In the garden today tidying up and recording

Nice and Sunny today, so back out in the garden and recording events after tidying up all round.

Just another day

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Today took some photos of my bramley apples which are on a new tree which has`nt been planted very long, so am very pleased as they will accompany all the blackberries that we have been picking over the past two or three weeks from our neighbours hedges, so don`t have far to go afield for that!

 

 

Have also treated myself to a new electric Garden Tiller which arrived yesterday, so will be able to make use of that later on, and hopefully save me a lot of manual digging.

Sunday 11 October 2009

Went back to Shotley at the end of September this year with my Daughter and her husband to reminisce about my time at the Boys Training back in 1950. Quite a shock seeing the place so derelict but it brought back loads of memories of a tough time there preparing life for and in the Royal Navy. It was a super basis for setting me up for the rest of my life.

Had a good look round the Museum they have there and saw photos of people that I had known whilst I was there and who I came across again in later postings.

Back home in the garden and wondering what to do with all my Du Comice pears, as I found this year they upset my stomach eating them raw, so had to try something else, as they are my favourite fruit. Found a recipe for Pear and Giner jam, from a young lady in Canada and gave it a try yesterday. Spent an awful long time standing as I had to keep stirring and boiling trying to reduce the mix so that it would set. Obviously put too much water in!

Got there in the end and popped it all into jars. Come this morning and it was all still runnyt but tasted superb just like she said.

I also bottled loads as I eventually found the right Kilner jars with the clips on but notice they still discolour quite a lot and don`t keep their white appearance, not like you see them in the shops, where they`re done professionally. So obviously don`t have the knack of that system.

Also been loaded with loads and loads of tomatoes, as I grew so many this year consisting of about 8 or 9 varieties, just to see how each compared to each other. Well impressed with the Italian one`s I grew called Pomodoro San Marzano which were very prolific and tasted superb, all meaty inside and not so many seeds as the ordinary tomatoes. So will obviously be growing them again.

Also managed to grow a type from the Canary Islands called Semilla Canaria which were quite large and also tasted very nice.

The other types tried this year were: Tigerella, Moneymaker, Bib Boy, Alicante, Marmande, Garden Pearl, Sweet Million and finally Gardeners Delight. Could`nt bear to throw the excess seedlings away so potted everything up and everything grew, even in pots where I had to use my front garden to keep them round the borders. Have managed to freeze loads and also made different types of tomato soup from recipes gleaned from the internet, and also given loads away to those who want them.

Potato crop was also very good. For the first time I grew Pink Fir Apple which resemble something like Ginger root, but taste very nice and nutty, although they are very fiddly to peel, so best left in the skins and taken off after boiling.

Lady Christl was my other choice this year and they are also nice tasting but not so prolofic as the PFA type.

Vegetables & fruit



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blackberries now coming thick and fast from both neighbourhood hedges. Dug final row of Charlotte (early potatoes) producing around 4kg. Dug some carrots as I had planted 3 different varieties and the Yellowstone variety are producing some very large examples as opposed to the Autumn King and Purple Haze I have. Pond has been emptied partially and refilled with fresh and looking better for it, as I have taken the advice offered to get the Ammonia levels down to a normal level since using the new liner.

Decided to make a verandah for my shed to enhance the appearance and provide better use for hiding things away etc.

Making a new back gate

Time to recycle some of the old decking I had replaced. so decided to make a new back gate.

Here is the result!!

Goldie lives



change of water temporarily

Last Monday was a very hot day here and was out and about on my scooter during the morning, which was a bit cooler then. Back home and by lunchtime it was very hot and humid so lay down on the bed for a rest as it was a bit cooler in the bedroom.

Nothing exciting really, but it must have affected the fish in the pond as the following morning, when I walked down the garden Goldie my large Koi was laying on her side and rolling round upside down, gasping for air. Decided she might be suffering from lack of oxygen so took her out and popped her in a bath of fresh rainwater, then held her upright urging her to get back to normal. After some time, I decided that although all the other fish did`nt seem to be having a problem, I should empty the pond somewhat and put fresh water in. Having started the procedure and because the liner was leaking and suffering from blanket weed, which I could`nt seem to get rid of, decided to drain it all and flip the liner over for a fresh start, at least until I could get a new liner. So all the fish were taken out and put in the receptacles together. Made some alterations to the base of the pond once it was empty and then put the liner back and filled it up again.

Goldie was still struggling and still on her side gasping, so allowed the water from the hosepipe to flow over her as the pond was filling, but seemed to be losing the battle keeping her alive.

Put all the fish back and allowed the pond to fill. Decided to keep the hose running low to keep it topped up. Not long after, when I checked Goldie was laying around the bottom of the pond and seemed to be getting more active, so hope springs eternal overnight!

Come the following morning and Goldie was swimming around with all the other fish, so seems to have survived and more or less back to normal with an occasional lapse on her side.

Decided to get a new liner and go through the process all over again, so got a rubber liner this time for better strength and pliability and a few days later did the process all over again, putting the fish in the bath this time, so I had longer to make any alterations and do the job properly. Once filled and treated, the fish were put back and seemed happier for the experience as they had fresh plants and water this time round.

Goldie lives to tell the tale!!