Not so warm this week, and Thursday was positively chilly, although still fine and dry all week except for a few minutes rain but it might be all change - just in time for the Spring Bank Holiday weekend and school half term week- Typical!
(That shower of rain was full of sand or dust, either from the Sahara or the nearby fields and my car looks like it's been on a beach!)
After sowing twice and no sign of growth I gave up and bought some French Climbing Bean plants from last weekend's car boot = 12 modules, about 16 plants for £4. My bean seeds germinated OK last year but I also had no growth with cucumber and courgette seeds this year - might be the difference in temps in the greenhouse between day - unusually warm - and night - down to 4 or 5 degrees C some nights? Don't usually have this many fails in a season. I was talking to the man, from a local nursery that isn't open to the public, who was selling them and saying how nasty some compost is now and apparently trade can still buy compost with peat - no longer available to home growers to try and retain the important peat bog habitats. He said compost without peat either doesn't hold water which runs straight through leaching out goodness or holds water too well so that seeds stay too wet.
I've decided there is something wrong with me (actually everyone who knows me has known that for a long time!) but this time my reason is that I just can't watch some you-tube videos without shouting "just get on with it". especially when vloggers just sit there thinking what to say! aaaagh - I have to turn off and why are some people so 'glass half empty?' Must be depressing to find something miserable to say everyday.
Five year old grandson - the dinosaur expert- has now turned into a bird watcher and history buff! I had him and his sister here last Sunday and he spotted and recognised two Goldfinches on the sunflower heart feeder and told me all about The Wright Brothers and their plane. He's taking after his Daddy who has always been interested in all sort of different things.
Now here's an odd thing. On Monday afternoon, just out of view somewhere to the west, there was a fast plane circling quite low and loud. After hearing it for several minutes I decided to look on the Globe Airplanes live website - and although it was tracked as circling - dozens of times- at 9,000ft, the details of it were..........Nothing. No registration or description - very strange, as usually there is info as to what the plane is and what country it's registered in - so no information is very mysterious. Spies?! Although if so they were a bit too obvious!
The same noise on Wednesday so another look at Globe and this time it did have a name - A McDonnell Douglas F15E
Strike Eagle from USAF Lakenheath. Nice to get the 'just out of sight mystery' solved. The people living near Lakenheath and Mildenhall get this all the time, but not for much longer - The US is withdrawing them from here back to there. - I thought they were having a Golden Dome for protection!....there's more to this story I'm sure.
That just about sums up the week - nothing much happened. I didn't even go to Keep Moving group as I woke up with no energy, I've discovered that a couple of bad nights and busy days then take another three days to recover! Oh the joys of getting older but thank goodness it's easy to have a quiet week nowadays....plenty to read.....always.
Have a good weekend - lots of Bank Holiday things on everywhere although Mid Suffolk car-boot sales might be rained off - whatever- I shall be back Monday.
Oh, one thing to add............ look at this -
I'm on Wiki (3) .Thank you to Hadassah for the comment on the getting away from it all book post.
Gosh, know just what you mean about You tube videos, I’ve stopped watching so many who I thought would interest me, do they ever watch themselves I wonder. We have had some rain in Dorset but promised plenty this weekend and have a beach hut booked for next week, fortunately only 30 mins away so can make quick dashes when it looks ok. Sandra.
ReplyDeleteA good rain here this morning = no boot sale but mustn't complain!. Hope you get to the beach hut in sunshine
DeleteHa! I've been watching crafting videos on YT, and one woman in the most sacharine of voices is always, annoyingly, popping everywhere. Popping on here to pop this video of me popping some crafting things together where I popped a piece of ribbon onto this paper before popping it on a card blank before popping it in an envelope to pop in the post. Pop off! lol
ReplyDeleteHa! that made me really smile this morning. Thank you.
DeleteI remember giving up on a book as the author always had the people "hurrying across the room" - every time someone moved - they hurried!
A lot of cheap compost from discount supermarkets is made of crushed bark. I buy Aldi compost with a seaweed additive and they also sell a John Innes number 3 loam based compost.
ReplyDeleteI've had compost from Aldi and it's been rubbish too - neither of those you mention - they don't have any choice at Aldi here
DeleteHi Sue, I am still buying peat based compost, not cheap, but at least the plants survive. I am a member of a garden forum and one member is a supplier of peat based compost to the professionals so I have known for some time what' going on. He now has to import all of his peat from places such as Bulgaria etc and no he will not supply in small quantities. The peat in the compost I use is from Ireland. I still add some soil improver to it though, such as the stuff you got free the other week end, when I pot on. Other info I picked up was that the peat washed down on to the roads, in Ireland, was collected and allowed to be used/sold before it ended up in streams and then rivers where it caused problems. This is no longer allowed so that is another business gone. Veronica Ipswich.
