h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'd like to be a few years younger. I've picked up some debilities this year. I don't like them, though I'm still able to breathe and go for long walks, and I don't have joint problems (Knock wood).

And I can still enjoy my food. As long as I can taste it, I know I don't have that blasted virus .

*Nice to see the horses back in the fields again! *

Built some new raised beds yesterday, now we know what veg can grow in our soil, I've decided to rearrange the botton of the garden. More structure and a bit tidier than the veg jungle I harvested on Friday.

Horses poked their noses over the wall to inspect my handiwork.

Trouble with horses is the bloody horse flies that go with them. Horrible things, I'm also very allergic to their bites.... lucky the gee gees have been away whilst we've been landscaping... haven't been bitten once...

Yup, ouch! Little bugger got me!

My right hand is now twice the size it should be on a Sunday morning, or any other morning for that matter!

Bloody hate horse flies, but the veggie beds look nice!

Do the flies think you resemble a horse?

Nay!

I'm sure you're a big fan of horses, barn none.

I have learnt three things this week that are very gardernery. (bet that word raises a few embrows!)

1. Never tie your lovely new fruit plants to wires on an old fence. Storm Spoilsport blew in a few days, ago and decided to re-position three eight foot panels over in the fields. Sadly it also took most of my soft fruit with it.
Ah well, there's more than enough, I'll just plant next year's crop in a safer place.

2.Citronella josticks keep angry flying stingy things out of your way whilst digging! Seriously, they work a treat, and the added benefit is your veg patch smells like a 70s hippy commune! Cool, dudes!

3. This is a biggy. Building a large compost bin from old pallets, saving all your old green waste from the bin, was a bit of a pain. And humping bags of horse poo around that you've scrounge off equine mad friends wasn't particularly pleasant.

Waiting five months for your scraps, garden waste and donated horse poo to rot down was a bit dull.

But it was actually worth the effort. Two raised winter beds full of lovely nutritious and FREE compost.

Saved us about 80 quid. Which will pay for the fence repairs!

Anyone thinking of composting, go for it, reduces waste, probably very eco friendly and saves money too. Great stuff.

Some days I feel non-compost mentis.

Compost is a good idea! My dad used to get 'volunteer' plants out his manure pile.

2 mango plants, a lemon tree and a potato so far!

Wow, I didn't now that mangos grew so far north! I thought they were tropical plants. I am impressed.

Hot soil! Now doing well in the greenhouse.
Amazing what you get for throwing seeds, and stones in there.

Stop press! First corn harvested today, oh my lord, that was gorgeous!

Looks great! Yes, it's corn-on-the-cob time.

Speaking of gardening... (gardening related things have popped up everywhere for me today)....

Just had a photo memory pop up on Fb,me happily digging up the front garden, spade shaft snaps, and I fall forward, right into the rather vampire stake shaped thing pointed at my chest.... Ouch.

Lucky I'm Lucky!

In my experience, pumpkins, squashes, and even potatoes grow well in compost piles.

I love it that you are doing so well with your crops, FWR.

Eating veggies that you grow yourself is a real morale booster.