Besides the unseasonable heavy snow a lot seems to be falling on me at the moment, most of it positive, but still rather hectic, so sorry for the lack of posts. I’ve had a day out with family members going to the Tutankamum/pharaohs exhibition at the 02/Millenium Dome, which was good though I feel the advertising is a little misleading. Afterwards we headed over to Chinatown and grabbed various buns, then to Yo! Sushi at Paddington (the place you play catch your plate off a conveyor belt) before they caught the train home.
Back home I’m struggling to find window sill space for seedlings (and have run out of soil to move those that need it into larger pots, and don’t have the cash for it right now!). I’d be moving them outside but, in spite of digging out a stump and more rubble, and moving several perennials, the plot is still not ready. And considering that snow I’d like to leave it a bit longer. There’s also the lesson of my mixed leaves. They’ve survived the snow fine, but have been heavily damaged by pigeons, just as they were beginning to look like leaves not seedlings. The bigger my seedlings are when they go out, the better.
I’m also approaching the peak of my marathon training. No, I’m not doing London (I’d be resting up now if I was!), but the much harder Neolithic at the start of May. I’m supposed to be doing my longest training session - 20 miles - this weekend. Unfortunately this grumbling bug I’ve had the last few weeks means missed sessions and it’s going to be a real struggle to make the distance. It’s annoying, as I got to 18 miles ages ago, and should have been coasting round my second 20 miler this week. Instead of which I’m just hoping I haven’t lost too much condition since that 18 miler! But I guess I have to make the most of it and remind myself that I’ve achieved more in training than the last 2 years. I’m still feeling under the weather, but I just have to hope my trip this week (I’m planning on heading down to the FLM Expo and back), will do the job and I’ll be raring to go in 3 weeks time.
With all that going on I have a stack of reviews to do for Qype and pictures to edit. Then I went and advertised a picture frame on Freecycle… but I’ll tell that story when it’s completed!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Seed Watch VI
I got round to planting another lot of seeds on Sunday. Meanwhile the squash and marrow, having taken their time, are now going a bit nuts. A couple of days ago I had a good look at the little strip peat pots they are planted in. At the time each group of 4 had two seedlings emerged and a third just showing. But roots were pushing out all over. One marrow (if I’ve identified them correctly…) had a root 3 inches out of the pot. What’s more there were actually roots coming out of all 8 pots… yep, 2 days before those seeds actually stuck their heads up they were already breaking out of the pots! I’ve now potted them all on to larger pots, even though two have really only sprouted today. The tallest is about 4 inches tall already, outstripping the older seedlings of other species. If I have 100% germination with my new seeds I’m going to be overgrown with squash and marrow!
Group 1, Day 21:
Thyme: 70+
Tarragon: 45+
Basil: 29
Mint: 0
Dill: 14
Parsley: 30+
Chives: 17
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 4
Marrow: 4
Globe Artichoke: 3
Group 2, Day 5:
Tomatoes: 0
Lupins: 0 (25 planted)
Nasturtiums: 0 (25 planted)
Globe Artichoke: 0
Marrow: 0
Squash: 0
Sweetcorn: 2
Only 4 days and the sweetcorn is already growing! I now have the makings of a proper clump :-)
Meanwhile I’ve been digging up lawn for vegetable plot. Unfortunately I’ve also found where the builder’s rubble went. The soil looks good but it’s amazing how many bits of brick and broken concrete there are a few inches down. So much I’m having to dig it out or it’s going to be a real problem for the plants. There’s also snails all over the place that have woken up from their winter sleep. Time to gather them up and do a Gordon Ramsey on them I think… bit scary.
Group 1, Day 21:
Thyme: 70+
Tarragon: 45+
Basil: 29
Mint: 0
Dill: 14
Parsley: 30+
Chives: 17
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 4
Marrow: 4
Globe Artichoke: 3
Group 2, Day 5:
Tomatoes: 0
Lupins: 0 (25 planted)
Nasturtiums: 0 (25 planted)
Globe Artichoke: 0
Marrow: 0
Squash: 0
Sweetcorn: 2
Only 4 days and the sweetcorn is already growing! I now have the makings of a proper clump :-)
Meanwhile I’ve been digging up lawn for vegetable plot. Unfortunately I’ve also found where the builder’s rubble went. The soil looks good but it’s amazing how many bits of brick and broken concrete there are a few inches down. So much I’m having to dig it out or it’s going to be a real problem for the plants. There’s also snails all over the place that have woken up from their winter sleep. Time to gather them up and do a Gordon Ramsey on them I think… bit scary.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Marching Out Of March
So, in spite of my cold I’ve finally got off my butt and taken a bit of a stroll around the East End this morning. It’s true much of it is decidedly unpretty. But there’s also many hidden gems. For example museums: today I visited Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. Recently I was at the Geffrye Museum. Both very unique and excellent museums. The sort of place you can dip into as you pass, or take a longer, more thoughtful visit. I’m hoping to visit Sutton House soon as well.
