And a lovely day it was too. I actually managed to throw off the fleece for a while. Never thought I'd hear myself say this, but we could actually do with some rain. Not with the accompanying gale force winds, but some nice warmish water if you wouldn't mind, please !
However, taking advantage of the sun, I got lots done.
Went to pick up the spesheel glass for the greenhouse vent, leaving the OH behind working out how to install the louvres. Came home to hear "it doesn't fit". Fuzzem fuzzem ! So we installed the new vent first cos we were SURE that would fit (were we?)but it did ! Had a grand opening ceremony to celebrate ! Then got down to the louvres. How can they NOT fit, it was a standard accessory kit for a standard greenhouse. OH was right though and there's a gap under the louvres of about 4". Definitely WASN'T going to go and order another bit of glass, so cut up a polycarb sheet (which is now drying off over the radiator to get rid of the condensation before we tape up the edges and install in place.
Sowed some Early Nantes in the bath, (Parmix in the g/h are coming on a treat - I've only had to thin a few as I sowed sparingly). Surrounded bath carrots with red baron onions that were sprouting well but seem a bit soft - hope it's nothing fatal ! Covered bath in fleece.
Transplanted some lettuce leaves from the g/h to an outside bed as they were looking a bit scorched. Same with some of the icicle radishes. Think it was too hot for them inside so now they're under fleece. Little Gems sown 18/3 have just popped through but no sign of the borage, sparkler 3 radish or bronze fennel which were all sown on the same day.
Mum had said that my brother's selfseeded candytufts were already a good few inches high down south, so I stuck some in the edge of the "under the hedge" border.
Threw some more peas in pots (sugar snap, meteor, twinkle). With a bit of luck i can plant them out after my journey darn sarf. The ones in the ground already are looking a bit scraggy. The meteor are definitely doing better than the twinkle.
Decided to plant out my senecio greyii cuttings to one of the neighbours beds so in future years it will be established and no need from me to do anything ! I've had a tub of aquilegia, sown last year, but never came to naught, but has sprouted again this year, so stuck that in a border too. Erected one of the rose arches in neighbours border just outside g/h No. 2. Am planning on running the sweetpeas up there to act as some shading. Need to feed the garlic I think. there is still yellowing edges to the leaves. it could of course still be the cold.
stuck some nasturtium seeds round the edge of the water barrel planter. too soon probably, so if they grow, they grow, if they don't - still got tonnes left from last year.
A pair of blue-tits are visited the garden regularly now but still no sign of action towards the bird box which is hidden round the side of the shed next to the hedge. I don't think the birdies can find it ! lol
I've decided to spend my birthday cash on two autovents for the big g/h which I could really do with installing before my trip, but that's not going to happen, so need to think about putting up some shading. The really vulnerables will come in and go on the spare bed, but there is still a lot of stuff I won't have room for indoors and I don't want it all burned to death while I'm away. Perhaps I'll tackle that today ..... after the homework which I'm going to have to do now.
Happy Spring people !
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The sun is out and the sky is blue
and I've turned off the heaters in the g/hs. Didn't know what to do yesterday so left the heater in the big g/h on as the forecast was for rain and cloud and other nastiness. The max temp recorded when I got back from work was 110o !
Much watering was needed but doesn't look as if I've cooked much so today I'm leaving the babies to their own devices. If they get cold, they'll just have to snuggle up.
Have a good one fellow growers.
Much watering was needed but doesn't look as if I've cooked much so today I'm leaving the babies to their own devices. If they get cold, they'll just have to snuggle up.
Have a good one fellow growers.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Tee hee hee. No. 3 on the "list"
This is just ridiculous. More torrential rain and blowing a gale ........ again !
So I cheer myself up by looking at the poor daffs in the front garden that are taking a battering.
I started today by washing the inside of the big greenhouse and finished it just in time to move everything in before the rain started.
We did have a wee bit of very bright sun for about an hour and then the heavens opened !
Still I managed to get all the grow bags inside to "warm up". That'll be a joke if it snows on Monday lol but I suppose they'd still be warmer inside that out.
