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Junkomenters with real names.Billy Hood
This junkoment from Mr Hood has lots of links attached but opens with the following text...
"pseudotuberculous hyphen cedar oxymandelic pyoperitonitis hyperpyrexial batrachoplasty mythopoeism"....
I assume this is to confuse the junk filtering software into thinking this is a legitimate comment from a reader with a strong interest in false tuberculosis in the cedar tree, a cedar tree already suffering with suppurative inflammation of the peritoneum and a nasty case of hypothetical pre-scientific human thought processes that lead to the creation of mythologies. Clearly this could have relevance to any allotmenteer with a plot big enough to grow cedars on. Or at least it could if TB was any sort of threat to non lungified organisms, which it isn't, thank god! I couldn't imagine anything worse than wandering around the allotment hearing occasional anonymous coughs from various trees in the process of inventing Jesus. This is a scary enough phenomena that I have discovered while walking, innocently, through fields of sheep. Yes, sheep cough in exactly the same way as humans. There is something very alarming about walking through a field, seemingly alone, only to hear somebody clearing their throat behind you. This has happened to me several times, most alarmingly while searching for the piddle bucket shed, and no matter how quickly you whirl round there is never anybody there. My reaction, after my heart beat normalized, was to make my own cough noise and pretend it was me all along. The other scary thing is the eyes shining back at one as the torch is scanned across the field, they are all watching you, secretly smirking in the darkness.
I realise I may be raising more questions than answers here so back to Billy Hood.
The links that were attached to Billy's comments will not be published by me for a number of reasons.
1. My blog is not here to advertise the sites of random junkometers who think they can hijack it for their own ends and to promote their own, no doubt, sordid websites.
2. They are all either dead or have been closed due to a terms of service violation (really wish I'd checked them before I started writing this.
3. My dinner is ready
More junk soon.
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I'm covered in bees!tag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.143942007-08-20T21:23:02Z2007-09-19T21:37:46ZA long time ago, when I was an O' level studying teen, my biology teacher tried to get me interested in bees. I assume, because I certainly can't remember, that it must have been my second or third biology lesson...SuperDave
A long time ago, when I was an O' level studying teen, my biology teacher tried to get me interested in bees. I assume, because I certainly can't remember, that it must have been my second or third biology lesson when he took me to one side and showed me his collection of dead bees. At the time I didn't think too much of this other than "Why is he showing me dead bees?". Looking back now I think he may have spotted some potential in me and wanted to build on it, fool. Perhaps he thought by enthusing me fully and encouraging me to step outside the usual ethos of modern education he could get me to enjoy learning for the sake of it, rather than just as a means to an end, ie, to get out of school and into the world. Unfortunately for him I was a teenager dealing with the usual issues of strange growths, vocal deepenings, the discovery of alcohol, ladies, nightclubs and peer group pressure. Fortunately for me he was an excellent and enthusiastic teacher and made both my O and A level biology exams a breeze to pass. On getting a C in my A level biology he managed to express gross disappointment in my work ethic while letting me know I had the ability to do better "You should have got an A, but you didn't deserve to get a C". These words are backed up by the only other comment I remember from my school days, spoken by my sixth form head in a tutorial, with a fair degree of surprised good humour, "(Super)Dave", he said "I never realised you were so lazy". He was another excellent teacher and a brilliant clarinet player. They both had beards and PhD's, not sure if this is relevant. But please, forgive an old man his harmless ramblings, these things were such a long time ago. On to the bees of today and my recent encounter.
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WeeditandReap. But don't rush off yet!
Tim, or was it... well let's say Tim. Tim gave me a quick tour of his plot and showed me the two beehives he has caged off on his allotment. The cages, of galvanised steel mesh, are to force the bees up into the air when they leave the hive. They could easily fly through the gaps in the mesh but choose not too (I watched them not do it), I can only assume they are so intent on the job at hand that they have no time for aerobatic fun, or they are just nervous creatures. The cage was one of the stipulations of the council who were not at all keen on having hives on the allotment for reasons I don't fully understand. I then returned to Ms. Vines to complete the promised digging, accidentally destroy a red ants nest, chat and generally proffer some vague advice re beetroots.
As promised Tim (Yes! It was Tim, just looked at WeeditandReap) called me over to observe one of his regular inspections of the beehive. I traipsed over and bravely stood just outside the mesh fence to get a good view. As Tim got himself suited and booted in the latest beehive fashion complete with hat, veil, two layers of clothing, trousers tucked in socks and gloves securely taped he suggested I stand a bit further back..further..a bit more...just a little bit more...mmm right back on to the path..that's it, you should be ok there. I felt slightly less brave as Tim explained that he was being overcautious as he was a beginner, and this nest is really very placid, and if they do do start bothering you just run away calmly down the path, waving your hands around your head. He then took his smoke can in hand and headed into the caged area.
