Pete will be a gardener

Gardening with my mates

2009-03-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

I know there has been almost nothing on here for months! It is gutting but since Syn moved out of the house, I haven't found the time to get round there on a regular basis...

However, on Sunday, I did get to help out Seany G and Sara with their new garden. And, it's gonna be so good!

Sunday's eager beavers included Sara, Seany, Kate, Syn and I. On the right you can see the canes where Sara and Syn planted sunflower seeds and at the back right is the all-important shed.

Here Seany and a strange Russian lady discuss the vegetable patch tio be... Oh no, sorry! That's Synnove - vegetable patch specialist.

I think final choices for the first planting were onions, garlic, parsnips, rocket and beans. But I might be wrong...

Sara had obviously spotted the presence of an all-out gardening hero and, not only copied the stylish fun hat image, but even the rock star gardener stance.

I'll let you off this time Sara, but in time you're going to have to develop your own unique gardening style!

And speaking of style, this is Kate on bramble clearance psycho-style. I wouldn't say efficient, but certainly entertaining....

We also cleared a poor trere of ivy. The tree was literally being strangled and these wounds were from where the ivy had been cutting in to the trunk. So much sap!

It is beautiful stuff in a weird kind of way...

And to finish off...

Pints of course.

And Kevin.

Turfs up!

2008-08-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

Special post for Sam really.... Look at the turf mate. Not only has it settled in, but it is actually outgrowing the rest, which is causing a few problems. A bit of grass from down by the kitchen window was complaining the other day that since the new lot moved in, it had received no attention... Well, if it could have talked, I think that's what it might have said.

Have a look though, it is lush!

Front end tidying

2008-08-02T08:02:00.001-07:00

So, over the last couple of months, we have been really concentrating on the back and it is looking great. However, just to spite me, the front has gone nuts at the same time.

Today has been very much a tidying session. The nemesi were out in force and they'd brought their friends, the paininthenecks and thebloodyrootswontcomeout. While annoying, these weedy b------s underestimated the power of the Pete and were soon littered across the path, wilting in the sun. With the hedge trimmed and the thing round the door given a new 'do', the front looks civilised again....

Next thing out here is to decide what to do with the actual garden bit. So, if any of you has any ideas, please let me know in the comments...

It's not that nothing happened....

2008-08-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Yep, I got lazy (and my camera drowned in Glastonbury rain). That's why no posts...

So here goes with the first of two.

First the back garden

The veggie patch is riotous and if it grows any bigger, I think it should start paying rent... Just as a refresher as it's been such a while, this is what it looked like on the 5th May...

Now, feel the power of it's latest incarnation...

Bushy, innit! However, several people have told me to stop posting photos of veg. You see them everyday outside shops anyway. I kind of agree, but am gonna post one today as it's our first courgette.

In other garden news, green fingeredness has infected a new resident of the house. German, possibly the most international man I know (so far, I have narrowed it down to three countries of birth, none of which are Germany ironically enough) has planted a bushel(?) of basil. This is the first competitor in the garden, so if it starts to outshine any of my stuff, I will scythe it down and blame the fox.

Also new in the back are a patch of snapdragons and a couple plants that will flower beautiful orange blooms next year, but which I've forgotten the name of. Now onto the front....

Mother comments on blog shocker!

2008-06-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Mum

After no less than nine posts, you have finally commented on my blog. Thank you - my favourite comment so far...

From son

P.S. Send me a photo and I'll post it.

Dark gardening 2: Shallow graves...

2008-06-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Got home from Sam's, tired, but fired [up].

Scythed through the nemesi remaining in my path and prepared the ground for turf.

Brilliantly, the shape for the turf to go in was vaguely grave-like, meaning I'd be transferring it from body bags to shallow graves. Message: don't mess with me!

Enjoyed piecing it together and it was really close to covering the whole gap. I will steal a bit from elsewhere to finish.

Here's the before then....

And the after...

So, turf down, veg in. Next rockeries and herb garden. Bring it on....

Dark gardening 1: Coming home in a body bag...

2008-06-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Turf Day.

Went to Sam's house to collect the turf yesterday. We started with a cup of tea, thinking that this would be a breeze.

Wrong.

Two sweaty, curse filled (Sam's spade brilliantly features a sharp metal screw protruding from the handle) hours later, we had turf.

Sam lifts turf. Looks like rain on the ground. That is actually sweat.

Well worth it as the bags of turf looked just like gangsta style dead people bits. Funny looks on the street as we loaded them into the car!

