On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:46:13 +0100, Mary Fisher wrote:


"Welsh Witch" wrote in message
news
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I had a super labeller that punched out the letters made by Brother,
but when I ran out of tape there was no replacement tape so that's in
the bin! Vegetables seems so much more complicated a job than flowers
which I'm very used to.

Too late for you now but I've just come in from marking some plants,
lilies as it happens but I'll use the same system on veg from now on.

I cut some strips of white plastic from yogurt pots and wrote the
information in CD writers (Spouse got them very cheaply from Lidl
yeterday). Then with a paper punch I made a hole towards one end of the
strip, threaded a plant tie through the hole and attached it to the
stem. So easy!

This could be done at planting out time or, if outdoor sown, when the
plants are big enough and before the markers which of course you put at
least at the end of each row have worked their way out of the soil.

You seem to have to indulge in marathon eating time.

Yes, it's wonderful!

I am going to freeze lots of things..

I prefer to eat as many veggies as possible when they're cut, dug or
picked from the garden. Freezing is a last resort and I do like to have
seasonal veg so grow things for year round harvesting. Our little garden
won't supply all our needs, we're greedy about veg, but it's the best we
can do. We really don't like frozen runner beans but love them fresh so
we have them day after day when they're ready and never bore of them,
after all, they have such a short season and we don't buy them.

A lot of the ground this year is given over to tomatoes, I wish I'd
marked those plants because there are at least seven different types. It
would be useful to know which are the best for what we want. And they
will freeze perfectly well for use in cooking.

The computer solution, for me, would be a no-no. I couldn't remember the
details between garden and pc and it does sound complicated. I try to
record things in a book but that's not perfect either.

I'm only human :-(

Mary
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I w trying to work out where I've heard the name Mary Fisher before, and
now I remember that superb Fay Weldon series "Life and loves of a She
Devil"
Good! That made me smile..we did enjoy that!
You are greedy you say with vegetables. I think we are too but we'd have
to go some to eat all being grown here.We do go over the top a bit1

As we decided to do the vegetable garden we thought we might as well make
a "thing" of it, borrowed a turf cutter rather than use poison and took up
more long narrow pieces of the lawn. Now they're full of everything we
can think of. The moles like them too we're not amused:-)

I think we were enthused by the programme "Its not easy going green"I
understand they now have a website..I shall look for it later. We got
very interested in wind and solar power; for some reason I find it wildly
exciting drawing electricity from such sources!

We went up to see a friend of ours who lives on a mountain
http://www.policedogsrus.co.uk
He's got several wind turbines and said he hasn't needed to switch on the
generator for ages and is wallowing in his free power...but he does turn
off his TV and not leave it on standby.

We've dug out a reservoir because the met. office told us we were to
expect a drought. It is the wettest drought we've ever seen so far, but
maybe it will eventually turn into an ice rink.

I did grow some things over winter. I put onions in on November 20th and
also peas (in the greenhouse). The onions are ready now. They are so
beautiful and jewel like its a crying shame to eat them..

In November or thereabouts I ordered garlic from the people in the Isle of
Wight. I didn;t think they would grow because in the spring I put in
local bought garlic, came from Holland I think, which remained miserable.
But the garlic from the IOW is now ready that too is so glorious. We've
been terribly vile and eaten it raw. The shallots we bought from the iOW,
I think said to be used by Raymond Le Blanc, are too mild for us.

The year before last we bought a trolley full of strawberries £10 the lot!
I didn't think there could be a reason for it. They were called Royal
Gala. We have given them every possible consideration and they are bitter
and horrible...Never mind the German Shepherds dogs like them...they can
pick them all and eat them,!
Oh dear rambling again. Thankyou to everyone for the tips
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