Carrots and Kids

~ Sweet Sweet Pea Dreams ~

Anyone who read my blog last summer will have soon realised that I love sweet peas. I was going to write  that I successfully grew them but.....well, they're really easy to grow so that wouldn't be anything to boast about.

I only wished I had been a tad more adventurous with my colour choices. I can't believe I'm going to write this, but all my flowers seemed to be purple and after a while I got a bit...bored.

Shamefully, despite my urging everyone else, I failed to sow some this autumn. Quite often with gardening, I sabotage or leave things to the last minute so if/when they fail I can shrug and pass it off while nodding sagely that I knew it would never work.

However, I'm determined to stamp this out so this weekend I ordered some sweet pea seeds from Sarah Raven, in good time so I can have my first choice.

Scent is important with these so I steered clear of a scentless acid green one that I loved the look of and bought: deep pink (Prince Edward of York), a brilliant pink (Zorija Rose), a rich, dark mauve (Karen Louise) and a cream (Mrs Collier).

I know lots out there will be tutting that I went for Sarah Raven seeds. I know she's the last person who needs my money, wears silly boots and is possibly quite pretentious but....well, I love her seeds.I don't want to be her best friend, I just want to grow wonderful flowers. I love how they're presented in the brochure so I have a fair idea of what they look like, how easy they are to grow and, well, I just like them. I am shallow like that.

At least I'll have warm wrists...

It's raining. Again. So what's a person to do? When faced with a mountain of laundry, a dishwasher that needs emptying and a pile of presents to wrap I think the only sensible thing to do is crack open a new ball of wool.

So I have and am now knitting my wrist warmers. So far, only one mistake which is good? I think so anyway, never being one who strives for perfection.

Of course, the main reason I'm posting this is because I will feel accountable about finishing them. Am totally fine with no-one caring but still, nice to have a bit of a virtual boot up the bum, if only from myself.

And while these have nothing whatsoever to do with gardening*, they will keep me warm if I ever do venture up the allotment or greenhouse this winter....

*Am thinking of including other stuff on this blog anyway. I mean, 'Carrots and Kids' - could cover a multitude of subjects, no?

Embracing Winter

I think I am in denial. Despite the foul weather I seem to think it is still October, or that Christmas is a long way off at least. Hence there has been minimal shopping which is a bit of a shame as I have quite a few presents to buy.

Added to that, I think I am missing being outside. I know, obviously, I can still potter in the garden but I just prefer not to do it in the pouring rain. The days that have been dry (or should that be day) have seen a poorly child on the sofa and there is something about having a succession of poorly children that a) is utterly exhausting b) slightly depressing and c) means you get bugger all done.

So I need a kick up the bum. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself. I need to unearth some inspiration. I need to get a handle on Christmas so I am not doing an impression of our turkey on Dec 23. Y'know. Headless. (Yes, killed that fresh. A friend rears them, organically, on their farm which is wonderful and thrifty and green and lovely and everything except we always end up with an enormous bird. Bigger than my children sometimes. Because no-one else wants that size and, y'know, there are a lot of us.)

Here's my mini list that will, soon I hope, have me embracing winter. Or at least feeling a damn sight cheerier than I currently am:

• Copy Lia's idea I read in the Sunday papers really of putting seed packets in a card index box, separated by dates. She explains it better here.
• Spend my Sarah Raven voucher. Feel slightly guilty about my SR love which is stupid. Must amend soonest.
• Copy Lia's idea (again) and Work on Greenhouse to make it all snuggly.
• Order vast quantities of seed catalogues (any recommendations anyone?) in bid to do number one and to Get Organised.
• Plant garlic somewhere, anywhere. Yes, I know it's late. I am past caring.
• Actually do the two projects (that are vaugely connected to gardening) that I keep promising myself I will do. Tut, lazy.
• Knit my fingerless glove thingies (what are they called? wrist warmers?) to entice me to work in the greenhouse (because I shall, of course, be toasty warm. Or my wrists will be. Or I shall feel smug standing at the school gate because, yes!, I made them. Other people will probably think what is she wearing. But I won't care.)

Bug Busting

I am not talking about the annoying bugs you find on your plants. We're in the throes of another lurgy. And while I have managed to squeeze in a short trip to the allotment, and carry on with the school gardening club what I haven't had time to do is write about it.

And I won't this time either, as I am currently having to work in the evenings instead of during the day at the moment (how do mothers who work do it? What with inset days and illness not to mention Harvest festivals and showing assemblies I'm not sure I would be able to fit in going to an office too).

So here are the Inside My Head Posts queueing to get out. Some may be in there some time, rather like letters idly sitting in numerous sacks in sorting offices up and down the country.

:: Bulbs and what I plan to do with them

:: School gardening club update

:: Autumn at the plot

:: My garden

:: New blogs I've found and I'm liking

:: Sheds

:: My new blogging gig (well, hardly gig but y'know....)

