Happy Beltain!
Got my sweetcorn started today. The packet said 'approx 30 seeds': there were 39! Which allows from some no-shows, of course, though it would be great if they all germinate. I treated myself to one of these last year, quite looking forward to trying it!
There was a Love Food Festival at Paintworks today. (Paintworks is a great place just 10 minutes along the Bath Rd from here - lots of small businesses and a cracking event space: we've been there several times, for local art sales and Love Food.)
Love the tube diner!
A little food porn for Lutra...
Beach House Bakery are fantastic. I bought Ken and I one of the sumptuous strawberry cupcakes each (specials for the festival I think, as they aren't included on the site!): we had them for dessert after the chicken this evening. Got Kai a very large double chocolate brownie from the La Dame Gateau stall, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
Of course, I spent most of the time drooling over the Glenholme Herbs display...
Also of course, since I can never visit a herb stall without buying something, I came away with a French tarragon plant (which will need to be container grown and overwintered in a cold greenhouse) and a bergamot (a.k.a. bee balm). Great for attracting pollinators and, apparently, predatory bugs which will attack the pests. It's now planted in the veg bed between the strawberries and the asparagus bed.
He also had catmint plants (and catnep - different plant), so I asked if he always came to the festival (so I could replace my catmint plants if they all failed), and bemoaned the fact that the established one can barely get an inch above the ground before Tyjer eats it back down to the soil.
And he looked at me and said...
'Put a cage over it. Get a hanging basket cage, upend it and fix it over the plants. Then the cats will only be able to eat what grows through the holes. [grin] Drives 'em mad, but lets the plant survive.'
...
... Now why didn't I think of that?
Sainsbug's only had minimalist ones, which Ty would have been able to get his whole head into, so I dropped off the shopping at home and tanked off to Hurrans. (The garden centre at Hick's Gate on the Bath Rd. The first company who ran it were Hurrans, then it became Wyevale, and it's now Keynsham Garden Centre. Which is too long to type, so I'm going back to calling it Hurrans.)
They had exactly what I wanted, so I bought two, came back, and planted out two of the five seedlings I have in pots (just in time too, they were about to become potbound). The cage is held in place by three solid metal pegs pushed well in to the soil. Another seedling is now in a fullsized pot - keeping that one safe to try to get more seed - and the other two I'll probably plant up in the square in the next few days.
Brilliant idea!
Watched my latest Lovefilm after dinner - The Tooth Fairy. It was OK - good hearted and feel-good, but hardly great cinema. But then, we never expected it to be.
So, a pretty good and successful day all 'round!
Labels: food porn for Lutra, gardening, local stuff
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Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor
pontificated this at 8:11 pm
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