The smoke can (or bee smoker, if you need to know the proper buzz word) contains nothing more exciting than a bit of burning wood which is pumped out with bellows. It works on two levels, first of all it prevents the guard bees from releasing the pheromones normally released when a hive is under attack. These pheromones would alert the middle aged bees (the ones with the most venom) and cause a defensive attack on the intruder. The smoke also cause all the other bees to assume (if a bee can indeed make assumptions) that the hive is on fire, they react to this by gorging themselves on honey just in case they need to make a swift exit and set up hive elsewhere, this honey gorging also has a pacifying effect, apparently.
Tim uses National hives, I won't go into the construction of these, just follow the link. The basic principle is that the bees have an entrance, exit and frames in which to build honeycombs, raise new bees and store honey. The clever bit is the queen excluder, a sheet of holes through which the workers and honey makers can pass but the queen cannot. Above the queen excluder is a set of frames inaccessible to the queen where honey is laid down but where no eggs can be laid. This will be the source of all the honey for human consumption. Bees will lay down honey for winter storage and energy anyway, but separating it from the queen ensures that it can be accessed without disturbing any of next years new bees.
From my distant view point I was able to see the beginnings of the honeycomb already constructed by the industrious little chaps, some of them with eggs and honey already in place. The bees were all very placid, as promised, and at no point caused me any bother whatsoever, a blessed relief considering the bell bottom shorts I was wearing. In reconstructing the hive Tim was remarkably gentle and considerate, treating each bee like a new born kitten and ensuring that none were trapped or crushed as the various layers were slotted back together.
The attitude of the council to beehives in allotments is rather strange, though possibly understandable. Bees are the life blood of allotments, without them there would very little pollination going on. They are a major pollinator of flowering plants and without them we would have no beans on our allotments. This is easily demonstrated if one spends just five minutes watching runner or french bean flowers on a sunny day. It is estimated that one third of the human food supply does depend on bee pollination, so banning them from allotments does seem a little silly. Einstein once said, allegedly,
"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man".
It is likely that this is an exaggeration of the truth, and we'd have something like 60 years before we died out, or at least seriously reduced in number. This would not necessarily be a bad thing but I would rather keep hold of the bee, my recent experience of the little stripy critters has certainly raised them high in my estimations and affections. Thanks Tim.
Slugs on the other hand.......
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Eek! Where did the time go?tag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.216992007-08-12T23:35:23Z2007-09-19T21:38:09ZOk, I'm sorry, I got distracted, went on holiday, it was raining, it's in the post, the dog ate it, I've got the painters in, I wrote one but accidentally deleted it, was drunk, got arrested, was doing important work...SuperDave
Ok, I'm sorry, I got distracted, went on holiday, it was raining, it's in the post, the dog ate it, I've got the painters in, I wrote one but accidentally deleted it, was drunk, got arrested, was doing important work for the government, my hard drive crashed, they threatened me if I carried on, I was in a coma, I upset LouiseSqueeze and didn't have the heart to continue, I joined the French Foreign Legion, I was in the frame for the Kennedy Assassination and had to go into hiding (I would never hurt JFK!), my ship came in, we pushed the boat out, my licence was revoked, the slug mafia got to me, I promised I wouldn't squeal, I squealed!
I kept meaning too, honest, but it was a bit rainy for too long, but now it isn't, and I'm back and I have the best runner bean crop ever. More to come, I promise, like you care! :¬)
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The Grape and Olivetag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.160572007-06-17T13:22:17Z2007-09-19T21:35:40ZThe Grape and Olive, Wedal Road, Cardiff. Mmm, feta stuffed peppers, roasted garlic cloves squished out onto fresh bread, fava beans, artichokes in olive oil, delicious pancetta, buffalo mozzarella, fresh olives dipped in sea salt, I could go on but...SuperDave
The Grape and Olive, Wedal Road, Cardiff.
Mmm, feta stuffed peppers, roasted garlic cloves squished out onto fresh bread, fava beans, artichokes in olive oil, delicious pancetta, buffalo mozzarella, fresh olives dipped in sea salt, I could go on but memory fails me, largely due the several bottles of a lovely red I can't remember the name of, and a couple of Drambuies, and a pint or two to start. Haven't even got on to the the main course yet.
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June 2007tag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.143912007-06-03T19:32:48Z2007-09-19T21:38:39ZOk so my May calender is a bit sparse and a bit boring. I will revisit it and make up some appropriate entries for the time of year. But now onwards with June, the first calender month where I can...SuperDave
Ok so my May calender is a bit sparse and a bit boring. I will revisit it and make up some appropriate entries for the time of year.
