The Height of Summer July 1, 2009

Its gonna be a long post – sorry!

The wasps have gone, as Poppy was stung on the mouth – the left side in the pic (emergency visit to the vet). So RIP wasps, but better than RIP Poppy!!

Bed 1 – potatoes at the front, Pentland javelin, the mange tout and sugar snap at the back.

Bed 2 – onions at the front – need pulling soon, then mangetout at the back, runner beans and some Jerusalem Artichoke that I swore blind I had removed!!!

Bed 3 – the 2 sisters approach – sweetcorn and corgettes, with some rhubarb at the back. Have got nasturcians in here too….and good job really….

….as they have been invaded by black fly, so I am using the title ’sacrificial crop’ – they are next to the corgettes, but the corgettes have not got any black fly at all. Its the way it should work (for once!)

Bed 4 – beetroot at the back, with a space for the next crop I am sowing this week, the celariac. Smells NICE!! Nasturcians again…working their blackfly magic!

Bed 5 – lettuce……please….can anyone eat any more lettuce!? I am feeding people at work now! have some dwarf green beans at the back that are slug ravaged and some radish that have just been sown at the front – 1st lot this year – oops!

Bed 6 – have more corgettes, some broad beans and a large rhubarb!

Raspberry bed – Now this is the one I am looking forward to – Glen Ample Raspberrys – 1st season, but a lot of raspberries, so pleased!

My fab greenhouse – with a welcoming pot of lillies on each side!

Tomato shokker – I am in the North, and growing tommys….OUTSIDE!!! Can you imagine saying that last year…or the year before!

and some more….shocker!

Sorry for the long post – nice as a reference for next year, when its not the Sahara outside, but the Ark is floating by…..!

In the Greenhouse June 26, 2009

No pics tonight, but a quick update with how things are going

Tommys
There are by far too many tommys for the greenhouse (GH), so I have put about 20 outside next to old brick wall. Hoping that the heat will keep them as warm as the greenhouse (apart from when I forget to open the greenhouse door and it goes above 50! Oops!). I have 2 beds in the GH, so I have 5 in one and 4 in another. I’ve also got about 6 plants in there, full size ones, and then 6 on the small bush type ones.

Peppers
We have both chillis and full peppers. Again these are plants that my dad had eaten a pepper in Spain, liked it and saved the seeds. Patrick at Bifurated Carrots has done a ‘how to save seeds guide’ which is very good – but if you’re my dad (bless him!) you stick the seeds on some kitchen roll and dry them out that way. Then hope for the best…..and to give him his dues, (I was a bit negative about having so many of his seeds germinating incase they were Hybrids, and sterile!) they have all come up trumps – just waiting for some flowers to arrive! Last year, was a bit poor – the peppers were small, and a really hard shiny green and just wouldn’t ripen. Even when I took them off and put in the house, with a banana! The chilli peppers from last year were dried and are currently hanging on a notice board looking all pretty as I couldn’t use enough of them!

Aubergine
1 has been attacked by whitefly – this has been relegated to outside. We have another 5 plants. We got about 5 fruits out of 1 plant last year, and these are the same seeds, so fingers crossed!

Cucumber
Got kindly given these by a director at work – I now have 2 cucumbers – 1 per plant. They are good and healthy and about 20cms each. Somehow don’t have the same satisfaction of seeing it grow from a seed that I planted myself……is that a god-like feeling that I desperately crave….? I am the master of all I sow. Or not as the case may be.

I’m helping bloomin’ Wasps now… June 22, 2009

Uh-ho…..first its bees, then wasps. Just call Mrs Doolittle! This one is hanging in my shed that houses the mower. Now thats going to be fun when we try and get that out! Its petrol. I may smoke them out with it! We are very friendly with all our local animals…can you tell!? (Nelly the Beagle was nearly not very nice to a local rabbit this morning, but panic over, it escpaed! Phew!)

I’m nice and re-freshed from my jollies, and back into the thick of it at home. Got back mindnight Sat, and then Sunday, in the garden all day clearing out the greenhouse (on the hottest day of the year – oh, SO VERY clever Cat!) and hacking excess foliage off the tommys, cleaning paths and planting celariac into the raised beds.

My greenhouse is looking wonderful and healthy with the tommys that we have grown. My dads “buy a tomato from the spanish market, like it, dry the seeds, and plant when come home” method seems to have worked and we’ve got lovely green cooking toms. Not very big, but they are there. Better than being a sterile F1 hybrid that I was panicking we may have had. Oh wouldn’t that have been fun with the 40 plants all being sterile!

What you cannot see here are the plants that I have left by the old stable walls, as we have too many to go into the greenhouse, so I am trying to do it the old fashioned way, and using the warmth from the brick walls to grow the tommys. Hope it works!

