What have you done today in the Garden?

Clay— the only ones in that row that I recognise over here are the “cylindra”. I have grown that one off and on for twenty years. My Bride and I call them, “soldaatjes”, or Little Soldiers.
I find their flavour especially good. When the voles are bad here, I do not grow them because they seem to find the flavour also very good.

We eat them on their own but also with Chioggia beetroots. Do you know these beauties? When you cut them open to eat them raw on a salad, they are the ones that have red and white rings. Beautiful raw, but they look awful cooked— that is why we mix a bit of red beetroot in with them to give them a better cooked colour.

BTW— Have you grown the cylindra’s before? If so, how did you like them, mate?

It is always such a thrill to get those seed ordes, isn’t it. Mine ought to be in too a coupla weeks.

Riley— Good news for the little creatures. The pagoda. Yes, your red work there always reminds me of Bateman’s work at Biddulph Grange. You are a capable person.

 

@Sjoerd I've grown Chioggia before a few years ago.

 

Oké. I did not know. I hope you liked it.

 

Today I pruned the final two fig trees. One didn't need much. The other needed a lot. Now it's done.

One hen has been reliably laying an egg a day for ten days. I wonder when the others will resume. Or did they go through henopause? I think this spring we will add some baby chicks.

 

Nothing to do in the garden today, but "for something to do," I went to B&Q near the Trafford Centre.
My wife had mentioned (twice) recently, that lower one of the peace lilies in the hanging baskets in the hall was dying.
This is because it gets less light from the window next to the landing on the stairs. What I should do, is swop them over regularly, but you know how it is.

The lilies in a vase on the landing windowsill are artificial.

So I decided to replace them. But the only ones they had were about two feet tall. So I settled for two white Anthuriums at a tenner each.








The other peace lily is OK, for which I found a ceramic pot and it's now in the lounge.

I bought two paving stones for the hedgehouse base I need and a substantial plastic box I can convert to a new hedgehog feeder.

I'll have to do a bit of "fettling" to attach the entrance tube as the box has a couple of strengthening bars on each end. I'll use a fretsaw to cut the plastic, as they split easily.
I also bought a bag of compost, "for the sake of buying some," it always comes in handy.

But no change out of £55.