Rearranged both greenhouse occupants and spent the rest of the day pricking out calendula, tomatoes and chillis ! There are literally DOZENS of the things !
Went up to the glass merchants and ordered my vent pane, then went to the stables who ........ no longer sell straw !! ffs ! was pointed in the direction of the park manager to see if he sold it, but same answer there ! tut tut !
While looking for him though, I found a bit of the park that was just filled with Great Tits, Blue Tits and Chaffinches so I stayed a while there and watched them. Back home all the Dunnocks and Sparrows were (in great numbers) battling against the wind trying to get to the feeders before being blown into the hedge.
I'm sitting looking at the fleece over the broad beans and peas hanging on for dear life. I REALLY don't want to have to go out and put more clips on, so I hope it holds.
Exciting bit of the day though was popping into the allotments on the way to the stables and finding that I am THIRD on the list !!! It's gonna be this season !!!!! The OH was less than thrilled with the good news lol.
Am shattered now though so am going to have a quiet read of Andi Clevely just to get into practice !! I'm already planning what else to start sowing so that I can get something in the ground this season. I know I'm being a bit premature, but don't want to be caught short when I get the email to come and collect the keys. Even if If it's in a state, I'll still manage to get at least one bed dug, so will need something to go in the ground pretty damn smartish ! At least I'll have enough calendula but will I be brave enough to put my climbing beans in at the lottie ! Suppose I'd better wait for the word go before I get too excited though !
Finally, a fond farewell to our Supersprout who was laid to rest on Thursday. We are so lucky to have "known" her and will be remembering her fondly and often.
Hang on to your hats people, it's a wild one out there this weekend.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Amaryllis - a year to the day - almost!
Just found last year's pics which said 13/3. This is today !
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Today Part 2
Potted up a tray of brown marigolds and there were over 30 ! I'm running out of 3" pots FAST.
Weeded the strawb bed and found loads of Red Baron onions starting to sprout. I think I read somewhere that they were good companions (I hope) and I've got another 70 Red Barons to find a home for. I found loads of worms in that bed so I was very careful not to chop any up !
The over wintered onions really aren't putting on the spurt that I had hoped they would. The garlic in that bed really are doing well, but the onions are still looking a bit straggly. If they don't come to much by the time I get back from London, early April, I'll bung the new ones in there to fill in the gaps.
Had a good old clear out of the shed which had exploded again ! MORE washing of pots and trays (does it never end ?), took some of the insulation off the g/hs and LO ! there was light ! Am trying to move everything from the big one to the little one so I can give the big one a good scrub. Trouble is, I refilled the staging with the marigolds ! lol
Green Windsor broad beans are starting to poke through, as are the beetroot sown last weekend. Put loads of the calendula and pots of lilies in the resurrected cold frame but must keep an eye out for the slugs in there. Mr Sluggy has already got at my sage which was in the g/h. Wee swine ! Will read more tonight about pruning the fruit bushes and do that tomorrow.
I've grown two Potentilla "Monarchs Velvet" from seed and they look fairly hardy now so I'm going to put them in tomorrow, fleece at the ready in case it gets too cold when they've only just gone in.
I'm supposed to be doing some homework for work this weekend, but playing in the garden is a much nicer way to spend a day !
Hope you all had fun !
Weeded the strawb bed and found loads of Red Baron onions starting to sprout. I think I read somewhere that they were good companions (I hope) and I've got another 70 Red Barons to find a home for. I found loads of worms in that bed so I was very careful not to chop any up !
The over wintered onions really aren't putting on the spurt that I had hoped they would. The garlic in that bed really are doing well, but the onions are still looking a bit straggly. If they don't come to much by the time I get back from London, early April, I'll bung the new ones in there to fill in the gaps.