Of course there’s also parks. My fave Hagggerston is not the only decent park. There’s everyone’s favourite Victoria Park. Today I discovered Stepney Green. Not a competitor in my view, but still a nice local park. I must get round to reviewing Mile End Park sometime too. Quite unusual!
And then there’s the mix of old and new. One minute you’ll be walking through post war housing estates. The next you’ll be on a street of lovely old houses, like around Columbia Road, or find a little gem like St Dunstan’s Church. I enjoyed today…
Of course there’s also parks. My fave Hagggerston is not the only decent park. There’s everyone’s favourite Victoria Park. Today I discovered Stepney Green. Not a competitor in my view, but still a nice local park. I must get round to reviewing Mile End Park sometime too. Quite unusual!
And then there’s the mix of old and new. One minute you’ll be walking through post war housing estates. The next you’ll be on a street of lovely old houses, like around Columbia Road, or find a little gem like St Dunstan’s Church. I enjoyed today…
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Seed Watch V
Sorry for the long break for anyone that’s been following this, but considering my last post I thought it appropriate to let that stay at the top at least a couple of days. Anyway… not a massive amount has been happening. I’m currently pretty much stuck in at home not doing much, as I have some kind of grumbling bug which has been making me feel vaguely fluey for days but not really getting on with it. So no chance yet to check out the sights of East London on an 18 miler as I had planned…
One thing that has happened among the seeds in my kitchen is a bit of a drama… I’ve transplanted the dill as it was clear that if they remained in the pot much longer they’d be hopelessly tangled. Long leggy plants with presumably long leggy roots to match. So I spent an evening making cardboard dividers for a tray so I could give each plant it’s own little cell. Then a very tense hour or so transplanting the amazingly delicate hair-thin 3 inch high plants. The roots did indeed turn out to be very long. To be honest I might have been better doing it sooner when there was less of them to feed into a planting hole. Or maybe it would have been better for nature to take its course and allow the stronger plants to crowd out the weaker... Anyway, so far the results don’t look especially successful, and I think the majority of the dill seedlings are in the process of dying. I think I’ll end up with 10-20 survivors out of 60 or so plants. The thyme pot is also now very crowded, but I’ve decided to let be. I’m hoping they’ll soon develop the wiry character of their species, making transplanting them an easier procedure.
I’ve also realised I’m going to have to try and find places around my flat for the seedlings to grow on, as the kitchen is too dark for them to continue there really… And I really need to get a second wave planted. If I can find the energy!
Day 16:
Thyme: 70+
Tarragon: 45+
Basil: 29
Mint: 0
Dill: 60+ to 20 ish, L
Parsley: 30+
Chives: 17
Sweet corn: 2
Squash/marrow: 2
Marrow/squash: 1
Globe Artichoke: 3
Well, there you go… checking the pots for the list, when I went ‘what’s that white thing in that pot…’. Turns out I have a total of 3 squash/marrow seedlings coming up. And also have to admit I didn’t mark and have forgotten which set of pots was which! LOL. I may be able to establish which is which once they are fully out as the seeds were slightly different shapes… Guess that means the temperature has gone up to their germination level. I’d given up on them! Only mint has yet to show any germination…
One thing that has happened among the seeds in my kitchen is a bit of a drama… I’ve transplanted the dill as it was clear that if they remained in the pot much longer they’d be hopelessly tangled. Long leggy plants with presumably long leggy roots to match. So I spent an evening making cardboard dividers for a tray so I could give each plant it’s own little cell. Then a very tense hour or so transplanting the amazingly delicate hair-thin 3 inch high plants. The roots did indeed turn out to be very long. To be honest I might have been better doing it sooner when there was less of them to feed into a planting hole. Or maybe it would have been better for nature to take its course and allow the stronger plants to crowd out the weaker... Anyway, so far the results don’t look especially successful, and I think the majority of the dill seedlings are in the process of dying. I think I’ll end up with 10-20 survivors out of 60 or so plants. The thyme pot is also now very crowded, but I’ve decided to let be. I’m hoping they’ll soon develop the wiry character of their species, making transplanting them an easier procedure.
