I let my subscription to Gardeners' World magazine lapse in the summer as I found I didn't have time to read it properly. I've decided that now the winter months are approaching I will renew the subscription as I'll be glad of some reading material whilst I'm sat by the fire on the cold evenings ahead. I know that they recycle some articles, what needs to be done this December will need to be done again next December, and there are lots of pages of advertisements, but there's always something of interest to read in each magazine. I always take out the subscription through Tesco Clubcard Deals as the vouchers are worth four times their value, so a years subscription only costs £10.50 in vouchers. You've got to be quick to get it at this price though as the value of Tesco Reward vouchers is lowering to three times their value from the 6th December so the subscription will then cost £14.50 in vouchers.I managed to get to the allotment again on Sunday whilst my daughter was at her drama group. My son didn't want to come with us this week so it was just hubby and I. I set about the strawberry bed, which is now almost finished, whilst hubby cleared a bed which was covered in weeds and dug over another bed. I'm really pleased with how much we've got done already this year. Of course, if I hadn't been so lazy and cleared the strawberry bed after they'd finished fruiting we'd have had much more done by now, but I didn't. It's been a real job tidying up the bed, I won't let it get in this state again.
It was a terrible day here on Monday, I don't think it stopped raining, even for a minute, all day. There was nothing for it but to make a roast chicken dinner which we ate with the first lot of runner beans taken from the freezer. How lovely it is to have some stored for winter use. The weather was much the same yesterday, though it did brighten up a bit in the afternoon, but it's been a gorgeous sunny, crisp autumn day today. It's forcast heavy showers again tomorrow so let's hope the rain is out of the way for the weekend.
Great tip about the vouchers, thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteYour therapeutic dinner -- chicken and runner beans -- sounds so comforting. I hope it had some good gravy to go with it!
ReplyDeleteI really should get up the plot and pull the rest of my runner beans up...I have been very neglectful of them this year and have hardly any stored for winter!!
ReplyDeleteThat magazine, and others, are donated by members to the horticultural society and members can borrow them. The only drawback being that they're some months old!
ReplyDeleteI had a look round the allotments this morning but it's now far too wet to do anything! Flighty xx
oh yes the veg plot and garden, i think these will be put on hold for a while as now hubby has broke his leg he is going to be out of action for a while its alot of work for me when you have 3 kids to keep entertained as well !!
ReplyDeleteMust admit that I gave up on GW some time ago because of the repetition. I have just got a Tesco Clubcard though, so may reconsider if the same option is available next year as it would feel like a freebie:) Monday was absolutely horrible here too but tis improving as the week goes on.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I haven't had time to sit and read my GW mags over the last few months, but have put them aside for winter reading. They provide a timely reminder of what can/should be done - I'm usually running to catch up with myself!
ReplyDeleteHi Jo,
ReplyDeleteGardening magazines are same here - they are repeating articles with some different pictures. So I don't read them any more. There is so much more information on gardening blogs.
Isn't it great when you can cook some of your own food that you stored earlier? I also have some beans in freezer and I hope they will last until spring.
Hi Jo, I agree - Tesco vouchers are great value for taking out magazine subscriptions. There are some good offers out there at the minute; I took out a subscription to 'Grow your Own' and got 10 free seed packs, a fab book on growing veg, & some tools(pic of gifts are on my 4 Oct blog posting). I'm enjoying your blog.
ReplyDeleteNot much gardening for us this week with all the rain but I did get some tulip bulbs from your favourite nursery yesterday.
ReplyDeleteWe also get GW mag and GYO (Grow Your Own) and (Kitchen Garden) maybe it's a habit but you can get some good snippets.
We're big fans of Tesco clubcard rewards, 2 week holiday to France and new tiles for our bathroom are recent purchases coutesy of Tesco. Even if you don't take the rewards they are still worth more than their face value on eBay. I stopped GW after I picked up 4 years of back copies from someone on Freecycle. When you read back it is pretty much all recycled. Still a good read though.
ReplyDeleteoh yes the GW tesco offer is fab isn't it :-) The weather has been grotty here too - oh how I dream of sun!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Una. There's also lots of other deals too, worth taking a look.