Had a good old clear out of the shed which had exploded again ! MORE washing of pots and trays (does it never end ?), took some of the insulation off the g/hs and LO ! there was light ! Am trying to move everything from the big one to the little one so I can give the big one a good scrub. Trouble is, I refilled the staging with the marigolds ! lol
Green Windsor broad beans are starting to poke through, as are the beetroot sown last weekend. Put loads of the calendula and pots of lilies in the resurrected cold frame but must keep an eye out for the slugs in there. Mr Sluggy has already got at my sage which was in the g/h. Wee swine ! Will read more tonight about pruning the fruit bushes and do that tomorrow.
I've grown two Potentilla "Monarchs Velvet" from seed and they look fairly hardy now so I'm going to put them in tomorrow, fleece at the ready in case it gets too cold when they've only just gone in.
I'm supposed to be doing some homework for work this weekend, but playing in the garden is a much nicer way to spend a day !
Hope you all had fun !
Happenings this week
Really blustery (but dry so far) morning here. Just sitting here watching the birdies try and land on the feeders without being blown into the hedge !
This week, I threw caution to the wind and sowed another tray of calendula (two cvs but no idea what !) and another tray of Mum's brown marigolds.
All the toms are up and some might be potted on when I get outside.
The third pic down are the survivors of last weekend's disaster with the Tigerella toms. They seemed to have coped quit well through their ordeal.
The cucumbers (in the bedroom) are massive and looking really healthy, but I'm now worried about growth checks. (pics to come but the OH is still asleep and how mad would it be if it was to wake up to find me taking pics of the cukes !).
The poor old peas and broad beans that are in the ground were taking a right old
battering from the weather this week, so during a dry-ish spell after work last night, I erected a more solid frame from old g/h staging poles and joints and covered the whole thing with fleece, held in place by a million pegs and mini-clips. From where I'm sitting, the rather elaborate construction seems to have held firm overnight.
I think I forgot to tell you that I sowed a tray of Wolan F1 beet, and Moulin rouge beet last weekend, but left them in the heated g/h rather than try and germinate them inside (running out of space fast). Nothing has appeared yet, but when I had a peek under the cover of the Musselburgh pot, they had all germinated ! So cover off !
My one Busy Lizzie cutting taken from last year has been blooming for a couple of weeks now ! A lovely cerise colour. I snipped off a few buds this morning to try and conserve it's strength and beef up a bit before I plant it out ! I have a feeling it may remain a house plant !!!
My Amaryllis continues apace and is very nearly ready to bloom. I think it is a little bit later this year, according to the dates on previous pics.
The latest sowing of sweetpeas are up and will give them a few more days of being protected in the house before I move them to the g/h.
I read that I should be pruning some fruit bushes just now, so will try and do that today as well as having a weed of the strawberry bed. I found a crocus and snowdrop in there, and then loads more shoots appeared. I certainly don't remember planting a whole load of bulbs so will have a prod and poke around today and give it a bit of a clean up. Might even pot up a couple of strawb plants to bring into the g/h for an early start !
My trays of lobelia are doing better than the petunias which largely appear to have succumbed to damping off. Don't know why I bother with the wee fiddly seeds as I'm never very good at getting them off the ground. Perhaps next year I'll just bite the bullet and go for plug plants rather than trying to grow from seed.
Things are definitely happening all over the garden now and it's such fun to discover something new has appeared. There are quite a few main daffs out in the front garden and my Gardeners World tulips are up and through. Just hope they're not eaten at the base of the stems like one or two were last year.
Right, I must away and go out to play.
Have fun !
This week, I threw caution to the wind and sowed another tray of calendula (two cvs but no idea what !) and another tray of Mum's brown marigolds.
All the toms are up and some might be potted on when I get outside.
The third pic down are the survivors of last weekend's disaster with the Tigerella toms. They seemed to have coped quit well through their ordeal.
The cucumbers (in the bedroom) are massive and looking really healthy, but I'm now worried about growth checks. (pics to come but the OH is still asleep and how mad would it be if it was to wake up to find me taking pics of the cukes !).
