Tuber, tuber, tuber

Posted on July 14, 2018 by onedeckpete

We usually lift our Dahlia tubers in the autumn and stick them under the stairs in a paper bag to dry out and then return them to the ground in the spring but this year we didn’t and feared for the worst. We shouldn’t have as the two plants are giving us a spectacular display this year.

We’ve had a bit of blackfly on them but they’ve now seemed to vanish. We’ve given them a bit of TLC in the form of regular watering and a weekly feed of comfrey liquid and loving the results. All from a couple of tubers bought in Shannon’s a few years ago! Anyone out there got any nice varieties we can show on Weeds? Pictures please…

Bean pole idea of the week

Posted on July 7, 2018 by onedeckpete

The other week we went over to an open garden event in Blackheath and had a lovely afternoon in some fantastic surroundings and even dipped a hand into our pockets at the plant sale there. While in the veg garden this bean pole idea (above) caught our eye. We very much doubt that the rusty looking metal things that are holding the bamboo canes in place have anything to do with garden centres (they’re probably something off a building site or in a steel-fixers toolkit) but we could be wrong. It’s a great idea though! If you know what they are actually are (and if you can buy them at garden centres) answers on a postcard please.

And two other good ideas if you’re thinking of picking up some tunes this weekend. The first the Aimes mix of Cloud Nine by Joe Morris and the next a belter from yesteryear from the excellent Johnny Clarke called Blood Dunza/Dub Dunza. May the sun reign this weekend and while we’re asleep we get a bit of rain.

That was the week that was

Posted on July 6, 2018 by onedeckpete

It’s been one hell of a hot week! The first off is a lovely dub by Da Grynch of Curtis Lynch feat Maxi Priest‘s Do you remember that the Rt Hon David Rodigan played a version of on last Sunday’s show. A tune!

The second is a free talk next week about the humble Potato! by Simon Smart a potato researcher at the National Institute of Agriculture. That kicks off on Thursday 12th July at 6pm at Shoe Lane Library. More info below or contact the library here.

What a whopper (and other well-worn cliches)! The pic below is for some sort of old-time stereo-viewer that we bought at Covent Garden’s tourist antique market for the crazy price of two quid on Monday just gone. That is one big plant, look at the people at the bottom!

Seeds, tips and tunes

Posted on June 25, 2018 by onedeckpete

Big shout to Stevie B, Fenny and Jim for playing this tune on Saturday’s On The Wire and what a lovely bit of reggae it is, from San Diego’s Tribal Seeds (more on their soundcloud here).

Another great tune this time straight out of Yorkshire on the mighty Scotch Bonnet Records from Danny T, Tradesman featuring Mark Iration called Up Deh. Tune!

Also a big shout to all at the Thompson & Morgan gardening blog for including one of our tips in their latest post “Expert gardening tips for beginners” which contains some great gems of info for beginners and non-beginners alike. Do have a look at the post here.

For all ambient greenhouse crew

Posted on June 21, 2018 by onedeckpete

So the slugs have devoured your seedlings, your brussels have clubroot and there’s blight on your Mountain Magic. Never mind, get into some loose clothing, lie down and drop out to this seven minutes of blissed electronica from Pariah. Forget about the garden for now, those pests can wait! #trippinginthegreenhouse

November spawned a monster

Posted on June 12, 2018 by onedeckpete

A few photos of the state of play in the Weeds garden at the moment. There’s fun and frolics in the pond with the goldfish and this year’s batch of tadpoles and it’s not looking too murky in there at the moment. There’s no sign of that thieving Lewisham heron either thanks to the folks at Shannon’s for telling us to put pea netting over the top of the pond (with a few escape routes dotted about for the local mini-wildlife).

The poppies are doing their thing too. Any seed heads that form we dry out and distribute around the garden so they’ll come back next summer.

The vegetable bed at the bottom of the garden has moved on since last month. The spuds are on their way, the alderman peas are starting to grow and we’re finally seeing the runner beans germinate. And about time too!

I’ll meet you in the balearic greenhouse

Posted on June 11, 2018 by onedeckpete

Two for a Monday, the first Utopia – Sunshine Life (Beatconductor Dub) starts on a funky tip with a heavy synth bassline and a “Now that we found love” type vibe going on then going into a nice 70’s reggae thing. One to play when the sun’s out!

And the second, a great mix from Phil “The Ambient Toothgrinder” Mison and Jose Padilla in tandem from many years ago in sunny Southend to stick on and blast out of the back doors in the evening when you’re filling up those beer traps for the slugs to wander into.

Reading and listening recommendations – Stardate 29/5/2018

Posted on May 29, 2018 by onedeckpete

Two things to get stuck into. Firstly a big thanks to Mark at the Thompson & Morgan blog for including one of our tips in the interesting “Seed and seedling tips…” post here that’s worth having a look at. There’s lots of other posts on the blog that’ll hopefully float your gardening boat too.

Also the above has been listened to twice today, “Greetings music lover” the story of one of our favourite shows “On The Wire” on BBC Radio Lancashire and Steve Barker who keeps it all together. It’s a lovely documentary about a very interesting radio show. Big up On The Wire!

Now bacon is off the ration…

Posted on May 24, 2018 by onedeckpete

The complete vegetable grower – W.E. Shewell-Cooper – Faber & Faber 1955
Here’s a great book picked up in a charity shop in lovely Sudbury last week. First published in 1955, it describes itself as a “book for the amateur who wants to grow all his/her own vegetables and save him/herself at least £100 a year”. It covers subjects as crop rotation, soil structure and composting and has a comprehensive section on “The culture of vegetables alphabetically” covering growing tips, harvesting and using the vegetable featured.

The chapter “Unusual vegetables for original gardeners” sounds like a name of a Buzzcocks live LP and features all sorts of veg, some we knew, the asparagus pea for instance and lots we didn’t: Good King Henry, the Potato Onion and Couve Tronchuda.

Amazing what you learn from those old school gardening books from a time when blokes wore shirts and ties down the allotment. One to search out for!

Welcoming back that yellow thing in the sky

Posted on May 17, 2018 by onedeckpete

Here’s a lovely tune called Janet 50 from Smith & Mudd, with the top frenchman I:Cube on the mix. If this 7 minutes of joy don’t welcome the sun back into the garden, god knows what will! One to stick on (in the headphones of course) when getting the hose out at 7am to give those plants their morning soak.

And if you enjoy “tipping around” with a hoe later on in the day here’s a tune of the calmer variety from Everton Blender called Sing for Jah with a great dub to boot.

It’s good this gardening lark especially at this time of the year and it can only get better!

Weeds up to me knees

Madtone, gardening and life