Tuesday 15 April 2014

living salad, popcorn maker and compost

Hello Dear Frugellers
I notice that my last post was number 200!! I know I don't post very often, but that's still pretty good I reckon. I should have done a give away or something, but missed the moment... typical !

Thought I would share a frugal (tight) tip. A few weeks ago I bought one of those living salad things from Lidl for 79p. I took out a third of the tiny plants, split them and transplanted them into these 2 foot by 10inch planters. I used the remaining two thirds as usual. Here are the plants. I have already transplanted a few of these into the greenhouse, between the tomatoes to grow into full size plants, before this picture was taken. I think you will agree that these plants are nice and strong.
They say that pride comes before a fall.  When I took the camera back into the house, the chickens stripped one of the planters!!
Back in January I asked if anyone knew where I could purchase a popcorn maker similar to the one thatI  had that had broken irreparably. Dreamer and Velia Power directed me to the Whirleypop, which I have finally sent for.    Here is YGD  with the popcorn she made yesterday morning with the new popcorn maker.  Many Many thanks Dreamer and Velia !
D. has been working hard sieving the large compost heap. He has been using the trailer and a new sieve he made from bits of wood and some quarter inch wire.  I'm using it almost as quickly as he is sieving it. His secret helpers are the chickens.. he throws several spade fulls on the ground for an hour or two, the chickens scratch it about, making it easier to sieve. They have full crops and D. has easier to manage compost. Win-win !
D. and the guys were going to dig the potato trench for me today and rake over the brassica patch. That was until someone asked if D. could take down some smallish trees that were reducing the light in their garden. After cleaning out the trailer they set off, to return a couple of hours later with a trailer full of wood, some of the logs being huge. D. tells me that there is a similar amount still to harvest. So even though the digging hasn't been done we have a goodly pile of wood towards next winter and more to come.

The lambs are growing and eating grass readily now. I reduced their feeds to three bottle today, making looking after them even easier ( it really hasn't been difficult this year).

Spring is springing here, with lots of blossom fro the bees to visit. I missed the programme about bees last night as we had a Civic Society Committee meeting. D. has put it onto series record, so I will catch up. Something I did manage to catch was the Allotment "competition " tonight. Mmmm. not too sure yet. Good idea, but I think it is going to be a programme that I shout at!
Did anyone else watch it?
All for now, off to pick D. up from the pub
Gillx


15 comments:

  1. Sounds like heaps is getting done at your place! What a good batch of compost. I'm a
    Ways a step behind with mine.

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  2. Replies
    1. It's a busy time of year isn't it/ I always say that once we are into the end of may things quieten down after the frantic potting on and planting. In truth it never seems to! (bees next)
      Gill

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  3. I've never seen the appeal of Popcorn, but it does LOOK GOOD, and I like the look of the machine too. My compost stays lumpy.

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    1. I'm with you on the popcorn I feel I should like it but am never carried away. I particularly like this method of making it. I somehow feel that the lectric ones are cheating!.
      We put lumpy compost onto the garden. The sieved stuff is for potting on and the greenhouses.
      I love the aspect of your veggie plot.

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  4. I've just bought one of the trays of living salad from Lidl and intend to do more or less what you did.
    I'm afriad I fell asleep during the allotment programme. Ooops!

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    1. I'm going to persevere with the programme and will probably end up rooting(!) for the couple that irritate me least.
      Good luck with the salad.

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  5. I find it impossible to watch many gardening programs, I end up cussing and stamping. I met the late Geoff Hamilton several times and his methods suited me and I still follow most of them. I also like Monty Don, but Gardeners World has been messed about with so much that I often miss it.

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    1. I'm with you. I don't watch Gardener's World anymore. Geoff was a proper gardener and while I like Monty, I preferred him in programmes like "Fork to Fork" which were mostly veggie based.

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  6. I meant to try and catch the Allotment programme but forgot...sounds like I might do myself a favour by getting out onto my own allotment with that half hour instead of watching allotments on telly...

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    1. The allotment. i.e. the growing bit was rather skipped over I thought. And I really can't get excited about a radish!. The flower bit was interesting, but yet again we weren't really shown how the flowers were grown. As for the preserve bit I was shouting at the screen at this , as some of those participants had clearly never made jam or curd, but still felt that they could bend preserving "rules".
      I think we have to watch it so that we can complain about it!

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  7. Hmm, allotment programme, yes, I did shout at them! For goodness sake, putting cornflour into fruit curd? Hiding plants that need full sun between the shady bean rows.......don't think I can bear to watch any more of it quite frankly!
    The bee programme, when is it on or have I missed it totally?
    Happy seiving! xxx

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    1. Th bee programme is on monday nights, I think at 8.00 on 4 (not ever so sure about that bit) D. saw a bit on catch up. I asked him what he thought of it and he said "mmm not too sure" So I will have to watch it to form my own opinion. It is a brave beekeeper that does a programme on keeping bees as every beekeeper has a different opinion.
      I suspect I shall watch at least a couple more as I am so nosey

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  8. In reading through your post I first thought "boo chickens." Then it was "yay chickens." Wonderful compost sieve.

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  9. When I read about and saw your compost sieve it took my mind back to when I was young. We used a bed spring base, not the spiral sort but a mesh type, propped up one side on something then shovelled the compost onto it....the result was a nice pile of lovely soil and fine mulch.
    Alexa from Sydney Australia blogging at http://www.Alexa-asimplelife.com

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