The poor old peas and broad beans that are in the ground were taking a right old
battering from the weather this week, so during a dry-ish spell after work last night, I erected a more solid frame from old g/h staging poles and joints and covered the whole thing with fleece, held in place by a million pegs and mini-clips. From where I'm sitting, the rather elaborate construction seems to have held firm overnight.
I think I forgot to tell you that I sowed a tray of Wolan F1 beet, and Moulin rouge beet last weekend, but left them in the heated g/h rather than try and germinate them inside (running out of space fast). Nothing has appeared yet, but when I had a peek under the cover of the Musselburgh pot, they had all germinated ! So cover off !
My one Busy Lizzie cutting taken from last year has been blooming for a couple of weeks now ! A lovely cerise colour. I snipped off a few buds this morning to try and conserve it's strength and beef up a bit before I plant it out ! I have a feeling it may remain a house plant !!!
My Amaryllis continues apace and is very nearly ready to bloom. I think it is a little bit later this year, according to the dates on previous pics.
The latest sowing of sweetpeas are up and will give them a few more days of being protected in the house before I move them to the g/h.
I read that I should be pruning some fruit bushes just now, so will try and do that today as well as having a weed of the strawberry bed. I found a crocus and snowdrop in there, and then loads more shoots appeared. I certainly don't remember planting a whole load of bulbs so will have a prod and poke around today and give it a bit of a clean up. Might even pot up a couple of strawb plants to bring into the g/h for an early start !
My trays of lobelia are doing better than the petunias which largely appear to have succumbed to damping off. Don't know why I bother with the wee fiddly seeds as I'm never very good at getting them off the ground. Perhaps next year I'll just bite the bullet and go for plug plants rather than trying to grow from seed.
Things are definitely happening all over the garden now and it's such fun to discover something new has appeared. There are quite a few main daffs out in the front garden and my Gardeners World tulips are up and through. Just hope they're not eaten at the base of the stems like one or two were last year.
Right, I must away and go out to play.
Have fun !
Monday, March 05, 2007
A heavy night on Friday !
And boy was I suffering on Saturday ! Still, I managed to get outside and clear the cobwebs in the afternoon.
Planted out my autumn sown BBs (which was rather silly as I've now looked at the forecast for the next few days and strong winds have been predicted). However, poking my nose through the curtains reveal my fleece windbreak structure still standing ! I'll go and have a closer examination when I'm dressed !
In my stupor on Saturday morning, I skidded 8 baby Tigerella toms and a couple of Aubs across the carpet ! I managed to rescue some, but have sown some replacements just incase the shock is too much for them.
My miniature daffs are coming out and I've even spotted some Muscari poking through as well as the outdoor big hyacinths.
Some Icicle radishes went in and my sowing of salad leaves in the g/h are coming along a treat. The pot of carrot Parmex are just starting to germinate and everything else is just going great guns. The calendulas that I started ages ago are quite huge now, but I'm scared to put them outside yet. Their leaves certainly are quite stinky so one or two will definitely be going in the bath and perhaps a couple in pots in the g/h to protect the toms.
I raided Lidls on Thursday and bought 15 growbags, two rolls of weed suppressant fabric and some lawn shears. Yesterday's trip to B&Q was for the carrot bath. 1 1/2 bags of multipurpose with JI, and a bag of sharp sand were all turned in together, broken up the lumps and laid over a good depth of polystyrene chips for drainage. That's all been watered and now covered until next weekend at least. I'll get the old soil thermometer in there before I take a chance. Going to do little and often and sow "sparingly" this year !
The Red Barons that I dropped on the g/h floor last week don't seem to have suffered too much, and everything is sprouting nicely. I was going to put a ring of them round the edge of the carrot bath as a belt and braces measure against the evil fly. Where the rest of them are going is anyone's guess. I've heard that Red Baron are prone to bolting though so must ask my trusty friend at work when is the best time to put them in the ground.
Buds are appearing everywhere, blueberries, goosgogs, blackcurrants ..... all are looking hopeful.
Back to the g/h, Mum's Bears Breeches which were sown last year are doing well, as are the various cuttings of things taken at New Year. It was very cold and damp over the weekend so I left the heaters on all day just to keep everything at about 40-50o.
