Buckets of fun!

Very excited today as my boys have helped to unearth the first spuds - this was a new experience for Dominic who looked completely fascinated although he wasn't too keen on the actual dirt! I had couple of buckets of Lady Christl in the greenhouse and they are now ready.

Some of the 'chancing my arm' squashes etc at Nanna's got caught by a really late frost - I thought they were all dead - re-sowed them and lo and behold they have come through again. My spuds here in the garden suffered but have recovered well. I now have to find enough room for another 20 or so squash, courgette and pumpkin and marrow. I have planted out 24 sweetcorn at Nanna's too, last year of trying for a harvest with them or I am giving them up.

I have started picking off the first lettuce leaves. I never wait til they are whole and always do the 'cut and come again' method as we only want a few leaves a day. I have also had some baby spring onions.

The first tiny tomatoes are forming, bizarrely not on the greenhouse ones but on one of the tumbling ones in a hanging basket.

I have less peaches forming than last year but the ones that are coming along are doing a grand job. I think the harsh winter did not suit them at all.

The boys have had the first few strawberries from the greenhouse, arguing over who gets them! And they also shared the first couple of peas too. These were sown back in the autumn and planted out in spring.

I have finally covered the brassicas with netting - hope it wasn't too late...

We are currently experimenting with sprinklers in the greenhouse for when we go away late in June. It's not totally sorted yet but hopefully will be in the next couple of weeks.

The weather is being totally random - frost one night and then blazing heatwave for a few days. I have no idea what next week will bring :o)

ooh ooh ooh edited to sayI have lots of mini mini cucumbers on the mini cucumber plant!

Busy Busy...

Spring finally appeared and now we are having another horrible cold spell. It's been really wintry and horrible, not my kind of gardening weather at all. And yet 2 weeks ago it was blazing hot and shorts weather.
So it's been a long time since last post and lots has happened:

Shallots, onions and garlic are all doing well. The cats like to lie on them so some are a bit wonky but am sure they will be fine.

Planted out a half bed of asparagus grown from seed last year. Also a few in some large pots to see how they do. Been earthing them up and they are all looking healthy. I LOVE asparagus so excited to see if they develop, and SO impatient to wait for them another year or two.

Put some summer raspberries into large pots as I haven't yet decided where to have a proper fruit garden. All my fruit is in pots. Blueberries, raspberries, red and white currants, a gooseberry and loads of strawberries. There are tiny peaches on the tree even though it got left out this winter and some of the branches had to be removed due to frost damage. The fleece kept blowing off. It is shwing signs of leaf curl again but I have pulled off the affected leaves and hopefully we will still get a few peaches. I did spray with bordeaux mix in the autumn.

The tomatoes were moved into the greenhouse about a month ago. They have now been hardened off and I have some inside and some outside. I also donated some to friends and the local pre-school. I am growing sungold, marmande, black cherry, outdoor girl, tumbling tom, sweet million, tigarella, big boy, roma and red cherry. Think that is all of them. I have about 30 plants, but make sauces with them and chutneys so can't really have enough :o)

The broadbeans planted from loo-rolls are doing great. They were planted out about 3 weeks ago. The ones sown direct are a no-show. I may pop some more in tomorrow to see how they do.
The peas are looking good too, even though the pesky pigeons have had a nibble.
I have planted out some parsnips in kitchen roll holders and sown some direct. Too early to say if they will poke their heads through. I find them a bit hit and miss if sown direct.
I have sown 2 rows of carrots and had almost given up hope when hoorah! they are coming though.

I have got all my early potatoes in the bit of overgrown land next to the house - I dug some over- and the rest went into buckets. The main crop are at Nanna's and salad ones in a bed here. The greenhouse ones are almost ready for a furtle... salivating at the thought of new potatoes now! (growing lady christl, king edward, blue danube and charlotte this year). All been earthed up once so far.

I have a few cucumbers (marketmore, and crystal lemon), peppers (golden wonder) and chillis (cayenne), in the greenhouse but they seem smaller than last year. I also have cape gooseberries, and a couple of melons in there too. And a couple of aubergines. I don't like the spines, they always catch me out!

I have planted out marrow, courgette, pumpkin and squash at Nanna's today - a bit early maybe but they are hardened off and it's quite sheltered there. I also have my runner beans and borlottis there too. Again planted out today.

Up the wigwam here I have planted out yesterday some climbers and french beans.
I have lettuces in the greenhouse we have been picking from, salad leaves and rocket etc. Been having fresh salads from the greenhouse now for over a month. Yum, so nice after all the cold weather! I have lettuces just planted out in the garden too.

Planted out 2 weeks ago my brassica bed - cabbages, caulis, sprouts, kale etc - the pigeons have kept away so far (crosses fingers). I will try and get the netting up before the first cabbage whites appear. Just my luck they will arrive as we go on holiday.
been harvesting lots of PSB but it's just about finished, shan't plant it out at Nanna's again as it does better here.

Spring onions are coming up nicely have got clumps of them planted out with the lettuces.