IZ GARDEN DEAD???

2008-05-31T03:41:00.000-07:00

...says the comment from IDIOT. Quite the opposite my friend...

The garden is thriving, blooming, rampant, riotous and other similarly evocative words... I just keep forgetting to take my camera...

So, this post is from last Monday really as that's when the work was done. And it's a very exciting time because... we got veg growing... Yep, that's right mum, your son actually made something grow. Here are the little wonders then...

corgettes...

marigolds [and something we don't know what it is]

potatoes

There are also pumpkins and beans, all doing well.

In nemesi news this week, another stronghold was invaded and reclaimed and there's now a rockery on both sides of the steps! They are getting tougher to pull out as there is a new enemy that compliments the nemesi well (in a weed sense). I'll get a pic for next time so we can do the police line up and identify it. Tomorrow, the rest of this bit will be scourged of all these nasties and [imagine a drum roll in your head]............ turf is going in. It's gonna look wicked. Turf is provided (for free) by Sam (ta mate), a fellow willbeagardener, who last week built his own shed. Impressive. We might have to bring the turf on the bus, which could be fun...

David, just so you know as well, I tied up the conifer at the top of the steps to try and straighten it and cut back the massive conifer on the right. I also took down the tree outside Tommi's window and you were right, loads more light by the back door and in Tommi's room. Predictably, of course, Tommi hasn't noticed.....

Bit of self promotion to finish. I am going to post again tomorrow and with the nemesi and his mate gone and the turf down, the before and after photos are gonna rule. Watch this space...

Setting the record straight

2008-05-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

Two posts ago, in Full Day's Work, I mentioned Syn helping out. In actual fact, she put in a solid five hours at least. I didn't give her enough credit, so here it is... Darling, you were wonderful.

I also think that people reading who don't know me might get bored of names without faces (David, Mum, Tommi, Syn etc), so I will do a rolling cast list when I have no gardening to talk about...

First, in recognition of her commitment to the vegie patch, Syn:

Yes, Syn is a white rabbit (this is what she looked like when I met her).

Guess I'll have to keep an eye on her when the carrots come through!!!

Hahahahahahahahhaha

[Five miutes later] I have re-read the joke above and I think I'm turning into my dad. Depressing thought...

Bye all, P

No gardening but news nonetheless....

2008-05-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid I was lazy this weekend and, while I lay in the garden a lot, I did little more than tie up the bendy conifer by the shed and weed the herb garden bit.

'But Pete' I hear you ask, 'Why bother weeding the herb garden? You did that only a couple of weeks ago!'

'Well, my friends,' I reply, 'this is why...'

We got herbs!

In case you can't read the labelling: marjoram, chives and (no) parsley

Dill

And... to go in the veggie patch...

Syn planted all this, so I'm not taking credit. But, I am looking forward to planting the seedlings.

I think there are a couple of shoots coming up from the carrots outside but they're so small, my camera wouldn't get a clear photo. And they could be nemesi. Grrr....

By the way, in case you loyal readers didn't notice, I had THREE comments on the last post. AND, one of them, who has called themself IDIOT is someone I don't even know. I was so happy I nearly cried in the office. So, IDIOT, I say to you in jubilation "YES, GARDENINGZ COOL, LOL". Welcome to my blog, you shall always hold a special place in my heart (and vegetable patch)... Thanks also go to Seany G and Anon, who I can reveal is actually my sister, Kate. Sis, consider yourself unmasked.

Keep the comments coming my lovelies,

Pedro

Full day's work........

2008-05-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

Productive isn't even the word for today's gardening. Let's do before & after thing.....

BEFORE

AFTER

Today, with the help of the lovely Synnove, the left hand side of the garden was transformed... Where the nemesis used to have his stronghold, there will now be potatos, parsnips, beans, carrots and onions. Pumpkins and corgettes have gone into trays indoors til they are a bit bigger. The trees have been cut back by the shed, and the ivy massacred. The little tree/bush by the rockery (what is that again David?) has been staked up and now has light and I cut back the connifer on the other side. Camden council are going to have to come for 11 (yes, 11!) sacks of weeds and loads of tree clippings this time.

The house compost got used for the first time ever - apparently it has been collected for four years now - I haven't smelt anything so bad since dad insisted on wearing those wooly socks in the south of France that time....

Gonna clear the other side next weekend and get some turf or seed down in front of the steps and plant some sun flowers.

