Never mind the proms

An oldie but goodie from the great Chronixx over a  minimal 1990’s-like rhythm track that’s just been played over the soundsystem at the annual party and barbecue on the estate behind us tonight. shannons on a saturday_2It’s been said it’s good to talk to plants, well I hope the vegetables at the bottom of the garden are listening to the other good tunes being played at the party. Especially the seed onions and the spuds that I put in after an early morning visit to Shannon’s today.

The onions (Troy) will overwinter and  should be ready to harvest early summer and if all goes well weather permitting, the spuds will be ready for christmas, (but I am pushing it with the timescale!) The Iris’s went in the front garden and will be forgotten about until the spring, you bet come April I’ll say, “when did I put those bulbs in?”

It’s a good year for the roses

greenhouse classics_VicThanks very much to Vic Godard for getting in touch and picking this week’s Greenhouse Classic. It’s a great number with a gardening theme called “And roses and roses” by Astrud Gilberto. Short, sweet and on a floribunda tip!

Also a big thanks to G. (Mrs Godard) for sending a few words and some pics from their garden.Vic godard_5“It’s been a funny year weather wise, the early heat and sun meant many annuals and perennials flowered early and have now gone to seed, whereas the dismal August means some, like the Mirabilis Jalapas (aka four o’clock flower) are only now coming into their own.Vic Godard_3The bumper tomato yield is still ongoing and it looks like there will be enough beans to freeze and last throughout the winter, and it’s the first year we’ve seen pink flowers on the beans.Vic Godard_2Vic Godard_1I planted some old gladioli bulbs that Vic’s dad Harry found all dried up and papery in a drawer and surprisingly as you can see they all took!” Mrs Godard

If you remember from last years post, Vic’s dad Harry grows everything from seed; vegetables, annuals and even palms, how great is that! Thanks to Vic, G and Harry too!

That man is forward

greenhouse classics_JFThanks to our mate John F again for passing on another greenhouse classic; “a song to bring us some sunshine” but as he says, “is one tinged with sadness; the late, great Rico Rodriguez playing with the Special AKA who sadly passed away yesterday.” And he’s right R.I.P. Rico Rodriguez, a true reggae legend.

John sent us this link of a great video funnily enough shot at a legendary Coventry late-night eatery called “Noel’s Cafe,” features a few Coventry music-related celebs and doing a nice bit of dancing, our good friend The Rhythm Doctor who I either forgot or never knew was featured in this. Well I never!

One for the Big Youth tooth massive

can the world beLooks like I’ll be having another tooth pulled next week.This morning at just gone 8 am I ventured up to Guy’s Hospital Dental Department with a dull pain in one of my back teeth.

Three hours later after one long wait, a couple of examinations and an X-ray, I’ve now got an appointment on Wednesday to have an extraction. To keep my mind off the intermittent pain for the rest of the day this mix from Andrew Weatherall has been on repeat. Nice vibe, and very soothing for my teeth.

One for the autumn collection

Heard on Tom Ravenscroft’s show this week, a tune from Deerhunter called Snakeskin out on 4AD (home to the US Girls we featured a while back here). Loving the instrumental section three quarters of the way in. The tune takes a little while to sink in, but it will! One to play loud while you realise it’s near enough autumn.

To squash or not to squash

They must be firing chemicals into the atmosphere again (see post here for explanation) as it was lovely this morning, now the weather’s taken a turn for the worst.Butternut squashes away!Before it did rain I harvested the first of the (two so far) butternut squashes on one of the plants grown from seed. It might have the odd mark on it and a light slash down the side, but who cares!

It didn’t take much effort either, I sowed the seeds in May and popped a couple of them in each pot (of seed sowing compost) just in case only one germinated, as they were part of a job-lot of seed packets on e-bay where some had passed their “use by date” and pulled out the weaker of the two seedlings when they appeared. I waited until the first proper leaves appeared and put them in various parts of the garden after “hardening them off” first. Apart from weeding around the young seedlings and giving them a semi-regular feed of comfrey liquid (beware, it pongs a bit!) that was it. squash plant all over the placeThe plant that really took off was in one of the side beds which stalled for a couple of weeks then went absolutely mad, covering all the area and now trying to climb up the small plum tree and travel across the lawn. It’s an ideal plant if you’ve got a sunny corner or plot you want to cover for a season, just watch it though, as it will takeover!

