General Chat

Hello Daff, I hope you are having abit of a rest this afternoon, after all the work you did yesterday in the garden.
I did was not able to do my gardening bit over the weekend as I had said I would. After the baking was all done on Saturday, I had to call the Paramedics, as I was unable to 'work' the pain off during the day. Have been catching up on the housework since they let me out on Monday, but, now I am in my gardening mood.
We went to a garden centre yesterday afternoon, that is on the road to Sallie's, for a cuppa, and a walk round. I managed to buy a dozen and a half of Fuschia, plant plugs, and a couple of dozen Geraniums also. Today, I have been washing the work bench down in the greenhouse. I have now planted four pots of Lilies, and four posts of Calla Lillies, (my favourites). Then in the greenhouse also, I set trays of Empress of India Nasturtiums (sp), they are red and go in my 'Hot Corner'. Also Trailing Sweet Peas, and saved seeds from a lovely tall Dusky Pink Poppy. In the food line, for the allotment when they are ready, I have set some Nero di Toscana Kale. I have also set some Salad Leaves with a red vein, abit like the young leaves of beetroot, and some Merveille Des Quatre Saisons Lettuce, which have green/bronze leaves.
All the peas and beans, beetroot,leeks, onions and potataoes, etc go directly in the ground of the allotment, so I do not have to set them in the greenhouse.
They have given out rain for Saturday here, so we will go to another Garden Centre that we like. I am after twelve dozen Bizzy Lizzy plant plugs, more Fuschia's, Pansies, at least. OH is after some new strawberry plants for this year. Talking about Strawberries. A few years an old gentleman on our allotments gave me a pot full of Alpine Strawberries grown from seed. I put them in a hanging basket, and they come back every year. They are very small fruits, and just the right size for 'Littlies'. You can get the seeds in the garden centre is you want to have a look. Hoping it is going to be better on Sunday, as OH has six fruit trees to go in, down the allotment, and I can potter in the greenhouse, potting up all the plant plugs, to bring them on.
I am now, at this time of day, just sitting down to do, what you so eloquently called it 'sitty-down tasks'. Shopping list for tomorrow for M****sons, list for the Farm Shop for OH, which is in the heart of D.H. Lawrence country, and makes you feel as if you are in his books when you drive up the farm track to the shop. Must write the labels out ready for OH potatoes. He must have about 8/9 varieties, and if I do not do it, he doesn't do it right. You know what men are like. A yes, and I might just get the back of the gilet finished, that I am knitting, all before evening meal time.
Whoever coined the phrase 'a woman's work is never done' was spot on.
Take care now, and do not do too much.
Julia in Derbyshire

PS. Meant to say, I planted a dozen tomato seeds yesterday, four each of three varieties, and have them on the kitchen window sill. I put a piece of horticultural fleece over them at night time.

Julia, twelve dozen bizzy Lizzie plants, that is a lot! Do you have a large garden? We have scaled our planting down so we don't put in so many annuals now but used to plant a lot of bizzy lizzies. Now just put in a few for colour. This time next week we will be packing for our weeks holiday and I am finding it difficult to think of gardening as well as what to take etc. Luckily OH doesn't think that way, his idea of packing is to do it all the night before so he has been sorting out the garden. I did actually get him to sort some of his old shirts and T shirts out for charity today so that is something.

Hi to all of you keen gardners. I experimented a bit last year with some veg, and plan to do more this year. I love butternut squash, but only 2 out of my 6 seeds 'made it', and they looked really pathetic and spindly. However once they got going they were like triffids! This year I will try to train them over a low frame, as they produce copious amounts of foliage. I had 4 or 5 large squashes from them. Runner beans are always great, and quite easy. Tomatoes I grew in pots (100s and 1000s variety) and they were a success. Carrots were also good, but got a bit swamped by the squash greenery, so will separate them this year. Peppers I find do not ripen, and I hate them green! I would like to grow other squash varieties but haven't seen any seeds for them yet.

Hello Ann, I use the Bizzy Lizzys to fill some of the hanging baskets, and the window boxes on the summerhouse, which I can see from my kitchen window.
I have a little corner that I call my Hot Spot, immediately outside my back door where I have a small table and chairs for morning coffee and I grow red and orange plants there. It is not a very big garden but has a white/blue/yellow deep border down one side, which forms a walkway down to the greenhouse. Across the back of the garden is the greenhouse and summerhouse. Then, I had a blank piece of six foot high fence that looked bare, but not really big enough to put something in the space. So, I painted a white arched 'gate' shape onto the fence, and added black studs and a black latch. Then I stood an archway in front of it, and planted clematis to climb up it. People always thing it is real, and that I have access to the land beyond
On my other side I have a large,deep tropical border, with lots of foliage plants, and ferns and grasses,interspersed with tall colourful things like Lillies and Poppies. Along the full width of the house, in front of the kitchen, I have a large patio, with large table,chairs and parasol. And, of course, large tubs of things like Cordylines, Hostas and Oleanders, to name a few. Hanging baskets abound everywhere, as does windchimes, and lanterns hung in a Sambucca tree. Alot in a very small space.
Now to your holidays. Are you going somewhere nice. We havn't had one for year for many reasons, including the greenhouse, allotment, an irracible but much loved dog, and two love birds.
Julia in Derbyshire

SheilainWestWilts, have a look around the garden centres. I am sure you will find some different seed that you are after. You have set me off now, and I will look at the weekend around here, out of curiosity.
Julia in Derbyshire

Julia your garden sounds delightful, especially the Tromp D'oeil gate. aren't you clever?

