Monday, August 29, 2011

Saturday, August 27, 2011

A Mammal's Notebook



"My only nourishment consists of food that is white: eggs, sugar, shredded bones, the fat of dead animals, veal, salt, coco-nuts, chicken cooked in white water, mouldy fruit, rice, turnips, sausages in camphor, pastry, cheese (white varieties), cotton salad, and certain kinds of fish (without their skin).
I breathe carefully (a little at a time) and dance very rarely. When walking I hold my ribs and look steadily behind me.
I sleep with only one eye closed, very profoundly."


Erik Satie 'A Mammal's Notebook'

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Slim Pickings

It's a disappointing year for tomatoes in my back yard. They started looking sorry for themselves quite early on and that caused me to get cross with them. So I punished them by cutting short their water rations... Anyway, very few fruited in the greenhouse (yellowhouse) before I removed them completely but some of the outdoor ones are beginning to produce now so all is not lost. It's a mystery because under the same conditions in the same soil the peppers have flourished (and continue to) and yielded bumper harvests. Possibly the pot size?


Monday, August 08, 2011

I Heard an Owl...


Walking back from the pub last night through the remains of the Great North Wood we saw two short-eared owls - about 30 feet above us, mesmerized by M.'s bright torch. The calls that we initially heard were the squawking sounds that follow the hooting on this RSPB webpage. I notice that the Wildlife Trust runs a night time 'nature prowl' there on August 26th. But for great owl watching go HERE.

Sunday, August 07, 2011

August

"Sow the principal spring crops this month. Cabbages and endive are best sown early in the month, and cauliflower and lettuce towards the end. Sow giant rocca and tripoli onions (to stand the winter), hardy green-top stone and orange jelly turnip, and a final sowing of winter spinach."
The Horticultural Notebook J.C.Newsham 1914


Outside I've just sown Purple Top Milan, Japanese Hinona Kabu and Golden Ball turnips and Green Meat Daikon radish.

Monday, August 01, 2011

Name That Nutrient Deficiency

Certain of my dwarf beans are looking a bit peak-ed and yellow round the gills. Please lend your help by participating in the poll below so that I can nurse them back to tip-top condition.


Identify the Nutrient Deficiency
Nitrogen
Potassium
Magnesium
Manganese
  
pollcode.com free polls