But now onwards with June, the first calender month where I can start from scratch.
I will attempt to start with some interesting facts about June, for the hell of it, and some of these are true!
Apparently, and you may want to check this, no other month in the year starts on the same day of the week as June. This is clearly a mathematical phenomenon and I have no intention of checking it out, but it is 'interesting'.
The BBC, bizarrely put into production a film version of Terry and June which has yet to be completed. Originally scripted by Harold Pinter the production was halted after the BBC refused to base a section of the movie on Pinter's infamous remarks to the Turkish ambassador. This incident resulted in both Pinter and Arthur Miller having to leave the American Embassy after causing great, and unrighteous, offense. Terry Scott was said to be greatly relieved.
Alanis Morisette was born in June though this is in no way ironic. Alanis Morisette and Morrisey have never been seen together in the same room.
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1st June A Friday - I was in Bristol, well just outside, taking an examination to make me a qualified software tester. I think this officially makes me a 'professional' like a doctor, teacher or accountant. Woohoo! Or perhaps not, maybe just some kind of geek, how did it come to this? Wish me luck, not had my results yet!
Luckily, following a stressful three days learning, with the most fraudulent "buffet" lunch I have ever experienced, I was able to calm myself at the allotment for some hours, pottering mostly.
2nd June A Saturday. Today was a very exciting away match at the Colchester Avenue allotments. First of all I had a chance to visit one of my inspirees. The appropriately named Ms. Vines has recently managed to find herself a plot at the Colchester site and seems to be progressing nicely. Wonder if she has come across Ms. Squeeze yet? Given my overwhelming influence in her decision to get an allotment (I like to think) I thought the least I could do was offer to dig over a bed for her. Most of my digging has been completed now so I'm a digger for hire, it's cheaper than the Gym and less self regarding. This visit also gave me the opportunity to observe what are probably the only beehives in the entire Cardiff allotment community. To learn more about bees check out the website of Tim and Luke at WeeditandReap or have a quick look at my comments in I'm covered in bees! (when I've written it!, this will be a link to it just as soon as I have)
3rd June A Sunday. Rooted up my apparently failed French beans, planted in May, and replaced them with a fresh batch of beans sewn in a bed of my own compost. I suspect the first batch went out when it was a little too cold, or wet, or dry, or the soil is just a bit depleted in this section of the plot, the compost will help them along and I'll plant a green manure at the end of the year to perk the soil up!
7th June A Thursday. Played 11 a-side football tonight with some of the bigger boys, so no time to get to the allotment, even for watering. Luckily the weather wasn't as hot and sunny as the forecast suggested so no greenhouse cops were dying of thirst. The Tal-y-bont pensioners performed reasonably well, particularly as we had a couple of the grandsons playing (I'm being humorous here you understand, I'm not a pensioner yet, though I hope to be one day). Apart from one grandson who couldn't find the pitch, I will save his embarrassment by not naming him (Llion). Kids today eh, who'd have 'em. Don't want to blow my own but I executed a superbly struck shot on goal which easily beat both the goalie and the goal post, clattering harmlessly, but firmly, off the fence behind. There was a final score but it's not about winning and losing, it's about taking part.
9th June A Saturday. Hey! The French beans are popping up already, just shows what a nice warm soil and a mix of my special compost will do.
10th June A Sunday. I revisited an old battle ground today. The West Bank of my allotment has had a checkered history and there is some confusion over who it belongs to (What is it with West Banks?). Luckily my western neighbours are firmly of the opinion that it falls under my jurisdiction. This bank has been very irresponsibly administered in the past and it is only now that I'm beginning to fully reclaim it from the last of the carpets. This is an extremely strenuous and sciatica inducing chore, both deeply infuriating and deeply satisfying.
11th June A Monday. After work I entered round two of the battle of the carpets. I am definitely winning but there will have to be a major cull of bramble bushes before I can get rid of the carpets for good. Watch this space for my thoughts on the the great TCP versus Savalon debate, personally I recommend a course of TCP, for the encouraging stinging sensation and exquisite odour, followed by Sudacrem to soothe, moisturize and eradicate those delicate little rashes.
The good news is my allotment is expanding as I venture back into the bramble infested Northern sector. I have managed to relocate the compost bin in the decarpeted bank ready to start a new batch, more on compost in an entry to come. So major decarpeting, digging of huge alcove into the bank and relocation of compost bin all achieved in one evening. The only slight issue is the embarrassing wet patch caused by relentless digging. I apologise for the imagery here, but as I'm bent over digging shirtless in the blazing sun all the chest and belly sweat seems to find it's way to the slightly protruding gentleman's area of my shorts (protruding in the manner a trouser bunched due to bending, I should add. I mean I like digging and all but...).
