Wednesday 5th March 2008

What a fantastic day. Sun shining, so lottie time this afternoon.

Threw down some lunch and raced up the plot, armed with parsnip seeds and lettuce seedlings.

(Forgot to take the chitted new potatoes......duh me.)

A good 3 hours was had. Dug over one of my raised beds, that had had sweetcorn and the squash frames in it last year, and the soil was lovely. Weeds came out easily too.

Moved the black covering with the sweetcorn holes onto the squash patch where they will be growing this year.

Put glass panes over the top end of the bed, in which today I have sown parsnips.

Was a bit lacking in 'snips this year so hopefully this lot will germinate well. Did 4 rows.
Opened up the cloche made from old plastic greenhouses and polytunnel plastic,(put up on the 10th Feb) and planted in lettuce seedlings. No sign of the carrots yet. Have to say was pleased to see some ex slugs though after my sprinkling of slug pellets, which I really am loathed to use, but figured under cover they will be away from the wildlife.

The broad bean plants looked very healthy today, just hoping this is the year I actually get a good crop, am going to sow more in about a weeks time outside.

Pootled around the plot, repaired some of the wood for the beds and generally had a great time.

Put the butternut frames back up, and had to do my usual repairs, thank goodness for battery powered drills. Have laid a thick layer of wonderful manure, then covered it with thick cardboard, which I am going to plant the squash through, bit of an experiment really.

In the polytunnnel at home this week, I planted some International Kidney seed potatoes in the border, as well as a row of peas, Kelvedon Wonder I think.

It is getting quite choka block in there as, as soon as the seedlings are coming up in the house they get moved out there.

Bought a few shrubs from our local nursery Jordans on Sunday, to try and create a jungle type area in front of the poly, to hide it, so they are resting in the poly.
Sister-in-law came to stay and bought me a tree fern for my birthday, am over the moon as I have always wanted one, just hope I don't kill it.

Have had major frosts the last 2 nights, so have been covering everything in the poly with fleece, so far it seems to be doing the trick. With the sun out during the day, the temperature really gets up in there, so it is doing what it is supposed to.

The pond has been frozen solid every morning, and so of course has the frogspawn, will be interesting to see if it does anything.

Frogspawn

Amazing, a pile there yesterday morning, and added to last night. Earlier than I have ever had it, and all the fish are mooching on the surface of the pond!

Went to the plot this morning, put up a long cloche last weekend for 2 leftover plastic flimsey greenhouses,(It looks huge) so thought I would sow a few carrots under it at one end. (The bit I didn't manure!) So in went early Nantes, sprinkled on top with some compost.



The broad beans in the rootrainers sown on the 20th of last month, are now in. They went from the dining room window, to the poly, to the open coldframe, into the ground on the lottie today.



Also covered another bit of soil to put some early potatoes in.

In the poly, sowed this week a row of early peas, and today put some kelvedon Wonder into rootrainers.

Also today trying the instant coffee method of repelling slugs, 50g of instant coffee (had some mankey looking stuff in a jar) into 2 gallons (My watering can) of water.

Put it all over the poly beds, the proof will be when I start to plant up in a few weeks. Have to admit I am a bit sceptical.

Potted on some small shrubby bits I had taken cuttings from last year, (all from Mum's garden) And finally got around to repotting my poor lemon. It has needed it for a few years, just haven't managed to get around to it. The poor thing had so many weeds in it, I had to take it back to bare roots, and throw it's old soil in the bin.

The spinach and lettuce I sowed a few weeks back are coming up, and a few of the aubergines are out of the propagator, and are on the sunny windowsill. Nearly time to think tomatoes.

Which means, hurrah, Spring is just around the corner.

Actually got my hands in soil today, hooray.
Decided to get a start on my aubergines and peppers, so planted:-

Peppers:-
Como di Toro Rosso
Alesya
Bolivian Rainbow Chilli
Sweet Aji
Chocolate Chilli
And a few more whose names I forget

Aubergines :-
Calliope
Little Fingers
Red Egg
Black Beauty
Rotonda Bianca Sfumata di Rosa

Just a few of each as I do not want to be over run, but so hard not to put in loads.

Also sowed Leeks, mammoth blanch, and another type. Hispi and Savoy cabbage, which have all gone into trays in the polytunnel.

