More Gardening
On Thursday I had a busy day in that I recycled six large water bottles and turned them into containers for sowing mixed spicy leaves, mixed leaves, rocket. This will eventually be the salad bar and from what I understand I should be able to take at least four picks of leaves off each planter. I intend to leave these a couple of weeks and then start another six bottles off. I will alternate use of the bottles six bottles on - six bottles off if it works out ok as I have never done this before. Being able to pick salad leaves so fresh without them going into the fridge (not that I have one at the moment) is going to be an absolute boon as far as I am concerned. I also have mustard and cress to sow as I love this especially with egg mayonnaise. Gives lots of nice extra flavour. I am looking to save the pennies.
I have also sorted out and prepared 12 Strawberry hanging planters. The planters are bright red and have been recycled from previous year purchases of strawberries and tomatoes. I divided a couple of planters from last year and now have a selection of planters which will hopefully fruit well. They are going to get a good feed tomorrow.
I have also managed to pull out my fruit trees from the jungle they were hidden in. They need repotting, but I have run out of compost. I am going to have to arrange to obtain some of this as I have quite a lot to do yet. Hopefully next year I will have my own compost. I have also located five blackcurrant bushes, another couple of clematis, and I have three blackberries.
Speaking of seeds I still have plenty to sow. I have somehow or the other managed to misplace my seed folder which has quite a few of the seed in it that I want to grow such as Globe Artichokes and Lovage and other herb seeds. I have quite a selection of unusual ones in that folder. Lovage I have grown before and I love it. I am also after my Angelica seed.
Since my previous post I have sown a lot more seed including the following:-
Mangetout Oregon Sugar Pod
Violet Podded Climbing Bean
Dwarf French Bean Masterpiece
Pea Kelvedon Wonder
Perpetual Spinach
I have also chopped down in the garden a rather large self-seeded bush. I have to tackle the stalk base yet, that will take some perseverance and some effort and the use of a spade I suspect but it needs out once and for all. I also have the same to do with some self-set blackberry bushes. As I have a few minutes and a little energy I am attacking things in an effort to diminish them one by one. There is also a load of ivy that also needs taming, but I intend to plant some individual plants up for the hanging baskets and the window boxes. Once that is tamed and the roots out of everything I will then give everything a good dig over and a rake.
On the seed front when I checked some of my sowing from the middle of the week my Pot Marigolds are through which I am quite pleased about. There is room for them in the herb garden and also in what is to be the veg garden. I must confess my real interest lays with sowing the seed and growing something from it
My two greenhouses arrived the other day safe and sound and they have yet to be put up that may well happen during the week if the weather is any better than it has been. (Maybe over the weekend now).
Saturday was a lovely warm day, but Sunday was cold, wet and windy the complete antithesis of Saturday.
I have not been able to get into the garden since Sunday. Thursday was the first day I was able to get into and check out the growing houses. Success all my recycled water bottles that I cannabalised and I have sown salad leaves into (aka my salad planters) which have sprouted a reasonably thick carpet of seeds. The Borage is through as are the Marigolds and Thyme. The Summer Savory has also a couple of shoots as have the Beans and Peas. Lobelia and Gypsophillia is also through, as are Sweet Peas and Sunflowers and Tomato seeds starting to sprout. The weather on Friday is supposed to be warmer so I am hoping that this will give some of the other seeds a bit of a boost into sprouting. Some of the seeds have only been in situ about five days.
I did not manage to go down the bottom of the garden where I have two planters both set to Perpetual Spinach. I have further planters into which to sow vegetables but I am without compost at the moment. As well as compost I also need to source some growing bags for Tomatoes, Gherkins, Aubergines, Chillies, Cucumbers, and Melons. I also need to source various plants and some more seeds. I am very fond of Marguerites (white ones) and normally every year have two large pots of these. They always look so pretty.
The Rhubarb plants I potted up are also sprouting leaves (a couple not showing yet but these were the ones without any foliage growth on them. I probably will not have a hefty harvest from them this year but next year will be a different matter on the Rhubarb front and then I have plans to force one lot of Rhubarb the year after that and then alternate the crops in the following years.
Hopefully if the weather is a lot better next week I will be able to get stuck into the garden and clear it more than I already have. I have Ivy to pot up and strip out which will be slightly time consuming.