I’ve also realised I’m going to have to try and find places around my flat for the seedlings to grow on, as the kitchen is too dark for them to continue there really… And I really need to get a second wave planted. If I can find the energy!
Day 16:
Thyme: 70+
Tarragon: 45+
Basil: 29
Mint: 0
Dill: 60+ to 20 ish, L
Parsley: 30+
Chives: 17
Sweet corn: 2
Squash/marrow: 2
Marrow/squash: 1
Globe Artichoke: 3
Well, there you go… checking the pots for the list, when I went ‘what’s that white thing in that pot…’. Turns out I have a total of 3 squash/marrow seedlings coming up. And also have to admit I didn’t mark and have forgotten which set of pots was which! LOL. I may be able to establish which is which once they are fully out as the seeds were slightly different shapes… Guess that means the temperature has gone up to their germination level. I’d given up on them! Only mint has yet to show any germination…
Friday, March 28, 2008
Murder in Matalan
Walking out of Sainsbury in Dalston a couple of days ago I noticed Matalan was closed. There was a small crowd, and police at the entrance. I guessed there’d been some disturbance, and people were waiting to go back in. Actually it was more than that. It turned out the store had already been closed a few days, and the people were holding vigil at a shrine that had been set up. Jamie Simpson, the manager of the store, had been stabbed in the neck and killed as he cashed up the day’s takings. The shrine was the usual mass of flowers, pictures, cards. Being inside there were also lots of candles. Also a scattering of cigarettes and a bottle of fresh orange juice, two of his favourite things apparently. Three people were caught on CCTV, and one person has since been arrested.
Of course, talking about murder I wonder if I’m adding to people’s fear. I can talk about the shrine having ‘the usual’ components because I’ve seen enough of them. In a crowded, deprived area it’s not too surprising if tensions sometimes bubble up, and someone gets hurt. Recently there’s been way too many gang-related murders of young people.
But… it wasn’t the first time I’d seen a shrine that week. The other was in polite Dulwich, along a busy road of big, expensive houses, marking the spot where someone else had died, victim to a car driver this time. Funny how these shrines are always to murder and road accident victims isn’t it? Our publicly mourned forms of death…
And of course the news has been filled this week with the trial of the teenagers who kicked to death a young woman simply because she was dressed in a way they didn’t like. All in Bacup, the sort of little town people scared of the East End want to retreat to.
I don’t have the statistics handy to see if there’s actually more killing per head of population in one area than another, but, whatever, it seems humans are quite capable of killing each other wherever they live. I have this feeling that at some deep level all the cases above are linked. You could summarise it as human nature. Maybe it’s all a matter of dividing into ‘us’ and ‘them’, whether it’s outright hatred of ‘them’ or just lack of concern. So, with lack of concern we kill the person who gets between us and the cash we want, or run over the person outside our speeding metal box. When it’s hatred then you get gang war, whether that is colour based, postcode based (as happens among the youngsters here in the East End) or based on how a person looks.
Those who live out in the ‘nice’ places might think themselves beyond all that, but they are wrong. Bacup shows that. I experienced it myself as a child growing up in a small town. I do think the more humans are crowded together, the more tension is likely to be caused. But it’s a balance of factors. Come to a crowded area like where I live and the flip side is you’ll find people more tolerant of each other than they tend to be in a small town. I live in a block that’s about as mixed race as it’s possible to be, and on the whole we get along pretty well in spite of the thin walls. Do I want to live in a place where someone on my income level can only hope for a tiny box with thin walls, or do I want to move out where I have more space, but people have strong and sometimes bigoted views on who they’d like as neighbours? It’s actually a difficult choice.
Of course, these days even the small towns are not so small. Back gardens and every other spare space in the cities are being built on. More and more people, whether born here or imported I don’t care, means we are living closer and closer together with less and less green breathing space. ‘Us’ and ‘them’ with less and less chance of moving apart. Of course, if our population continues to grow, most will learn tolerance, but I wonder if there’s some point when it when it gets too much? Experiments on rats showed that the more crowded you kept them, the more the normal rules of society broke down. I wonder if humans are really that much different?
