iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

This was last year Carol. New sowings will be next week.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

More for your enjoyment including a 'fluffy' one.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Some aquilegias for you.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Star, are you out there? If so can you say Hi so I know you are OK.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

I just wanted to say hello and to make sure you are OK. I know you are not doing social media much right now. Your presence is missed xx

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Honorary girl now though!

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Well you do it very well may I say! I hope you and your 5 girls are doing well. I include Ricky since his nuts are now absent! Keep doing your fab. stuff Harriet xx

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Good to see you are still doing it H. x

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

We have hardly seen the Sun this year and the thermometer seems stuck at c.5c (41f). Last week in London they recorded no Sunshine hours. This is why the British are a tough breed.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

Very beautiful. Here a couple from our school garden.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

So, first gardening session of this calendar year done and dusted. We sowed Nasturtiums, Helichrysum, Sweet pea, Cape Gooseberry, Cosmos and Pineapple. What we sow for school we also sow a pot of the same for the children to take home so that they can see the progress and be responsible for them.

20 pots the potential for 100+ plants and 1000's of blooms. Fingers crossed.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Are you not a bit early with courgettes? You may not be able to get them outside until early/mid May.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Where are you located? In southern England the tomatoes will be sown early March for greenhouse and late March for outdoors. The courgette/squashes/pumpkins in mid April.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

We must all adapt to our local conditions I guess. I live in southern England. We get very short days in winter but the opposite in summer. We rarely get 35c (95f). In summer the sun rises at 4.45am and sets at 21.27pm. In northern Scotland it is 3.30am and 22.35pm.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

What did you sow, by the way? It is always better to sow later when temps. and light levels have improved. Good luck with your sowing/planting.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

I am lucky to have a heated propagator. It cost about £100 over 10 years ago. You can set the heat range between 10c - 30c I think. It has been a great investment.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Start again. Some years ago I planted out about 100 onion plants after hardening off. A day later we got a real hard frost and I lost all but 4! I resowed and the resowing were only about a week behind the original 4 survivors. Gets you down but you just have to carry on. Good luck.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Small chinks of spring are on the horizon. Tomorrow is our first school gardening Friday of 2025. We will continue right through the seasons until mid November. Tomorrow we will sow the early seeds such as nasturtium, rudbeckia, aster and pot up some dahlias and lilies. Here are the signs of spring.

Sad looking Daffodil wanted some sunshine.

A brave anemone self seeder growing from under our learning bus.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Just wanted to catch up and send you my best wishes. I still watch your you tube videos with your fine playing and shy smile. Hope you and your girls are doing well Harriet.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Visited school for the Friday birdwatching session. Many wood pigeons, sparrows, jackdaws and magpies, a few robins and blue tits plus a bonus sparrow hawk. No pictures of birds but some strong evidence of Spring long awaited arrival. 3 minutes and 16 seconds more daylight in Berkshire today!

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

You can. A sunny/part sunny spot is needed and keep the pot well watered but also well drained. A sprinkle of growmore into the soil/compost will help. Some potash will help grow them hard.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

These are the seeds for sowing in the school garden in Feb.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Star, are you OK? Don't want to interrupt if you are taking time out but wanted to make sure you were OK. x

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

They are tough. They live in +40c and often see no rain for months on end.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Here is some I am growing at school, in an unheated greenhouse. We got -7c in early January on two nights.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Here are our school garden ones

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

STAR are you OK? I am worried about you.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Where are you? Obvs. southern hemisphere.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

A bit more done in the special garden at school this afternoon.

Getting a good thick mulch on. The worms will do the work.

Some pots of diffs that will go in along the edge.

Sunset across the garlic bed and sports field.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Hi Harriet, I hope you and your girls are all well. Keep up the yoga, it will do you good. I did it a while back and you will get better I can assure you. Like you I am fairly inflexible but in the end it does get easier.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

These were our garlic plants today. We planted 35 in October but only about 31 have come up.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

A sarracenia pitcher plant, fully hardy but kept in greenhouse during the winter to stop it getting covered in leaves and rotting. Some hyacinths for early flowering.

The guy that fancies himself a gardener (of sorts!!).

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

In our unheated greenhouse we have date palm, tangerine, lemon and avocado. Last week we had -7c on two nights but everything is looking good. I keep it on the dry side, as wet kills more than cold does if it can be frost free.

2 x date palms. The date seeds were saved from Christmas '23 and planted in March '24. There are new leaves coming along.

Lemon and Tangerine trees planted in March '24.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

So I had my first gardening session of the year. Renovating a commemorative garden at school. I planted the last of 50+ tulips today, a month late but they will catch up. I was in 2 minds as it was misty and cold but I persuaded myself to do it. Pleased I did and will crack on next week too.

Along the bed. Several barrow loads of soil and compost deposited.

A brave primula which has been in bloom for over a month.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

If they are hardneck varieties they will produce 'scapes' in late spring. These should be removed and can be eaten. The plants should start to die back soon after. If softnecks they will start to brown off and the leaves fall over. This is a sign of ripeness. Plenty of water late spring, no food.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

Southern England. The varieties we grow are normally French/Central European. They require about 7-8 months and must have at least 1 month sub 10c in order to bulb up. Here is a harvest from last year.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

If they are coming up you are doing it right. I plant mine in October and they are about 6-8 inches high now. I feed in March/April and should harvest in late May.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Stick with the old for a season at least. Be severe with the pruning on some, gentler on others then compare results.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Thanks for taking the trouble to give me all this information. I appreciate it.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

That it's native is a good plant to support wildlife. How do you make sure your tincture is not too strong? Can it do harm in too high a dose? I plant as many native plants as poss. and those that aren't I choose good nectar or habitat suppliers. We have a wildlife garden at school with natives.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

On that basis it should be called 'bad mad dog'. Or for rabies, not to be 'had bad mad dog'. Forgive my flippancy. Since it does not taste great what do you grow it for?

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

What is Mad Dog Skullcap?

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

I like them, Ricky and Cosette. We have two, Jellytot and Sophie. They can't stand the sight of each other. They have lived together for 8 years soon but are disdainful of each other in a very feline way.

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Ian @concordat.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

My Sunday morning was spent doing a bit of baking. A wholemeal loaf, a banana bread as we had some overripe 'nanas and finally some granola. Mostly healthy but banana bread is the domain of our youngest who adores it. Granola made with oats, crushed nuts, oil, honey and golden syrup.

Beautiful wholemeal loaf with mixed seeds.

Granola with Brazil, Hazel, Cashew and Walnuts.

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