Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 72 Entries. Wednesday, January 1 View Page Well today is my birthday, and my partner has treated me to a new set of grow lights to replace the one's stolen from my greenhouse last week, I have improved the security of the green house with security lights and extra locks (Sad but necessary) Welcome to 2014, here's to a great year, Happy new year to all.   Wednesday, January 1 View Page Plenty of worms in the latest load of FYM. Hopefully showing that this is ready to be spread. And i have plenty.   Wednesday, January 1 View Page Plenty of worms in the latest load of FYM. Hopefully showing that this is ready to be spread. And i have plenty.   Thursday, January 2 View Page Happy days, just been to spend my birthday present of £60 in garden center vouchers from family members. It's so much easier to part with vouchers than cash. Still more to get but getting there,   Saturday, January 4 View Page New light box up and working,   Saturday, January 11 View Page Second batch of onions ready to prick out today,   Thursday, January 16 View Page Last year i took a new allotment plot , Nearer to town, This year i am the Chairperson, 40 plots in all, So now i have my Town plots and my Country plots, Its a good job i am retired, But as well as growing for fun with the Giants, i have to keep the freezers full to justify my spending, or "HER INDOORS" will give me a hard time,LOL   Tuesday, February 25 View Page Dometica RZ and Tastyno Toms sown today, Also, 3.3 wild Big zac, EGVGA Toms 3.5-4.00 lbs 4.8 Ruegger 13 4.57 McCoy.   Tuesday, February 25 View Page Ok, only the Cornish giant Cabbages of three pics i tried to post this morning came through, I know these are not Maters, but i tried to be clever and load three pics at once, Give us a break, ill get there, (One day) Here then is the Tomatoes,   Saturday, March 1 View Page For my record-I Have sown Cornish giant heavy Cue's today. + Carmen F1 Cue's for quality and eating. On our way at last, spring has sprung.Yeah.   Monday, March 3 View Page Just six days after sowing and the magic happens,   Thursday, March 20 View Page I have sown some Gourd seed today, Never done these Before, and don't know of anyone who has so help welcome. Could have sown too early, Just don't know. and how to grow on would be helpful. They are African kettle gourd, and Trombolino,   Friday, April 4 View Page Pumpkin seeds set, I have been waiting for this day.   Tuesday, April 8 View Page It's up, now were rolling,   Tuesday, April 8 View Page Toms in 6 inch square pots, 4.8 Ruegger,13,--- 4.57 MacCoy, 2013.---Big Zac 3.3 Wild 2013,--Tomato Dometica RZ for showbench quality. + The EGVGA Tomato 3.5-4.0lb---- and the Cherry Tomato Tastyno, great for flavour and the show bench,   Tuesday, April 8 View Page Kelsea Onions in the 62 pots,   Tuesday, April 8 View Page Should have read 6" pots not 62 pots,   Sunday, April 13 View Page Two of the 3 "454 LaRiviere" seeds failed to germinate, on closer inspection the seeds were empty husk only, I have one more to try fingers crossed.   Monday, April 21 View Page Maters see soil today, In my 10x8ft greenhouse.   Monday, April 21 View Page Condor Taters looking good,these are for size and seed.   Monday, April 21 View Page Heavy Tomatoes ready to see soil in the pollytunnel.   Monday, April 21 View Page Cue's ready to go into the ground. Hope to avoid field mice this year, as they ate the young tender roots of my Cue's last year, Lots of poison used over the last few weeks should have got the numbers down.   Monday, April 21 View Page Kins and Squash plants developing well, Thanks to Hank H for the 1818.5 Bryson my banker for my first year.   Tuesday, April 22 View Page The 1818.5 Bryson, thanks to Hank H, Who kindly supplied the seed,you guys on here are so brilliant. I am so pleased to have this one.   Tuesday, April 22 View Page And this is the other one i am glad to have to pair up with the Bryson, The 454 LaRiviere, the third attempt at germinating this one was finally successful.   Saturday, May 17 View Page It's been a little while since i last updated my diary so here goes. The 1818.5 In company with the 454 LaRiviere, on it's way out the door, and looks pretty healthy to me.covers now off due to the hot weather we are getting at present.   Saturday, May 17 View Page Both Squashes looking good also on the way out of doors, Please feel free to use your imagination with my name spelling, NRO Miester 1350, and LaRiviere 454,   Saturday, May 17 View Page Toms Romping away now, 4.57 Maccoy, 3.8 Glazbrook, and 3.3 Big Zac.   Saturday, May 17 View Page African kettle Gourd, Goeil 59.8, Achallenge for me as i have never grown one of these before, (Great fun).   Saturday, May 17 View Page Never grown one of these either, Water melon Bartellii 59.8 Hope i have spelt that correctly.   Saturday, May 17 View Page These go out tomorrow. Marrows Hollinrake 125, unfortunately failed to germ, But i still have a good selection of hollindrake's for which i am grateful to him personally. The Hollinrake 95 is there doing well i am glad to say. (reminder to self, Note the name,s of the other Marrows)   Saturday, May 17 View Page Cue's now climbing well Thomas heavy one's amongst these,   Saturday, May 17 View Page Stump Carrots, really looking the biz'   Thursday, May 29 View Page African kettle gourd now starting to run, so i intend to train it up in front of the Toms. I am guessing that it should be trained along the ground, but does the main need burying as for the Kins, if you know please tell.   Thursday, May 29 View Page This is the Bryson 1818.5, the secondaries are starting so i will refer to the advice on how to treat these given to me by Pumking.   