General Chat

I was just thinking of you as I was preparing some Brussels for tonights meal. I saw you say you were down on your allotment the other day. Have you got anything in it, or is it a blank canvas, at this time of the year.
We, just have a few Cabbages, Parsnips, and Brussels.
The OH had a steady walk down yesterday, for the exercise,and got the Brussels. He said that a new couple had taken up a plot near his, and the were there digging yesterday, and today, when he went to fetch the papers and me baccy. Must be keen to want to be out digging in this weather. It is so cold I would not turn my dog out in it.
Are you growing anything new this year. We have one or two new things on the list, which I cannot find at the moment, and different types of tomatoes. Are you indoor or outdoor with them. I do both, but up at the house, not on the allotment.
I am hoping to create a couple of Living Salad Bars up at the house for convenience, for those days that get to tea-time, and you think you could not eat a load of veggies with your meat, and would prefer some salad instead.

Look forward to hearing from you

Julia in Derbyshire

Sorry, Julia, only just spotted this. I was out n about this afternoon, but will reply more fully tomorrow. :-)

Been up the pub....LOL :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

George :-) :-) :-)

George, don't be cheeky - you know I'm teetotal!

*has another sip of water with ice n lemon - :-D :-D :-D

ive got nothing growing in my veg garden,it looks very unkept at the moment,but its far to cold here to start digging.maybe next wk. :-D

Go on, Suzanne, you can do it - turn those clods to get them frosted - works wonders!!

Saddo Wend x

PS Which area of the country are you in, Suzanne?

im in angelsey wend,
we are having quite hard frosts here now,and since i only have 1day off a wk,it will be a while before i can get out and sort my veg. :-D

Morning Julia - sorry I didn't come back to you yesterday. My fireman turned up for the day to do a few odd jobs and I was rather preoccupied ;-)

Have to go out for a while now, but I will back later for an 'allotment chat', although I'm very much a novice as far as veggies go. I've been trying to decide which tatties to go for this year - perhaps you can advise me?

Speaks to you later then Wend. Looking forward to it.


Julia in Derbyshire

Sorry Julia, internet went up the spout. So annoying, because I knew you were off at 6.30 ish for kitchen duties, but couldn't make it. Tatty talk tomorrow! :-D

*pulls up tattie folding chair in anticipation of Wends wonderful words of weggie wisdom*

*cups ear* sorry I thought I heard a tut. ;-) :-D

Oh Hello Island, Darlink, Now I have had this conversation with Wend., booked since last Sunday.
Now, I dont' want to start an ugly rumour, but I think she has run off with somebody. I wonder who else is missing from the boards, apart from Pickles and Mersey, that is. LOLOL

Julia in Derbyshire

and Dizzi :-(

Awright, awright, stop talking about me - I'm 'ere!! Been having 'pooter problems since this morning - only just come back on.

Afternoon, Island - you just sit back now and enjoy :-D

Now Julia, in answer to you initial question - when I went over to my allotment last week I picked the last of the Broccoli Purple Sprouting and Sprouting Tendergreen, which was very tasty. I also still have quite a few leeks and I pulled up a few, also beetroot (though they were quite small.) I generally tidied up and weeded and dug up my Dahlia tubers - thought I might be too late, but they look OK. I don't have to dig them up in my garden, as they seem to cope with the winter climate here, as we are near the coast. My allotment is about 10 miles inland, so more frosts there.

Now, I'm a bit puzzled about my onions. Last summer on the rare days of very hot weather, I was unable to get over there to water them and then they looked as if they'd had it. However, last week I saw that they have sprung into life again and are looking very healthy, even if small. What I would like to know, is there any hope for them. Will a severe frost or heavy snow kill them off for good?

Re potatoes. Last year I grew Picasso, Nadine, Kestrel and Désirée. All were good, but we really enjoyed the Désirée - I think they are very reliable, so will grow again this year. I want to try other different ones. I've got one in mind, but can't remember name, so will look it up in a min. and come back.

You still awake, Island ;-)

This is it:

VALES EMERALD

Bred from Charlotte this potato has given excellent results in our trials with a good crop of uniform round tubers. These were firm and waxy on boiling and we rated the taste as being one of the best. Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. First Early variety. Flesh Colour - Cream. Uses - new, boil, steam and saute.
Our seed potatoes are inspected by the relevant certifying authority and that number is featured on the bag labels (within riddle size 30mm x 60mm). This eliminates over large and very small potatoes.

Was sent this info, amongst other potatoes, by Dobies of Devon, but the price is £8.45 for 3 kg!

At long last. I was just about to crochet a grape.LOLOL
We usually lift our onions, when they are ready in the summer, and store. So can't help you there.
I try to grow different potatoes each year, so that I can try all the varieties, on offer.
So, for my First Earlies, the type you get in the supermarkets now as** New Potatoes, but you can't scrape them, we had Isle of Jura, my thinking that if they grow there they will grow anywhere, and Juliette. Both were very good and tasty to eat as salad potatoes. We have in the past grown Sante and Charlottes as First Earlies.
We also grew Desiree, which is a very popular potato hereabouts. We grew some others, which the OH will find the label for when he goes down the allotment, at the weekend, so I will let you know.
Some potatoes grow better in some areas than others. Pentlands are very good.
** When buying the "New Potatoes", from the supermarkets during the winter, which you cannot scrape for love nor money, what I do, is boil them in their skins for about 5- 8 mins, cool in cold water, and when cool enough to handle, scrape them.
If I am wanting to eat them as new potatoes with say Lamb and Mint Sauce, after cooling and scraping, I then further cook them until they are done. But if I want to use them for Saute, 5-8 mins. is plenty long enough.
Back to me crochet grape now then.

Take Care

Julia in Derbyshire

HEY
CHRISTMAS IS OVER

NOBODY EATS SPROUTS UNLESS ITS CHRISTMAS

Wend., we have grown them in the past.

DIZZI, we do in this house LOLOL

Julia in Derbyshire

Which have you grown in the past Julia?

We also eat sprouts whenever we can - love 'em.

Sorry Wend., the Vales Emerald.

Juli in Derbyshire