Zoomer44

What's the weather like in your area?

Frank - I was, a little surprised, at how oily the bread got even just after one tbsp. Will try something simpler next time, what do you suggest... please don't say white or brown bread... It might be some time before I try scones again. Hadn't made enough pastry for pie so it was two small spinach and cheese quiches. The quiches were a huge success , the pastry wasn't soggy either.

Am I right in thinking pies can be made up and frozen before baking.  

 Sounds like a nice day with 21 for tea, hope they helped out with the washing up.

Wet and cold here in this part of the NW. Flowers loving it but veg beds looking water logged.      

What's the weather like in your area?

Another wet day, rained for most of it.

Frank - on the baking front, not brill for the first attempt,my efforts have along way to go before I'll be asking others to taste. Looked through some cook books and settled for scones and Focaccia bread with pastry made up for a quiche and pie tomorrow.

Scones didn't rise as much as expected and the bread was a little hard on the outside. I'm not throwing in the towel just yet though. 

What's the weather like in your area?

Another wet day so the garden got a good water.

Did some potting up and sowed more seeds. What a difference a week makes, toms are romping away now with peppers, chillies and aubergines beginning to put on a spurt. there are far to many seedlings for the space I have and it's so difficult to cull them to the compost heap.

Been pleased with all my spring bulbs, as some die back others have flowered. One variety of daffs bloomed with 3 to 5 heads.

Frank-  starting off with a quiche, fruit pie (have a glut of rhubarb) and I'm gonna try making Italian Focaccia bread. How difficult can it be, hope it's as easy pezzsie as you say.

What to grow in pots?

If you decide to grow toms be mindful, some varieties are better grown under cover for instance in a GH and don't grow well outside in our cool climate. You need to read the instructions when buying.

There are also determinate and indeterminate varieties of toms.

I maybe wrong but determinate toms are bush tom's for instance Tumbler, Tumbling tom, Red Alert and Garden Pearl. These grow well in hanging baskets and tall pots, they don't need stakes because they don't grow very tall. A cane, close to the stem to which the stems can be tied is advisable though as they can become very heavy with fruit and a cane will add support.

Indeterminate varieties or cordon toms can grow to 5 or 6ft in height, these need staking - varieties include Alicante, Money Maker, Gardeners Delight, Golden Sunrise and Sungold, not all sutable for growing outdoors.

Hope this is helpful. Some of the bush one's are really easy to grow in pots and hanging baskets providing you choose the right variety.

What's the weather like in your area?

Wet and windy here so I went to Hayes GC at Ambleside with a friend. Didn't get to see the plants outside due to the rain but we had a late lunch in the cafe before going onto Lakeland Plastics.

I've always wanted to make proper pastry, learn how to bake and make real bread. It was one of life's pleasures as a child watching my mum bake, make cakes and scraping the mixing bowl out afterwards. Also wanted to do something more imaginative with stuff grown in the garden this year other than pasta dishes, bakes and gratins.

So came home armed with a couple of books on how to make pies and baking, plastic containers to freeze stuff in, a rolling pin, ceramic balls (for the flans I'm gonna make with all that home grown produce ), yeast and various tin foil containers to make pies and bake bread in .  

Wish me luck, if it's a wet weekend I'm gonna have a baking day.

Good Evening FORKERS

Evening forkers..

Did any one see Lord Sugar on the One Show yesterday, here's some useless information, he was known as mopsy by his sister when he was little. There was a cute picture of him at 4 or 5 with a nice mop of blond curls how things change.

and has anyone heard of the new voucher craze. I read in a national rag, one mothers son scourers the Internet and other places for discount vouchers. He managed to get one of her shops down from £100 plus to £1.62, showed the receipt and how he did it, some were top brands too.

They are back

Killed one on a lilly in the GH today. Never had them before this year and all my lilies are grown in pots. Me thinks they've been imported in compost, is that possible  

propagation boasts and failures

I took some hard wood cuttings from around the garden for the first time last year and much to my amazement all bar two are still alive. Gooseberryy doesn't look to have taken but the currant cuttings are in bud. Even took some cuttings off the hedge, gave them a gentle tug the other day and they weren't for coming out so must have a root system forming, was thinking of trying topiary.

What's the weather like in your area?

By mid afternoon it was hot to garden here, got stuff done in the morning and late afternoon.

Sounds like you had a busy day Jo. I left everything out this evening with temps only going down to 10C I'm taking my chances. Also planted out lots of veggies which have been growing in the plastic GH. 

Ants on my cucumber plants

Ants are known to farm aphids. They feed off the honeydew aphids excrete and in return protect the aphids on the plant. The ants may not appear to be a problem yet but aphids will be.

Bolting onions....

Black spot...

Painting a trellis...

Repotting a Christmas Tree...

Veg to sow in February...

Stored home made liquid seaweed feed...

Moving flowers...

Which spuds to get...

Clearing snow...

Hard wood cuttings...

Where have all my beans gone!.

Growing fennel bulbs...

Growingspuds for Chistmas...

Saving bean seeds...

Saving tom seeds...