One compost bin has been emptied on one of the beds - lovely stuff :o)

Flower wise, I have sown some nasturtiums for eating hopefully and have got loads of sunflowers ready to go out. I am hoping the slugs keep off them this year. we had one side of the garden (shady and weedy) gravelled last week so I have had a lovely time arranging all my pots on it. It will mean less time weeding it and more on the veggies :o) All the herbs are now on the decking (mint, rosemary, **marjoram**, parsley, chive, garlic chive, curry plant, sage). I have purple basil, sweet genovese and a miniature basil on the kitchen windowsill.

** Bought the wee marjoram plant to go with the deer that committed suicide in the garden and is now in my freezer in the garage!

And we have a new coop - the girls and me love it :oD Thanks Marc xx

Spring is on it's way...

No really, it is. Despite the fact that we have had MORE snow today and over the past few weeks. I am sick sick sick of snow. It's too cold to go out to do anything useful. I manage about half an hour before having to come and thaw out. Even with so many layers I look like the Michelin man. Blame it on poor circulation!

I wound the veg garden down over the winter, and am now planning and have started sowing for this year. I managed to clean the inside of the g/h thoroughly the other week and it is now probably cleaner than my actual house!

I have been harvesting, kale, cabbage, jerusalem artcichokes, leeks and sprouts. The latter two from Nanna's garden. Still got plenty of garlic to use up.

I have been sowing, ito the heated propagator, tomatoes, aubergines, alpine strawberries, chillis, sweet peppers and cape gooseberries. Herbs are on the windowsills.

I have also sowed into the greenhouse: cabbage, calabrese, caulis, kale, leeks and lettuce and salad leaves. I have planted 2 rhubarb crowns into the greenhouse, and two bluberry bushes and a gooseberry bush.
I have moved some strawberries inside to give them a kickstart.
I have sowed some sweetpeas in loo rolls, again in the greenhouse at the moment. The overwintering peas and broadbeans in the g/h are on flower! Not sure they will come to much as can't imagine there are any insects in there at the mo.
I also have some raspberries in a temporary pot until the next bed can be made for them.

Put some shallots in today and admired the onions and garlic that have survived the awful winter and are about 7 inches tall. Weeded the bed. Sowed some broad beans direct too as the ones that have overwintered have gone black and I am not holding out much hope for them now. If I get a glut I will just freeze some. Sowed some spring onions in a pot too, and some carrots.

Have covered a bit of the wasteland next to the house with black plastic so all the spuds will go there. They are chitting in the garage.

Looking forward now to some warmer weather so I can get out a bit more and DO stuff :o)

Winding down...

Well it's been a glorious September with no rain at all that I can remember. All the water butts are empty and the poor lawns and flower beds are dry dusty and in very poor condition.

I have had to plant all my spring bulbs in pots as the ground is so hard I cannot get them in the ground. I have also planted a fig tree and 3 patio apple trees in pots.

The runner beans are all but finished here and at Nanna's. I still have cabbage, kale and the leeks are just starting to be ready as are the parsnips. I am impressed with how straight they are - they were sown into loo rolls!

Still got spuds in the ground at Nanna's but they will be coming up this week. I have been harvesting celeriac and making mash potato with celeriac mixed in. It makes a nice change from 'ordinary' mash. The Jerusalem artichokes are on flower so looks like the wind will be starting soon ;o)

Not sure if we will get any sprouts for xmas as they look a bit funny and not very big. Nobody likes them anyway but we need them on our plate!

I am still getting peppers and tomatoes and chillis from the greenhouse but it is only a matter of days I think before they will also be finished.

The courgettes are just about finished as are the summer squash. I have had a few Invincible' pumpkins and butternut squashes and I have 3 whoppers (well relatively speaking) which I hope will be ready for Halloween. Be great to carve our own! I have also dried the borlottis from Nanna's garden and am looking forward to making things with them over winter.

I have been planting onion sets (red and white) earlier in the month and have just got my garlic in yesterday. A bit early maybe but the opportunity was there.

We have been going crazy with the home brew - as well as about 10 demijohns of cider on the go, there is also apple wine, blackberry and apple wine, 2 types of plum wine, sloe wine, blackberry and sloe wine and a kit wine (to see if they are any good). We managed to acquire another 12 demijohns from a lovely lady on freecycle and I am slowly cleaning them all up as it was like they had been filled with pond water!

In the garden we have had hedgehogs (one poorly who we took to the vet), squirrels, woodpeckers... and the dreaded D word is back - got to check all the fencing again. Just glad there isn't much around for them to destroy at the mo.

Not much occuring

Except for runner beans coming out of our ears at home and at Nanna's. I cannot give them away anymore, we are all beaned out!
I have even started off some elderberry and runner bean wine to try and use some up.
In fact homebrew is what has been happening most here.

On the go I currently have: apple wine, plum wine, cherry plum wine, elderberry & runner bean. I also have 4 lots of cider on the go using various combinations of our apples and those I have pinched from other people. Marc has made a press to get the juice out of the apples but it still needs tweaking to be really efficient. We are hoping to be more professional with the cider this year and do some blending after fermentation has finished, also stopping some fermentations to ensure some of them are not too dry and also add some sugar to some and kick start a second fermention for a smoother cider - Watch This Space. My mother says I will kill myself with all the homebrew (surely not, at the very worse gut-rot I'd have thought!) but at least I will go with a drink in my hand...

