Election Result – It’s Over!
The last few days have been quite busy. Not least for the politicians who moved into frenzy mode on Wednesday and Thursday when it was voting day.
On Wednesday night I was working late, one problem in working for yourself is that there are no set hours of work. It’s great for taking time off but not so good when you get a panic job until 2am.
Anyway, Labour kindly decided to telephone me at 8am with some garbled text message. Thinking it might be something serious I dragged myself down to the phone and 10 seconds later I knew who was never getting my vote. In fact I was seriously considering finding a rifle and a grassy knoll to make a political statement from.
The result is in and Labour have discovered that spending most of your time insulting the main opposition candidate on the grounds of his being from a wealthy family and a barrister wasn’t the best plan from a party with the Benns and which was led by a public school educated barrister.
Well, we’ve a couple of years to discover if Edward Timpson lives up to his promise. Better still, the fuss is over, luckily before the recycling bin was absolutely full of leaflets. My only regret is that a rumour swept the area that there would be topless page 3 models at the polling station. This was not so. It took me 9 hours to vote but no topless models were spotted.
Tomatoes and Peppers
Planted up the main greenhouse with the tomatoes and peppers. This year I am under instruction to cut back on the chilli peppers so just one cayenne and one Habenero pepper got in. I did pop one of each into large pots as a back up as well. We’re still eating dried peppers from last year, despite giving some strings away. Also got a load of habeneros in oil.
We’ve more sweet peppers this year than last though. The quartermaster (or should that be mistress?) demanded more. Sweet peppers are great fresh but they also freeze well.
Climbing French Beans and Runner Beans
Constructed another bean frame. Had to buy another 30 eight foot bamboo canes the other day. Unfortunately they don’t last forever. I wonder if it is possible to grow your own in this country?
Planted the Blue Lake climbing French beans on one side and the runner beans on the other. We should, touch wood, be safe from frost now and so the beans will be OK.
Germination Problems with Peas
The second row of Dorian are appearing and the Kelvedon Wonder sowed in modules are starting to pop through as well. The Kelvedon, however, are only showing about 25% germination. I’ve another box we bought in France from a different supplier so I’ll see if they’re any better,
It’s strange this year, a few people on the site have commented that they’re having germination problems with peas and beans. No idea why. Still on the subject of germination, an entire pack of butternut squash have failed to germinate and so have my Burpless Tasty Green cucumbers, despite being treated in exactly the same way as my Carmen cucumbers which had 100% germination.
Onions
The last major job was to plant out the seed sown onions I’ve had in modules. They’ve gone in at the bottom end of plot 5 just before the raised beds. I ran the Mantis over to break up the soil which is, despite a bit of rain, still like lumps of concrete in bits. It did a reasonable job but some clods just fly out rather than getting ground down.
After this, shuffled up and down to flatten things out and raked level, then put down some fish, blood and bone. Next it was back over with the Mantis to mix that into the top and further break the soil down.
Repeated the shuffle, because onions like a fairly firm bed, and then planted out.
Book Signing
I’ve a book signing tomorrow at Alton Street Allotment’s Open Day in Crewe. Knowing my luck, it will be pouring with rain although I hope not for their sake. We may be lucky.
Would have loved to have popped over and had a look at your site. May be next time. We’ve had a little rain here but it’s very gusty today. Tackling some dandilions today and getting some more peas sown. Have a good day.
I wish someone could come up with an alternative to canes made from recycled materials. Each year a bit snaps off the bottom of the canes and in no time at all 8 foot becomes 5.
On our allotment (Saltersgill)there are several people growing their own canes, I have only had my allotment a year so was very suprised to see this as we up north in Middlesbrough so any things possible, my burpless tasty greens have germinated ok, but some of my peas have not at home, the ones on the allotment do not seem to have any bother
You can grow your own bean sticks, there called hazel nut trees and you in effect coppice them.
Hi John,
Have a look around the back of our greenhouse when you get a chance … we’re growing some bamboo there so we will see what sort of a crop of canes we can manage.