Anyway, very hard work, no wonder I have a touch of sciatica tomorrow!
12th June A Tuesday. This is actually today! What I mean is it's now, I'm typing this on the 12th June, which means I'm kind of up to date. You all have Louise thank for this, I won't go into detail but her messages can be very inspiring.
Just a quick watering trip today, on the way to Tuesday football. I'm pretty sure we won today, though I don't keep score. The important thing with these games is to win, it's all very well taking part but if you don't come away with a win, well what's the point?
I can report that the french beans are doing extremely well, the sunflowers are putting on a couple of inches a day and all is good at the allotment.
14th June A Thursday. Mmm, I seem to find it difficult to leave the allotment sometimes. The words "I'll just do this before I go" pass through my mind once about every five minutes, then suddenly it's 9pm and I'm hungry with little time left for cooking. When you consider the other things that we men are supposed to think about every 5 minutes its surprising I had space for my parsnip related brainwave, more of this soon.
So eating at 10.30 again tonight, or just as soon as my red cabbage in red wine is done. I can recommend this heartily, and will post the recipe I'm using tonight just so long as it tastes good (smells delicious).
This evening, between thinking about one last thing and some other more exciting things I managed to plant out my french marigold, mizuna, ruby chard and basil seedlings. I then admired my sunflowers for a while, dug up some late potatoes, by mistake, followed by some earlies. In between I managed to have a long chat about tomatoes, aubergines, the blight and the suitability of council compost piles for killing off said viruses.
15th June A Friday. Woohoo, passed my exam, 34 out of 40! Another quick visit to Colchester Ave today. To collect some butternut squashes donated by Ms Vines and, as it turned out, some leeks from her neighbour, bonus.
Then off to my plot for a quick potter. Managed to build stage one of my melon hammock, check my trusses and water the greenhouse with water from my own butt! Glorious rain today too, so no watering to do for a week or so, excepting the greenhouse.
Today is Friday, so back home nice and early to prepare for beer and nonsense at the Albany.
16th June A Saturday. Did various things down the allotment, none of them interesting, sorry.
In the evening went to the new restaurant on the corner of Wedal Road, the Grape and Olive. It was one of the best meals I've had in a while. Jem, Ana, Will and Rachael made it all the more enjoyable! Plus, bonus, I bumped into German Mike and met German Jo for the first time. I now have the offer of some fresh bamboo which should be delivered to football on Tuesday, exciting!
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May 2007tag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.136142007-05-26T11:07:23Z2007-10-11T16:55:13ZInterestingly, May is the only month in which an American president has not died. I'm writing this on the 26th. I shall leave you alone with your thoughts for a moment. In other languages May variously translates as "the month...SuperDave
Interestingly, May is the only month in which an American president has not died. I'm writing this on the 26th. I shall leave you alone with your thoughts for a moment.
In other languages May variously translates as "the month of sowing", "the month of high grass", "the month of blooms" and less usefully "month number five".
But on to the calender, a work in progress so be gentle with me!
Click here to go back to the Diary main page.]]>
Sunday 6th
At home - Sowed courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumbers, curly kale, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, sunflowers, pumpkins
On Plot - Sowed peas, mange tout, runner beans, a range of oriental salad leaves, beetroot, parsnips, carrots, mooli radish,
Sunday 20th
At home - Sowed seeds - runner bean, mizuna, basil, sprouts, french marigolds (jolly jester), couple more sunflowers, parsnips
At plot - Diddley
Monday 21st
At home - Diddley
At plot - Built a restraining wall with old pavement slabs discovered frog, watched thrush for a half hour or so,
Tuesday 22nd
At Home - Diddley
At Plot - Extended restraining wall further. Watched Mr Thrush again.
Wednesday 23rd
Black Cock Inn, very pleasant evening!
Thursday 24th
At Plot - Dug two trenches and backfilled with last years compost for the runner beans. Used new cages from work to cover french beans which have just started to sprout! Planted two Pumpkin seedlings on the preprepared mounds.
Friday 25thSaturday 26thSunday 27th]]>
Allotment Diarytag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.136132007-05-26T10:55:46Z2007-06-12T22:51:44ZThis lovely new feature for my blog is as much for my benefit as it is your entertainment (entertainment?!?). It will be a more consistent way of recording my monthly activities and progress and give me something to refer back...SuperDave
This lovely new feature for my blog is as much for my benefit as it is your entertainment (entertainment?!?). It will be a more consistent way of recording my monthly activities and progress and give me something to refer back to next year. I've always intended to keep an allotment notebook, in fact I've started several. Unfortunately they seem to get lost, forgotten or ignored by the end of the first week because I'm much too busy doing things rather than writing about them. I may be doing a little bit of retrospective writing for this diary as I identify where I've left things a little late, hopefully this will keep me ahead of the game next year and make this journal a useful resource for anyone who wants to run an allotment in an ad-hoc and slightly half a*sed manner.
