A friend of mine looked at me on Monday and said those horrible words:
What else could go...
I stopped her short of finishing and said
'Please don't say it. Last time someone did there were dire consequences in my life.'
I am at this moment, a pepper without a plant.
I was going to post photos on Monday of the progress with the peppers, but have been sidetracked by a crane falling onto the building next to where I live:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/8136336.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/8137953.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/8139724.stm
As a result, and due to Health and Safety Concerns, Almapaprika and I (and everyone else living in the nearby building) have been 'relocated' until the crane is removed.
It meant not being able to access the flat except for a window of opportunity (9 to 5) on the Tuesday to pick up essentials before the building was closed down. The previous night we spent in a hotel the construction company that was responsible for the crane nicely booked for all the people affected. We also had to get some clothes (and undergarments) for the next day, because no one was allowed back into the complex the day the accident happened.
So we're in serviced flats at the moment.
But because in those serviced flats they charge us £6.50/hour for Internet, I'm limited to what I can do at work, and I need to move the photos from the camera to the laptop.
Prior to all of this 'kung-fu collapsing crane technique' malarkey, I had been in contact with the person who sold me the original Naga seeds. It was a good conversation (even this blog was used as an example. I had to fess up and say it was mine), but I can't send her the new photos of the 'Naga X' because I don't have access to the photos (asides from looking at them from the camera), so this will have to wait. If anything, I have an interesting looking cross.
Oh, and my ex-landlords are just a pain in the rear. But it's not just me apparently, as I found out a work colleague also had this 'company' as landlords when she was a student and thoroughly hated the experience. I'm only glad our dealings with them are done (I hope). I don't expect to be renting anything from them anytime soon.
Other than all of this hullabaloo, if I could post the photos to you, you'd see the new Orange Habanero pods (the plant has now produced around 10), as well as all the new Naga 'X' pods (there are 8 total), and the 'forest of purple' from the Esplendor. Even the white Hab. is flowering!
Showing posts with label Esplendor Chilli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Esplendor Chilli. Show all posts
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Pretty in Purple
I have to admit that one of the best things I could have ever done was to move the Esplendor Chilli to the office.
At home it was fine and green, but all of the flowers were dropping, no doubt due to the lack of sunshine and temperature.
But in the office, well, what can I say? Photos really say it better than any words I could type in here:
They are just lovely.
The Naga Morich plant has just had it's first developing chilli, though I have to admit it may not be a 'pure breed'. The temperatures are still to low, so pollen is not being released from the flower. Therefore I got some pollen from a ready supplier (the Piri Piri) and hand pollinated it. Thus if a pod does develop, I shall christen it the 'Naga Piri' Chilli! (dramatic music ensues).
I am getting really frustrated with the Caribbean Red Habanero and the Orange Habanero. Both are doing fantastically well, great colour on the leaves, great size, plenty of flowers.
And all the flowers are dropping.
Without pollinating.
Very few of the flowers are releasing pollen, which is annoying. I am starting to think I might need to borrow the Piri Piri flowers for a little more 'Artificial Insemination', but that would just not be fair.
I'd have chillies, yes.
But not Orange Habs.
Not Caribbean Red Habs.
I'd have mutts!
Nothing wrong with that, to be honest, but I kind of wanted to try the real thing first.
Oh, and Andy Murray just won his match.
I'm still not a fan of his, though. I think he's too full of himself. And yes, there's nothing wrong with that, it pushes you to be better.
But my personal tennis favourite may have been a little 'odd', but he wasn't full of himself (Andre Agassi!)
Not feeling too good today. I blame it on a parent practicing her 'bad parenting skills' yesterday by leaving her really ill child (OK. She was late teens) on a sofa in the office cafe while on an open day. The poor child threw up four times while her mom went to a university accommodations meeting. I had to call the person in charge of the Open day and request a First Aider be sent to look at the poor girl.
Seriously now, if your child is doing poorly in the throws of a virulent, possibly highly contagious disease, do you leave her ALONE , oh, and in a crowded place while you go off with your other child?! Seriously now. Where are your priorities, lady?
