About Me

Hi I'm JAMES 60 and married with three daughters all left home now, daughters that is not the wife.I enjoy Gardening /Football and working on my Farm.The picture above in the header slot is where i live and work.

Sunday 31 August 2008

Just droped in

On the farm we had a surprise when Richard Branson's hot air balloon landed with a full load of passengers R B wasn't on board bye the way just a load of rich punters still the Champagne they handed round was tasty.

I nearly forgot to mention

Great win for United 4-1 against Yeovil, Danny Graham gets a hat trick last year he couldn't hit a barn door even if he was sat on the handle. Now gone equal top. Bring on Southend next week.

Final Onions collected


Decided that it was time to collect the last of the onions they have done nothing this last month the weather has been hopeless with almost continual rain and no sunshine, they will need spreading out to dry for quite a while before puting in store.

Thursday 28 August 2008

Potatoes under attack

Have had to lift all my potatoes in a rush tonight as they have been under attack last night from the local Badger who once they find them just keep coming until they have scoffed the lot the most annoying thing is they just take an odd bite out of each one well i hope the bugger has got a raging belly ache. It is my intention to take some to a show on the 10th September so i have sorted them out and put the best in a bucket covered with the compost mix that they have been growing in hopefully they will keep OK till then i have also entered some Beetroot as I seems to have had a good growing season with them and i will take the last of my long Carrots but i know they will be outclassed because i pulled the best to take to a previous show its a pretty big show on the 10th and I know i will be struggling to get any success but it will be a learning experience.

Sunday 24 August 2008

Harvest Time

Been busy this weekend picking crop, have about a bucket full of Runner Beans and a similar amount of Broad Beans with plenty of the second planting of carrots and beetroot now ready it was fortunate that we had plenty of visitors today, Sunday and i was able to send them away with a bag full each it's nice to be able to share things around with family and friends. I do put some away for the winter but in the main what we can't get through ourselves as it grows i just pass on to friends and family it usualy garantees we get plenty of visitors at this time of year.

Normaly i would have got all my Onions lifted by now but for some reason they are still bolt upright and not bent over as i would expect so i have just taken what i need and left the rest for now though i may well bend them over tomorrow and lift them next weekend.

Sunday 17 August 2008

Great Weekend

Well i got my entries to the local horticultural show on Saturday, it was a bit of a mad rush around getting thing picked washed and loaded up my own fault i suppose for leaving it to the last minute in future i will do it the night before. It was well worth it in the end when i got 5 firsts and 2 seconds in what were quite competitive classes and i only entered 8 classes. The first came in Globe Beetroot, Carrots, Broad Beans, Runner Beans and the Top Tray Competition which was made up of Runner Beans, Carrots and Potatoes, I had entered the Potatoes (Kestrel) in the White Kidney class and it wasn't till the last minute that it was pointed out they should have been be in a coloured class, I won't make that mistake again. The seconds came in Onions under 8oz and over 8oz, the Shallots didn't get a look in, i could say I'm brilliant but it's more likely just beginners luck and a lot of good helpful advice from Liam and Simon at Smithyveg and Veg4show. And if that wasn't good enough for one weekend I got a £100 win on Premium Bonds Saturday morning, and just to round the day of United beat Crewe 4-2 to leave them sitting top of the Division.

Saturday 9 August 2008

Show Time

Seems an age since i had a chance to blog Simon has been and still is on holiday and i have been left in charge on the farm, the veggie plot i'm afraid has had to take a bit of a back seat recently but i did manage to put some entries in to our local show the other night first time i have had a go at this sort of thing so not to sure how it will go but hey it's not about winning just having a bit of fun. I have entered Beetroot , Carrots , Potatoes, Runner Beans, Broad Beans, Onions and Shallots, today i sorted out my Shallots the first 4 were fairly obvious but the 5th one took some finding they look a bit ordinary as do my onions but next year will be better. the Beans Broad and Runner seem to be growing fast now so should be OK the rest will need looking though latter in the week, although i did sneak a look at the potatoes when i removed the tops just over a week ago and they seemed clean but maybe a tad small, oh dear worry worry.