12th June 2007 - Please note. The problem with a blog is that it is a live medium. It's not really planned in advance. So seemingly great ideas like an allotment diary can prove to be a little cumbersome to maintain. What I'm saying is don't blame me if this turns out to be a bit crap. You're witnessing a work in progress so give me some leeway until it becomes unbearable then drop me a line to tell me were I'm going wrong or how I can improve. I'm very accomodating you know.
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When Slugs Attack!tag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.122552007-05-10T18:56:04Z2007-05-18T18:33:10ZIt looks like the coming month is going to be dry and warm. Personally I have a hunch that the whole summer will go down in history as one of the hottest and driest (I only say this to guarantee...SuperDave
It looks like the coming month is going to be dry and warm. Personally I have a hunch that the whole summer will go down in history as one of the hottest and driest (I only say this to guarantee a plentiful supply of rain for my allotment). This means, in my experience, that there is a good chance slug activity will be limited this year and the following advice will be useless. But we shall see.]]>
1. Beer - The basic theory here is that slugs love beer. This seems like a reasonable premise to me and is the one characteristic that allows me to afford them a scintilla of sympathy. You can either buy a purpose made beer trap or purposely make one yourself. All you need to do is half bury an appropriate container in the ground (a beer glass shaped object would be appropriate) with about 3cm of rim standing proud above the soil surface. Fill it with beer, cheap beer, and if you're feeling particularly vindictive you can toss a bit of salt in there too. The slugs will sniff the beer, gatecrash the party, get drunk (in my mind at least) and drown in the heady brew to be emptied out by you the following day. The raised lip will prevent useful predators, such as beetles, from falling into the beer. A messy and unpleasant option but can be effective as long as you regularly empty and replenish the container. Be sure to cover the trap on rainy days, leaving space for slugs to enter, to reduce the risk of dilution. The slimy grimness can be added to the compost heap (but not with salt).
2. Bran - Not so sure about this one, haven't tried it. Apparently slugs also love bran. If you scatter it around your seedlings the slugs will go for the bran and bloat themselves up nicely for the birds to pick off. If you keep very still you can spend many a happy hour watching thrushes wiping the defensive slime off slugs before swallowing them whole!
3.Pellets - I use Growing Success Advanced Slug Killer, and no other. It is safe for wildlife, cats dogs, children etc and seems to do the trick. Read the instructions and do what they say. I never use the blue pellets as these can harm natural slug predators which is clearly stupid.
4. Physical violence (covert) - For the truly vindictive gardener. Go out at night when slugs are on the prowl with a sharp stick and torch. Hunt them down and spear them, leave their rotting carcasses for the birds to eat. If your allotment backs on to houses this can get you arrested so full SAS tactics are recommended. Not Andy McNabb tactics though.
5. Physical violence (devious) - To avoid lengthy explanations to the local constabulary try this method of direct slug targeted violence. Leave apparently pleasant daytime shelters around the allotment, planks of wood, damp old newspapers (leave them folded so they don't blow away), grapefruit halves, a layer of cabbage leaves are all suitable havens for slugs. Each morning lift them up and kill all slugs found using what ever method you see fit. The law can't touch you!
6. Biological agents - Specifically, in this case, nematodes. Mogg swears by these and has used them successfully for several seasons, hopefully he will confirm this. These microscopic angels of slug doom love to eat slugs from the inside, and even better they love wet weather just as much as slugs do. They can be bought online from many suppliers, I won't express a preference as I've yet to try them (but might give them a go on my potatoes later in the year - I will keep you informed). I suspect the prices are dropping year on year and can confirm that I've seen them for a Pavarotti (a tenor...tenner, geddit? ah hehe), so bear that in mind while browsing.
7. Good housekeeping - Keep your plot free of weeds and debris that slugs can also feed on and hide under (devious violence methods excluded). The best way to do this is with a good hoeing once a week. Well hoed soil will have a good fine tilth on the surface which slugs don't really like to crawl over that much, they prefer a nice flat surface that doesn't soak up too much slime. Obviously this is good allotment practice anyway so everyone is a winner, apart from Mr Slug, bless his cotton sock.