Update: I made my regular shopping trip to Dalston today, pausing only to pay my respects at the shrine before heading into Sainsbury. While I was in there I walked round the corner of an aisle to see a disturbance going on. A woman was surrounded by store detectives. I heard her cry out ‘You can’t arrest my son for something like that. We’re decent people’. I moved on. Later I saw her, still very upset, accompanied by a man, apparently trying to get her head round doing the shopping while too distraught to think straight. Crying as she tried to decide whether to buy milk or not. Of course I wondered what her son had been accused of. Shoplifting? But not inside the store… I didn’t even know if he had actually been arrested. Was the man her son, or was he gone? As I left the store I heard the rumour going round that another of Jamie’s killers had just been arrested in front of his distraught mother. I didn’t see an arrest, or even any police. I guess they’d left by the time I got on the scene. But I have since heard on the news that two more people have been arrested for Jamie’s murder. Good news of course, but I really feel for the woman I saw. Another victim I guess.
Of course, talking about murder I wonder if I’m adding to people’s fear. I can talk about the shrine having ‘the usual’ components because I’ve seen enough of them. In a crowded, deprived area it’s not too surprising if tensions sometimes bubble up, and someone gets hurt. Recently there’s been way too many gang-related murders of young people.
But… it wasn’t the first time I’d seen a shrine that week. The other was in polite Dulwich, along a busy road of big, expensive houses, marking the spot where someone else had died, victim to a car driver this time. Funny how these shrines are always to murder and road accident victims isn’t it? Our publicly mourned forms of death…
And of course the news has been filled this week with the trial of the teenagers who kicked to death a young woman simply because she was dressed in a way they didn’t like. All in Bacup, the sort of little town people scared of the East End want to retreat to.
I don’t have the statistics handy to see if there’s actually more killing per head of population in one area than another, but, whatever, it seems humans are quite capable of killing each other wherever they live. I have this feeling that at some deep level all the cases above are linked. You could summarise it as human nature. Maybe it’s all a matter of dividing into ‘us’ and ‘them’, whether it’s outright hatred of ‘them’ or just lack of concern. So, with lack of concern we kill the person who gets between us and the cash we want, or run over the person outside our speeding metal box. When it’s hatred then you get gang war, whether that is colour based, postcode based (as happens among the youngsters here in the East End) or based on how a person looks.
Those who live out in the ‘nice’ places might think themselves beyond all that, but they are wrong. Bacup shows that. I experienced it myself as a child growing up in a small town. I do think the more humans are crowded together, the more tension is likely to be caused. But it’s a balance of factors. Come to a crowded area like where I live and the flip side is you’ll find people more tolerant of each other than they tend to be in a small town. I live in a block that’s about as mixed race as it’s possible to be, and on the whole we get along pretty well in spite of the thin walls. Do I want to live in a place where someone on my income level can only hope for a tiny box with thin walls, or do I want to move out where I have more space, but people have strong and sometimes bigoted views on who they’d like as neighbours? It’s actually a difficult choice.
Of course, these days even the small towns are not so small. Back gardens and every other spare space in the cities are being built on. More and more people, whether born here or imported I don’t care, means we are living closer and closer together with less and less green breathing space. ‘Us’ and ‘them’ with less and less chance of moving apart. Of course, if our population continues to grow, most will learn tolerance, but I wonder if there’s some point when it when it gets too much? Experiments on rats showed that the more crowded you kept them, the more the normal rules of society broke down. I wonder if humans are really that much different?
Update: I made my regular shopping trip to Dalston today, pausing only to pay my respects at the shrine before heading into Sainsbury. While I was in there I walked round the corner of an aisle to see a disturbance going on. A woman was surrounded by store detectives. I heard her cry out ‘You can’t arrest my son for something like that. We’re decent people’. I moved on. Later I saw her, still very upset, accompanied by a man, apparently trying to get her head round doing the shopping while too distraught to think straight. Crying as she tried to decide whether to buy milk or not. Of course I wondered what her son had been accused of. Shoplifting? But not inside the store… I didn’t even know if he had actually been arrested. Was the man her son, or was he gone? As I left the store I heard the rumour going round that another of Jamie’s killers had just been arrested in front of his distraught mother. I didn’t see an arrest, or even any police. I guess they’d left by the time I got on the scene. But I have since heard on the news that two more people have been arrested for Jamie’s murder. Good news of course, but I really feel for the woman I saw. Another victim I guess.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Seed Watch IV
I’ve decided to drop this to every other day for now, as there’s less happening. It’s not over though…
Day 11
Thyme: 60+
Tarragon: 30+
Basil: 24
Mint: 0
Dill: 50+
Parsley: 3
Chives: 8
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 3
So, it’s mainly a picture of increase in numbers, with the only new entry being the parsley. Glad to see more chives. My single seedling was on it’s own for what seemed like an age. Glad I’ve got the makings of a clump, though they are tiny teeny spikes as of yet.
