Early this month I planted the shallots
Had some rain at last
the carrots went soft!! I think water got into the bucket
Still picking Okra but its slowed right down
Sowed Swiss chard and Spinach
5 Picked all the toms in greenhouse. We had a ground frost the next morning
7 Had to pick butternut for fear of frost
8 Swiss chard and spinach all emerged. We've had sunny days
17 Onions went in Japanese version senshyu yellow
18 Picked all beetroot and pickled it, no one eating it as usual.
Been away for a week and then was ill
28 most of garlic has come up, some of the shallots poking through. Still picking raspberries, and tomatoes still growing in the greenhouse. Cucurbits have died in green house and outside. Rhubarb has died right back. Intending to plant more onions in spring as we use a lot. Picked some Okra, but not sure how old it is. One chilli pepper still growing and producing fruits.
Lot to do but not much energy due to bug
29 pulled down runner beans today, dug patch for broad bean sowing,picked raspberries.
Still have a huge sack of potatoes which I have checked through earlier this month. Onions have dwindled and our supply won't last us. The huge punpkin was given to John for Halloween, so no worries about what to make with it
Friday, 9 October 2009
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Garden Calendar
September
7 Cucumbers drying out in greenhouse, Okra nearly finished. Many Okra plants developed a brown ring on the stem (in August). I think due to over watering. Then they withered above the brown ring and died off, but continued to grow from below it. Peppers were disappointing this year. Will grow less tomatoes and put peppers in the ground next year.
Planted out winter cabbage and winter Caulflower today.
8 Round Courgettes have finished, only had about 4 so a bit disappointing. Marrow plant has been incredible about 10 marrows on one plant at once.
9 Butternut squash very late as usual. 2 developing on 1 plant. Donald picked one thinking it was a young marrow!
10 Carrots were successful in quantity. I made a screened area for them to stop carrot fly, and set a lot of seed in order to achieve germination. Still digging them up as required, but they are extremely forked
11 8 runner bean plants has been plenty. I have frozen several bags. The climbing french beans had a dappled look, and were smooth to touch. Also very tasty. Still picking both types of bean
Noticed today that the leeks appear to have rust
Still squashing caterpillars, but think I am winning the battle.
12 Also still picking purple dwarf beans but the plants have no more blossom on them now. We have not had any substancial rain since I returned from Holiday.
Still picking a few sweet pea. Asparagus pea prolific but don't taste nice. Leaving them to get fat then will take them out of the pods. No more flowers on them now.
21 All carrots dug up today and stored in a bucket of compost outside the back door. They were getting eaten by something
Also planted 2 types of garlic today Marco andCristo, purchased from Poddington
We've had no rain for a month now, ground is hard to dig.
7 Cucumbers drying out in greenhouse, Okra nearly finished. Many Okra plants developed a brown ring on the stem (in August). I think due to over watering. Then they withered above the brown ring and died off, but continued to grow from below it. Peppers were disappointing this year. Will grow less tomatoes and put peppers in the ground next year.
Planted out winter cabbage and winter Caulflower today.
8 Round Courgettes have finished, only had about 4 so a bit disappointing. Marrow plant has been incredible about 10 marrows on one plant at once.
9 Butternut squash very late as usual. 2 developing on 1 plant. Donald picked one thinking it was a young marrow!
10 Carrots were successful in quantity. I made a screened area for them to stop carrot fly, and set a lot of seed in order to achieve germination. Still digging them up as required, but they are extremely forked
11 8 runner bean plants has been plenty. I have frozen several bags. The climbing french beans had a dappled look, and were smooth to touch. Also very tasty. Still picking both types of bean
Noticed today that the leeks appear to have rust
Still squashing caterpillars, but think I am winning the battle.
12 Also still picking purple dwarf beans but the plants have no more blossom on them now. We have not had any substancial rain since I returned from Holiday.
Still picking a few sweet pea. Asparagus pea prolific but don't taste nice. Leaving them to get fat then will take them out of the pods. No more flowers on them now.
21 All carrots dug up today and stored in a bucket of compost outside the back door. They were getting eaten by something
Also planted 2 types of garlic today Marco andCristo, purchased from Poddington
We've had no rain for a month now, ground is hard to dig.
Make Shift Gardening Calendar
Due to lack of calendar for use on the internet. I've decided to use my blog space to write up the progress of the allotment.
Swede has not grown successfully but celeriac has worked
Finished picking asparagus at the end of June
Rhibarb picked until end of July
The Garlic was dug up in July and was successful
Spinach sown throughout July and August kept bolting in greenhouse and earlier sown plants bolted outside.