:: Creative projects

What I can say is thank you if you voted for me in Fennel and Fern's recent photographic competition because I WON!!!! (my section, I hasten to add). I was very chuffed to bits as it was unexpected (honestly. You think you take a nice photo but you only have to look at others' to realise there is still so much to learn and improve on). So, yes, thank you.

Ebbs and Flows

My gardening love ebbs and flows a bit. I'm wondering if this makes me not a proper gardener. Either way, I owe my beautiful allotment a visit. Here's what else is on my to-do list:

• Tidy up the greenhouse.
• Use the grow bags to sow salad. And corriander. I read this on someone's tweet, so if it's you tell me and I'll link to you (twitter is very temperamental and currently Playing Up).
• Start on my project (just a little thing but will no doubt blog about it).
• Meet a mate for coffee who has offered to help with the gardening club. How cool is that? After all my anxieties....this is the perfect answer. I'm very excited.
• Sort out another indoor (ie.non messy) activity for the club in case it rains. Again.
• Tell you about a photo of mine that's been shortlisted in a competition at Fennel and Fern. (Mine is the poppy and poppy seed, second one down).I'm supposed to canvas for lots of votes but y'know...erm. I can't. Pictures are so subjective. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. If people like it they will vote for it. But it doesn't matter if not. I'm just chuffed to be in the shortlist. (And if you have been reading me recently you'll know I don't like competitive gardening or bloggers who are competitive or even blogging competitions. But picture contests feel different because you either think it's a good shot or not. With my photos I just want to share them and a contest is a great way. Flickr is too, once I remember to UPLOAD. That might help).
• Start on my gardening gloves. I don't mean proper, normal gloves. I thought those ones that are long with no fingers would be ideal for the cold weather in the greenhouse. And yes, I can knit. Knitting is the new rock'n'roll doncha know (apparently).

I also just wanted to say that I know I'm a bit....erratic with posting here. One day (soon) I shall get into a regular routine but thank you for your visits and comments. They mean a lot.

Ten Things I'm Loving Right Now....

• The weather. How lovely is it? Making the most of summer's final days.
• The seeds just waiting for me to sow them. Think I might start on that just after I hit 'publish'.
• All the jobs I have to do at the allotment. Feels slightly overwhelming (in a Oh my goodness I don't know where to start so I don't think I will kind of way) but I like a challenge. Just as well. 
• My sweet peas. I know I keep on about these but.....well. They've finished at the plot but are still flowering at home. Lovely things.
• My ginger nut sunflowers. Definitely growing those again.
• Plans - deep red sunflowers, organising my greenhouse better, buying willow edging. Just dreams but good ones.
• Thinking about the front garden's redesign. It's been a long time coming. It is a total mess and it's stressful. Not in a major way but in a back of my mind, thinking about it every time I walk up the path kind of way. I can't wait until I have somewhere I can buy plants for, think about borders and colour schemes (there probably won't be one. Or there might). Ah, decisions, decisions.
• Sloe berries ripening.
• An old but new to me book about women gardeners and one on cold greenhouses. I have hit on a seam of golden gardening book treasure mined in a local second-hand book shop. I think Garden Monkey would like it.
• A neighbour's generous offer of quite a bit of topsoil surplus to his requirements. Just right for the school garden. I blogged about needing some and a couple of days later, I had a pile in my garden. Do you think it works for other things? Because, y'know, I also need that massive house for sale down the road....

Autumn

It's here. They're gone. Along with my blogging mojo. Sigh. Not sure what's up with me but I've not been feeling the lurve for a wee while. Sigh.

So. So what am I going to do with my longed-for time? Here's a list (always helpful if not feeling it, to make a list)....

• Order some seeds/bulbs from Sarah Raven. I know. But I have a voucher. Criminal not to spend it. Plus, her sweet peas were so good. Well, they're mine but you know what I mean.
• Get some onion and garlic for lottie. I know I should grow my own from seed. But you know what? I can't be bothered.
• Finish off the apple and blackberry crumble made with yesterday's harvest. Find other blackberry recipes.
• Sow some flower seeds (sweet peas, calendula, Bishop's flower and others) in vacated onion bed at the allotment and in pots in the greenhouse.
• Sow some salad and carrots, winter radish, winter spinach and some swiss chard at the allotment.
• Go up to the allotment. Admire pumpkin. Step away from the computer.........

Loo Roll Collecting Time Is Upon Us

I have to confess, I don't collect loo roll inners all year round. Quite frankly, with the number of people living in this house I'm not sure where I'd store them.

So instead they become binoculars, or Things (they're being creative and I don't want to spoil it by asking for definitions) or they're composted.