I looked at the tatties aswell yesterday – they are Pentland Javelin, and have not flowered yet, although have started to form a bud. I did notice that they were a bit yellow on some of the leaves:

I’ve googled it, and I believe that it should be okay, maybe a Magnesium deficiency….or something similar. Hoping not blight….

I’ve also got some pics from Spain, where i also grow some fruit, although, not being there, it kind of looks after itself, or i’d be a little bit busy! Mainly fruit.

Olive tree – with Olives – I was VERY excited! In Italy, you can make your own Olive Oil with the olives from your garden! Sadly Castleford does not offer such a service. Don’t know why…?

Could be a lime, could be an orange. As in the UK, my labelling is a bit cack!

**anyone on WordPress – I have lost to 2 buttons at the top of the page where you can flit from HTML to Visual – does anyone know how I get that back? Or is it just an update that has removed them – I hate change, I really do!** thanks! Me (techno idiot extroidinaire!)

I’m Helping The Bees June 12, 2009

only Mr Veg doesn’t know it, becasue he HATES them – may have been a child hood trauma of being stung, typical boy!

Any-ho. Sat at the back door, and I’ve noticed loads of them, and they started to head towards the decking – just below the Boston Ivy…

….and lo and behold….

there was 1 flying into the hole. Then I saw another one, to the right of the geranium (that I need to plant into a pot,…I know…!)

flying into that hole.

So it seems I am the proud caretake of the White Tailed Bumbee Bee.

And quite proud of it I am too. If you want to know more, click on here: http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/bumblebees_id.htm

Theres a Beewatch page too – quite an important thing to update with the current bee crisis!

Off to Spain for a week now, where i will be gardening again. I planted an Echium last year – I’m hoping its about 10 feet tall – our horrid Northern weather won’t really like them!

**sorry about the layout of the page – some of the normal buttons I use have disappeared so I cannot centre stuff…I hate computers – really…..Grrrrrr**

Uh-oh….peskies June 9, 2009

Uh oh – the cabbage white that I saw flitting some 4 weeks ago, has now unleashed her damage….

So, yesterday, I picked off some of the caterpillars that had chomped through my brassicas. This is just one leaf! see what happens when you don’t patrol!! Action stations troops!!!

On a lighter note, my apple tree has too much fruit…the whole of the tree (its quite young) is covered in these small apples, but don’t think the branches will be able to cope, and may snap under the weight, so I’ll leave them to grow for a bit, then cut a lot of them off, see which ones are going to be the better ones to leave on.

Get me – too much of something! At the moment, that is a first (if you don’t take tomato plants…!).

Random Tomato June 5, 2009

Okay – so how does a tommy plant end up in my cordyline….no where near the greenhouse and I used new soil when I top dressed….oh, hang on, I used my compost from the compost bin!  That means (i think) the mix isn’t getting hot enough me thinks…? So, it doesn’t kill the seeds. But I think its kind of sweet – its growing in my small courtyard. I like it! Fighting against adversity…ie. me! (look at the weeds I pulled out the the right of the picture – thought I’d hidden them from view – doh!)

Thought I would give you a sneaky peek of Manor Stables Veg Plot – I’ve taken the pics for a tree surgeon friend who is going to look at taking back some of the overhanging branches – they are blocking the sun to the veg plot. I’m stood in the garden, looking towards the veg plot. The wall to the right is the old stable wall, and just to the right of the pic is the doorway through to next doors garden.

I love my garden, and yes, the grass does need cutting, but now as I look out the window, the sky is dark, its raining and I’m in flip flops about to go to Th’Asda! Damn the grass for growing, and welcome to summer in the UK!

Sweetcorn Overload June 1, 2009

The sweet corn saga continues.

My motto: if in doubt, just get some from your mates!

I now have an ABUNDANCE of sweet corn! I have about 18 plants….Yes – 18!!

-  3 are mine (the other 5 have pegged it),

-  3 are Kens, Mr Veg’s bezzie mate (who’s now gone green fingered – we are surrounding Mr Veg!)

-  12 are one of my sub contractors from work.

Get me – talking veg at work!

There is something called 3 sisters where you plant sweet corn for height, then cover the ground with squash or corgettes, and then plant beans to go up the sweetcorn.

So, I have planted the 2 sisters – sweet corn and the corgettes – don’t want to be pushing my luck too much, and the beans are bigger than the sweet corn, so thats not going to work!

 I had my first strawberry of the season and then the birds beat me to the other 4 – little sods. So yesterday, I raided the recycling bin and got out the jars and put them round the green berries. Hopefully I may actually have some for a fruit salad? Or a flan!!!! Yum!

 

Mr Bee – there have been loads of docile bees at the moment, and not sure if it’s the right thing to do, but there was a bee on its back, flailing, so I fed it some manuka honey, put it outside and it was gone later on. Took a picture – looks a bit freaky…..!

