As a result of a busy weekend tearing round after my naughty little folk, visiting my Dad in Birmingham and prolonged bouts of Harry Potter fever I have nothing crafty to report - unless you count a crocheted head, of course.
I had a few minutes to bimble in the garden though and thought I'd share it with you. My garden is the horticultural equivalent of Jodie's studio, so don't be fooled into thinking it all looks this lovely!
Moogsdad is making progress on our new chicken palace. Fingers crossed he may have even built them a nice snug house by the end of this week.
Minx's windowbox - the inside of the Wendy House looks less lovely, having seen some mud pie action this summer!
My tomato plants have gone wild - and I'll reveal my secret later.....
Spuds growing in sacks - not sure when they'll be done but looking good so far.....
.....our little veg patch coming along nicely.....
....mmmmmm......
Now, onto my tomato growing secret.
As you may or may not know tomato plants are greedy b**gers and require lots of feeding. Taking tips from here I've been making my own tomato feed this year and they seem to love it!
So if you have a comfrey plant handy.....
...and you want to make a superb free plant food that smells like the worst ever stinky farmyard...only worse... here is how you do it.
Pick half a bucket of comfrey leaves - good idea to wear gloves as comfrey can irritate your skin...
....cover the leaves with water and leave for about a week or so.
You will be left with a dark brown, incredibly foul smelling liquid fertiliser to add to your watering can (1 part fertiliser to 5-20 parts water).
You may then get some of these:
To end on a really exciting note....whilst pottering and pootling about the garden today I realised we have a pair of blackbirds nesting just outside the conservatory window, inside my bottlebrush plant. I've now got my fingers crossed they don't get got by the nasty magpies - the silly things have not exactly hidden very well and I can see the female's head when she's sitting on the nest - twit!!!
I'll keep you posted!
xxxx
p.s. just thought - I can now justify time spent out in the conservatory reading HP as I'm on magpie patrol!!
23 comments:
Ahhh, reading HP naturally leads to some very special fluids...big tomato plants? Just a little magic:-)
(but it works!)
Hm....the best-ever stinky stuff for plants was to be found on the Cumbrian allotments near to where I lived when I was there....real manure in a waterbutt, topped with rainwater and left for who knows how long....then allowed out through the tap into buckets and stinky-stink-stink added to growbags and trenches for everso large veggies that won prizes. Good job it was on the allotments and not in the garden, that's my own private opinion!!!! Fran
Oh wow - I am SO impressed by your Comfrey feed for tomatoes - who'd have guessed?
That chicken coop looks like it's going to be big: any chance me and the smalls could rent it for a while? :-D
Take care. x
So much to comment on today missus - shall I start with praising Moogsdad?
Thought not.
Ok, then, superb veg growing there - that comfrey juice is obviously potent stuff! I started making some last year but then a mouse decided to commit suicide in it so I poured it away. The allotmenteers next to us gave me a 4 litre milk cartoon of the "juice" that has drained off their muck heap so that I can add it to the water butt. But then again I have plenty of comfrey to play with again.
Minxy's window box looks gorgeous and I am nearly as excited as you about your blackbird nest - especially if it gives you a valid excuse for lounging in the conservatory reading!
Anyway, back to Moogsdad - what a fantastic looking chicken run! He's done a goodly job there!
Ok, I think I will have filled your comment-capacity now so I am off to have some more yummy white wine!
Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Ooh, your garden is looking so fabby. It's around this time of year that I find myself wishing I'd paid more attention to mine in the spring!
The comfrey potion is certainly doing the trick and your chickens will think they've died and gone to heaven!
The family Moog has been very busy, I see. Lovely garden, and I'm impressed that you have tomatoes on already. Looks like the chickens will be well-housed, too. Beautiful wendy house window box, especially since it detracts from the mess inside. Good for you all.
Summer? Did I miss something? When was that? hehehe!
Very busy post especially when you are up to your eyes in magpie patrol. I am soooooooo jealous of your blackbird nest. We usually get a nest in the pyracantha but they seem to have been put off this year.
