[Tatty Hoaker]

Well there,

I'm living in Donegal and new to this growing in the garden game except for the the odd bit a grass or daffodil.

I have a brave bit of time on my hands since closing up shop at christmas time so i decided i would set some spuds, carrots and maybe onion in the back garden.

I have fenced off the plot this week ( 30ft x 24ft) to keep the bichon out and have paired the grass off a 12 x 7 area to plant a small 3 drill spud section

I plan tomorrow to dig and losen the soil in this section, add some compost and fertilizer before setting the spuds that have been trayed in the shed since last week.

I will give the onion and carrot section a go when when the spuds are set.

Ps. I have put fruit trees at the bottom of the overall plot aswell.

There seems to be an endless amount of information on this site so i'll give it a good troll over and let you know how things go as i progress.

Cheers.

[Moggi]

Hi there, welcome to the forum from a fellow Donegal wanabe gardener - although you seem to be starting out well. Good luck with it all and enjoy the forum.

[Tatty Hoaker]

Thanks Moggi,I'll give it a go anyway and see how it goes.

Ps. Do you know of any local prize winning potato fairs on around July/August?

[Dr. Sunny Thomson]

Welcome Tatty Hoaker. I presume it is Donegal seed potatoes you are sowing.

[Liparis]

WElcome, Tatty Hoaker. I assume that's the equivelent of a Scottish Tatty Howker.
Bill.

[Moggi]

Hi Tatty Hoaker, Not too sure about award winning potato shows, although I know there was something on in Carndonagh at the end of March dealing with organic produce. There was a post on this forum about it but unfortunately I was working and didn't make it. I'll ask my brother in law as he is a potato farmer and get back to you.

[Tatty Hoaker]

Thanks all for the welcome.

I got my plots finished and ready for sowing today.

Sets of Kerr's Pinks and giant onion variety sets.

The only problem is that when i checked the bag of onions in the shed they had sprouted green shoots.I hope this is not a problem as i am going ahead planting them tomorrow.

[Tatty Hoaker]

[Liparis]

Those were the days, you could make a shilling or two at that if you were good at it. They ended up making a weeks holiday in Scottish schools at that time, it became known as the tattie howkers week. So many kids bunked off school to earn a shilling or two for the family that the authorities gave up trying to stop it and it's been a school holiday ever since.
Bill.

[Moggi]

Hi Tatty Hoaker - just found out that there is usually a prize winning potato show at the Clonmany festival and as far as I know it is on during the August bank holiday weekend or thereabouts so just keep an eye out.

M

[Tatty Hoaker]

Thanks for finding that out for me Moggi - Your a woman of your word.

All i need now is for my Pinks to appear!

[inishindie]

Hi Tatty

You might like to check out the Carndonagh Agricultural show too. It's on the 19th of July.....Our dog won the best large dog rosette a couple of years ago ( hewas the only one entering the catagory but he still wore it with pride.) The event was one of very few I have been to where no-one seemed to be scared of animals. (Our dog used to grin at you when he met you and people mistook this for growling, which made taking him anywhere a bit probematic)

....The spuds were big 'uns too.....

http://inishowenagriculturalshow.com/

Cheers

Ian

[Tatty Hoaker]

Good man Ian.

What breed of dog do you have btw.Ours is a little Bichon Frise, quite a bit smaller than yours by the sound of it.

[inishindie]

Not sure what he was...he had the colourings of a coy carp and his eyes were different colours like David Bowie's....we called him Max. He's feeding the garden shrubs now.........Your dog is cute... I think I saw a photo of him somewhere on the forum site.....