This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Sunday 20 February 2011

Pepper seeds sown & blog awards

I recently received "Mark's Veg Plot Chilli Award" and to mark the occasion I decided to sow peppers and hot chillis this weekend. I grew peppers last year for the first time and had reasonable success. Mark has inspired me to grow hot chillis this year. I hope I have as much success as Mark's Veg Plot. Northern Ireland has similar weather conditions as England so hoping for results. I do love hot chillis & can't wait to cook with them.

Variety: Pepper (Hot) Cayenne, Mr Fothergill's, 60 seeds, £1.89.
Variety: Pepper (California Wonder), Thompson & Morgan Seeds, 30 seeds, £1.50 per pack
Above: California Wonder Peppers. Photo taken 25 Sept 2010.
I also sowed the above herbs today indoors on a windowsill. It was extremely cold and windy outside today. Couldn't imagine trying to sow outside for awhile yet.
A couple of weeks ago I sowed Cress. Not the most interesting photo...  however, cress has the wow factor. It's so so peppery flavoured, really delicious. I popped one little leaf in my mouth and wow a burst of HOT. A new salad must. Rocket #1, cress #2.
Variety: Cress Fine Curled, Mr Fothergill's, 4,000 seeds, £1.65 per pack.
 
I'd like to thank Elly of Elly's Tuin for awarding me the 'Stylish Blogger Award'. Elly has a very beautiful blog; it's so therapuetic and soothing. Her site is http://www.ellystuin.com/

I'd like to thank Mark for his blog award "Mark's Veg Plot Chilli Award". His blog caputures the interest of many and it's always one I regularly visit. One of my all time favourite posts (I'd seen nothing like it) is



8 comments:

  1. I need to plant cress. I had no idea that it was spicy and I love spiced up dishes. Have you planted Thai Basil? It's also an easy one to grow and tastes great.

    Love your photos!

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  2. Congadulations on your awards and you are certainly deserving of awards. You blog is always beautiful and interesting.

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  3. Kelli - I didn't realize Elly had already given you this award. Congratulations. I, too, have awarded the Stylish Bloggers Award to you. You deserve to be awarded more than once.

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  4. Hi Kellie. Congratulations on your award. You ought to try anaheim peppers, mild with a bit of a bite or if you want hot try Big Jim peppers. Both are long and slender, but you must carefully label them for they look so much alike that you cannot tell them apart. The anaheim add a very nice bit of comfortable heat, while the Big Jims are way too hot for my taste. . Here is one of the many charts on the web that rates the hotness of peppers. Good luck. We are still months away from planting a garden. Lettuces and peas can go in mid-March. Peas: St. Patrick's Day, In fact. Above ground not until the last threat of frost: Mother's Day.

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  5. Hi Kelli,
    Congratulations with your "Chili...award". I even try planting vegeatables, but that's not easy and not my speciallity.
    I hope you get a lot visitors from the Netherlands. You deserve that.
    Greetings, Elly

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  6. Hi Holley G, thanks so much for awarding me the 'Stylish Blogger Award'; your blog post about the award (20 Feb) is great and your 7 things about u very good.


    Hi Enzie, thai basil sounds good, I'll have to look out for it in the shops.

    Hi Ann, sounds like you like peppers as well. Big Jim sounds good. Interesting about your frost timeline; in N Ireland we could get frost through to the very end of May so i always aim for 1st June for planting out. I get seeds started in a conservatory/sun room.

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  7. Hi Kelli; So my blog has been responbible for at least one convert to the chilli-growers fraternity then... I hope you have lots of success with them.
    Your award was richly-deserved, and I look forward to seeing your blog go from strength to strength.

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  8. I grew a chili plant last year, but only because my daughter bought me the seeds for Christmas. We don't actually use chilis in cooking so I don't grow them. I'm waiting for my pepper seeds to germinate now after planting them yesterday.

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