Wow! Very fecund garden you have there (hope that's the right word ). Lovely healthy plants you must have very green fingers.
Your chickens will be very well housed. Well done Moogsdad :)
It's always so lovely having nesting birds in the garden - last year we had a pair of pigeons nesting in the wisteria over our back door (they made a huge mess), and anothyer time we had sparrows in the bush outside our french windows so we had a perfect view of the baby birds without having to go outside and frighten them!
Excellent -- you've found an excuse for more reading LOL! What a beautiful garden!
Gorgeous gardens pics, although I think I'll pass on the comfrey concoction thanks ;)
Good luck with the magpie patrol ... I'm permanently on that too, I hate those horrid bullying birds, and we have a new family of blackbirds in our hawthorn hedge who need my vociferous protection!
Looking forward to seeing some chicken action around here soon ....
:)
Quick...while the one's asleep and the other's having breakfast...
Wow, what a fantastic post full of tasty things (although I don't fancy that comfrey juice - have heard it really does reek). Apparently if you do the same with rhubarb leaves it makes a fab organic anti-aphid spray for tomato plants! Also very stinky though.
Minx's outside residence looks rather gorgeous - complete with windowbox - like something from the Chelsea flower show! Lucky girl. Every lady has to make mud pies indoors once in a while.
The feathered ladies seem to have a des res too - clever Moogsdad.
Bit worried about your foot - was it singed?
I haven't been around due to computer probs but I am back. Like I said before I really want a chicken house I am green with envy.
Fabulous garden pictures... thank you for the fertilizer tip - although I bought tomato plants weeks ago and haven't got around to planting them!Do you think it's too late if I go now....
Looking good, those tomatoes. I have some and I can't wait for a decent tomato sandwich; thick sliced real bread, thin sliced tomatoes, dusting of salt and a lot of juice all over me! Mmm.
Hey Lesley, I'm so glad you haven't done mega posting lately as I'm trying to catch up with everyone and my eyes are screaming!!
I listened to the 1st HP book and that's as far as I got, so I'm much slower than you (although my claim to fame is meeting Daniel Radcliffe when he was about 2 lol). Any excuse to read is a fab one in my language.
Your tomato plants are looking amazing, mine are only tiny still. Does that pooey stink stop other people's pussy cats doing doo doo in your garden?? I e-mailed the local animal park asking for some tiger poo but they haven't replied - maybe they think I'm a weirdo!!
Anyhoo, if it stops the lil devils I'll use that recipe.
Will shut up now!
xx
Lovely gardening pictures and a neat tip for Tomatoes. Jane x
Comfrey for tomatoes, I'll have to share that with my mum; she has a garden and I wish I had space for one! HP will do that to you - really pull you in, but luckily you have magpies for excuses. Have a great week.
Dy
Your garden looks great. I really must try your tip about the tomatoes, mine are quite big but have very few flowers on them. I've just moved everything out of the greenhouse into the garden today so it's getting a SEVERE soaking :)
Twiggy x
ohhh, enjoy HP no 5 before Harry goes all teenagey in 6! We use worm juice that drains from the worm farm - good stuff! Is it a bottlebrush like an Australian bottlebrush plant?
That's the trouble with blackbirds they usually make their nests very low and in sight and reach of everything else. Not the smartest of birds, but lovely all the same. I have blackbird fledglings around my garden at the moment and I really enjoy having them around. Like you the magpies use my patch as well. I am a very keen gardener, but sorry you cannot persuade me to use comfrey fertiliser, its stinks to high heaven. Once I had to help my aged Aunt transfer a water butt from her allotment back to her house, which had been holding this stuff, and it stunk the van out for ages and I couldn't get the smell to go from up my nostrils for days! I think I shall stick to tomato food for my tomatoes thanks! x
Hi Lesley, I've tagged you if you fancy joining in.
xxx
I love your garden and I was just thinking about your chickens and wondering how that project was going! I ran into an acquaintance who just bought 15 chickens for his home too and he offered me free eggs!!! I hope I get some.
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