Thursday, May 29 View Page the plant at the rear is the 454 LaRiviere, slower than the others but getting there.   Thursday, May 29 View Page And these are my Squash plants making good headway despite the cool temperatures.   Friday, May 30 View Page SO here is what i was taking about in my question in Other non pumpkin related, also note the curled leaves at the top of the plant   Friday, May 30 View Page And this is the only fasciated bloom, can't really call it a mega-bloom, just two fused flowers. am i expecting to much?   Friday, May 30 View Page Now for some leek advise please. can anyone tell me how to proceed from here, this is my attempt to save the grass, not seed, of a particularly good leek that did well for me last year, as i have never tried to save the grass before, should i wait for the seed head to fully develop before trying to save the grass,?   Friday, May 30 View Page Sorr,y this is the pic' for the previous page   Monday, June 2 View Page First the good news.Really excited to have found this one today, It has 5 blooms. Now the bad, while tying the plant next to this one i managed to knock the top off the leader off it. It snapped of about 4" above the bloom itself but the bloom remains intact. hope it still comes to something. perhaps i can start a new leader.   Thursday, June 12 View Page Female on main vine of Bryson 1818.5 about 8or9ft out, not shure if this will be the one but have started the "S" hope this is right.   Saturday, June 14 View Page This is the first female i have pollinated on a pumpkin, and it is the Bryson 1818.5, what i would like to know is, does this flower look normal?, as it looks a bit odd to me. The petals look a little tatty because i had to untie it to take this pic.   Tuesday, June 17 View Page Well after a false start with my Byson 1818, another female opened today, (hope this one is better) although the Stigma still don,t look right i have pollinated it, (self) but still hoping for a better one, more on the way and i would rather wait for a Lariviere 454 to cross with.   Tuesday, June 17 View Page This is the Miester 1350, and Kerkos 401 Squash. Looking good.Has female's ready to open,   Tuesday, June 17 View Page Another shot of the Squash plants.   Tuesday, June 17 View Page Red currents ready to be picked.   Tuesday, June 17 View Page Corn coming along nice, still don't know if i should take off the suckers or not,   Tuesday, June 17 View Page Picked 7lbs of Strawberries today, Brownie points to come from her indoors.   Tuesday, June 17 View Page Logan berries on the way, not my favourite fruit as i find them a bit sharp, but nice in as jam,   Tuesday, June 17 View Page sorry for the mix up with pics, But i am sure you'll work it out.   Friday, June 20 View Page Picture showing Bryson 1818.5. 6, lober selfed as no male ready on the LaRivier.   Monday, July 7 View Page Hi all, not been posting due to recent bereavement, my Dad's funeral is tomorrow. But went to the allotment today to check on things, and how they have grown. Hollindrake Marrow shown here,many more smaller one's showing, will remove most in the next few days.   Monday, July 7 View Page 1818 Bryson. 17 days after pollination.   Monday, July 7 View Page Miester 1350, Squash   Thursday, July 10 View Page A great Marrow, what a difference from previous pic' taken a few day's ago   Thursday, July 10 View Page Big zac, gaining weight. go, go, go,   Thursday, July 10 View Page Melons, got 4 like this + others succesfully pollinated. i would have been happy with one as i have never attempted them before. Chuffed.   Sunday, July 20 View Page Can,t wait to weigh this beauty,   Monday, July 28 View Page Big-Zac, weighing in at 3,LBS on the dot   Monday, July 28 View Page J, Goell 2013. ott est" weight 220 lbs   Monday, July 28 View Page Bryson 1818.5 gone on to the flower end, est" 204 lbs   Sunday, August 3 View Page Bryson 1818.5 Dap 43 ott 215 so 230LBS   Sunday, August 3 View Page j Goell, OTT 225 so 262lbs   Sunday, August 3 View Page Karkos 401 Not taped yet, will do this in the morning,   Monday, August 25 View Page Bryson 1818, Taped at 278.so 483lb   Monday, August 25 View Page J.Goell taped at 258, so 389lb,   Monday, August 25 View Page Squash, this one has gone very concave but taped at 245 so i hope it is a true representation of the weight at 335lb If i have learned one thing this year it will be to keep the fruits well protected with covers next year as the skins are toughening too early, and the recent cold spell has done no favours either. Now i am worried that if we have an improved september as is often the case will the skins be too tough for any further expansion. the weigh of is not until Sat the 18th of October. Wish it was nearer the 18th of sept, i cant stand the stress.   Tuesday, September 30 View Page My claim to fame, well i finally made the local papers, and the local ITV. with my pumpkin. All thanks to HankH. for supplying the seed of the 1818.5 Bryson. And to Pumpking, Thanks jorg, for all the brill advice you have given me. now i just have to get it to the show. 19th October. A new venue,   Monday, October 20 View Page Well i made it at last, did well at the first Big Sheep Giant Vegetable show, with 12 firsts out of out of 14 entries, The pumpkin was the star of the show, sadly no official weight was recorded due to the weighing equipment not being available, all will be right for next year, already planning. 3100.00 cash and £60.00 gardening vouchers won, good day out.   Monday, October 20 View Page HaHa, wish that was right above, should read £100.00