 

Good Weather AND a Bank Holiday..? May 22, 2009

Surely not!? Especially when the weather has been so pap for the last 2 weeks!

So, this weekend, what to do…?

1. Plant out sweat peas – mine are now quite long and a little bit unruly, so I have now thought that I just need to get them in the ground. They should have gone in ages ago, as they are hardy, but…its me! I am going to grow them up some trellis fencing next to the veg patch and also on bamboo canes in the borders. You can NEVER have enough sweat peas! I just pick them and put them all round the house, and next door get them, and my mum and dad, and visitors….anyone really! You’ll have loads!

2. plant more sweetcorn, as I only have 8 out of 15 that have germinated – I thought they were a bit pap last year, but have now realised it must…be…the seed! Not me {cough}, of course. I don’t think that 8 will be enough for decent germination…? Any advice please…?

3. Do my bedding plant boxes – I did some the other week – I’ve got some hay planters as window boxes that I planted up for under the kitchen windows but I want loads of colour this year, as last year, was a bit of a poor show, and I missed having loads of colour. You can never have too many bedding plants!

4. I MAY plant some winter ornamental cabbage – its just run to seed, so this may be the time to pant some for the winter. if i can be bothered…?

So, enjoy the weekend, get outside in the SUN (I know – whats that!?) and happy digging!

Gardeners World Live May 20, 2009

Tickets are booked for GWL- whhhhho-ho!

Don’t fancy Chelsea which is on at the moment, bit to London based for my liking, and Soilman had a bit of a rant on it last week, so I’m defo not going – may suffer the wrath of Soilman – to be prevented at ALL costs! {guffaw}

So, me and my friend Rachel from Milton Keynes (sorry, Amptill – just a bit posher) are off on the Sunday I think. Cannot wait – may even catch a sight of Toby – the best thing to hit gardeners world for ages – he’s put a breath of fresh air into it! even joe looks like his chains have been unclipped. I think Monty used to hide them in a cupboard for the week and then bring them out on a Friday…..Mmmmmmm.

Looking forward to the Taste of Greenacre – think its exciting seeing a plot of land turned into a productive garden. Always intrigued how you design it, build it, and not go, damn, that would have been good, I wish I’d put that into it, once its been finished. Suppose thats experience and research for you…?

Have seen that James Wong is there on the Wednesday – the Grow Your own Drugs man (NOT that kind!) – he was really interesting on the TV.

Mr Veg will not be going…..both he and I are pleased at that!

Me cos I can be the gardening lady for the weekend.

Him cos he won’t have to be dragged round like a moody 2 year old with his bottom lip sticking out. “Veg is boooooooring.”

Soft Fruits – Yummy May 18, 2009

Lots of fruit in our garden – especially from the apple tree that is heavily leaden, but here goes;

Raspberries – mainly Glen Ample

Not holding my breath for a good crop, as only planted in Feb, but I can hope…. they produce fruit from July to August so hopefully will crop heavily next year instead! I have about 10 canes and they are all getting their leaves. Seems you cut them back as soon as they have finished flowering…something I didn’t do last year!

 

Plums – Victoria

Again, failure last year without about 4 plums! This year there was a lot of blossom so I kept knocking the tree so it would spread the lurve….or rather the pollen. Hopefully it will do better this year, as I’ve got about 20 little plums that are growing now, and all this rain…..well they should be as big as apples!

 

Apples – Dunno what type!

But there are bloomin’ LOADS!!!! i looked yesterday and I’m going to have to pick loads off as the branches are quite week – its only 3-4 years old the tree and if they all develop, it will snap the branches. last year I had about 6 apples, but literally, there must be about 60 little buds that have formed. Must be me knocking the tree like the plum one…I am THE POLLINATOR. {cue Terminator 2 music…oh, on this note – anyone seen Star Trek…no? Its REALLY GOOD!}

 

Gooseberrys

I am useless with these – just becasue they have thorns on them. Last year I think I got one crumble out of 1 bush. This year I have 2, so it may be 2 crumbles! oh the excitement! Not. They taste a bit cack in anycase.

 

Blackberrys

Again, a poor show last year, but was its first year. Lets hope for better this year – maybe a year for cassis….? Or a year where I’ll eat the 4 berrys that come off the pittiful harvest?

 

Rhubarb

Obviously a monster like the earlier post. I’ve just googled for when is rhubarb ready…and it seems that its ready when you can pull it off the crown without yanking. I may be pulling the whole thing up being such a strong young wipper snapper that I am…..! May test that tonight. Mr Veg is away so something rhubarb based may be cooked…?

 

No pics for a while, as Mr Veg is off round the country with work and has, shock, horror, taken the (my!!) camera to take photos of horrid old buildings with squatters and druggies in them! I’d rather take pics of veg…..