Category Archives: Wildlife

The day the worm(s were) turned

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We spent an enjoyable hour out the back this afternoon just before the light began to fade and the air got colder. We did have plans of what we were actually going to do beforehand but an unknown force (guilt perhaps?) made us get a garden fork and head down the Dalek bin and give the heap one last turn.

Things are slowing up down there and the egg boxes we didn’t rip up a few weeks ago had to be done as half an large egg box don’t break down half as well as tiny pieces of egg box especially now that winter is nearly upon us.

Whilst turning with the fork using an ungloved hand our knuckles were grazed on the side as usual. When will we ever learn that those Daleks are okay but nothing beats your wooden made square bin with some carpet thrown on the top as a lid.

Compost ingredients in the picture above includes (fact fans): guinea pig straw (plus waste), egg boxes and a couple of sprouting onions. We’ll lift the lid off in the spring to see how it has progressed.

The next job if we get the time soon is to clean up the pond a bit as it’s looking a bit rough. We think it may have sprung a small leak as the brick to the bottom right of the pond has been visible for a long while now even though over the past few months we’ve had a bit of rain. The oxgenating plant that has taken over needs a clear out too. Pond life eh? It never stops!

Misty in dub

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The weather’s been alright up until last night when it felt more like winter. We even had a visit from the Lewisham Heron yesterday who couldn’t get any of the fish in the pond due to the fine pea netting thrown over the top and gave up his statuesque posing after a few minutes. This morning we woke up to the above, mist galore. We reckon they’ll be a few jobs to be done in the garden this weekend, digging up dahlia tubers maybe one of them!

And here’s a great tune for those cold dark nights indoors, A man called Adam‘s Tic Toc (Disco Rockers Dub). It’s excellent stuff indeed, a nice off the wall dub mix reminding us of those great dub B sides on scratchy seventies seven inchers.

Which made us think of another great interpretation of dub from Bronx Dogs of Sizzla’s Rain Showers another piece of clever mixer madness with some nice cut ups thrown in plus what sounds like Tubby’s “Squawky”. A nice tune that works very well even at 33!

And while we’re looking back a few years here’s a great tune Imperial from Lazy Boy that has a lovely dub interlude at 1.16 mins in which could go on for ever in our eyes!

Dub don’t you just love it?

On the first weekend of lockdown Argos sent to we…

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It was a lovely morning, this the first saturday of the second UK lockdown so a bit of gardening was in order. It was only a light bit of gardening as we don’t know how long we’ll be locked inside for this time so we’ll make all the jobs stretch just in case. Anyway with gardening we at Weeds always prefer the “little and often” approach every time.

It was mainly a tidy up of the beds in front of the “Dad corner”, getting rid of the old tomato plants and whatever had self-seeded there. As you can see we’ve a new feature, (well we’ve had it for ages but it’s been hidden by self-seeded nasturtiums) part of the front wall that came down when we took out the ivy that was holding it up in the first furlough.

Also yesterday we threw out an Argos slow cooker we had for years that was on its last legs not before commandeering the inner crockpot as something to stick over the rhubarb crowns to keep them warm and come spring “force” the rhubarb to grow that little bit earlier. We know an old crockpot is not as good as candlelight in heated outbuildings (that’s the commercial way of forcing rhubarb. More about the practice here) but it don’t look too out of place in the garden. If they ask, we’ll tell people that it’s an expensive “dedicated rhubarb forcer/warmer” bought on HP from a specialist plant supplier (no mention of Argos either).

There were even a few forgotten spuds from the raised bed found too! Gardening during lockdown brings many suprises!

Non-action and cherry tomatoes

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We love growing tomatoes here as you know and we usually strictly adhere to staking the plants up with wire ties to a bamboo cane, taking out any sideshoots and of course stopping the plants (by nipping out the top of the plant) after 4 or 5 trusses.

Well we usually do, but we had a self-seeded tomato plant at the bottom of the garden and we just left it to it’s own devices. It’s gone absolutely mad, it’s swamped out any weeds growing in the small corner bed it’s in, spilled out onto the path and if you look closely there’s a few cherry toms forming. Ain’t it great what happens when you stay out of the way!
#Wuweiandcherrytomatoes

Spikey tops in September

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It’s a lovely day here today in south London as the sun has made a bit of a comeback this weekend. The dahlias in the garden are looking great especially the deep red cacti ones (above). We love this half opened one (below) too which has a bit of a punk rock look about it!