ReplyDeleteHow lucky you are to still have peat compost!
DeleteIt's frustrating to sow and re-sow and nothing grows - I've never had such a bad year before - will my sweetcorn germinate is my next problem.
Oooh Sue, so am I! I still think of Garden in the Hills EVERY time I drive through Rhayader and past where the little bookshop used to be where I bought it, many MANY years ago.
ReplyDeleteYoutube videos vary so. I watched lots over the winter but now summer is here I'm busy outside and just watch tv from 8 p.m. onwards and have been catching up on good programmes (Hinterland currently) I either missed first time round or wanted to see again.
Well, so you are - I missed that - so excited at seeing my blog mentioned I didn't read any further!
DeleteFame at last!!
P.S. The Youtube videos which make Tam and I turn off straight away are the ones on doing up old houses where they rip out every piece of the past and put concrete everywhere. Having lovingly restored Ynyswen with integrity, I cannot abide folk who know nowt ruining old houses.
ReplyDeleteMany of the frugal boggers go through their shopping can by can And they seem to shop many more times than I do. - I give up after about two minutes
DeleteOur seedlings growth in the greenhouse has been very poor this year too. When we've moved things into the conservatory which doesn't get so hot they have got going. Agree about the peat free compost, we don't want to ruin the environment but the plants don't do so well in the new compost. I guess we could add some perlite to the mix to improve drainage?
ReplyDeletePenny
I'm hoping to see the sweetcorn appear - maybe it will as things have cooled down.
DeletePerlite would help with some but mostly the water runs straight through.
It was due to a comment from Hadassah on the post about Miki's long list of books. Jennie in Wales is there too and Miki herself.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading Hovel in the Hills years ago. It has only recently disappeared from my book shelves in my huge book cull, getting ready for moving. I kind of wish I’d kept it ☹️
ReplyDeleteMine have moved house with me umpteen times since the late 70's.
DeleteI had loads of fails last year with seeds, I put it down to the compost, so this year I am mixing a good compost with added John Innes, with a top soil and and enriched topsoil and if needed some sand, I only purchased Westland products and everything grew. Compost is just so dry and woody, I use topsoil from my raised beds, the bag of sand will last for years, so only a couple of bags to get.
ReplyDeleteI got John Innes compost - it was full of sticks and small stones - very odd.
DeleteHave you tried adding some vermiculite to the compost. It's not too expensive and really helps with water retention.
ReplyDeleteWell done on being on Wikipedia, fame indeed 👏 😁
I discovered a small pack of water retention bead things in the shed - of course only found them after I'd sown everything. I think they came free from the water company but I'd forgotten all about them - so will try again next year.
DeleteI am with you about videos. Not only the “get on with it” but also no need to say “hello this is blah blah, it’s Tuesday morning at….(pause to check the time) 10:30. I’m here in my living room (no shit Sherlock from the background I thought you were in the Serengeti), and I thought I would post this little video.”…..and on it goes.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you about the frugal bloggers…let me unpack my shopping and tell you how much everything cost.
Ha! I don't think you or I are going to be much help to vloggers money making!
DeleteHad the books and loved them. Sadly were among a large box of books lent to a 'friend' who then moved to who knows where without returning the books. Do you happen to know what happened to their lives after leaving Hafod until the present day? Thank you. Pollie
ReplyDeleteIf you can access the Wikipedia page via the link or look for 'Hovel in the Hills' and there is lots of information. They moved from Hafod to the Forest of Dean. Alan West died first and then Elizabeth later - several years ago.
DeleteThat's interesting to learn from an expert why we long-term growers might be struggling a bit with our vegetables this past couple of years. I have been blaming the weather, when part of the blame could be the compost. The courgette plant that's doing the best for me this year, is safely nestled in homemade compost and is doing much better than the others ... up to now!
ReplyDeleteI am also getting a bit fed up of the YouTubers that just sit, or stand talking directly to camera waffling on for far longer than is necessary, repeating themselves and calling viewers 'you guys' over and over again. I am still watching some of the channels but I have moved on a bit now.
Congratulations on being quoted on Wiki. You are a star. :-)
I'm wondering if being quoted on wiki is good or bad - I was trying to keep a low profile on line!
DeleteI know what you mean. My old blog was linked to on something nationally once and I didn't like it at all. Also when we appeared on Escape to the Country I had so many emails and phone calls asking me to appear on things country related, I said a firm no to everything.