I know it's a parenting choice here, but if I was the parenting police I'd be putting some serious points on that mom's parenting licence.
At home it was fine and green, but all of the flowers were dropping, no doubt due to the lack of sunshine and temperature.
But in the office, well, what can I say? Photos really say it better than any words I could type in here:
They are just lovely.
The Naga Morich plant has just had it's first developing chilli, though I have to admit it may not be a 'pure breed'. The temperatures are still to low, so pollen is not being released from the flower. Therefore I got some pollen from a ready supplier (the Piri Piri) and hand pollinated it. Thus if a pod does develop, I shall christen it the 'Naga Piri' Chilli! (dramatic music ensues).
I am getting really frustrated with the Caribbean Red Habanero and the Orange Habanero. Both are doing fantastically well, great colour on the leaves, great size, plenty of flowers.
And all the flowers are dropping.
Without pollinating.
Very few of the flowers are releasing pollen, which is annoying. I am starting to think I might need to borrow the Piri Piri flowers for a little more 'Artificial Insemination', but that would just not be fair.
I'd have chillies, yes.
But not Orange Habs.
Not Caribbean Red Habs.
I'd have mutts!
Nothing wrong with that, to be honest, but I kind of wanted to try the real thing first.
Oh, and Andy Murray just won his match.
I'm still not a fan of his, though. I think he's too full of himself. And yes, there's nothing wrong with that, it pushes you to be better.
But my personal tennis favourite may have been a little 'odd', but he wasn't full of himself (Andre Agassi!)
Not feeling too good today. I blame it on a parent practicing her 'bad parenting skills' yesterday by leaving her really ill child (OK. She was late teens) on a sofa in the office cafe while on an open day. The poor child threw up four times while her mom went to a university accommodations meeting. I had to call the person in charge of the Open day and request a First Aider be sent to look at the poor girl.
Seriously now, if your child is doing poorly in the throws of a virulent, possibly highly contagious disease, do you leave her ALONE , oh, and in a crowded place while you go off with your other child?! Seriously now. Where are your priorities, lady?
I know it's a parenting choice here, but if I was the parenting police I'd be putting some serious points on that mom's parenting licence.
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Stilton and Orange Juice: Not a Good Mix!
Just came out of a party for some co-workers who are leaving, and discovered something new today (what life should be about, really. Discovery!):
You don't put a large wedge of Stilton, or any other 'Blue Cheese' for that matter, and then glug some Orange Juice.
The taste and smell is akin to...well, regurgitating something after having eaten it some six hours earlier...
Absolutely vile. If it was used as torture on war criminals it would definitely be in violation of their human rights!
Eating some delightful carrot cake now to was away the horrible aftertaste of that mix...
Oh, and I was 'blessed' by a seagull yesterday afternoon...
Nearly six years in this lovely city, and I'd managed to avoid getting dive bombed. But I guess it's a rite of passage. I'll do the customary 'purchasing of lotto ticket' tonight and see what happens.
On the chilli front all I can say is I wish all days were like this!
Sunshine to the MAX! Good temperature.
The Esplendor is awash with beautiful purple flowers.
The Naga Morich has had most of its flowers open today (and I just measured some of the monster leaves at well over a foot in size!!).The other Naga Morich is now in full speed flower budding.
The Piri Piri is heavy with pods.
The Chocolate Habanero is having some of the flowers open.
Another of the Chocolate Sweet Peppers is ripe on the plant.
The Fatalii Twins are growing, growing, growing!
Oh, and Almapaprika ate the first of the ripe Chocolate Sweet Peppers!
She loved it. Said it was very sweet and had a good texture to it. She stuffed it with some cous-cous...and the stuffed in inside a green bell pepper:
This carrot cake is REALLY good...
You don't put a large wedge of Stilton, or any other 'Blue Cheese' for that matter, and then glug some Orange Juice.