I also have plum brandy, plum vodka and blackcurrant vodka 'stewing' hopefully ready for Christmas.

I have aslo been harvesting loads of tomatoes and making passata type sauces and soup. Also harvested chillis, baby sweetcorn, loads of lovely carrots and courgettes from Nanna's. And squahes and mini pumpkins. Will be roasting them later with rosemary couscous... yum.

The florence fennel has bolted (not unusual I am told), and the potaoes (Golden Wonder) are ready for lifting. I have also picked the dried borlottis left on the pants for stews etc over winter.

Stil harvesting cabbage and kale from our garden.

At Nanna's I have lifted the netting from the brassicas as it was a bit ineffective and there is a huge problem with little jumping bugs. I think they are flea beetles. The crop seems to be coping though and I am picking off and squishing regularly. The sprouts see little affected and these are the ones I want most for Christmas! Fingers crossed for them...

We rescued a poorly hedgehog from the garden the other day and took him to the vets who will decide if he can be rehabilitated. They suspect lungworm which I think is not good news for hedgehogs, but at least we gave him/ her a chance.

Other than that... the weeds are definitely winning at the moment.

Reap the Harvest

Well, not been posting for ages as been so busy. We have been on holiday - bliss - and had children's parties and been getting ready for the invasion of the builders. Again.

I have been harvesting mainly rather than planting. And of course weeding.
We have been eating, in no particular order:
Peas, mangetout, runner beans, climbing beans, tomatoes, cucumber, cherries, peaches, potatoes, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, cabbage, kale (this year and last year's), calabrese, caulis (the purple ones are fab!) onions, garlic, marrow, courgettes...

The deer got in while we were away, ate loads of beans and lettuce and parnsips leaves. It even went IN the greenhouse and munched a cucumber - the cheek! So the deer proofing continues. And the chickens escaped - really glad I missed it really! Think they missed me as I am out there with them all the time giving them weeds, and worms etc!

Am planning to sow basil and parsley on the window sill. A last row of carrots and radish. And some cabbage.

We had bizarre weather while away, scorchio for 2 days then hammering down with rain for 2 days. I lost some plants and the peaches got damaged. Ended up with 2 out of the 40 I had before I went away but boy were they the BEST peaches I have ever eaten!

At Nanna's I have planted a row of peas and mangetout, and been harvesting courgettes, marrow, and runners. The borlottis are heavy with beans but I am leaving the on for drying and using over winter.

Think that's it for now.

I had fun with some of the veggies - Louis thinks I am a bit bonkers!

Looking at the peaches...

I Have Peaches! The hand pollinating obviously worked as the tree is full of them. They are the size of 'dobbers' now. I have thinned them out a bit and am now hoping the mad winds we have at the mo don't blow them all off.

The tomatoes destined for friends or for outdoors are now all outside.

We have had the first of the potatoes - admittedly some of them were meant to be ready at xmas but hey-ho yummy none-the-less. I managed to furtle in the buckets to get the first crop, then put the rest back. Got some baby turnips too, which we fried with butter, carrots, garlic and herbs. The first spring onions are ready and have a real bite to them. Loads of salad leaves and spicy leaves and lettuce, and lambs lettuce too every lunchtime. I am NOT going to buy salads this year at all.

The PSB is all finished now - what a treat that was. In the end we managed 47 portions (not that I was counting...)

9 strawberries so far, (first one on May 10th) not all at the same time though so not enough for a proper bowlful, but they are coming along and a real treat still warm from the sun. Half of mine are in the greenhouse for an early crop and the rest will hopefully give us later delights. I have alpines too, not had those before.

What have I been doing? Weeding obviously, sowing more mizuna, salad leaves, herbs, gherkins, and the like. The climbing beans and runners were planted out yesterday. The peas and mangetout are looking good and were planted out a couple of weeks back, the broadies have masses of flowers on them (fingers crossed the deer don't get in again) and should be ready to pick within a few weeks. Globe (F)artichokes have been planted out in with the flower beds. Sweetcorn has been sown, 'minipop' and 'applause'. Borlotti beans are almost ready to be planted out as are the leeks, and the rest of the brassicas.

I have been planting things out in my Nanna's garden a few miles away (she has surplus space she was only too glad is now being used by someone). So there I have put the extra spuds that didn't fit in my raised beds, celeriac, pumpkin squashes and courgettes, all sown back in early april and hardened off before going there. I have also sown some florence fennel direct.

Made some rhubarb and ginger jam with some of my FIRST rhubarb but had to supplement it with some from a friend

We have started off some dandelion wine! No idea what it wll taste like but it's being fermented in the cupboard under the sink and you get a lovely boozy waft when you open the door! I am overrun with weeds on the lawns so decided to put some to good use... Watch this space about xmas time for the final verdict.

We have some new arrivals in the garden - a pressie from my Mum!