DeleteCongratulations! Shall we have to pay to read your blog now?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not!
DeleteFor the last year or two, our bagged soil and compost are terrible as well, and the cost of a small bag of peatmoss is astronomical.
ReplyDeleteThis year I purchased 6 yards of a mix of loam and compost. This mix is fantastic. I filled all my pots on the patio and created a small, raised bed garden to grow a few tomato plants. Everything is growing well.
The YouTuber's are a mixed bag. That said, my dog is going to have a surgery, and I found a YouTube video by a Vet that showed the entire procedure. It was outstanding.
Wow, that's quite something...You are named on Wiki! I'd say, you are an official reliable source. Congratulations.
It is good you have found something good for growing. I'm hopeful for the free bags I got -waiting to see.
DeleteI rarely watch YouTube videos. Lately, I'm enjoying The Repair Shop episodes. They are so sweet and interesting and such a lovely quiet way to relax. The episodes often touch my heart and it's so nice to hear the family stories.
ReplyDeleteI used to watch The Repair Shop but it makes me cry too often!
DeleteI’m glad I could contribute something, I’ve gained so much from reading here, just rarely commented because my posts kept duplicating.
ReplyDeleteOver here in the US, our commercial potting soils have been badly contaminated with various blights. Back to our own compost, and prayers! My peas are just starting, and I have a good heirloom soup bean mix that I am coddling like a baby. We are supposed to have a “broiling” summer.
I hope your seeds do well. We never know what weather we'll get here for summer - a mix of all sorts no doubt.
DeleteI have to agree with you on the ‘Metube’ videos Sue, and only watch them as a point of reference when having a particularly troublesome machine within the workshop.
ReplyDeleteThe compost sold to the general public these days indeed is a poor imitation of what used to be available. I advise my clients to produce their own compost if space allows. Before this Autumn I will be introducing a log store but the original size planned will now have a third taken up for composting leaves and shredded wood to compliment my darleck shaped general compost pin (which if tended too correctly actually produces some good compost). Unfortunately I only have the room for my own tiny garden’s composting requirement and not enough to supply my clients.
Youtubes that actually teach something or show how to do something are useful but it's the people who waffle about nothing much that make me turn off.
DeleteI was making compost but rats ate their way into my plastic bins which rather put me off.
Ahhh tis what goes into the compost that attracts vermin m’dear.
DeleteWell, now...look at you! I hope fame does not change you!
ReplyDeleteDon't think the fame will go to my head! It was quite a surprise and I'm now wondering if other bloggers get mentioned anywhere for something or if my ramblings appear anywhere else.
DeleteI find myself doing the same thing with some YouTube video's. Only I use a bit stronger language than you.
ReplyDeleteWow, how wonderful to be on Wiki.
God bless.
Some people are very annoying to listen to! easy to turn off thankfully
DeleteI’ve had good success with compost called Sylvagrow from Melcourt recommended by the rhs. No failures so far except for one pack of sweet peas from Sarah Raven - nothing germinated!
ReplyDeleteI shall investigate that name for compost - thank you
DeleteSarah Raven seeds ought to be extra good considering how expensive they are! although the catalogue is so tempting
Your comment about the compost rings true with me! I bought Wickes compost and it seems way too fluffy and dries out fast. I'm mostly repotting existing plants -- as opposed to germinating seeds -- but I wonder how they'll do in the long run. Time will tell!
ReplyDeleteI'll be looking for something different for next year for sure as this year has been hopeless for seeds
DeleteI used to live near Lakenheath in Mildenhall some years back before relocating back to America. I was very interested in your comments about the F15 fighter jet. Are you saying that the air bases are being closed down? Wow the local economies will certainly take a hit if that's the case.
ReplyDeleteI think there are different planes moving here instead of the F15. I found a bit about it on line somewhere - try googling F15 Lakenheath.
DeleteThe economy around the Bentwaters base in Woodbridge suffered for a while after the bases there closed in the 90's but picked up later.
Thanks for replying. Yes, I'll google and check on the latest at Lakenheath. I was in London a couple of weeks ago and wanted to visit the base but didn't make it up to that part of the country.
DeleteThere are a few Youtube videos that I watch but a lot of them are just downright depressing. I don't want to hear a lot of moaning. I sometimes like to watch Shoestring Jane.
ReplyDeleteMaybe next week will be better with the energy levels. Hope the boot sales didn't get rained off! Do you have much left on your to-look-for list?
Your grandson sounds lovely.