Many radishes bolted in July/Aug. AM Looking for Chinese Radish next year.
Aubergines became anemic in Greenhouse, were on bottom shelf. I put them outside but they never recovered despite nice warm weather. Thin type of Aubergine. Would grow fat ones next year.
August
Picked Sweetcorn, but some never came to maturity before drying out. Plants I bought from Poddington shrivelled and died, but the ones grown from seed were better. Need at least 30 plants next year.
Many Raspberries throughout the month, but now from the Autumn fruiting plants. Raspberry mite has been a problem. Have to spray early next year.
Pak Choi completely distroyed by flea beetle.
Onions dug up mid August
29 Dug up Potatoes
30 - 6th Sep Away on Holiday
Swede has not grown successfully but celeriac has worked
Finished picking asparagus at the end of June
Rhibarb picked until end of July
The Garlic was dug up in July and was successful
Spinach sown throughout July and August kept bolting in greenhouse and earlier sown plants bolted outside.
Many radishes bolted in July/Aug. AM Looking for Chinese Radish next year.
Aubergines became anemic in Greenhouse, were on bottom shelf. I put them outside but they never recovered despite nice warm weather. Thin type of Aubergine. Would grow fat ones next year.
August
Picked Sweetcorn, but some never came to maturity before drying out. Plants I bought from Poddington shrivelled and died, but the ones grown from seed were better. Need at least 30 plants next year.
Many Raspberries throughout the month, but now from the Autumn fruiting plants. Raspberry mite has been a problem. Have to spray early next year.
Pak Choi completely distroyed by flea beetle.
Onions dug up mid August
29 Dug up Potatoes
30 - 6th Sep Away on Holiday
Thursday, 7 August 2008
August No 1 - Yipeee Holiday month!!
This month's exhibition at Studio three is very eye catching. In line with the Chinese Olympics Studio three present's Chinese Brush paintings by Claire Seaton and Paul Maslowski. Claire and Paul belong to a group of well practised brush painters, who meet at Oadby, Leicestershire and Grendon, Northamptonshire. They have very different styles and the work is very effective. Paul's style is more graphic, and Claire captures the vulnerabilty of animals with ease.
Meanwhile, on the illustration front, at last I found my third dummy baby book, which had been hiding from me for about a month, and so promptly sent it off to another publisher. The counting book is almost done, how many times have I written that? But I think by the end of August it should be there.
Lots of painting sales in July which is good news, and a sale to the US.
The stairs for the loft have been purchased, hopefully they'll arrive next week and then we can get them fitted. After that there's some electrical work to do, some insulating and then my new workspace is ready.
Hoping to go to a SWCBI event in Birmingham in September, which involves a critique, and am looking forward to going to Bologna book fair next year.
Hoping to find time to include a paypal button on my web page to encourage more UK sales, and will be sending out my catalogues soon. So much to do, and everything seems to take so long. I've made a massive improvement to my laptop by buying more RAM, I've wasted so much time in the past just waiting for the laptop to do its stuff. But no more!!!
www.studiothreegallery.co.ukCheck out other fabulous UK artists selling on the web at http://uketsysellers.blogspot.com/
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Where's the sun?
And where did this month go?
Studio three has been busy with lots of interest.
We're in the paper again this month, promoting Liz Kearsley's exhibition.
I sent off to 2 publishers this month, but although decisions have been made regarding my work in progress counting book, I still haven't DONE ANY OF IT!!
I have spent nearly a week doing my accounts. After the break in at the Yard, my accounts disappeared with my old laptop. I'm so relieved to get them finished. I am now teaching piano again to earn extra income.
A major catastrophie this week.....A large canvas leapt off the wall and crushed an acrylic print. This is the first time anything has been damaged at the gallery. Even my burglars were careful with the art.
I sold from my etsy site again, and to the US as usual. I have looked into including paypal on my own web page, so soon hope to be selling to the UK too.
I sold from my etsy site again, and to the US as usual. I have looked into including paypal on my own web page, so soon hope to be selling to the UK too.
Progress is being made at home with my new studio workspace. The floor is down and the window in, now we need some stairs.
My exhibition continues at Magnolia Studios, Northampton. The Vietnamese landscapes have a whole room to themselves.
Thursday, 3 July 2008
July 1 Celebration
Its July!!!!My birthday month Yippee!!!!The new book is almost finished, just some refining touches to take care of. I'm on the verge of sending out to another 2 publishers, but it seems to have taken me an age to print out my dummy books, and I have now run out of card!!