I’m guessing the temperatures in my kitchen have been too low for the squash and marrow (the packets do confirm they needed higher temperatures to germinate than some of the others: 20-25 C rather than the 15-20 C range I guess my kitchen has been at! Mint germination time is described as ‘erratic’. I looked at a packet of catmint the other day that said that could take up to 30 days. Since mint is of the same family I guess I could be in for a long wait!
It’s fascinating to see the different forms. From the biggest: chunky-leafed artichokes and the thrusting spires of the sweetcorn, down to the tiny round-leafed thyme, and spiky chives – so similar in form to the sweetcorn, but so tiny and delicate. The thyme, which started so tiny, is growing faster than the tarragon and dwarfing it now. Meanwhile dill is very much doing its own thing. I thought at first they only had one leaf: starting off bent over with heads in the soil, by the time they straighten they are already tall compared to their neighbouring herbs, each slender stalk toped by a jaunty slash of leaf, out to one side like the top of a musical note. It was a while before they were revealed as actually being two leaves, only reluctantly parted. The dill have turned into a forest now, still slim and criss-crossing, baffling the eye when I try to count them.
I’m waiting for warmer weather to plant the second wave... maybe I’ll actually post about something else tomorrow!
Day 11
Thyme: 60+
Tarragon: 30+
Basil: 24
Mint: 0
Dill: 50+
Parsley: 3
Chives: 8
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 3
So, it’s mainly a picture of increase in numbers, with the only new entry being the parsley. Glad to see more chives. My single seedling was on it’s own for what seemed like an age. Glad I’ve got the makings of a clump, though they are tiny teeny spikes as of yet.
I’m guessing the temperatures in my kitchen have been too low for the squash and marrow (the packets do confirm they needed higher temperatures to germinate than some of the others: 20-25 C rather than the 15-20 C range I guess my kitchen has been at! Mint germination time is described as ‘erratic’. I looked at a packet of catmint the other day that said that could take up to 30 days. Since mint is of the same family I guess I could be in for a long wait!
It’s fascinating to see the different forms. From the biggest: chunky-leafed artichokes and the thrusting spires of the sweetcorn, down to the tiny round-leafed thyme, and spiky chives – so similar in form to the sweetcorn, but so tiny and delicate. The thyme, which started so tiny, is growing faster than the tarragon and dwarfing it now. Meanwhile dill is very much doing its own thing. I thought at first they only had one leaf: starting off bent over with heads in the soil, by the time they straighten they are already tall compared to their neighbouring herbs, each slender stalk toped by a jaunty slash of leaf, out to one side like the top of a musical note. It was a while before they were revealed as actually being two leaves, only reluctantly parted. The dill have turned into a forest now, still slim and criss-crossing, baffling the eye when I try to count them.
I’m waiting for warmer weather to plant the second wave... maybe I’ll actually post about something else tomorrow!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Seed Watch III
I just went onto Qype and found I have a ranking of 180 with 2001 points. Well I thought it was cool…
Meanwhile, day 9:
Thyme: 50+
Tarragon: 20+
Basil: 16
Mint: 0
Dill: 30+
Parsley: 0
Chives: 1
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 3
So I now have one solitary chive! It’s just a tiny little spike at the moment. Still waiting for mint, parsley, squash and marrow. I’m planning to plant some more seeds soon, and may plant more of the big seeds as I’m presently a little short!
Meanwhile, day 9:
Thyme: 50+
Tarragon: 20+
Basil: 16
Mint: 0
Dill: 30+
Parsley: 0
Chives: 1
Sweet corn: 2
Squash: 0
Marrow: 0
Globe Artichoke: 3
So I now have one solitary chive! It’s just a tiny little spike at the moment. Still waiting for mint, parsley, squash and marrow. I’m planning to plant some more seeds soon, and may plant more of the big seeds as I’m presently a little short!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
