European Easter Round Robin

Oh, Baa, I'm so sorry you had to endure such horrible tv. :-) I tried explaining the Dukes to my husband once. Might as well have been trying to explain some earth custom to an alien LOL. Needless to say, he didn't get it. Ok, he did know who Daisy was because of those shorts.

Ok, back to the RR.... :-)

Hi Just to let you know that I received the RR today and what a great selection. I will swap and send on on Monday. Many Thanks
carol

I am so jealous that you get mail even on Saturdays.. Good that you got it so fast. Baa, think, the seeds have been in 3 countries this week =) Southmede, was the envelope ok?

Wait till the second round Evert, we may have it in FOUR countries within a week ;-)

All the best

Wintermoor

Evert the envelope was OK, but I have put everything into a new envelope so I could use the address label. I am exhausted from too much work in the garden today. Mulching all the shrubs and plants with lovely compost. It has been so warm today. Carol

PS I have put in some Caroon seeds but didn't know the latin name until now, too late, the envelope is sealed.
but I have added a pic to the database. I just love this plant.

European postal systems are great, lets hope the services continue to excel themselves!

Evert not only 3 countries but 3 envelopes as well LOL.

Thanks a lot Southmede :)

I think it couldn't visit in 4 countries per week.. mail goes too slowly :9 Anyway Finland to UK it's usually only 2-3 days. Same as a domestic letter here, for example from Hki to Utsjoki - or from Helsinki to Espoo. Funny..

Southmede, good, did you find a bubble wrap envelope or just a normal one?

Baa, hehe ;)

How many seedbags did you all take by the way? I took 10 or 12 I think.. and put a few extras.

Hi I took 10 and put in a couple of extras too.

Another lovely day here in beautiful Northumberland.

Thanks for the info on seed sowing Evert

got the RR today, wow what a mixture! i'll be sorting through these tomorrow and posting it away to John. not sure what i'm gonna take yet, i guess those cardoon seeds sound rather nice! theyre a really striking plant! anyway, i'll let you know when i've posted it.

lil

Thanks Lil :)

Wow super fast post so far! Well done people :)

Can't wait, it getting nearer !:-) not that I really need to sow any more seeds ! but, welllllllll, I just might be able to find room for a few more little trays and pots.If I move my hubby out and put a single bed in I could set up a whole tressel for more seeds in my bedroom,I'm sure he wouldn't mind sleeping in the garage for a little while :-)Oh, but of course the garage is full of pots and trays waiting to be used !well maybe he could sleep in the playhouse instead,I need a bigger greenhouse, sunlounge, garden, and a gardener to go with it !
I spent yesterday potting on last years plants,there were things coming through there that I forgot I had !some I can't even remember what they are 'cos the labels fell out or faded.Hope my daughters school plant sale is soon ,so I can move some pots out to make room for the new ones.My hubby always moans and says why do you need to grow so many plants? there's no answer to that one though is there!

My greatest failing is not labeling plants properly with the name of the variety. Well that means I get a surprise when the plants flower and then I remember what it is!

on it's way to John Yeoman as we speak. the postmaster said it would be picked up at 3pm so should be with you tomorrow. i can't wait for it to come around again! we should make it perpetual :D

lil

Great, Thanks Lil :)

Sue

ROTFL I dread to think what any future husband of mine would make of all the plants. I reckon he would have pretty much the same reaction! Only another gardener would understand why more plants LOL

Southmede
Our ducks took to removing the labels for fun, prior to sitting on the trays that is, so there have been a few instances where we too have wondered what is growing. Needless to say they are in a duck free area now. My Mom never remembers the names of plants or what she has in the garden, she now leaves the seed orders up to me. She is always saying, 'Oh what a beautiful plant, how long has that been there.' Such a wonderful thing to be pleasently surprised every year LOL

Wonders! It has arrived!

I have taken out four packets (ask me not what) and put back in four packets of different heirloom tomato varieties wot I grew myself last year.

And scrumptious they were.

Yes, do make this a 'Perpetual' Round Robin. Simply sling everything back to the first person on the list, and - endlessly renewed with new ingredients - it will last forever. Just like my neighbour's bonfires...

I will re-mail it Mon 22nd April.

Yours, clothes peg currently on nose

JOHN YEOMAN

Thanks John!

You're neighbour is still having fires? What is he burning? Tyres? LOL

No. Labour party manifestos...

Peace.

JOHN

ROTFL that explains a few things!

Hi there, ooooohhhhhhhh ,it's here, it's here, almost knocked my postyman off the step in my haste to grab the parcel !!!!!!I had them all laid out on my dining room table, drooling over them, what a fab choice,I've taken out 20 packets and put in 21, I've tried to put like for like, I'm afraid I had your heirloom seeds , i'm already trying some this year, ones that I got from a trade with USA through Daves,
It's wraped up ready to go again, but I'm having to wait to grab someone as my yougest has strained a muscle in her groin at a party last night, so she can't walk at the mo, and I can't leave her alone, so I'm hoping one of my sisters will pop in, if not it should be in the post tomorrow, even if I have to push her down the road in a wheel barrow :-)
How's the bonfire going ? still burning those manefestos?

I apologise profusely to Sueone. Never before has my modest mailing ever (a) induced groin injury or (b) driven anyone into a wheelbarrow or (c) provoked anyone to drool.

(Of course, I discount the effects I recall, of certain early Valentines I once sent in my '20s'. In one case, they provoked all three results, within three days, to my disgrace...)

