You know you're old when...

Oh, there are so many things in my life that could complete that sentence, but in this instance it was realising that Labour weekend is no longer a boozy long weekend away with friends, but instead a weekend to stay home (and look forward to doing so) to do gardening.

Yes, henceforth Labour weekend will be the time Elliot and I plant our chillies and tomatoes outside. And think about how old we are.

This Labour weekend saw some stunning weather (a shame for the neighbours who had to endure the short-donning pastey whites) so we had to set aside one day to not be hungover (however, the stag do Elliot attended on Saturday night was not conducive to a fully functioning Elliot on either Sunday or Monday) to venture to Bunnings to haul 400 litres of potting mix and compost and the few hours of planting to follow.

We had gathered a fair few buckets from Elliot's dad Philsie so didn't need to purchase any more pots. Holes were drilled (some by myself without connecting with any flesh so that was a success, although we were not totally injury free...) and we then mixed a bag each of the potting mix and the compost on a tarpaulin ready to fill the 17 buckets we needed.

Not quite the stake injury of  2012, but sore enough

So we planted 15 new chilli plants this season, consisting of:

• 3 Habanero (two from some seeds from our best Habanero last year)
• 1 Jalapeno 
• 3 NuMex Twilight
• 2 Trinidad Scorpion Butch T
• 2 Carolina Reaper
• 2 Bhut Jolokia 
• 2 Takanotsume

We also planted two tub-friendly tomato plants - these varieties grow bushier as opposed to taller so are easy to maintain in pots.

We also have a number of over-wintered chillies that are still alive and ready to start producing again.

Once the holes were drilled in the buckets and the soil was ready, the buckets were filled about three quarters to the top, a stake was placed in down to the bottom of the bucket (do this before putting the plant in so as not to damage the roots), the plant was carefully placed in and then the soil filled almost to the top of the bucket. They then need a really good water and a place in the sun.

Note the change of clothes..
Only minutes after mocking me mercilessly for getting saturated by
the faulty hose..well,  I think we all know what happened...

Some are living on the deck and some are just down below. They have been outside for one week and are looking great.

Our potatoes are going nuts so there will hopefully be some gems in there next month and ready for Christmas. Saving for a house does not make for a very long and comprehensive Christmas shopping list so those who do not eat hot sauce (Dad) may just get potato salad.

Elliot, in all his manliness, also insisted on replanting some "pretty flowers" so we have a lovely colourful deck.

So, let it all begin again. The insane hotness that is the coming months and the new and exciting recipes to try and things to do with the abundance of chillies we will have. Plus the dauntingness that is trying the world's hottest chilli...