Thanks to the postman delivering Sarah Raven's new catalogue (darn it woman, don't you know I'm on a budget. But I do have a birthday coming up....might get some money....a packet of sweet pea seed or two won't hurt....although she does have some icky coloured ones. Bet I fall in love with those...) the Loo Roll Collection is about to start in earnest.

A Carrots View of Chelsea *

Planting in the Daily Telegraph Garden, best in show

This Carrots blog has been to the Chelsea Flower Show. Carrots didn't enjoy it so much this year. There weren't any gardens she was desperate to see unlike last year when there was the Marshalls Garden Kids Really Want and the Dorset Cereals edible playground.

Plus she thinks she is Coming Down With Something. Body=achy. Head=pounding. Throat=sore. If the tickets hadn't cost so much and she hadn't told everyone she was going she doesn't think she would have.

To prove what a monumental effort it was, Carrots was up at 4.45am. 4.45am.!!! Carrots hasn't seen this time since she was feeding a tiny baby. She also found she was ravenous and food at Chelsea cost an arm and a leg. She is also worried that she is becoming a bit like an eccentric old(er) lady who will strike up conversation with anyone.

Carrots also missed her husband but was glad of the no under fives rule. She knows this is becoming unpopular but thinks that children are pretty much everywhere and was pretty glad she didn't have to jump out of the way of pushchairs and prams nor listen to toddler tantrums, which she does with depressing regularity, thank you very much.

A favourite garden

So here are the highlights of Carrots 2009 trip to Chelsea:

• The Laurent-Pierrier Garden: In Carrots' completely uninformed view this should have been Best in Show. Carrots loved the planting. When the full-fat Coke (tut) wasn't giving the required energy boost, Carrots would battle the crowds to stand in front of this beauty. And be temporarily uplifted.

• The Marshalls Living Street: Carrots love nothing more than seeing front gardens at Chelsea. Similarly Carrots was also pleased to see a washing line (in the Children's Society garden)! Fancy that!

• All the green walls: There were loads of them and Carrots has decided she has just the shady spot for this. She has not worked out the practicalities (she is a bit rubbish at that bit) but is sure it is a goer.

• The bug hotel in the Future Nature garden: Actually Carrots loved everything in here. She had already thought of doing something similar after seeing a picture in Permaculture Magazine. Carrots version will look a lot more scruffy home-made. Naturally.

• David Austin roses and Jekka's Herb Farm: Carrots has decided she needs climbing roses and thinks she would like some orange and bright pink ones. Or maybe some small white ones. Obviously Carrots hasn't quite thought this through yet. She also spent a fair bit of money at Jekka's beautiful stand in the Great Pavilion. She is very excited about some woad seeds she bought. Carrots is easily pleased.

• Little things: Like the huge, home-made plant markers an exhibitor showed her, a tin bucket similar to her's planted up beautifully with sedums, the red bark of a tree, the coconut with a wedge cut out for the birds, strawberries in a colander and a wire gourd arch.

• Burgandy, orange and cream flowers: Carrots is totally nicking this colour scheme.

• Alitex greenhouses: It used to be Gabriel Ash but Carrots is fickle like that. She does realise and appreciate her own greenhouse but did have a jolly time standing in the Alitex one imagining....

• All the lovely strangers Carrots passed the time with: the lovely lady from Devon who took wrong turnings with her trying to get to Chelsea, the frugal lady who bought cheap books, underwear (obviously not at Chelsea) and her own picnic and the mother and daughter who chuckled at Frugal Lady.

• James Wong: Carrots got him to sign her book, hastily bought here, and had a nice chat. Or smiled inanely (Carrots isn't sure she didn't do the latter but likes to think she did the former).

Goodness, Carrots apologises for the length of this post, obviously has wordy diarrhea to add to her list of ailments and a new, strange way of writing in the third person.

A Squish and a Squash

I find it really difficult to fit in allotment visits, seed sowing or any sort of gardening at all at the weekends. Which seems a bit illogical when you think of it. Really, I should be doing more.

But in between the birthday parties, errands, work on the house, Hubby's hobby, chores, days out, family visits and homework supervision there isn't a lot of time left. Not during daylight hours anyway.

And I've noticed something else; how men are able somehow to find time for their hobbies. A lot of husbands monopolise weekends with activities like snooker, football or shooting (and I'm talking about general observations here). Feelings of guilt don't seem to even occur to them.

So I have been thinking how to make my gardening more of a priority and less of a squash. Less of an afterthought.

One area that would help would be to have a garden that I actually want to spend time in. And to have my greenhouse up so that I can garden even in the rain (and the dark if I'm clever and rig up a light with a car battery rather like camping).

But sorting out both, garden and greenhouse, is a major undertaking so I'm going to have to be patient come up with Plan B. Do I have a Plan B? Er....yes. It does, as I talked about in my last post, involve getting up when the alarm goes at 6.30am. On the weekend. Hmm. I never managed it last week and I need to. It's my safety valve.