What do you mean, you removed my heirloom tomatoes? They were only there for show!:)

Seriously, they'll do you wonders. Those Fab toms especially are as sweet as sugar. And very good if anyone in your family has arthritis, because they're low in acid.

Love

JOHN

Thanks Sueone! I hope your youngest gets better soon, sounds really painful (Baa crosses her legs!)

John

Do tell, why is it that the lady in me wants to shut my eyes whenever I start to read one of your posts LOL ;) I'm also intrigued about your disgrace (because I never was much of a lady to begin with) *BG*

parcel is in the post , I went to my local post office, but ,of course, they were closed, so I was stood outside tring to peel back the cover to see how much in stamps I'd need, the n I went back in and bought a book of stamps,and put on more than it should need ( I hope ! )it should catch tonights collection, and be with you Philomel tomorrow morning (or there abouts ) couldn't remeber when you were away ,I'm thinking it was fri/Sat, so I hope that's o.k. I managed to delete your e-mail, sorry .
John, how easy is it to save the seeds from these toms? how do you know if they've been crossed by others growing near by? i've sown about 10 different types this year, and some of them I only had about 2-3 seeds of each ,as a lovely lady sent them to me from USA.they just sem to have a huge range over there of ones that we never see.We all eat toms like grapes, they taste sweeeter off the plant :-)the peas too never seem to reach the kitchen, my daughter and her friends eat them when they're playing in their den, which rather stupidly I put behind the veg plot ! No wonder they never want any dinner when they come in, strawberry and raspberry juice dripping down their chins ,giving the game away !By the way Baa, little one seems to have made a miraculous recovery :-)especially when I threatened wheelbarrow to and from school hee hee .

Amazing how quickly children recover Sue LOL! Thanks for getting the parcel out :)

Thanks sueone. Really looking forward to receiving it - like pass the parcel, only better than the odd pack of sweets LOL!

This is for Baa and Sueone (and every other naughty lurker out there)...

Propriety dictates, I will not comment upon your curious habit of shutting your eyes whenever you read my posts. You should only do this, when you steam open someone else's private snail-mail. That way, (you may assure yourself) your integrity is never in question.

Besides, if you do it when reading a web forum, you're likely to tip coffee in your lap.

You will be relieved to know, the lady I referred to in my prior post recovered gracefully - and became my first wife. However, as soon as the wheelbarrow gave out, all ended in tears.

Yes, it is very easy to grow out all my heirloom seeds.

All grew well for me outdoors in central England last year. I started them indoors (about now), transferred them to my unheated greenhouse in early May to harden off (none of this silly 'take them out at dawn, take them in at dusk' nonsense). Then I plonked them in the garden in the first week of June. (Just after my last frost date.)

Tomatoes are wondrously hardy, whatever textbooks say. They're also perennials, if you treat them nice. Did you know that?

One heirloom (Aunt Madge) apparently wants to grow for me year in, year out - albeit in a warm microclimate against my outdoor kitchen wall heated by the Aga. I mulched it last October and lo! in April 'tis now growing vigorously again!

Yours, lusting for a new wheelbarrow

JOHN

Whoops, forgot to answer Sueone's last question: these tomatoes have not crossed (to my knowledge) because I kept the beefsteaks (Abe Lincoln and Fab) a long way away from each other plus I put a fleece cage over old Abe, withal, when he flowered.

The other tomatoes should not have crossed anyway, as only currants, beefsteaks and potato leaf varieties pose any significant risk of cross-pollination. Or so I'm told...

You should be okay.

JOHN

Ahh now that would explain the tea stains on my computer desk, having had my eyes tight shut I wasn't aware hat I was spilling my tea! I just thought the tide had gone out in my tea cup.

How do you go about keeping tomato plants overwinter? (Baa's stupid question of the day)

I hear that wheelbarrows are expensive bits of kit ;)

Ah Baa...

You shouldn't really keep tomatoes overwinter, any more than runners or climbing french beans (though these are perennials too).

Folk have had success (usually in Cornwall or other favoured climes) by heaping leaf mulch over their beans or tomatoes come October, crossing their fingers and praying.

Often, the plant bursts into life again in Spring.

This works reliably, mulch or not, in South America - wherefrom these plants came. They grow year round. But results in chilly England are iffy, I'm told.

Wheelbarrows? Wives are far more expensive. But most (unless they come from Homebase) are a superb investment...

Yours (now being dragged by his heels into supper)

JOHN

I didn't know you could buy wives from homebase John, must tell my hubby, he's always moaning about getting a new one, one that works !!!!!!!!!

Thanks John

Considering the state of my tomato plants at the end of each season, it wasn't much of an option to keep them overwinter but it is interesting to know it is possible.

LOL Sueone the Sainsbury group really does stock a wide range of products! If hubby manages to find one on the shelves maybe you could get her to do all the housework for you ;)

I wish Baa !!! I detest housework with a vengance :-)I've been ill over the last couple of years and am now only just getting back on my feet, so he's had a taste of what running a house really involves !! At one time he used to say that it would only take 1/2 hour each morning to keep the house up to scratch, well now he knows different hee hee,,and to make matters worse ,he's had to help out in the garden, and if there's one thing he detasts ,it's gardening, so now I'm getting my own back ,LOL.
I had some runner beans resprout one year John, i wondered why, now I know.
I'm just off to check out homebase's site, maybe they do 'male' order,I'll make [profanity removed] certain that I pick one this time that obeys me !and doesn't trample down every plant in the vacinity, oh, and he had better be good with a feather duster, there's 2 years worth of dust on my light fittings, guess hubby doesn't count that as part of housework!