8. Predators - If you can achieve this there are many dividends. I suspect slugs taste disgusting, but this is not an opinion shared by all of natures creatures. Hedgehogs, frogs, toads and newts, thrushes and redwings, shrews, slow worms, centipedes, beetles, ducks and hens, to name a few, all like nothing better than to feast on a nice juicy slug. So encourage these chaps into your allotment. Make a hedgehog friendly nest box, build a small pond for frogs and newts, never ever use poisonous slug pellets. Get some ducks and chickens, if it's for the allotment get permission first. At worst you will have a few more animals to watch during your rest periods and a green glow of smug satisfaction. At best you'll have eggs and fresh duck breast for supper!
9. Strong healthy plants - Both slugs and plants have been around for millions of years. The slugs are still here and the plants are still here, so it's not a one sided battle. Once your plants have got past seedling stage they can pretty much stand up for themselves, the slugs will still have ago, and make a living for that matter, but the plants will be strong enough to outgrow the slugs several times over. So make sure your soil is healthy and full of nutrients, bring your children up on a healthy diet and they grow into healthy adults able to deal with the stresses of every day life. It's not rocket science.
10. Various other useful and hair brained schemes that I don't have time to go into
Coffee grounds - Get a bin bag full from your local coffee shop and scatter.
Hair - Local barbers, as above (coffee and hair both good for the soil).
Don't grow plants that slugs eat - As if!
Sharp sand / gravel - Pointy! Slugs don't like it...ouch, ooh, ah, ooch, eek!
Crushed egg shells - see above.
Copper strips - a bit like electric fences for slugs.
Water in the mornings - that's a good point actually.
Salt on the soil - Come on now, that's just stupid, unless you're planning to grow seaweed.
I am more than happy to update this with any new suggestions, so let me know.
And happy hunting!
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Look at the size of those roots!tag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.111242007-04-26T22:15:27Z2007-04-30T22:42:57ZJust got back from the plot folks. Well I say just got back, what I mean is I got back, washed some dishes, made a pasta salad (with shop bought vegetables I'm afraid, it's the time of year), drank some...SuperDave
Just got back from the plot folks. Well I say just got back, what I mean is I got back, washed some dishes, made a pasta salad (with shop bought vegetables I'm afraid, it's the time of year), drank some Czechoslovakian lager and then sat down here. I have only one thing on my mind (well two if you include the usual). Can I eat spinach roots? ]]>
recipe for spinach roots that doesn't use spinach roots,
~ a recipe for mastic pudding,
~ yes, a recipe for mastic pudding,
and my personal favourite
~ a forum entry asking if anyone knew if spinach root is edible.
~ With no replies goddammit!
~ oh, and according to the good doctor you shouldn't feed large quantities of spinach to young children due to the high oxalic acid content, a fact that children all over the country will probably rejoice in
Sometimes the internet can be a major pain in the composter.
So to summarise.
~ I can't get proper bullet points to work,
~ spinach root has quite a nice flavour and looks very wholesome,
~ spinach root in a recipe actually refers to the short length of stalks where they leave the root proper (looks nice too),
~ oxalic acid causes kidney stones and you shouldn't eat too much of it (22g would kill half of all adult humans that ingested it (that's 22g each)),
~ many children don't like spinach,
~ mastic has more uses than you'd think,
~ I will eat anything when I'm hungry,
~ the internet isn't as clever as it thinks it is,
~ it does too think! We've all seen the Terminator, it can't be long now - a possibility the colonel has failed to account for
and my personal favourite
~ Czechoslovakian lager is lovely! (and isn't made from rice, like that American nonsense).
The next weeks will be very busy, I will keep you up to date as much as possible. This is all much easier if you tell me what you want to know you know.
Bye for now.
Oh, and much respect to Mogg for the marathon and stuff, 3hrs and 43 minutes.]]>
Chitting, pricking out and hardening off.tag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.103662007-04-17T23:20:16Z2007-04-21T18:54:15ZI'm back! I hope nobody has missed me. Well actually I do hope you've missed me and please accept my apologies for not publishing much of late. I have now properly started getting things together for this years season. My...SuperDave
I'm back! I hope nobody has missed me. Well actually I do hope you've missed me and please accept my apologies for not publishing much of late. I have now properly started getting things together for this years season. My potatoes have been chitted and planted and soon my seedlings will be sprouted, pricked out and ready to harden off, but more of this later.
First of all I need to urgently respond to Louise's comment regarding things to do and my lack of action. I hope you don't mind me filching your comment for this entry Louise, but it will help me catch up, and I have edited it appropriately. And look, a picture of me down at the plot, at last! Could this really be SuperDave?
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"Procrastination..."
Louise Wrote...
Hey SuperDave!
How is everything? I was wondering if you had any more advice for my new allotment now that Easter is on it's way. Like you I have my very own old man in Penylan! (I already want to know more...SuperEd) He is lovely and given me lots of help and some free potatoes. One thing though (Aha). My favourite vegetable is asparagus. I know it takes a long time to grow but Stan said it is too difficult for a beginner. Boo Hoo! Is he right do you think? Is it worth trying this year?