I am hoping that I will get to grips with the gardening better this year in order that I am better prepared for the start of next year.
Now that the tips are open again, we are hoping in the next few days to be able to get down to our local recycling centre and get rid of a lot of the rubbish that has accumulated. There is an awful lot of garden rubbish, which once gone will help clear up the garden a lot more than it is at present. Not that that will be the end of it as there will be further rubbish yet to go.
Right I am off into the garden for a while - the sun is out and I have lots to do.
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
Since my previous post I have sown a lot more seed including the following:-
Mangetout Oregon Sugar Pod
Violet Podded Climbing Bean
Dwarf French Bean Masterpiece
Pea Kelvedon Wonder
Perpetual Spinach
I have also chopped down in the garden a rather large self-seeded bush. I have to tackle the stalk base yet, that will take some perseverance and some effort and the use of a spade I suspect but it needs out once and for all. I also have the same to do with some self-set blackberry bushes. As I have a few minutes and a little energy I am attacking things in an effort to diminish them one by one. There is also a load of ivy that also needs taming, but I intend to plant some individual plants up for the hanging baskets and the window boxes. Once that is tamed and the roots out of everything I will then give everything a good dig over and a rake.
On the seed front when I checked some of my sowing from the middle of the week my Pot Marigolds are through which I am quite pleased about. There is room for them in the herb garden and also in what is to be the veg garden. I must confess my real interest lays with sowing the seed and growing something from it
My two greenhouses arrived the other day safe and sound and they have yet to be put up that may well happen during the week if the weather is any better than it has been. (Maybe over the weekend now).
Saturday was a lovely warm day, but Sunday was cold, wet and windy the complete antithesis of Saturday.
I have not been able to get into the garden since Sunday. Thursday was the first day I was able to get into and check out the growing houses. Success all my recycled water bottles that I cannabalised and I have sown salad leaves into (aka my salad planters) which have sprouted a reasonably thick carpet of seeds. The Borage is through as are the Marigolds and Thyme. The Summer Savory has also a couple of shoots as have the Beans and Peas. Lobelia and Gypsophillia is also through, as are Sweet Peas and Sunflowers and Tomato seeds starting to sprout. The weather on Friday is supposed to be warmer so I am hoping that this will give some of the other seeds a bit of a boost into sprouting. Some of the seeds have only been in situ about five days.
I did not manage to go down the bottom of the garden where I have two planters both set to Perpetual Spinach. I have further planters into which to sow vegetables but I am without compost at the moment. As well as compost I also need to source some growing bags for Tomatoes, Gherkins, Aubergines, Chillies, Cucumbers, and Melons. I also need to source various plants and some more seeds. I am very fond of Marguerites (white ones) and normally every year have two large pots of these. They always look so pretty.
The Rhubarb plants I potted up are also sprouting leaves (a couple not showing yet but these were the ones without any foliage growth on them. I probably will not have a hefty harvest from them this year but next year will be a different matter on the Rhubarb front and then I have plans to force one lot of Rhubarb the year after that and then alternate the crops in the following years.
Hopefully if the weather is a lot better next week I will be able to get stuck into the garden and clear it more than I already have. I have Ivy to pot up and strip out which will be slightly time consuming.
I am hoping that I will get to grips with the gardening better this year in order that I am better prepared for the start of next year.
Now that the tips are open again, we are hoping in the next few days to be able to get down to our local recycling centre and get rid of a lot of the rubbish that has accumulated. There is an awful lot of garden rubbish, which once gone will help clear up the garden a lot more than it is at present. Not that that will be the end of it as there will be further rubbish yet to go.
Right I am off into the garden for a while - the sun is out and I have lots to do.
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
happy to see another blogger out in the garden planting like mad. It all sounds wonderful, I use lots of pots, they can be moved around as the fancy takes me. I wouldn't pull any rhubarb this year, the leaves are the food source for the crowns. When they start to go over in the autumn a good dollop of farmyard manure and maybe some fallen leaves will give them a "winter larder" and set them up for your use next year. Mine fruited so well last year, and I pulled a bit to late in the season, that this year they have slowed down. I took the decision to leave them be for a month and give them some extra feeds of nettle tea and a sprinkle of compost. I will be planting banother 4 blueberries this autumn, they do very well ih the front garden and are ornamental enough.
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