The taste and smell is akin to...well, regurgitating something after having eaten it some six hours earlier...
Absolutely vile. If it was used as torture on war criminals it would definitely be in violation of their human rights!
Eating some delightful carrot cake now to was away the horrible aftertaste of that mix...
Oh, and I was 'blessed' by a seagull yesterday afternoon...
Nearly six years in this lovely city, and I'd managed to avoid getting dive bombed. But I guess it's a rite of passage. I'll do the customary 'purchasing of lotto ticket' tonight and see what happens.
On the chilli front all I can say is I wish all days were like this!
Sunshine to the MAX! Good temperature.
The Esplendor is awash with beautiful purple flowers.
The Naga Morich has had most of its flowers open today (and I just measured some of the monster leaves at well over a foot in size!!).The other Naga Morich is now in full speed flower budding.
The Piri Piri is heavy with pods.
The Chocolate Habanero is having some of the flowers open.
Another of the Chocolate Sweet Peppers is ripe on the plant.
The Fatalii Twins are growing, growing, growing!
Oh, and Almapaprika ate the first of the ripe Chocolate Sweet Peppers!
She loved it. Said it was very sweet and had a good texture to it. She stuffed it with some cous-cous...and the stuffed in inside a green bell pepper:
This carrot cake is REALLY good...
Monday, 22 June 2009
Have presentation...will travel!
I have a presentation to finish for my studies, so I shall have to be brief in today's entry (which means I won't be able to expand on my 'Ugg Boots' dilemma, or enthrall you with the philosophical waxings on 'how WAGS are bringing back the old lady styles of...well old, and how they think it's brilliantly cool while it's actually pretty silly', and Almapaprika took a great photo at the weekend of three 'WAGS-in-training' but I digress...)
Very quick update (and I seriously need to upload the photos I've been taking):
1-One of the Ring of Fire Cayenne has finally ripened! Yahoo! Altavista! Ask Jeeves! It's all nice and red and shiny. Will make for good eating soon.
2-The second of the Chocolate Sweet Peppers is also ripening. That one goes to one of my co-workers who has been eyeing it for a while now.
3-The Piri Piri is loaded with little peppers and flowers. Not bad for a 1 foot by 1 foot plant.
4-The Esplendor now has a brilliant upright purple chilli growing from it!
5-The Chocolate Habanero had one flower open, but it dropped :-(
6-One of the Naga flowers has opened! But it too, will probably drop. Temperatures have not been high enough for pollen release for the super hots.
7-The Etna has its first chilli pod growing! The Stromboli might as well in a day or two.
8-Black Cuban and Fataliis are budding! Grooviness!
9-The second Naga (the one that was at home but was transferred to the office) is budding ferociously now)
and...
10-The flippin' aphids are now on the Caribbean Red Habanero. FILTHY SUCROSE COWS!
Very quick update (and I seriously need to upload the photos I've been taking):
1-One of the Ring of Fire Cayenne has finally ripened! Yahoo! Altavista! Ask Jeeves! It's all nice and red and shiny. Will make for good eating soon.
2-The second of the Chocolate Sweet Peppers is also ripening. That one goes to one of my co-workers who has been eyeing it for a while now.
3-The Piri Piri is loaded with little peppers and flowers. Not bad for a 1 foot by 1 foot plant.
4-The Esplendor now has a brilliant upright purple chilli growing from it!
5-The Chocolate Habanero had one flower open, but it dropped :-(
6-One of the Naga flowers has opened! But it too, will probably drop. Temperatures have not been high enough for pollen release for the super hots.
7-The Etna has its first chilli pod growing! The Stromboli might as well in a day or two.
8-Black Cuban and Fataliis are budding! Grooviness!
9-The second Naga (the one that was at home but was transferred to the office) is budding ferociously now)
and...
10-The flippin' aphids are now on the Caribbean Red Habanero. FILTHY SUCROSE COWS!
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Esplendorrrrrific!
What a difference the office makes!