Louisexx
PS Don't listen to all those people calling you names. I think you are great!
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SuperDave replies
Hi Louise, sorry I've been absent for so long, but I'm back now and raring to go, perhaps raring is overstating the case but you know what I mean.
Everything is good, the sun is shining, the potatoes are chitting and the wine is flowing, at least for the long weekend.
RE: Asparagus. It does take a long time to grow, it's a couple of years before you're even able to harvest it, and it may be difficult (never grown it myself, maybe I'll start this year).
But I would never say it's too difficult for a beginner, if it's what you want to grow you should go for it, and with such a long time before you get a harvest then the sooner you start the better.
The worst that can happen if your first attempt fails is that you'll have gained experience which will put you in good stead for the next attempt.
The big problem will be in getting hold of some crowns in time for this year. The crowns need to go in the ground for late March / early April. Much as I don't want to promote Homebase I can confirm that they had some for sale a couple of weeks ago, so if you're quick.
For further growing tips I've added some links for you to check...
This one and this one.
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Chitting.tag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.84862007-03-21T23:27:43Z2007-04-21T18:53:35ZAt last we've made it. The weekend I crave for every year from January onwards. British Summer Time started on Sunday. The clocks went back, or forward, I'm never quite sure. What matters is we have our light evenings back....SuperDave
At last we've made it. The weekend I crave for every year from January onwards. British Summer Time started on Sunday. The clocks went back, or forward, I'm never quite sure. What matters is we have our light evenings back. We can start to feel like our daylight hours aren't spent entirely on earning our mortgage payments. Sure, in the early weeks we may have to experience a few freezing barbecues. We will also had to get up an hour earlier, for me this was easily countered for by having a suitably...erm...exciting Saturday night which required a very early Sunday night in bed. Not to mention a reasonably boozy Sunday afternoon But the most important factor, for the purposes of this blog, is that we can get down the allotment in the evening, de-stress and start growing. ]]>
So, what do we need to consider at the start of the season? Having dug over a significant chunk of my plot on Saturday I can confirm that the first thing to consider is a good pair of gardening gloves, the second thing is to remember to take them with you. The third thing, which I will try to remember for next year, is never combine fresh lemon juice with burst blisters.
So the next thing you need to think about is what to grow. Personally I try to grow a combination of what I like with a couple of spectacular items, pumpkins being a favourite, big pumpkins ideally.
Anyway, the nights are drawing in, this is a long overdue entry and I need to catch up and write a million blog's in one day, just like that song.
Bit of a cock up on the catering front...tag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.71982007-03-05T21:44:22Z2007-04-21T18:52:58Z Nothing lasts forever. Except perhaps time, but I'm no Stephen Hawking so I won't dwell on the longevity of time. But certainly the current status quo cannot last forever as The Colonel has so accurately pointed out. So does...SuperDave Nothing lasts forever. Except perhaps time, but I'm no Stephen Hawking so I won't dwell on the longevity of time. But certainly the current status quo cannot last forever as The Colonel has so accurately pointed out. So does this mean that civilisation is doomed to crumble. That our reliance on dwindling supplies of oil will eventually lead to a collapse in the chain of supply and a starving population. Or will humanity, with its unique ability to consciously (epiphenomenalism not withstanding) modify the environment to its own benefit, come up with a solution to halt our seemingly inevitable decline.]]>
and Coldplay and several mass extinctions. The carbon dioxide fart of humanity would be a tiny blip in its history and make not one jot of difference to its survival, or the survival of its life for that matter. And anyway, without humanity to witness these catastrophes they cease to be catastrophic and become merely unwitnessed events, a bit like the X Factor would be if we lived in a properly civilised society (In memory of Giles Cobler and trees in woods). The extinction of humanity would cease to be a problem at the precise moment that the last conscious mind blinked out of existence. All I'm saying is I'll start giving them a fiver a month when they change their name to Save the Humans, a much more achievable (hopefully) and realistic aim.
So what is the one variable that is crucial to our survival? Well that's blindingly obvious - resources. If we haven't got anything to eat, drink, breathe, build with or plug in we won't get off square one, or indeed on square one to begin with. We'll have no dice to roll, we won't pass go and collect £200, we'll have no cheese/wedge/pie to put in one of the six holes and no questions to answer anyway, there will be no study in which to find the non existent lead pipe, no ladder to climb and no snakes to slide down, the game won't be over because it won't have started. See what I mean, obvious, resources.
There are two types of resource, and our capitilisation (such an appropriate word) of these two resource types is key to our success in the future. The clues are all there to see, a dead giveaway, but for some reason we just don't, won't or can't see what's right before our eyes.