The moral of this post is, butternut squash, it was easy, it was cheap (well cheap in fact!) GO AND DO IT (next year)!

My leeks are no Usain Bolt’s, let me tell you!

Rakim – It’s Been A Long Time [DJ Premier – Original Version]

It was sunny yesterday morning so I went out early in the back to tidy up the bottom bed, weeds were beginning to sprout there and bindweed was finding it’s way in too. I do like a bit of clearing and weeding as it also gives my headspace a chance of a clear-out too (man)!one clear bedFunnily enough I was going to “rest” that bed this year, but in February I obtained a great selection of stuff from the seed swap organised by Lewisham Gardens and Golightly Gardens (post here.) Then there was that bargain seed job-lot I won on ebay too (post here) and that’s apart from packets bought from the garden centre, so those seeds had to go somewhere!on a cheery tipIt started with some poppies, then it was beetroots, carrots and a couple of salad crops. Then I added a couple of different varieties of sunflower, parsnips, rocket, cornflowers and not forgetting there were some strawberry plants in already. It looked like a garden designer’s nightmare (below pic: the plot in the summer). So much for a “resting” bed with nothing in it!June_2015_2It’s like gardening itself though, once you start it’s difficult to stop. You go out for ten minute’s “tipping around with a hoe” and you return a few hours later after finding “another job I just had to do”.Tarrium and garlicOne thing though, a row of leeks that I started off from seed (above, in the seed tray in the “found in the street” terrarium taken around late February) are just about ready if I wanted to use them small. How long do they take to grow?Back bed leeks

Harvesting in harmony

greenhouse classics_Phil Harmony

Thanks to our good friend Phil Harmony of the Dubnight Radio Show out of Berlin for sending us this Greenhouse Classic. It’s a tune in a suitable vegetable growing vein from Israel Voice called Farm up the land. It’s a tune and a half and one for blaring out whilst out in the garden!

As  well as DJing and producing some rather fine tune-age, Phil grows his own produce organically on his 2.5m x1.50m (approx) balcony outside his flat in Berlin (see last year’s post here). For a small space it’s great how much he grows which includes peppers, raspberries, strawberries beans, basil and tomatoes.Phil Harmony Balcony_1

Phil Harmony Runner beans

Phil harmony a fistful of toms

Phil Harmony_balcony2

phil harmony strawberries

And a ginger plant started from a sprouting root from his kitchen, look at it now!

Phil Harmony _ GingerPhil Harmony PeppersThanks again Phil for the great greenhouse classic and the brill balcony gardening pics!

Any advice for an Edelweiss?

A big shout to our friend and musical collaborator Jazzmin Tutum out of Freiburg, Germany for getting in touch and sending us a photo of her ailing Edelweiss that she’d love to get back to it’s former glory after receiving it off a friend a few weeks ago.

EidelweissLooking online the general consensus is most of the species are short-lived (2-7 years) anyway, they thrive outdoors or in a big container with well-drained/loose soil (neutral to alkaline) rather than indoors, prefer dry than wet conditions but hardy as anything. If anyone out there has any advice to get this one (above) back to this sort of condition (below) please add a comment below.

Nice eidelweiss

Thanks also to Jazzmin for letting us know about her latest musical output called “Ci Ca Run Come” a great tune over the Celebrity Fever rhythm released on the Dub-o-phonic netlabel from Cyprus. The whole EP including Jazzmin’s track is well worth getting and is available free here.

The label has some other great free releases on it including artists who’ve had their gardens/plants mentioned on weeds, notably Med Dred (post here) and Haji Mike who also appears on the EP (post here.) It’s great to have another one of their artist’s up on here!

Any advice on the Edelweiss appreciated!

Jazzmin Tutum – Ci Ca Run Come – Dub-o-phonic Netlabel

In a Sunday morning (greenhouse) stylee

greenhouse classics_JFThanks to our friend John F for very kindly sending in his top suggestion for our regular spot of tune-age to blast out while gardening. As John says “Here’s a tune perfect for a Sunday morning in the Greenhouse!” and indeed it is! A classic from the late great Joe Higgs called “There’s a reward for me”. And what a tune! Thanks again John!

We’d love to hear your greenhouse/garden shed/potting shed/coal shed classic, never mind the genre, anything considered as long as it’s good. Send it to onedeckpete (at) gmail.com or comment on this post with a youtube link. Remember “No Marillion, Genesis or Yes as a refusal often offends.”