The Esplendor chilli, which at the new place was shedding flower buds fast, has just had it's second really groovy looking purple flower open up (the first one possibly germinating I have to give it another day to see).
Absolutely brilliant!
Who would have thought a place of mind-numbing work could also be used as a fantastic greenhouse! If only we could do this to all places of work, life would be so much more enjoyable...
I have coined a phrase (at least in my mind, since I haven't seen anyone else use it), so I claim it for Aji Chombo Land! (plants imaginary flag on top of idea):
Office Aphids.
We've all worked with one of these before. They are the ones that really contribute nothing useful to the overall workings of the plant, defecate all over it with sickly, sticky-sweet goo that seems to attract the sort of 'large-mandibled', irksome characters that are only interested in one thing (their behinds!), and will become very 'ungentlemanly' (or 'unlady...ly') towards anyone that goes near them or dares point out what an utter waste of space these creatures really are, which in turn means said aphids remain in place no matter how detrimental they are to the overall cohesion of the plant. Furthermore, they create conditions which invite 'Office Spider Mites', 'Fungal infections', and all other manner of miscreants.
Yes, we've all worked with this sort at one point or another.
Which means we should all be thankful for the 'Office Ladybird'...
I have taken more photos, which I shall be uploading soon! Oh, and the Chocolate Sweet Pepper finally ripened, so it has been plucked form the plant and taken home, where it shall be stuffed with some manner of concoction and fed to Almapaprika!
The Esplendor chilli, which at the new place was shedding flower buds fast, has just had it's second really groovy looking purple flower open up (the first one possibly germinating I have to give it another day to see).
Absolutely brilliant!
Who would have thought a place of mind-numbing work could also be used as a fantastic greenhouse! If only we could do this to all places of work, life would be so much more enjoyable...
I have coined a phrase (at least in my mind, since I haven't seen anyone else use it), so I claim it for Aji Chombo Land! (plants imaginary flag on top of idea):
Office Aphids.
We've all worked with one of these before. They are the ones that really contribute nothing useful to the overall workings of the plant, defecate all over it with sickly, sticky-sweet goo that seems to attract the sort of 'large-mandibled', irksome characters that are only interested in one thing (their behinds!), and will become very 'ungentlemanly' (or 'unlady...ly') towards anyone that goes near them or dares point out what an utter waste of space these creatures really are, which in turn means said aphids remain in place no matter how detrimental they are to the overall cohesion of the plant. Furthermore, they create conditions which invite 'Office Spider Mites', 'Fungal infections', and all other manner of miscreants.
Yes, we've all worked with this sort at one point or another.
Which means we should all be thankful for the 'Office Ladybird'...
I have taken more photos, which I shall be uploading soon! Oh, and the Chocolate Sweet Pepper finally ripened, so it has been plucked form the plant and taken home, where it shall be stuffed with some manner of concoction and fed to Almapaprika!
Friday, 5 June 2009
TGIF? Not if your chillies are at work...
I dread weekends.
Don't get me wrong. I like the idea of goofing off for hours on end, just like the next pepper.
But all my plants are at work now. So that means I need to water them well enough Friday afternoon, and hope we don't get a mystery heatwave over the weekend (though in this neck of the woods that's about as likely to happen as Elvis riding the Loch Ness monster down the street in hot pursuit of Bigfoot).
I almost forgot to do a mouseketeer roll call for the chillies being grown at work:
1-Naga Morich x 2
2-Orange Habanero x 2
3-Fatalii x 2
4-Black Cuban x 2
5-White Habanero x 2
6- Esplendor x 2
7-Chocolate Habanero x 1
8-Caribbean Reb Habanero x 1
9-Rocoto Rojo x 1
10-Red Savina x 1
11-Paper Lantern x 1
12-Stromboli x 1
13-Ring of Fire Cayenne x 1
14-Etna x 1
15-Chocolate Sweet Pepper x 1
And, of course, the two butternut squash.
Fingers crossed for another weekend of them fending for themselves.
I might have some photos to upload soon! Took them today, but need access to the computer at home.
