Tag Archives: Monty Don

We’re pushing the (seed) envelope again

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The shoots are coming through from one of the chitted seed spuds we planted in a big pot in a Monty Don style. We’ll stick an old jam jar on the top as soon as we’ve covered it with some more soil as you never know it’s still frost season and it has been cold in the mornings here.

Talk about being keen, we’ve even stuck a tomato plant outside (talk about a gardening sin of sins) after a quick harden off (keeping it outside during the day and bringing it back in at night) over the last few days so it could get used to the weather outdoors rather than the warmth of the kitchen windowsill.

We covered it with a small plastic cloche that we found in the street years ago and then covered that with another larger plastic cloche. We’ve been influenced by the great Bob Flowerdew there as we reckon that’s the sort of thing he may do. Looks a bit mad but why not as they say. It may be too much for the poor plant but we’ll take either one or all of the protection off when we get a warm day. It’s all about giving it a go and getting one step ahead.

Awakening of the beast

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It seems like it was only the other week we were planting the strange looking root crown of the Foxtail Lily (AKA Eremurus). In fact it was at the start of October (post here) that we purchased another crown from Shannon’s and this afternoon whilst tipping around in the garden we noticed it peeking its head through the ground. Fingers crossed the forthcoming cold weather won’t knock it for six (in the morning we’ll probably stick a cloche or a bit of fleece over the top for added protection).

We’ve just found a clip from an old Gardeners’ World featuring Monty Don on the Eremurus and how you plant the root crown here.

And here’s another plug for the Weeds related musical project Madtone with their tribute to the said plant “Foxtail Lily Dub (Beaming to the Caribbean)” which has been getting some super support from the likes of Andrew Weatherall, Dr Strangedub from The Echo Chamber on KFAI, the dread gardener Don Letts, Justin Robertson and more. A big cheers to them! Watch out for a vocal version of the tune in the next few months!  #FoxtailLily #shortwavesnotdead

 

Monty Don and a Philippe Starck toilet seat

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It’s been a bonkers week what with the kids going back to school and we also had a new toilet fitted. The last one used to randomly whistle and sing in the middle of the night, think of Aled Jones’ “we’re walking in the air” at 4am! The new one is a plush old thing obtained off our “Portuguese man with a van”. It was ripped out of a house in Chelsea as the posh owner didn’t like it after her bathroom was refurbished. Nearly new toilets eh, is that this years new thing? Turns out it’s a Philippe Starck and costs £300 new, we were getting it for £25 but as our man broke the seat in transit so we got it for nothing, bargain eh? Not really, the new seat will cost £50+ to replace! Designer loos eh, who needs the stress?

Popped into the garden centre yesterday to get something to stick in the area that the potatoes used to occupy (even the kids were starting to say “we don’t have to have spuds EVERY night do we?”). One thing with the internet, you might be able to get cheap plants but one thing you don’t get is good advice and a bit of banter. Our local garden centre is a family run affair and they’re used to my off the wall questioning. What’s good about them is that they are glad to pass on the information which I think is what it’s all about! Use your local garden centre, you’ll find out some great info, get great recommendations and keep the owners off the dole!

I got some over-wintering cabbages, a tray of twelve for £3, which ain’t bad even though my wife thinks the slugs will have them. When choosing something to plant, remember the crop rotation rule, the cabbages are in a different family to spuds, not ideal straight away after potatoes but they’ll do. I gave the area a good old hoe, took out any weeds and stones, made a slight depression and filled the row with a bucket’s worth of compost from the council supplied plastic bin started earlier this year. I spaced the plants out using a trowel’s length as a guide, firmed the plants in and gave them a water before the sun hit the area (I soaked the seedlings in the tray an hour before too). Voilà, two rows of slug food! It’s funny as the night before I watched Monty Don do exactly the same thing (not that I am influenced by the telly or anything, honest!)