So Wellingborough Open judges rejected me, I've been to see the artwork that made it onto the wall, and cannot recall seeing any collage anywhere. Its obviously not their bag.
I do have some work on display at Chichele however. A couple of black and white pieces from my trip to New York. There would have been some at Piddington Church too, but I just couldn't deliver it in time!!
It feels such a long time since I produced any new artwork. Its all been photoshop work lately. I can't wait to get my hands sticky with glue again!
I sold a piece at the Oxfam Charity Auction at Waterstones in Nottingham, so was delighted about that. It was the sunset at Ha Long bay, a limited edition print which has sold 5 times now.
Studio three has been much busier lately, especially after a recent promotion at the local school fete. We have some new artwork in from Helen D Moore, who trained originally as a silversmith, but now works in print (etchings to be specific). I have some of her animal prints and they are completely GORGEOUS.
Another regular artist popped in today, flashing her new photographs of water lillies and seagulls. The water lillies will look stunning on a canvas.
Meanwhile,the Liz Kearsley exhibition is still running, with photographs from Australia, Ghana, Canary Islands, Gibralter, The Carribean, Holland, and Singapore.
My Vietnamese limited edition prints are now on display at Magnolia Studios, Billing Road, Northampton and will be there until the end of August.
So Wellingborough Open judges rejected me, I've been to see the artwork that made it onto the wall, and cannot recall seeing any collage anywhere. Its obviously not their bag.
I do have some work on display at Chichele however. A couple of black and white pieces from my trip to New York. There would have been some at Piddington Church too, but I just couldn't deliver it in time!!
It feels such a long time since I produced any new artwork. Its all been photoshop work lately. I can't wait to get my hands sticky with glue again!
I sold a piece at the Oxfam Charity Auction at Waterstones in Nottingham, so was delighted about that. It was the sunset at Ha Long bay, a limited edition print which has sold 5 times now.
Studio three has been much busier lately, especially after a recent promotion at the local school fete. We have some new artwork in from Helen D Moore, who trained originally as a silversmith, but now works in print (etchings to be specific). I have some of her animal prints and they are completely GORGEOUS.
Another regular artist popped in today, flashing her new photographs of water lillies and seagulls. The water lillies will look stunning on a canvas.
Meanwhile,the Liz Kearsley exhibition is still running, with photographs from Australia, Ghana, Canary Islands, Gibralter, The Carribean, Holland, and Singapore.
My Vietnamese limited edition prints are now on display at Magnolia Studios, Billing Road, Northampton and will be there until the end of August.
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
June 2008 No 2 Dog's Dinner
Since last writing in my blog, I was bitten through a letterbox whilst delivering leaflets, by HIGGINS. For all I know, Higgins could be a sabre toothed tiger, as never laid eyes on him. However, he has redeemed himself by sending me these flowers and a cute note.
My God it was painful. I screamed but nobody came, and I couldn't leave, with my hand stuck through the letter box and Higgins dangling from it on the other side.
The following week, not to be put off, I tackled the leafleting again, only this time, having been pyschologically disturbed, I decided to leave any tricky letterboxes with leaflets hanging out rather than risk another nibble.
And so I get an abusive message left on my mobile, from a neighbour hood watch enthusiast. I can't win.
My faith has been restored as Higgins and his owners are putting up a notice and a cage (on the back of the letterbox, not around Higgins). Tomorrow, I'll be back to check.
All my illustrations for the book are finished, just the front cover and end pages to go now, and then an assembly exercise. I finally managed to hook up to my studio printers again, after my old laptop was stolen, and can now print in colour and black and white, but cannot scan as yet.
I am now ready to contact agents, methinks.
The Vietnamese exhibition was swiftly moved from Northampton Jesus Centre to Rothwell with no real problems, other than they wouldn't let me in at Rothwell. Once they had granted me admittance, they were very nice to me.
I managed to get chosen for the Chichele Open, but sadly nobody bought it. Its only my second group exhibition so I'm learning as I go along. I also exhibited over at Brixworth, where they had record sales over the weekend, but again, not with my work.
Next on the agenda is the Wellingborough Open and Piddington Church, and Chichele again with a different group of artists. I think the Kettering open ends soon, so I will be off to collect more work that didn't sell.
Liz Kearsley's exhibition is now up at Studio three and looks great. She is showing photographs from all over the world. In fact, Studio three has had an overhaul, everything has been moved on the walls and it looks lovely.
I'm still adding to the number of items for sale on my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5661497. The latest editions include a Penguin children's nursery print and a Panda. These are from the book I'm currently working on, the images from my nearly published book are on there too.
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