Purple Globe, and Green Globe artichoke have joined the chillis and peppers in the heated propagator in the spare room.

The biggest surprise today was that the OH, who seems scarily to be starting to have an interest in gardening, sowed some snapdragon seeds today. In the 22 years I have been married to him, I have never seen him open a seed packet, let alone put them in soil.
Here is hoping they come up and survive to encourage him.(didn't mention damping off to him)

It was so nice to actually put something in at last, just hope that I can keep them alive until they can fend for themselves. This isn't the warmest house to raise tender plants, and the poly will not be warm enough for them to fend out there for a few months yet, but hopefully this dreary weather will improve and we will get some sunshine when they need to be on the windowsills.

January 2008

Well it is finally up.

Measures 8 foot by 10 foot.

Managed to get the plastic on between gales and rain, but it has survived.

Am very very pleased, what with waiting for money to buy the polythene, and scrounging stuff to recycle it feels like we have been building it for ages.

Started by levelling the ground, I think this was back in November 2007.
Bought the scaffolding poles, connectors (as suggested by the scaffold bloke, as I couldn't figure how to hammer in 8 foot poles being height challenged) and old scaffold boards for £35.00.

Cut the smaller lengths into 2 foot bits, and hammered them into the ground until they were all level with each other.
Put the baseboards around and screwed and bracketed them on the corners.



Then the connectors went into these tubes, long tubes on the top and the connector tightened.
Blue water pipe pushed into the tops, and bolted into position. (I wanted the thicker water pipe, but could only find the next size down to recycle)



Then old pallets were asked for at the local steel handling place, and they were more than happy to give them to us, and after they were dismantled, they gave us loads of hefty good wood.
So frame up next. OH did a great job on it and it made the whole framework very sturdy




Finally the polythene and anti hotspot tape was ordered after Christmas,for £60.00 and with a one day eye between gales and storms, it went on.

What a pain it was. A bit loose in places, but I think that is because the framework isn't as straight as it should be, but I got there in the end.
Battens on around the baseboard, soil back filled over the polythene in the ground (after stabbing with a fork to aid drainage) and now it is ready to fill.







I can't wait to get it filled with seedlings.
Have already had my seeds out for a looksie, to see what can go in now, and it's final cost was £95.00, plus bolts n screws. Saw one in a budget gardening catalogue, same size for £300.00.

Now to see if I can grow anything in it this year.
Here's hoping it is a better vegetable year than last.

Put my potatoes in the cold spare room to start chitting today.
Have got, Lady Chrystl, Kestrel, a few Rocket and International Kidney to try, and Pink Fir's. Total cost was £5.50 from a local nursery where you buy them for 50p per lb. Looked more like a greengrocers with all the tatties in boxes than a nursery.

Early May

Well after having near tropical conditions, it figures the rain had to put in an appearance again! And it was VERY welcome, but not for quite so long as it lasted!!!

Went up the plot and was sad but not too surprised to see my tomato frame got a bit damaged in the high winds. Didn't have time to sort it out, but will hopefully be back up this week to tidy it up a bit and get the plastic re attached.

All the french beans and beetroot seedlings I planted a week ago have gone! SO annoyed, the rotten slugs carried them off. So looks like organic is out this year when putting new stuff in, and a feed of blue pellets for my pesky friends!

Was going to spend today potting on stuff after getting compost yesterday, but my dear OH has toddled off to work this morning with it still in the back of the car! Grrrrrrrrrrrr

The garden is starting to come together, the ornamental cherry got a good prune yesterday which should let more light into the OH's bit of garden, now called the municipal garden as it is full of bedding plants and looks like something you would see on the promenade at Eastbourne!

Hopefully we haven't killed the tree, but it was so huge it had to be done.

A trip to the nursery during the week means I have started to fill some pots and baskets. Not going to do too many this year in case we have yet another hosepipe ban, with no water butt yet,lugging watering cans around is such a pain.(especially on the elbows!!)

Saw a squirrel again in the garden this morning, he/she is after the bird food. You should hear the robins that are nesting in our hedge complain at it. I have the hose on standby and squirt it every time I see it, definitely not welcome in my garden.

It is so nice to see stuff coming up, still loads more plants and shrubs wanted in certain areas, but am very pleased, especially around the pond area, which is beginning to look as if it has been like it for years, not just months!

