your seed packets in, you know I like a box!
The list is endless and the above is only a start. If you have any good recycling ideas post them up here as I love a good gardening tip like anyone else!
Gardening is my occupation
I was having a look at Scarlett Cannon’s excellent blog http://heavenlyhealer.blogspot.com/ and came across in her links, a great site of record sleeve art called record envelope http://crossedcombs.typepad.com/recordenvelope/ which led me to pull out one of my favourite reggae 7″ sleeves made out of a Jamaican Gold Seal margarine box, a great example of reggae recycling!
And if you love Reggae you’ll love http://www.iancauser.plus.com/jamaicanlabelart/
Save “On The Wire”!
A couple of weeks ago on the show, Steve Barker mentioned that the BBC will be soon be making cuts in their “drive for quality” initiative. It looks like they are thinking of replacing all local radio programmes in the evening sometime between now and April 2013. This will effectively cut all specialist shows over the whole of the BBC local radio network including On The Wire on Radio Lanchashire which has been running for over 25 years playing the best in reggae and left of centre gear. This is a cracking show which will sorely be missed if the blinking BBC have their way!
The proposals are subject to public consultation by the BBC trust. So fire off a letter now to Lord Patten, Chairman, BBC Trust, 180 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5QZ and tell him you disagree with the BBC’s initiative or go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust and look for the “consultation” button
Respect due to Steve Barker, Fenny and Jim.
Keep up the good work and don’t let the beeb trust grind your down!
Have a listen http://otwradio.blogspot.com/ and you won’t be disappointed!!
What do you listen to in the garden?
The other day I got an email from the TurnTableTerrorist (aka Terry C.) from the excellent show “Echo Beach” on WLUW-FM Chicago. He told me both him and his wife enjoy doing a bit of gardening and crank up some heavy dub while out there. What do you listen to while chilling in the garden or forking over the beds?
Also what’s the earliest you or your neighbours have been outside working the soil. The old gentleman next door to us was pruning Roses one Saturday morning last summer at the ungodly hour of 5.45am. That must be a record!
Give Echo Beach a listen!
http://wluw.org/station/show/echo-beach/
Weeds up to me knees 