Garden update

Yesterday the sun was out and after coming back home from our unexpected trip out.  I decided it was high time I checked out the growing houses to make sure everything was okay.  I am happy to report that everything is tickety boo although I seem to have had a complete fail on peppers of any sort, yellow ball courgettes, yellow courgettes and chilli peppers.  My green courgettes are through though.

The rest of my plants are all looking extremely healthy and lush especially my herb planters and my salad leaf containers.  There is lots of Basil, Thyme, Garden Mint, Parsley plain leafed and curly leafed.  They are looking really productive.

Due to the bad weather I have not been able to get out to make more progress with pulling up the Ivy.  I need to get the greenhouses up as I now need the space in the growing houses.  So yesterday I jumped right in and cleared the pots out of the area I am temporarily going to use for the greenhouses and swept and cleared that part of the existing pavement of everything.  I then started digging down the edge of the pavement into what will for next year be the permanent bed for Rhubarb, Asparagus and Strawberries.  For the time being the Rhubarb is in individual pots in which it can live until sort out time later in the year.

The garden as  left it yesterday

One of about 5 full buckets of roots I have removed from this small strip of soil.  It is back breaking work and this is the first initial dig through.  However once this area is done I shall then dig across the other way to remove any stragglers.

A Closer look at the area cleared you will still see the coil of wire in situ.

Now the digging is taking some doing.  I have only managed to dig with a fork three rows and I am part back-digging as I go along.  The roots that are coming out are incredible.  I have two old winemaking buckets full of roots so far just out of those rows.  It is heavy going and my body knows I have been digging!  As I have to pull the top of the Ivy off as I go along in any event I thought I might as well tackle it together.  The area I am working is only small, a small segment of the area that needs sorting out overall but big enough for me to get both greenhouses up and get everything where it should be.  

I have lots of hanging baskets to sort out i.e flower hanging baskets, tomato hanging baskets and I am going to do some experimentation with some other bits and bobs.  The bars inside the greenhouse will be ideal for hanging up and planting the baskets as Well as starting them off on before getting them into the garden. The beans and peas also need to go in and I need to get Marigolds in with the tomatoes and Basil and the Nasturtium baskets sorted.  I also need space in the growing houses for other stuff.

My Oregano has taken as has the Lemon Verbena.  The Tarragon and Thyme have not taken though.  This was to do with my experimentation on taking herb cuttings.  Both the Oregano and Lemon Verbena are nice sturdy little plants.  So back to the drawing board with the other herbs.  The Lemon Balm and Thyme I have planted from seed has also come through.  Am still waiting on the Lovage.

I have lots of pots with plants in and there will be a load more by the time I have finished.  I am having to play shuffle a pot as I am going along at the moment, but it will get sorted and everything will pull together in the long run.  I have Blackcurrant plants in pots which need to be in the garden but at least they are alive and thriving.  

I used to have a fruit garden where the jungle is and once that is reclaimed I am hoping to get them put in there but that is going to take some doing.

So I have been back in the garden this overcast, warm and latterly sunny Sunday back to my Ivy tugging/pulling and digging.  I have been in the garden most of the afternoon it has been hard work but I have enjoyed it.  My little Robin friend has been with me again and he has nabbed a couple of worms.

My plants for my hanging baskets were all flowering and looked very pretty that I could not resist taking a photo.  There are Nasturtiums and Lobelia as well as Gypsophillia to join them as well as some more trailing Fuschias.

I have now double dug about eight rows.  Remember the photo at the top showing a coil of wire embedded in the Ivy.  This has now been freed with the aid of my secateurs. and I have started nibbling away at the root that was holding the coil hard to the earth.  I had not appreciated just how much of a thug the Ivy actually is.  There have been roots where I did not expect them to be, very large with lots of little strings of tiny roots on spurs off them.  They have taken some pulling.  I am hoping for an early start tomorrow and this section needs sorting for the greenhouses otherwise I am going to end up losing a lot of plants which I do not want to happen.

There are further plans afoot for the garden.  We had intended putting a patio area down last year and indeed I bought some slabs for this. I am working towards this area so that we can get this put down and then come out into the garden for a meal or just to relax when the weather is nice.  The bottom area of the garden will not take as much weed pulling as the area I am currently working in as it was only done last year.  I would also like a fire pit so that can also enjoy the colder evenings and some fresh air. will see how things pan out.

Whilst the weather is good I am trying to get as much done in the garden as I can although I still have lots to do in the house.  Providing some food for the winter months is high on my list of priorities and if I can put up as much as I can either by way of various preserves as well as in the freezer I shall be a happy bunny.

I have taken a lot of photos today but Google these days seems to take an absolute age to download them.  As they have not all loaded I may update this post later or tomorrow depending on when the photos are there.

I hope you all have a lovely evening.  I have no sense of time at the moment and did not realise how late it was.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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