March 15, 2009
Food Related
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We did our first planting based entirely based on the seeds we had a box, some from our last place and some which people had given us.
Outside we planted two types of pea (a podding pea and a mange tout) and loads of broad beans. We just raked over the bed, then pushed the seeds down into the moist soil, we put everything a bit closer than it said on the packet, some of the seeds were past their ‘use by’ date so we thought they might not all come up (I guess this is where planting indoors and then transplanting comes in handy as you know what is growing and can lay them out accordingly).
Inside meanwhile, we sowed some mixed salad leaves, courgettes (2 varieties both F1′s a yellow and a green) , Squash ( Crown Prince?) and 3 types of tomato (Tumbler, San Marzano, Tiny Tom). our seeds were from a mixture of Edwin Tuckers seeds (My mum likes them), B&Q, Suttons and Thompson & Morgan and 1 packet of ‘heritage’ seeds from The Lost Gardens of Heligan so basically anywhere.
These are all now in our ‘conservatory’ as we don’t have a green house and well we don’t use the conservatory really as it’s bloomin’ freezing (warmer than outside though!) you could of course just use a windowsill, I think an east or west facing is probably best as plants won’t get scorched in a full on sun (later in the year) but will get plenty of daylight.
We also have a Mushroom log (Shitake, I think it was from wiggly wigglers but it was a Christmas present so that’s a guess) that’s now been put in the shade of the fence.
March 11, 2009
Privacy
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Everyone knows that Google is watching them, but they are happy with the trade off.
If you search for something on one computer you get different results (depending on you past surfing habits) to any other computer, they serve the results they think you want. Which is great apart from when you’re trying to explain it to that they may not actually be top of the search rankings just because they keep searching for themselves.
The problem is that there is now Phorm who are also going to be watching you… and they will be watching everything you do because they are in bed with the ISPs, where as Google only has control of its ad-network sites.
My problem is that, the UK government is saying Phorm is a good way to break Googles dominance, but they are different things, like Road Tax and a Toll Road, I can avoid the Toll road if I want to it’s my choice depending on whether I want the convenience or not, but I CAN’T avoid road tax. So in effect if Phorm is allowed to go ahead it’s like the Government enforcing a tax on my privacywhere the only way not to be watched would be to change provider, pay a higher subscription or perhaps there won’t be an option.
The net needs to remain neutral, and allowing private companies to monetise my connection does not bode well. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/mar/11/phorm-timbernerslee
March 1, 2009
Food Related
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Originally I got carried away planing an orchard, I was soon brought back into the real world.
I’d planned a full succession of fruit for as long as I could through the year only to be faced with the realisation that we only had room for about 3 (dwarf) apple trees!
I spent a while looking online at Keepers Nursery (in Kent) who had really good detail about the different varieties what pollinates what and when they will fruit. In the end we bought a 1 year St Edmunds Pippin from Crown Nursery in Ufford and a Discovery ( we think this is a couple of years old) and a Damson from Kiln Farm Nursey (whilst the Internet is great for research, I still like to see plants before I get them.
So The Damson got planted out the front, in the hedge with next-door rather than facing onto the road (you don’t want to put your fruit trees next to the road if you can help it as they’ll get fumigated by passing cars) and the two apple trees got planted out in the back.
UPDATE
The St Edmunds Pippin hasn’t fruited this year but the Discovery has, they are still tiny, we’ll have to wait and see how big they get!