After posting the blog last night, I tried to update the profile back to normal, but so far, all I could do is at least add a photo. It's a bit old, about five years ago. I'm not good with selfies, I always tend to cut of ears and bits, but I'll give it a try this weekend. This photo was taken, shortly after colouring my hair - which I loved! I don't have the time anymore, so it's back to its natural sandy blonde with a bit of grey here and there.
I had some strange dreams this morning about cucumbers sprouting between some of my work products, which were also sprouting - even though they are made of metal! Yeah, I don't know, either.
I woke up at five and got up ten past, so my day is back to its now normal rhythm. I had some trouble with Lady Jane, who insisted on staying in the lounge - I eventually had to go and collect her to shut her behind the passage door! I'm glad for them, that tomorrow is weekend and they can go outside all day long! They are so good about coming in after no more than a short caper outside every evening!
With the cucumbers sprouting in such quantities, I've been thinking about building something to give them a chance to grow nicely - the price of cucumbers in stores is ridiculous and they are never really nice. The last one gave me quite bad cramps, too much gas and air rather than cucumber. I've read that they not only like to climb, but climb over a roof-like structure then hang fruits between the trellis - like grapes. I've been thinking that I might be able to make a pot from plaster - I can use cardboard as a mold, since plaster dries quite fast, so it wouldn't soak the cardboard too fast. I should maybe talk to my landlord and ask his advice - although he doesn't eat cucumbers, they do, however, grow tomatoes in their garden. I'll spend some time this weekend thinking, planning, deciding.
Lots of new sprouts today! Wow! Spinach, Cauliflower, Watermelon, Peas, Carrots, Catnip and even the beleaguered Brussel Sprouts are poking their heads through towards the sun! Okay, so there is also lots which hasn't come up ... yet. Egg Fruit, Lettuce, Parsley, Oregano, Celery, Tomato, Broad Bean, Butternut, Chives, Rosemary and Thyme - but it's only been 6-7 days, so I'm not giving up! At any rate, all the seeds that have come up will keep me really busy trying to find a suitable place and pot and structure to grow! The way the cucumbers are growing, they might not be able to wait until next weekend, I may have to re-pot them to spread them out a little more. I didn't adhere to the spacing suggestions on the packets, since I can't exactly plant into the ground, anyway.
As I sat outside watching my invisible mippies - who had gone for a far out exploration - I decided that I've had just about enough of these yukky mini thorn plants spreading all over the ground, especially on that open space in front of the bench. So I watered and went to work.
So did the mosquitoes! Sigh! Within minutes I felt like I was covered in bites - I killed two mid-feast!
Those thorn plants are quite an embuggerance. They spread above ground like an Octopus reaching as far as they can, all from one central root. That root is a thick bulb quite firmly embedded in the soil - since it prefers to grow in the hard, sandy soil. So it takes quite a bit of digging to uncover enough to be able to grab hold of it. Then it's a fight of twisting this way and that until the root beneath the bulb breaks somewhere and then, finally, it can be pulled out! Unfortunately, it's not possible to pull the whole root out ... so, sooner or later, they'll make another attempt! But at least, for a while, the ground will be thorn free!
I've been thinking that I can place the pots for the vegetables in that area. It gets the morning sun, but not the harsh afternoon sun - although it does still get the noon sun. I've been picking and pulling weeds in that area ever since I moved here, picking a few here, pulling another handful there. When I started trying to thoroughly clear the area, I came to realise that there are lots and lots and lots of weeds there, even in the spaces that look bare - at first glance. Only when you bend down and look closely can you see just what a lot of weeds there are. They look dried and wilted - but once it rains, they just go for it! And many of them have roots similar to those thorns: thick bulbs or thick carrot-like roots firmly embedded too deep for me to get out. Well, I'll do what I can.
When it got too dark to work, I sat down to watch my mippies ... and then the sirens started! My landlord conjectures there must have been another major accident on the N1, or possibly on the old road, since first we heard police sirens - about 3 cars coming past - followed by an ambulance. Then they all went the opposite way, one after the other. All the dogs on the neighbouring plots were howling! It was quite a cacophony! Mippies just lay down and watched - turning their heads to follow the sound of the sirens!
When it had quietened down, I pondered whether I should maybe try planting one of each of the sprouts into the garden? Maybe one watermelon, one cucumber, one bush bean ... just the one's where too much is sprouting, just to see what will happen? I would need to mix the remaining compost into that ground, before I put them in there. I'm just amazed how many seeds have come up! With those big seeds, I only put two into each poked hole - so there shouldn't be that many! Well, I'll count and decide tomorrow.
As I sat outside watching my invisible mippies - who had gone for a far out exploration - I decided that I've had just about enough of these yukky mini thorn plants spreading all over the ground, especially on that open space in front of the bench. So I watered and went to work.
So did the mosquitoes! Sigh! Within minutes I felt like I was covered in bites - I killed two mid-feast!
Those thorn plants are quite an embuggerance. They spread above ground like an Octopus reaching as far as they can, all from one central root. That root is a thick bulb quite firmly embedded in the soil - since it prefers to grow in the hard, sandy soil. So it takes quite a bit of digging to uncover enough to be able to grab hold of it. Then it's a fight of twisting this way and that until the root beneath the bulb breaks somewhere and then, finally, it can be pulled out! Unfortunately, it's not possible to pull the whole root out ... so, sooner or later, they'll make another attempt! But at least, for a while, the ground will be thorn free!
I've been thinking that I can place the pots for the vegetables in that area. It gets the morning sun, but not the harsh afternoon sun - although it does still get the noon sun. I've been picking and pulling weeds in that area ever since I moved here, picking a few here, pulling another handful there. When I started trying to thoroughly clear the area, I came to realise that there are lots and lots and lots of weeds there, even in the spaces that look bare - at first glance. Only when you bend down and look closely can you see just what a lot of weeds there are. They look dried and wilted - but once it rains, they just go for it! And many of them have roots similar to those thorns: thick bulbs or thick carrot-like roots firmly embedded too deep for me to get out. Well, I'll do what I can.
When it got too dark to work, I sat down to watch my mippies ... and then the sirens started! My landlord conjectures there must have been another major accident on the N1, or possibly on the old road, since first we heard police sirens - about 3 cars coming past - followed by an ambulance. Then they all went the opposite way, one after the other. All the dogs on the neighbouring plots were howling! It was quite a cacophony! Mippies just lay down and watched - turning their heads to follow the sound of the sirens!
When it had quietened down, I pondered whether I should maybe try planting one of each of the sprouts into the garden? Maybe one watermelon, one cucumber, one bush bean ... just the one's where too much is sprouting, just to see what will happen? I would need to mix the remaining compost into that ground, before I put them in there. I'm just amazed how many seeds have come up! With those big seeds, I only put two into each poked hole - so there shouldn't be that many! Well, I'll count and decide tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment