Thursday 7 April 2011

Petrol and chillis

Picture is brilliant and is the copyright of Alex of the Giddy Limit

Living rurally and on an island - we benefit from many things but sadly not the price of petrol - to get back and forth to work! Alex writes the cartoon up here in the local paper and I kept this one as he had it perfectly captured, when will the price stop going up? I paid 144.9 for one litre of petrol yesterday - I think he's right, its really best not to look at the price anymore, I dinnae want tae ken!  Anyway that didn't get me down for long, can't do much about the price of petrol, try to drive less, thats all I can do.

Anyway, my good news today, aside the arrival of the polytunnel frame (Thank you McAddie and Reeve, Local Hauliers extrordanaire!) was the fact that I noticed today that all of the home saved chilli seeds have now popped up to say hello - go them! Clever little home saved seeds.

Whilst the picture below has only a few seeds in it, don't be alarmed I saved the seed from all of the chilli's that fruited - so I've oodles and sown half of them which have all woken up to say hello and have a stretch - the correct term I think is 'germination', I think that it didn't really tell it all. The fact that a whole plant, be it chilli, cress, giant redwood or a big pumpkin can come out of a seed is amazing. One of lifes miracles! The waiting for them however, is a tale of patience (really!) and the successful awakening my slumbering seeds, and by offering them a bit of company, a nice view and a bit of chat they've eventually done me a favour and woken up (finally!). I'd take a photo of them all, but its too late, they've nodded off again and to take a picture, so here's one from the seed collecting and a link to how to do it. (Next year I must wear gloves!)
Quite soon I'll be potting them up, or posting the few I don't keep onwards to their little homes elsewhere. And, whilst it feels a long time ago, its not been that long since we had our fix of spring on the mainland in Edinburgh. It will arrive here soon enough I'm sure, not too soon though, as I've tonnes to do before it arrives properly. Mainly involving being chained to a computer, writing up lots about stuff, which makes my head hurt. But secretly, I'll be thinking about wearing my wellies, mucking around in compost, being at the beach etc, which will help me to get there eventually!

11 comments:

  1. Wow, your petrol really is expensive, we are paying around 129.9 per litre and complain about that! We have the spring but my chillies haven't poped up yet, must just be lazy southerners! Have a good weekend x

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  2. Ouch! I thought 132.9p was bad.It'll have to be Shank's Pony for us all soon.
    Spring is coming and going here,my lovely daffys are flattened by the showers and the squally wind.:(

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  3. Me again,had to get my son to show me how to do the sad face symbol properly.I'm such a techy dunce! :(

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  4. Yesterday Sainsbury was 129.6 per litre, more than enough.Alex picture really is brilliant, a look of the broons aboot it.

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  5. I think you'll find the correct horticultural term is..."wake up to say hello and have a stretch!"

    Who on earth says "germination" when they can say that instead!

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  6. Poor little neglected wellies, waiting patiently by the door, looking longingly toward the yard when it opens. Can you hear them whimper all the way from your computer? LOL That pepper pic is brilliant!

    FYI -I posted a poly name suggestion on the previous post.

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  7. Hi there, Looking good over/up there, despite the wind and rain. I was out looking for Chilli plant/seedlings a few days ago here in France; none available yet, I was told, rather Froggily and snootily. Too late to start planting from seed now, I guess. Will just have to wait until they turn up at markets and nurseries.

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  8. Iain - not too late to plant now - they'd catch up quick - if you fancy a chilli/posting experiment give me an email? How quickly can chilli plugs get to France..............

    Kris - they do wimper! Thank you about the pepper pic - part of my 'how to burn your fingers as you collect chilli seed' workshop!

    Anne - I thought that too, germination is so last year!

    Julie and Alistair both your prices are a bit eek too - and oh how I dream of sainsburies - I hear they are building one in Nairn? Or Forres? or was it Elgin - that would be our nearest one (four hours away!)

    Julie glad you got the smiley sorted :)

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  9. Alistair it does have a look of the Broons but somehow funnier and captures life here quite brilliantly - and being from Dundee I'll get shot for that one!

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  10. Hooray for saved seed! Something I am hoping to do myself this year, so I will be back for advice... Hope you get yourself unchained from the computer in time for the better weather.

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  11. Fran tell those seeds to get a wriggle on!!

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