Don't get me wrong. I like the idea of goofing off for hours on end, just like the next pepper.
But all my plants are at work now. So that means I need to water them well enough Friday afternoon, and hope we don't get a mystery heatwave over the weekend (though in this neck of the woods that's about as likely to happen as Elvis riding the Loch Ness monster down the street in hot pursuit of Bigfoot).
I almost forgot to do a mouseketeer roll call for the chillies being grown at work:
1-Naga Morich x 2
2-Orange Habanero x 2
3-Fatalii x 2
4-Black Cuban x 2
5-White Habanero x 2
6- Esplendor x 2
7-Chocolate Habanero x 1
8-Caribbean Reb Habanero x 1
9-Rocoto Rojo x 1
10-Red Savina x 1
11-Paper Lantern x 1
12-Stromboli x 1
13-Ring of Fire Cayenne x 1
14-Etna x 1
15-Chocolate Sweet Pepper x 1
And, of course, the two butternut squash.
Fingers crossed for another weekend of them fending for themselves.
I might have some photos to upload soon! Took them today, but need access to the computer at home.
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Exodus....Movement of the Chillies!
Well, it had to happen. I tapped the Esplendor lightly last night, and the unopened flower buds just fell off.
I looked at the Belpicens and more of the little flower buds had withered into pathetic black little blots.
The Naga Morich still looks fine, but nowhere near as vibrant as the one in the office.
I have decided to move the home chillies.
The Esplendor has been moved today, and is now in the office.
The Naga might follow tomorrow, but we'll see. Both the Naga and the Belpicen/Etna pots are terracotta, and weigh quite a bit, so not looking forward to lugging them uphill for 20 minutes.
But the thought of watching them simply not produce because of not ideal conditions bothers me more.
On the bright side of things, the Chocolate Habanero has started to produce flower buds! Yay!
And the annoying little aphids are still all over my blueberries!!!
I looked at the Belpicens and more of the little flower buds had withered into pathetic black little blots.
The Naga Morich still looks fine, but nowhere near as vibrant as the one in the office.
I have decided to move the home chillies.
The Esplendor has been moved today, and is now in the office.
The Naga might follow tomorrow, but we'll see. Both the Naga and the Belpicen/Etna pots are terracotta, and weigh quite a bit, so not looking forward to lugging them uphill for 20 minutes.
But the thought of watching them simply not produce because of not ideal conditions bothers me more.
On the bright side of things, the Chocolate Habanero has started to produce flower buds! Yay!
And the annoying little aphids are still all over my blueberries!!!
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Aphids! GRRRRR!!
Wow, it has been well over 15 days since I last posted anything. Been busy with coursework, the whole 'union' and the planning of the ceremony, swine flu, and watching the reds be taunted by the red devils as the try to clinch the championship. and I STILL have a lot of other things to do!
...but thought this might be a good breather.
From top to bottom, the photos are as follow:
1- One of the Esplendors, now big and healthy on a wooden planter I had left over from my previous foray (it was used for Strawberries). It looks really nice, and should start flowering in the next few weeks.
2- The big multi planter I got given for X-mas. I put an Etna chilli on the top and the two Belpicens on the lower tier. One of the Belpicens is already budding. Most cool! The big blue planter next to it and the plastic 'faux terra cotta' have the Naga Morich chillies. They look so healthy. I am really thrilled by them.
3 & 4- The new home of one of the Sweet Chocolate Peppers and the Cherry Chilli. The were taken to Almapaprika's parents. They were already flowering! Faboo!
5 & 6- The plants at work. Looking good!
Aaanywho, I found aphids on the blueberry plants at home :-(
APHIDS!!
The Orcs of the Garden World! (Slugs are the goblins, caterpillars are the uruk-hai)
Flippin' things were all over the little plants.
But this time I was prepared!
I bought some SB Plant Invigorator, which is supposed to both kill the little Orcs, and promote healthy grow for my 'baby ents'.
Now, if only I could hire a hobbit or two to garden the plants...
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