Renewable Resources. These are the ones that are renewable, that means if they're properly managed they'll last, effectively, for ever. It's all there in the word renewable, these are the resources on which the carrying capacity of our ecosystem depends. The earth has been managing pretty well on renewable resources for quite some time now. Incredibly efficient recycling policies have evolved and the whole system has kept itself going and put us on the map, giving me the opportunity to bore you with this blog. Managing our renewables is the crucial element in the survival of humanity.
Non-Renewable Resources. These are the ones that are going to run out and fossil fuels are the biggies. Fossil fuels are the resources that have simultaneously propelled humanity to it's current state of development and into a bit of a pickle. The developed world no longer exists in a natural environment, instead we now exist in a technological world created on the back of a huge pile of free energy in the form of oil and coal and perhaps latterly, uranium. These are all going to run out sooner or later, even uranium, the supposed solution to our greenhouse gas reduction targets, is not in infinite supply.
To steal a little from an excellent essay by Kurt Vonnegut this huge pile of free energy is no more that huge pile of premium grade heroin and the developed nations of the world are a bunch of junkies riding a hundred year high. The supply is starting to run dry. And we all know what happens when a junkie can't afford his next hit. He gets desperate, he does a bit of shoplifting, maybe burgles a few houses, and as the desperation increases he mugs a few grannies. Blinded by his need for a fix he kills to get it. Does any of this sound familiar?
But enough of this now, back to vegetables, and maybe animal husbandry just for the colonel.
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Dragged Back to Reality, Thank You Louise.tag:thegrapesofroath.welshblogs.co.uk,2007://112.56812007-02-10T12:10:38Z2007-04-21T18:51:59ZAt last a sensible comment about allotments. Maybe I can be of some use to the public after all, and help promote Cardiff allotments at the same time. First off I will deal with some of your thinly veiled concerns....SuperDave
At last a sensible comment about allotments. Maybe I can be of some use to the public after all, and help promote Cardiff allotments at the same time. First off I will deal with some of your thinly veiled concerns. I too have a full time job which takes up about 40 of my weekly waking hours, I also have at least several hobbies, not least of which is lazing about wasting time. I think part of the trick is incorporating as many of the hobbies as possible into the allotmenting process. ]]>
allotment page of the Council website. Up in the top right hand corner you will see a small box with three links, one for a map, one for a list of sites and one for a price list. Don't bother with the map, it's rubbish, sorry, but it is. The list of sites is more useful and, as you will see, should you choose to have a look, there are still some pretty good sites available. The prices are so low as to be nominal, basically you're looking at paying around £30 for a standard plot, there are some variations by site but I have no idea why. So check the price list if you want but the payback far exceeds the outlay.
After you've decided on a site convenient for you simply give the site secretary a ring and they will tell you what to do next. This will probably involve going down to the site to view a plot. It's at this point that you might feel slightly alarmed and daunted.
1. Don't worry if you're shown a totally overgrown plot, covered in arm ripping brambles and knee tingling nettles. Ask the secretary if it can be cleared before you take ownership, they may call in the council or even do it themselves, the important thing is to ask, I promise they will be helpful.
2. Don't be daunted by the size, there is no requirement to immediately turn the entire plot into one of those kitchen gardens found in stately homes, with neat rows of cabbages and firm ripe peaches growing against the south wall. Start small, just use a quarter of the plot in the first year and bring in new sections as you feel comfortable. Remember to cover what you don't use to ensure the weeds are kept at bay.
3. Don't worry about any pristine plots around your potential new site, there is a lot of pride in allotmenteers but very little snobbery. Nobody will judge a new plot owner, they may be overzealous with advice at times, but only out of a desire to help. There is a good chance, in my experience, that in your first year you will successfully grow something on your plot that they have never managed on theirs, so just get stuck in and enjoy yourself.
Now, back to time. As Captain Lawrence Oates once said "I am just going outside and may be some time". Alas he wasn't just popping out to the allotment to pick some tomatoes for a nice ham sandwich, he was poncing about in the Antarctic looking for the South Pole. Had he been popping to the allotment he would have only taken about an hour two or three nights a week, and perhaps a four hour stint on the weekend. There are some pressure points in the year where a bit more time may be required, mid spring say, for preparation, and late summer for harvesting but these are the only real busy seasons, other than that not too much time is required. I suppose Oates only really had one season to worry about,bitter winter, and no vegetable worries, but I would strongly argue that between polar exploration and allotmenteering he made the wrong choice.
I fear I may be taking up too much of your time now. I hope this has been helpful but feel free to prompt me if I've been too vague, too specific or just too much. I look forward to hearing from you.
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