Well, it’s friday and tomorrow is party time for my father in law. The weather is getting better and I took today off!
I say I took today off, but really I do have several jobs. One earns me money, that is website design, the others, management, chef and catering service, gardener, chauffeur, finance advisor are voluntary but come with satisfaction!
So, today I took my father in law to the cach and carry to pick up some food and drink for tomorrow. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of Strammer Max (fried eggs on top of ham and rye bread) and coffee. When we got home I mowed the lawns and finally got around to potting my courgettes/zucchinis, cukes and the 3 chili plants I bought last week. I don’t usually buy chili plants but last year I never got any fruit on my plants, which meant that I had to buy chilis! Although I do buy the small birds eye chilis for my pickles gherkins but this I bought a plant, so hopefully I will get some fruit. The thing with chilis though, is that you have to get the seeds started early unless you keep them indoors in winter or have a greenhouse.
I am late once again with my tomatoes which means I will no doubt be buying a few speciality plants. I have about 60 plants on the go but who knows how many will survive and which varieties. I love to grow varieties that you don’t always find in the shops, which is my general way of growing any veg. What’s cheap is not worth growing. I do try carrots but usually not the orange variety. I have some “Purple Haze”, “Nigel” and some white variety too. Nigel are orange but they are grown for an obvious reason!
All my herb garden is planted. Last year I left herbs in pots and they all died off this winter except for one thyme plant. They seem to survive better in the ground. I have also planted some in my beds, but I have allowed a whole squre foot for each herb plant. I planted French estragon and thyme and hopefully they will flourish there and the veg around them will benefit. It’s also a good idea to grow some chive plants in the beds and as always I have basil in pots around my tomatoes. Supposedly the basil keeps the aphids away and also flavour spreads over to the tomatoes. A load of bo**ocks if you ask me, but they look so nice together and as the old saying goes, “What grows together goes together”!
Son number one has come home from school, early on fridays as he has his piano class. Have just helped him with his Panini World Cup stickers. I quite enjoy it myself and admit that I encouraged him to collect them. Mainly because it is good for him at school as he has no real interest in football yet. Son number two will be home soon and although he likes to play football and is getting quite good, he doesn’t collect the stickers. He likes the Star Wars Clone Wars cards. I can’t believe it, but he actually plays with the cards like they are figures!
Anyway, gardening done, kids home. Next will be tea time for them and then get them ready for bed. Then it will be wine o’clock and I have a nice chilled Vermentino awaiting me in the fridge!
Ciao for now!