The trays of Naughty Mariettas should really be potted on. That's a job for midweek or next weekend depending on what time I get back from work this week.
A pot of chives inside have sprouted but were covered with greenfly, so I gave them a good squish and spray ! They were one of the pots just slung at the back with "ignore" marked on them, so I'm happy that they've come up !
Oh nearly forgot the Harbinger and Gartenperle toms ! How could I ??? and I potted on a variety of chillis. Exactly what I'm going to do with ten tonne of chillis at the end of the season, is anyone's guess! Con carne anyone ????
Ah happy days !
xxx
Planted out my autumn sown BBs (which was rather silly as I've now looked at the forecast for the next few days and strong winds have been predicted). However, poking my nose through the curtains reveal my fleece windbreak structure still standing ! I'll go and have a closer examination when I'm dressed !
In my stupor on Saturday morning, I skidded 8 baby Tigerella toms and a couple of Aubs across the carpet ! I managed to rescue some, but have sown some replacements just incase the shock is too much for them.
My miniature daffs are coming out and I've even spotted some Muscari poking through as well as the outdoor big hyacinths.
Some Icicle radishes went in and my sowing of salad leaves in the g/h are coming along a treat. The pot of carrot Parmex are just starting to germinate and everything else is just going great guns. The calendulas that I started ages ago are quite huge now, but I'm scared to put them outside yet. Their leaves certainly are quite stinky so one or two will definitely be going in the bath and perhaps a couple in pots in the g/h to protect the toms.
I raided Lidls on Thursday and bought 15 growbags, two rolls of weed suppressant fabric and some lawn shears. Yesterday's trip to B&Q was for the carrot bath. 1 1/2 bags of multipurpose with JI, and a bag of sharp sand were all turned in together, broken up the lumps and laid over a good depth of polystyrene chips for drainage. That's all been watered and now covered until next weekend at least. I'll get the old soil thermometer in there before I take a chance. Going to do little and often and sow "sparingly" this year !
The Red Barons that I dropped on the g/h floor last week don't seem to have suffered too much, and everything is sprouting nicely. I was going to put a ring of them round the edge of the carrot bath as a belt and braces measure against the evil fly. Where the rest of them are going is anyone's guess. I've heard that Red Baron are prone to bolting though so must ask my trusty friend at work when is the best time to put them in the ground.
Buds are appearing everywhere, blueberries, goosgogs, blackcurrants ..... all are looking hopeful.
Back to the g/h, Mum's Bears Breeches which were sown last year are doing well, as are the various cuttings of things taken at New Year. It was very cold and damp over the weekend so I left the heaters on all day just to keep everything at about 40-50o.
The trays of Naughty Mariettas should really be potted on. That's a job for midweek or next weekend depending on what time I get back from work this week.
A pot of chives inside have sprouted but were covered with greenfly, so I gave them a good squish and spray ! They were one of the pots just slung at the back with "ignore" marked on them, so I'm happy that they've come up !
Oh nearly forgot the Harbinger and Gartenperle toms ! How could I ??? and I potted on a variety of chillis. Exactly what I'm going to do with ten tonne of chillis at the end of the season, is anyone's guess! Con carne anyone ????
Ah happy days !
xxx
Friday, March 02, 2007
Supersprout RIP
Yesterday was an extremely sad day for my extended virtual gardening family.
We lost our very dear friend Sarah, Supersprout.
She gave so much to everyone, her humour, her wisdom and advice, her seeds and her Jerusalem Artichokes ! Most of the gardens and plots in the UK will have a little bit of Sarah growing this season.
All our thoughts are with Sarah's son Will at this terribly sad time.
We lost our very dear friend Sarah, Supersprout.
She gave so much to everyone, her humour, her wisdom and advice, her seeds and her Jerusalem Artichokes ! Most of the gardens and plots in the UK will have a little bit of Sarah growing this season.
All our thoughts are with Sarah's son Will at this terribly sad time.
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