Popped into Shannon’s today for a few bits and saw on sale a variety of Crocosmia called ‘Lucifer.’ How mad is that? This variety wins our “heavy metal plant-name of the week” competition. What next, a crocus called “fake leather jacket and biker’s boots?” The NWOBHM revival starts in this greenhouse!
AKA Is this the summer or are we in a perpetual state of hoping for one?
I’ve haven’t long got back from a family break in Camber Sands. The night before I left for the seaside I gave the garden a good old dousing with a hose, thinking it wouldn’t get another drop until I got back. All through that evening and during the night it tipped it down, great eh?
Yesterday I popped into my local supermarket to “get some bits” and said to the chap behind the till, “where’s the sun gone, mate?” as it wasn’t the best of days weatherise.
I thought I’d just get a smile or a jokey reply but he came back with a long bonkers theory that the british government are firing chemicals into the atmosphere during the evening (so no-one will see) to make sure our summers only last a few weeks or even days. The conversation went like that for a few minutes much to the disgust of the long queue forming behind me (he was the only one serving!)
I nodded and picked up my shopping bags. Judging by the weather forecast for the next few days, perhaps he’s right! 
One thing in the garden that seems to like the rain, is the mad butternut squash that has filled the square bed at the side of the garden (only one squash on it though) and now trying to climb up the plum tree. Madness!
This evening I popped into Robert Dyas where it’s half price seed time again. I was told by the assistant that the offer is only for another week or so, get in there quick! I bought a mixed pack of herbs (basil, coriander, chives and parsley) for the bargain price of £1.50. Not bad for an indoor herb garden for winter!
I also learnt a new word this week courtesy of Gardening with Tim & Joe on BBC Radio Leeds. The excellent Graham Porter who was standing in for Joe mentioned that Petrichor is the word for that earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. Well, I never!
Here’s a great tune as played by Tom Ravenscroft over the past few months which has been on my mind this week. It’s by Rozi Plain called Actually on Lost Map records. Apart from being a lovely tune with a video that’ll put a smile on your face, the video features a bit of T’ai chi sword form and what looks like a bit of Yang style. More T’ai chi in music video’s please!
And finally on the subject of China here’s what arrived through the post after three month’s wait (plus free gift!) Possibly the best name variety of Poppy there is!
It’s all gone a bit courgette-centric around here at the moment. A big shout to our good mate Paul W for sharing with us a pic of his first ever courgette (above). It was grown in a raised bed from a plant bought outside Charlton train station in May this year on his way home from work (four plants for two quid, a bargain or what?) Great stuff Paul! 
Our courgettes are doing are doing well too (above) not bad from a packet of seeds from the seed swap earlier this year.
Last weekend another good mate was telling me that the two things on his allotment that never fail are courgettes and beetroot which incidentally are two great crops for someone who fancies starting out gardening. As long as you give them enough water and a feed every now and again you’ll get good results. In the case of courgettes, keep picking them when they are young (and watch they don’t turn into a marrow-like affairs) and you’re onto a winner. Don’t blame me though if you get a glut of the things though!
On the subject of gluts, anyone out there have any good recipes for courgettes? Send them to onedeckpete (a) gmail.com or leave a comment on this post.
Big thanks to our good pal Reverend Milo Speedwagon for his contribution to the second of Greenhouse Classics, a spot where one and all get to choose a tune to blast out while in the potting shed, down the garden pond or while stirring your Comfrey liquid.
The good Reverend picks a lovely tune from C Duncan (who’s been featured on Weeds here before) called “Garden” aptly enough. It’s one to enjoy loud while putting your feet up after turning over those beds you’ve been meaning to do for years.
As Milo explains “Imagine a bunch of hippy gnomes slowly emerging from the undergrowth…they sing this song while gently stroking your weary head, pampering your inner soul and softly sending you off to the end of the garden to fetch their cup of tea that’s just right for drinking now…..that’s where this tune takes me.” Just wonderful Milo!
We’d love to hear your Greenhouse 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 and we’ll take it from there.
Remember as that long forgotten punk group sang, “No Genesis, Cliff or The Rolling Stones… in 2015!” as a refusal often offends.
Here’s the first of a new feature called “Greenhouse Classics” where we stick up a tune to be played loud while out in the garden or repotting in the greenhouse.
The first one in the series is a personal favourite of ours from 1964 by M Robinson called Follow You found in a junk shop in Coventry in the late 70’s for 10p. Originally picked up on a blank seven inch, I bought another version recently on Coxsone Dodd’s Port of Jam label where it was tucked away on a B side to a tune called Who Are you. Turn it up and open up those greenhouse doors!
Fancy contributing to Greenhouse Classics? It’s easy, send us your nomination with a youtube/soundcloud link to onedeckpete (at) gmail.com (or leave a comment on this post) and we’ll feature it on the blog. Any genre is welcomed, old or brand spanking new, we’re not fussy as long as it’s good. Non-gardeners welcomed too!
Please note: No Thin Lizzy’s or Dire Straits as a refusal often offends.
I made a bit of a slip-up today and now have to buy a new pair of gardening gloves.
I was tidying up a comfrey plant that was getting out of control and snipped off some excess leaves as you do. I then decided to add the cuttings into some comfrey liquid that’s been fermenting in a bucket down the bottom of the garden for a couple of months or so.
The leaves went in, followed by my (gardening) gloved hands. The gloves had to be thrown away straight away and my hands thoroughly scrubbed!
I’m still haunted by that smell of rotting comfrey and can’t get the putrid smell out of my nostrils. Horrible stuff! (More on how to make liquid comfrey feed here.)
On the way home from work tonight I walked past some stuff in the street outside a house. There was an old portable TV set and a couple of prints of famous jockeys on horses in broken picture frames. Beside them was a note saying “Take Me” on it.
A few minutes later, I passed a woman with a very heavy looking rusty iron clock-face about 6 foot high. The woman was leaning against a wall well out of breath, waiting for a cab as she couldn’t carry the clock-face to the bus stop. She told me she’d won it off ebay for £6.50 and had just collected it from the seller. My thought was “and much will it cost you to get it home?”
These two events made me think of one of our Sounds From The South episodes from christmas last year called “Take Me I’m Yours” about finding stuff in the street or on a skip, a subject that is dear to our hearts.
All of our other Sounds From The South podcasts are archived on i-tunes here or Stitcher here.
https://soundcloud.com/weedsuptomeknees/sfts-19-sounds-from-the-south-take-me-im-yours
Yesterday I was floored by a horrible bug that knocked me for six and rendered me useless, yet when I woke up this morning I felt right as rain (well, near enough.) I popped out and got a couple of plants from Shannons and spent a bit of time forking over the front and back gardens before it got too hot. Big up Summer!
The latest purchase from shannons (above) and (below) a couple of squash plants going mad!
It’s been a lovely day today with the sun showing its face so why not crank these two up loud while you’re sitting in the back garden with a glass or two of your favourite tipple and take in the scent of the night scented stock this evening.
First off, a great mix from Brooklyn’s Ratatat from Tom Ravenscroft’s show last week. It’s only short, but features tunes from Jay Z, Ratatat, Sebastien Tellier and Aphex Twin. Listen here.
Also thanks to Rt Hon David Rodigan for letting us know about the new single with a great video from Alborosie – Rocky Road. Tune!
Weeds up to me knees 
