Mentioned In Despatches by WOLF-Garten UK

I met the Wolf-Garten UK marketing staff at the Garden Press Event this year and told them about the vintage soil-miller that my brother-in-law and his wife found when they took on the half plot next to theirs and when they were clearing the blackberries. 

It's nice to be Mentioned In Dispatches every now and then. Here is a link to the original posting re the Wolf Vintage Soil-Miller  

And here is a Link to the WOLF-Garten UK Facebook page 

I have a number of Wolf tools, I love the fact you can just buy the heads and change the handle and that you can have a long or short handle but use the same head. Check out the complete range of tools at Wolf-Garten Tools web site  

Mill Green & Vintage Wolf Tools

I have to say I have been neglecting Mill Green somewhat recently in favour of Spencer Road, the fact that I have builders in and I have to be home to give them access has meant that I have not been able to squeeze in many extended lunchtime visits to either plot during the week which is really annoying especially when the weather is really good.

The paths desperately need re wood chipping, as they are now turning into quite good viable growing  medium, the problem is even if I could arrange a delivery at the moment there is no where for us to drop it without restricting access even more.

Redrow the contractor who is building next to us, offered to put in a pick up and drop off area that would assist Mencap dropping off plot workers in their care, and somewhere we can have manure and woodchip dropped off. The promises of it happening in 4 - 6 weeks just kept on rolling by last year and now I have been informed by the Site Agent it will not happen until the end of the project October/ November this year, which was not the objective, we were hoping to have the area at the beginning of the project so we can get out of the main construction site access road, and not get in their way or put our cars at risk.

So the paths around beds 7,8,9 & 10 have been weeded, as have the beds. Beds 8,9 & 10 have had a dressing of blood fish and bone and coffee grounds, I'm hoping the coffee grounds will hide the smell of the blood fish and bone which turns on the foxes and drives them wild.

Beds 8 & 9 have their potato planting membrane in place, and I need to tidy up around the tables and the patio area and weed around the Daleks, on the next visit when I intend to plant the potatoes that are happily sitting in the greenhouse but not chitting very fast.

Four containers of coffee came out from the extension to the shed and the lids were taken off during the day so that it could dry out in the sun. I make no apology for the fact that I have sprayed weed killer on the weeds in bed 5 and in the paths between Beds 1 - 4 and 13 - 16 and around the Daleks, As I said the paths need re wood chipping.

It appear that someone has tried to get over the wall from the building site and may have fallen through my cantilevering bean frame either that or the squirrels have put on a lot of weight recently. So another job to add to my list. I may have to buy some more bamboo or perhaps think about making a slightly more robust gallows bracket.


Keith & Pauline where on their plot and as usual supplied coffee during the morning and Keith even made one with his own fair hands! They have taken on the plot next to their original plot and during cutting back blackberries found a heavy duty gardening tool.

I said to Keith that it looked very much like my Wolf Soil Miller and looking at the shaft of the beast it has Wolf stamped on it !

He appears to have found the Ancestor of my Soil Miller which has lost a row of spurs and become much lighter during its evolution & development.  





In the afternoon I took the kneeling stool that I repaired yesterday, together with the hose pipe that I had brought home to drain the heating system back to spencer road and set up the watering system, and watered the spuds and onions. A hose is so much less hassle than the watering cans to use. I need to bury the hose pipe from the water tank & stand pipe in the access path to my plot, so that some numpty does not split it when strimming or trip over the thing when using the path.

Call me Weedy Miller

A quick visit to plot 1A for an extended lunchtime visit to restore the water system and water in the potatoes, also watered the overwintering onions in the greenhouse and under cover plus the sprouts donated by Keith (brother-in-law)

Onto Plot 23B to drop off a spirit level, more slug traps, potato weed membrane and a blank sheet for the beds. the tool bag seat that my sister bought me a little while ago, and the super strength weed killer for the bind weed and the couch grass.

Looking at the path along plot 21A I'm going to need it. I didn't apply it today because it looks like rain but hopefully if the weather allows I can next Sunday. 

I took the opportunity to apply the Wolf Miller to bed 1 as lots of little weeds are beginning to grow. I also milled the strip tuned over a week ago Sunday. I do love this tool, I know they are not cheap but they are so effective.   

Sowing Time 03 - Tomatoes for 2016

OK the clocks went forward and some stupid time this morning and the weather is high winds and sunny with showers, but my body clock work me early. Yesterday in a short dry time I managed to riddle some seed sowing compost and this morning whilst all the females in the house were still condensing snot I was sowing tomatoes in 20mm x 20mm plug plant modules in small £1 shop propagators, so far, as I have run out of riddled compost I have     

  4 x 100’s & 1000’s from my own seed stock
  4 x Beefsteak
  4 x Blush New for 2016 from Seed Circle Surbie Saved  
  4 x Cherry Cascade F1
  4 x Crimson Crush F1 Saved seed from plants supplied last year
        Yes I know they will not run true but I want to see what grows from the saved seeds
  4 x Harbinger
  1 x Heartbreaker F1 The end of the seeds, they were good last year I will grow again.
  4 x Kibitz New for 2016 from the Seed Circle Mum of Stig saved
  4 x Lizzano F1
  4 x Nectar Rose New for 2016 from Seed Circle Mum of Stig Saved  
  4 x Plum Roma
  4 x Rainbow Blend F1
  4 x Red Robin - from Saved seed they were late developers last year but nice to eat
  4 x Red Zebra - New for 2016 from HeadGardener22 from forum
  4 x Sandpipe - New for 2016 from Seed Circle Surbie Saved  
  4 x Sunset Red Horizon - New for 2016 from HeadGardener22 from forum
  4 x Sunset Terenzo F1
  4 x Sweet Mullion F1
  4 x Sweet’n’Neat F1
  4 x Terenzo F1 Hybrid
  4 x Tomatoberry Garden F1 Hybrid - I really like these but not at £3.69 for 7 seeds  
  4 x Tumbler - Out of date sow by 2014 from a seed parcel worth a try

That's 22 different types of tomato plants, yes we do like and eat a lot of tomatoes

Derek on the allotment has offered me some Gardeners Delight & Money Makers and Sweet Aperitif as he has grown so many, and my brother-in-law is likely to have some Gardeners Delight and Money Makers over as well so there is really no point me growing these two. 

Not Growing this year or at any future point Gartenperle, just didn't like the texture and the taste.

Late morning I visited the Benhill-Crescent Horticultural Society Trading Hut on their Allotment and paid my £2 annual membership. Whilst I was there I picked up a Wolf Garten Multi Change Handle Aluminium for £8.50 and a 100mm Push Pull Hoe head for £10.75.

I was going to get them at Wyevale on Saturday when I was picking up the potatoes but they wanted £15.99 for the same push pull head. Proof its worth being a member of your local Horticultural Society. 

I also picked up a half tray load of Narcissus Tete-a-Tete Cyclamineus Daffodils in pots that are currently spread all around the house for Easter and will ultimately make their way to the comfrey beds on plot 23B for some early colour next year.