Below are some plum tomatoes that are a bit of a mystery as we don’t even remember sowing them. Perhaps they were left over seed from the ones had a few years ago? The delights of a non-named seed envelope at the bottom of the seed box eh?

The sweet peas were a bit of a disappointment though this year (below) god knows why that happened. The sunflower beside it weren’t that brilliant either, perhaps the soil needs a good bit of organic matter?

Whilst on a jog come fast walk around the area this morning these great cacti dahlias (below) were spotted in a front garden near Catford. How good are those?

We hope the weather’s good your side and you’re enjoying the last little fling of summer!
#septembersunshine #haslockdownendedyet?

Animal Magic with Johnny Morris

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Yes, it IS a squirrel with a scone! She/he dropped it at the end of the apples trees yesterday on it’s travels and has been back today to claim it. The cats didn’t even bother him/her!

And at the bottom of the garden is the pond. We’re always fretting that if the water level gets below a certain brick in there (pic above) the pond is leaking. We reckon it’s to do with the lack of some decent rain (which we’re getting at the moment) but the mini frogs ain’t complaining as it’s THE most fashionable place to hang out down if you’re of the baby frog variety! #squirrelwithascone #frogsinlockdown

Still life (with worms attached)

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And the heat in there is impressive too! Look at the build up of brandling worms at the bottom. We’ve just seen on the web you can buy them, 100 for £11! All we did is put a wet piece of cardboard down the bottom of the garden. Two days later, worms! Thanks to the great Bob Flowerdew for that! #theuniverseinthecompostbin

Are we seeing things?

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It doesn’t take long for seeds to germinate in this weather. The above are from the mixed herb seed pack we bought from ebay and sowed on August 2nd, that’s been just a week! We kept the pots well misted/watered constantly especially in this heat. More on the seeds we bought here.

And this very odd photo above was taken about 11am this morning just after we watered a patch of grass that was looking well thirsty up near the house. If you look closely there are four cabbage white butterflies (we think, but we don’t know much about butterflies so it could have been any butterfly) who were in the process of jumping up and down and having a bit of a dance.

Or are they the Cottingley Fairies visiting London on the way down to the coast to have a break, who knows? #hallucinatinginlockdown #Isthelockdownoveryet?

Oi! Get off me stamen!

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Here’s a pic of one of the courgette/zucchinni flowers yesterday. We’re keeping the plants well watered, feeding them weekly and finding anything that resembles finished compost at the bottom of the dalek bin and sticking it around the plant as mulch. We’ve just found out this tip online as well: “Don’t use a fertilizer too high in nitrogen; it will diminish your yield.” We didn’t know that! Know any more good tips?

More on growing them here. #zucchinniinlockdown

Tomorrow never knows (it’s going to be 34 degrees)

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It’s a Thursday night and it was still 20 odd degrees outside a couple of hours ago when we gave the raised beds a watering, not the best time to do it we know but the plants are parched and have you seen the weather forecast for tomorrow? They’re going to need all the water they can get. On the way back and forth to fill up the watering can we passed this sad cabbage (above) and for weeks we’ve been thinking it’s on its last legs but it seems to keep going.

As we keep saying, it’s been a mad old year with the COVID19 lockdown but it’s forced us to grow more stuff in the garden and even given us time to give the plants a bit of TLC as we couldn’t go out anywhere. The raised beds have turned into a jungle and there’s a good bit of garden anarchy going on elsewhere, dahlia’s partnered with cabbages and a courgette/zucchinni plonked next to the silver birch we found in a carrier bag in the street three years ago (here) and more self-seeded nasturtiums than anyone could ever wish for.

The other day we picked a few green potatoes where the sun had got at them thus making them non-edible. We thought we’d throw them on the compost heap then thought of all the times we’ve pulled up sprouting potato skins from the beds and remembered a tip from Bob Flowerdew where he sticks weeds, potato skins and anything that may sprout again into a bucket of water. Then when the stuff is beyond redemption he sticks the mush into the compost bin. We’re giving it a try too, that bucket alongside the comfrey liquid on the go is making it a place of strange smells at the bottom of the garden! #lockdowngardening #dontsmellthosebuckets

And news just in…

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