Starting - I started off a module each of broad bean Bunyard's Exhibition and Spinach Beet in the cold greenhouse. In fact, it's a frigid greenhouse. It lost a pane of glass in last week's gales and darn it, wasn't it typically the triangular one - a beggar to cut!
I generally sow any flat seed with the pointy end up. This is so that the seed doesn't lie flat in the damp compost collecting water and rotting off. I put my broad beans in like this, but I don't really know whether it's best to put it with the black mark (hilum?) up or down - so I do half and half! If I were feeling scientific I'd do a tray of each, wouldn't I? But then I've never had much trouble with broad bean germination so I suspect it doesn't matter. The root will go down then the shoot will come up. God bless gravity!
The spinach beet seeds are, like other beets including beetroot, really a cluster of little seeds. This leads to some strange effects when sowing Bright Lights chard as you can get 2 or 3 little plants growing from the same cluster and they can have differing coloured stems. We like our spinach beet or chard torn into a curry but our chickens like them too, so I'm sure they'll eat a proportion of these, given the chance!
Finishing - The quilt for my friend's wedding was finished this week. Tell a lie - I still need to sew on the label! I rather like the colour scheme - I'll have to move into her living room!
And - continuing - Somehow, in the last 40 years, my wedding ring has shrunk! Don't know how that happened? I reckon I'm not the eight stone weakling he married any more! It took several attempts at varying times of the day (my hands are always more swollen when they are warmer at night) to get it off and today I collected it from the jeweller with a piece added in and a good polish up. It has quite rejuvenated it. Nice if someone could do the same with my hands!
Starting - I started off a module each of broad bean Bunyard's Exhibition and Spinach Beet in the cold greenhouse. In fact, it's a frigid greenhouse. It lost a pane of glass in last week's gales and darn it, wasn't it typically the triangular one - a beggar to cut!
I generally sow any flat seed with the pointy end up. This is so that the seed doesn't lie flat in the damp compost collecting water and rotting off. I put my broad beans in like this, but I don't really know whether it's best to put it with the black mark (hilum?) up or down - so I do half and half! If I were feeling scientific I'd do a tray of each, wouldn't I? But then I've never had much trouble with broad bean germination so I suspect it doesn't matter. The root will go down then the shoot will come up. God bless gravity!
The spinach beet seeds are, like other beets including beetroot, really a cluster of little seeds. This leads to some strange effects when sowing Bright Lights chard as you can get 2 or 3 little plants growing from the same cluster and they can have differing coloured stems. We like our spinach beet or chard torn into a curry but our chickens like them too, so I'm sure they'll eat a proportion of these, given the chance!
Finishing - The quilt for my friend's wedding was finished this week. Tell a lie - I still need to sew on the label! I rather like the colour scheme - I'll have to move into her living room!
And - continuing - Somehow, in the last 40 years, my wedding ring has shrunk! Don't know how that happened? I reckon I'm not the eight stone weakling he married any more! It took several attempts at varying times of the day (my hands are always more swollen when they are warmer at night) to get it off and today I collected it from the jeweller with a piece added in and a good polish up. It has quite rejuvenated it. Nice if someone could do the same with my hands!
9 comments:
Must come out of hibernation and sow a few broadies, sweetpeas & lettuce this weekend - parsnip also this month, but not till later, given the soggy conditions at the Hill!
When we did beans in a jam jar trapped to the side with blotting paper (gosh - remember that!) you put the bean in upright and it sprouted out the 'waist' - root first then shoot. Doesn't help you with whether yours are on their heads or not tho'!
Love the corner detail on your wedding quilt!
I thought your ring looked nice and shiny in the first picture, very smart! Love the quilt, I might also move into your friend's lounge!
It could be getting very crowded at your friend's! Perhaps I should just get the scrap box out and make a quilt like this seeing as drooling over yours isn't going to get me anywhere.
Your hands look as clean as your ring, take it you hadn't been grubbing about in the soil?
I had noticed your wedding ring in the picture showing the seeds and thought how sparkly it was before I read that it has been in to the jeweller's. You can tell that I've put weight on since getting married as my ring finger is narrower where my ring is. I must get on and start sowing some seeds, perhaps this weekend. What a gorgeous quilt, I'm sure your friend will love it.
Just sowed peas this weekend gone! Love your quilt.
I sowed some peas yesterday Mrs Bok - welcome to Vegetable Heaven. I visited your blog - you've had shocking weather in Australia haven't you?
Interesting broad bean experiment - can you remember which ones you sowed which way up? Will have to see which ones pop up first!
I've just bought the same variety of broad beans after I'd realised I'd run out of them. It's good to start sowing some seeds.
What a beautiful quilt. I plan to sow more broad beans and some swiss chard tomorrow, along with more sweet peas. Thank goodness for a greenhouse, at least I can "garden" despite the rain.
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