Re: Gardening Thread.

**Sabot** Wed Jan 27, 2016 5:42 pm

Okay. Time to resurrect. The Bulbs are up and blooming. The Clematis is looking good, but I am not putting money on that.
The Wisterias are doing nothing much at all, probably because they know, you know.

The Broad Beans I planted in November have never looked more useless. And I am definitely not growing Tomatoes this year. I had such a good crop last year, before I harvested them, before The Blight got them. I now have enough Green Tomato Pickle to last me a life time.

But I did make quite a lot of Quince Jelly. This is interesting stuff. I can never quite throw away anything. I just boil them to mush and add sugar. I really can't be bothered to peal and core them because this is seriously hard work.
The resultant juice after sieving and boiling, is the most lovely shade of pink. Although I can't say that I actually eat it because I never have. Well, just the odd taste, which is a bit amazing. But I have never been a sugar freak. But they have their own Pectin. This is what really interests me.

Quinces went out of fashion in the nineteenth century. But I can't see it catching on again. You have to be nuts to do this.

I might try Runner Beans again, but only because I want to grow something.

**lily** Wed Jan 27, 2016 5:51 pm

Go for it, Sabot. thumbsup

**bb1** Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:05 pm

A garden! I'd almost forgotten there were such things. Maybe, when the mud dries up. If it dries up.

**lily** Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:12 pm

It will... hug

**Sabot** Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:21 pm

It's all mud here, Bonny. But did you know that these amazing amounts of water never sink beyond about one foot. Anything under that is relatively dry soil. This is the way of things.
But you have to dig down to find out. And who can be bothered to do that?

**Sabot** Sun Feb 07, 2016 8:14 am

Whoopee, I have finally managed to grow Snowdrops after 20 years of trying. Some in pots and some in the ground. I have also grown some Crocus bulbs in glass jars indoors.

Still raining and blowing a howling gale.

The Hydrangeas are looking bloody awful, but the Ornamental Holly is flowering. The grass is still growing where the dog hasn't peed.

**bb1** Sun Feb 07, 2016 1:31 pm

Still raining and blowing a howling gale.

Snap. Crying or Very sad

**Lamplighter** Sun Feb 07, 2016 1:34 pm

bb1 wrote:Still raining and blowing a howling gale.

Snap.

You all seem to be getting the ruff end of the stick. We have 9C sunny but with a tiny cool edge to a slight wind. LL

**lily** Sun Feb 07, 2016 4:45 pm

48 F here with a cold wind.

**Sabot** Thu Feb 25, 2016 3:59 pm

I have finally caught the culprits who dig over the garden detritus and scatter it all over the place.. Two Blackbirds digging for worms.
I am really pleased about this because they are still around after breeding in my garden last year, so I am hoping for the same again this year.
There aren't many Blackbird around here so this is a real bonus for me. It will be interesting to see if they build their nest in the same place, once the Wisteria provides the cover come May.

The grass needs cutting, but not much chance of that at the moment.

**bb1** Thu Feb 25, 2016 4:16 pm

Oh, that's good, Sabot - apparently, one of the best ways of feeding birds in the winter is to turn over a few spades of soil?

I have frozen mud now. biggrin

**lily** Thu Feb 25, 2016 4:31 pm

Ouch, Bonny! I love this thread because it is possible to learn all sorts of things. smile

**Sabot** Tue Mar 22, 2016 8:09 am

Just seen the Blackbirds, Mummy and Daddy, eating Sunflower Seeds from the Bird Table, and within minutes of putting them out.

I do have other places for the small birds that the blackbirds can't get at. This is a good thing because the blackbirds stand guard while they are eating. They both look fat and healthy.

I am so inordinately pleased about this.

**bb1** Tue Mar 22, 2016 9:26 am

Aw, that's lovely, Sabot.

**Sabot** Tue Mar 22, 2016 9:36 am

It's a bit silly really, Bonny. What's with a couple of blackbirds to get excited about?

Do you know, I didn't know until last year that the female birds are actually brown.

I hope they nest in the same place, but at least I know to listen for the Ticking to tell me where to look.

**lily** Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:48 pm

As a bird lover myself, am so very happy to hear about your kindness, Sabot.

**Sabot** Fri Apr 08, 2016 4:40 pm

Found the new nest, a couple of days ago. It's at eye level. Three Blue Egg, I had a sneaky look. This is a bit strange because it was the middle of May last year before the nest even got built. This one is in The Camillia.

I am now trying not to walk past it, which involves a bit of a trek. But I did so this afternoon by force of habit, and the eyes of the little, brown Mummy followed me past. But at least she didn't fly off.

Will she ever trust me? Probably not. Best not to try. But I do so want to see the babies.

**bb1** Fri Apr 08, 2016 4:44 pm

Oh, lovely!

**lily** Fri Apr 08, 2016 4:48 pm

Awwww......bless them all.

**Sabot** Fri Apr 08, 2016 4:53 pm

I will worry of course. Silly me. But it's going to be hard not to look.

**lily** Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:13 pm

Of course. Or as we sometimes used to read..... off course. biggrin

**Sabot** Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:19 pm

lily wrote:Of course. Or as we sometimes used to read..... off course.

Whatever happened to her? Haven't read her lately. Mean we were to mock her. But she didn't half go on.

**lily** Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:29 pm

I know, Sabot. rofl

**Sabot** Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:54 pm

Hope abounds, Lily. I had a really good look at The Wisterias today and they are loaded with flower buds. But the real and glorious beauty of them is so brief. Three short weeks of a wonderful cascade of flowers. And then they degenerate again into the overgrown weeds that they actually are.

But for the moment this brief pleasure is about to happen again.

**lily** Fri Apr 08, 2016 6:40 pm

Hooray for you. Who doesn't just love wisterias?

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