April 2007

Though it felt more like a balmy August day, and not a cloud in the sky!

Time to get sowing more seeds for the plot, horrrah!

Being the weather was so fab, I placed myself on the decking, surrounded by pots and compost and my seed box and set to.

Got all the squashes in, including my courgettes, runner beans of various varieties, Emergo and White Lady being 2 that spring to mind! Put in some Purple Tepee french beans, and got 3 different types of sweetcorn into rootrainers, one being Mini Pop which we love raw, have started them all off in the plastic greenhouse, which is now looking decidedly chokka block!

Using the ever adaptable pallet, I put it on bricks and moved some of the stuff from inside onto it at the back of the mini greenhouse, hoping the slugs won't notice it!!

Planted out in the garden some of the lettuces started a while back, and because the weather has been so dry, OH gave everything a good soaking with the hose.

I am a bit worried that as this is a new garden and I have transplanted so much stuff recently, if we get a dry spell everything will expire! (Cracks are already appearing in the good old clay soil, despite me having put in compost and horse manure earlier)

Am pleased with the way the bog/pond area is looking. The Gunnera a bit taken off Mum's plant, has a flower and some nice looking leaves. The hosta and astilbe bought from the other garden, look as if they have been there for years, and everything else is shooting into life!

The fish are attacking the tadpoles, poor things, luckily there are a few hidey holes for them, so hopefully some will survive, they are hungry devils, and are feeding daily on the fishfood, bit like a feeding frenzy when I chuck it in.

The cherry tree has finally come into full blossom and is spectacular, now we at last know what it looks like, and I am thrilled it is one of the frilly double types, I haven't told it it will loose a large limb soon though!

Herb garden is coming along, now has mint, fennel, chives, parsley, rosemary, 2 different types of thyme and sage in it. Threw in some corriander and cumin seeds yesterday, so hoping I haven't done it too early. Also transplanted some tiny lovage seeds in.

Just need to get a bay in, and hope the basil seeds I put in yesterday in a pot come up, and that we don't have a frost!

Helped our neighbour move his shed this weekend, and were rewarded with 2 huge bits of sandstone which are now in situ as "features" around the pond.

I have noticed that the dreaded marestail is beginning to put in an appearance in the front garden, argghhhhh, not looking forward to that battle, I may break all my rules and spray with weedkiller, there is so much of it if I remember correctly, I would be here till the end of time trying to hand weed it out!

The peach tree on the side is blossoming away nicely, and I keep forgetting to check the plum, must start training it into a fan to keep on top of it and make it more productive, means putting in vine eyes and running wires, I keep reading up on it, but haven't had the nerve to start on it yet.

Hopefully up the allotment this week, need to get the beds sorted ready for all the goodies I plan to plant!

Mild Marvellous March!

What a start to the Spring, or is it still Winter?

The weather has been so great have got a lot accomplished, seeds sown, broadies planted on the plot, and a decking in the garden! That was totally unexpected but a friend turned up with loads of wood for us, and we figured if it only lasts a year, it will do us a great turn as a deck.

So OH and his sister who is visiting from overseas, set too, and £14.00 later for some breeze blocks, we have decking by the pond........really really pleased with it, it looks great and will look even better when it has been planted around the edges.

Dragged poor sister in law up to the plot, gave her the project of building a frame for my tomato plant protection. Now have to get the clear plastic to cover it and it will hopefully grow some lovely tommies in the summer.

Talking of tommies, the seeds are up already, hope I haven't been too keen and I can keep them alive until they can go outside!

Had a huge sowing day last week, did my Aubergines, Tomatoes, Spinach, to name a few.

Some are in the plastic greenhouse, and the more tender ones are on the spare room windowsill!

Snow is predicted for next week, so there will be a mad covering up of stuff tomorrow. Hopefully it will all survive.

Was my birthday earlier on the month, (Happy Birthday to me!) and got given loads of small plants from Morrisons from people, 2 passionflowers, 2 clematis, a honeysuckle and a pink centered jasmin, holding off planting them out until the snow threat has gone! (well apart from the poor passionflower that got put out last week.)

Have nearly finished emptying all the pots of the stuff I bought with us from the old house, HORRAH! Trouble is the non labelling is proving to be a problem, but could be interesting too.