Tommi is on holiday, but if he can't tell the difference in the garden when he gets back, I'm gonna bury him in it.

Nice one mother!

2008-05-05T01:23:00.000-07:00

The mothership wins the prize - http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/alkanet.htm

Whole day in the garden today so more later....

Pete Vs the nemesi(?)

2008-04-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Good morning/evening David
Good morning/evening Mum

Hope you are both well. Was in the garden last weekend and again for a bit last night. So good that there is sun in the evenings now...

First (for mum really), here is a picture of the back garden. Not the best picture, but you can get an idea....

Ok, last weekend I did the second bit of pollarding and trimmed back the marauding rose bush. There's a stack of stuff for Camden Council to collect when they come. Trouble is the weeding and the pruning can fill a sack in about half an hour. They're coming on Friday, but just from the hour and a half yesterday, there loads more than they will take.

Yesterday was quite fulfilling really - I attacked the worst patch of Nemesis weed there is in the back garden and I think I can confidently say I was the winner. It was the bit up by the steps in the back. I didn't even realise there is a big rockery thing there! Tommi came out to have a fag and said he couldn't even see the difference (b*****d!)...

I moved all the rocks and got the nemesi(?) out from under them and I got some up from between the paving slabs. This side of the garden will be done in a couple of hours now I reckon.

QUIZ

I reckon this could get a bit boring as I will be weeding for a while, so while we await more exciting stages in the garden, I'm gonna give you a competition...

It's called name the weed!

So here it is, answers on an email (or you could post comments and make me feel like a real blogger.) Winner gets respect from the green fingered community....

Until next time.....

Pollarding, not pollocking you idiot!

2008-03-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

So, my first technical job. As in, the first job that doesn't just involve battling the nemesis weed.

This post has a bit of preamble, so bear with me...

As you both know, I am not a gardener by trade. I will be, but I can't really claim that title yet. David, I had spoken to you already and you had mentioned pollarding. I, of course, had to look this up in order that I wouldn't look a fool when we met and discussed it.

So, when took a tour round both gardens to see what needed doing, we went to see the lime trees at the front and I was ready to display my new knowledge of 'pollarding'. However, in my excitement, I managed to call it pollocking... twice! David, thank you for not mentioning this obvious slip of the tongue, but I'm sure this wasn't the reassurance you were looking for to know that you have the right guy looking after your gardens!

Anyway, yesterday, I tooled up with pair of Spear & Jackson medium anvil secateurs from the Boma garden centre in Kentish Town, where the guy who helped me choose was really good. The secateurs are amazing and I was soon cutting through those lime branches as if they weren't even there. I even won a quid off Tommi, who doubted my claims about their effectiveness.....

I finished one tree (in the rain - I am and will be a hardcore gardener) and think I did a good job. If anyone would like to give any constructive criticism, they are welcome? I have another lime to do, so let me know asap...

So, still gotta do the other one and the rose bush that is currently attacking pedestrians as they make their way down the road outside the front....

First post. The gardens, front and back.

2008-03-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Hi David, hope you are well... This blog is primarily so that you can see the progress of the gardens. I'll post pics of what I have done here and you can either comment or email me with comments if you need to...

However, it is also so my mum can see what I'm doing. You see, she used to make me and my brother and sister (Dad refused) help her in the garden and we used to hate it. We much prefered destroying the garden with the football.

So mum, this is also for you. I am gardening now. Please feel free to comment and suggest....

A bit of background (sorry David, you obviously know all this)....

The house where I work has two gardens, one at the front, one at the back. The front was a 4 x 5 metre overgrown mess when I first saw it. This has now been cleared (mostly - there is a type of weed that grows back at a phenomenal speed. Can't remember its name but I already think of it as my nemesis). So the front is a bit of a blank canvas...

The back garden is really nice. About ten metres across and 30(ish) metres long. It's got flower beds down each side and slab steps leading up to a paved section at the back where the shed is. The flower beds are full of the nemesis, so some work to do there. Generally, there's a lot of tidying up and clearing to be done.

I'm about half way up both beds on the weeding and have some grass seed to put down. If either of you (or anyone else that reads this), has any advice, it is always welcome.

Anyway, am enjoying being outside, made friends with a robin and a blackbird, who appreciated the worms I was turning up (sorry worms) and I get the pleasure of a break when Tommi comes out to have a cigarette or the lovely Syn makes me a cup of tea...

Well, that's it for the first post - more to come....