ReplyDeleteA roast chicken dinner is just the ticket for a rainy day, Mark, and yes, there was some delicious gravy to pour over it.
Don't forget to leave the roots from the runner beans in the soil, Tanya. They add nitrogen back to the soil.
That's a great way to recycle unwanted magazines, Flighty. I'm not holding out much hope of getting on the plot this weekend after all the rain we've had this week, I'm sure it will be a bog down there.
I'm sure you're going to have your work cut out now that your hubby's broken his leg, Bearsfootprints. Especially having three littlies too. I hope he's back in action again soon.
There's other deals too, Anna. I'm using some of my vouchers for a RHS membership for a family member for Christmas.
I do much more reading during the winter months, Carolyn. There just seems too much to do in summer other than reading.
I agree that there's so many interesting blogs and websites with gardening information, Vrtlarica. I must admit though that I do like to hold a magazine or a book, the internet's not quite the same somehow. I love eating my own stored food. I'm hoping to get more in to jam making next year.
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment, Why I Garden. I enjoy Grow Your Own magazine too, I'll have to check out that subscription. I'll be popping by your blog later to take a look.
I don't think there'll be any gardening done at the weekend either, Green Lane Allotments. It's rained so much that it must be like a bog at the allotment. I don't like the winds we've got today either. I haven't visited Swillington nursery for a while, I must pop in and see what they've got.
You've done well out of Tesco Rewards, Damo. I've given back copies of my magazines on Freecycle too, better that someone else gets the benefit of them rather than them going in the green bin.
I think we've all had some bad weather this week, Scented Sweetpeas. I think it's due to hang around a while too, unfortunately.
Quite a lot of pansies left at SN but things are running out. I wanted some more mini cyclamens as I bought some lovely ones from there but only one colour left. Only a few sorts of bulbs left too - end of the range I guess but I goy some nice ones.
ReplyDeleteBy the way we must be the only people not to have a Tesco anywhere near to us.
So good that you had some time for gardening, and that dinner sounds great.
ReplyDeleteI hope the weather gets better for you this weekend, here it has been sunny all week, but this weekend will be rainy.
Post some photos of the strawberry bed if you can.
GLA dont worry I dont even know tesco.
Dear Jo, The English weather has been dreadful, although at least today is dry ... though cold. I find one of the pleasures of visiting UK is to pick up Gardeners World magazine. Also, I enjoy watching Gardeners World on BBC TV while I'm here. There are absolutely no gardening programs in America any more. Enjoy the produce from your allotment! Pam x
ReplyDeleteI used to read Gardener's World magazine regularly and as well as watch Gardener's World on the telly. These days though I don't seem to have the time.
ReplyDeleteGlad you managed to get your strawberry bed under control. Ours is still rampant!
ReplyDeleteI had a GW gift subscription for my Dad, but the main joy of it for him was going to the post office and sending it off to me once he'd 'read' it (he's not a great reader - prefers TV these days), in a stout brown envelope with so much masking tape on it that it took me half an hour to get in to it.
I cancelled the subscription while he was in hospital for 6 months this year, at his request, and now he's home he can't get out unless a friend comes and drives him. So no more post office visits. Since I'm still reading the gardening mags I bought in France this summer I haven't missed GW yet, and actually the main thing I read it for was Monty Don, so I may not go back to it.
I haven't managed to get to Swillington Nursery yet, Green Lane Allotments, I bet they've sold out by now. We have a Tesco in Garforth but it's not very big, and there's one in Seacroft which we sometimes go to.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to the allotment this week, fer, so no picture of the strawberry bed yet. I'll try and remember next time I go.
I'm sure the English weather has been a bit of a shock to the system, Pam. It got very cold last week but we've had a couple of warmer days again this week. I wonder if the gardening magazines here are any different to those in America.
I know what you mean, Mark. I find I have more time in winter for reading and watching t.v. though.
It's a shame there aren't more magazine style programmes available on dvd, Linda. Something like that might suit your dad more. I know there's a dvd called The Allotment but I don't know what it's like, I've never seen it. I wonder how the French gardening magazines differ to those we have in the U.K.