We are going to Andalucia for a week with our daughter and son in law on 27 March, then to Tenerife to stay in Tenerife Sun's apartment for all of May. Once we lost our last cat we deliberately didn't get another pet as we would not be able to go away for a month at a time.

Sheila, we managed to get our peppers to go red last year but they were in a greenhouse.

Ann, I seem to think I have read that you have been to Tenerife Suns flat before, but please enjoy yourselves.

Sheila, I grew green chillies and red peppers in the greenhouse last year, and they rippened. This year I am grown red chillies and yellow peppers.
Julia in Derbyshire

Hi Julia, yes we have been several times and always enjoy it.

Today, looks like being lovely. So, after I have had a morning at M****sons, possibly picking up a plant or two, as one does, I am having a couple of hours in the greenhouse. I want to plant my chillies,pepper,pak choi, basil,oregano and aubergine, which I have never grown before. Tomorrow, as the weather forecast has not changed, we are still going to the garden centre to get yet again more plants, and Sunday, OH is planting his fruit trees, whilst I make some bread, and dabble. Suits us, and that's all that matters.LOL
Julia in Derbyshire

Sounds good Julia, stay well and enjoy!!

Oh.... where has my lovely long post from this morning disappeared?

I swear there is a black hole on these boards sometimes... *sighs*

Right... today, gardening is off.... the sun was shining first thing, but then the heaven's opened, and it has been pouring down, on and off all day. I have done very little, except play on here, google for various bits, bought special shoes for my father... and talk on the telephone... it seems to be family catch-up time!

Still, the weekend is here... and so I shall get stuff sorted out then... but I have a busy week next week, as well, so will need to be very organised... *gulps* organised and me are not happy bed fellows, lol!

Julia, I haven't got pak choi, but I do love it... did you manage to get everything you wanted to do, done? Your garden does sound very lovely.... mine is still in the making... part of it was landscaped last May, another part the previous August, and the front has still to be done, but I need planning permission, and haven't applied for it yet.

Sheila, I have some squash seeds as well.... I love them, but do find them difficult to prepare.... I am hoping that they are easier when they are just picked, lol. Everything is very new to me... I planted quite a bit last year, but it was so late that they didn't do very much... I had decent carrots and runner beans, but although the rest tried hard, they didn't have a chance to catch up properly

Ann, T was right.... this rain here would have played havoc with seeds in the beds... fortunately, B had covered the ones in the bed with a fleece tunnel, and the pots are all covered as well, so the impact shouldn't be so bad... but that was cos T had mentioned it, otherwise I wouldn't have thought of it! So, thank you, T!

I haven't had a great deal of motivation, today, I'm afraid... just very lazy!

Love

Daff xxxx

Well done for covering the pots Daff.
Re preparing squash. I found them hard to peel and cut up, they are so hard. Last weekend though I peeled with a potato peeler, the wide sort you scrape down the skin. It worked well. still had to cut and remove the slimy seeds though. I have cheated a couple of time recently and bought a preprepared pack in T****s when they have reduced them. Sooo much easier. But sooooo much more expensive.

Mmm I know... but I have to say I buy them anyway, lol

I have planted cucumber, the tumbling tomatoes, and went to do the strawberries... only the pack was totally empty, not a seed... now I know they are small, but I even got the magnifying glass to be sure... not a single one.. so I phoned Blooms, and they said I can take them back and get them replaced... at £3.60 odd a pack, I should think so, too!!

I have also gathered a load more pots, and scoured, bleached and rinsed them out ready for the rest of the seeds in the next couple of days/weeks. The kitchen floor looks like a mudbath, lolol so clearing that up is my next job... just needed to sit down for half an hour, as I have been playing since 8:30, and am aching a little now... but will perk up for the next bit... and the forecast for later and tomorrow is dry, cloudy with sunny spells.... so I might get more done.

Well.... must go and wander around the boards causing mayhem, lol.... I am rather good at that, lol

Love

Daff xxxx

Are your tomatoes tumbling Toms or Tumblers Daff?

I have just planted lettuce, carrots, beetroot and spring onions. The courgettes and beans will wait until we come back the beginning of April.
I have also made up 7 hanging baskets which are not hanging in the greenhouse and put one fuchsia in a large pot, also in the greenhouse. Thank goodness for a very helpful neighbour who will water them while we are away.

Not sure, Ann..... I'll go and look in a mo.... but they are all sprouting nicely, lol.... and so are all the cucumber, the salad stuff, and the beans and peas.... a couple of the carrots have just germinated, but the weather is so awful out there......

No sign of the potatoes... Littlie and I go out every morning to have a look, lol.... her cress is doing well, and I have dug out some sunflower seeds... we'll plant them later, but not sure if they will germinate, as they are a couple of years old, now, lol.... still, we'll give it a go.

Love

Daff xxxx

If you are making soup with the butternut squashes you don't need to peel them.Just cut them into chunks and the skin will go through the liquidiser and sieve with the other bits.It won't be noticeable.

Thanks Sharron....... I can't even get through the skin to cut, lolol... I'm ok with the first little bit, but then my hands give up the ghost, lolol..... I reckon if I got a chainsaw I'd be fine, lolol ;¬))

Love

Daff xxxx

Our beans/peas seeds are growing but nothing from carrots/potatoes put in pots. Have planted cucumber also just waiting to plant broccoli,cauli,lettuce.

star

Hello all..... well, I wonder how everyone's garden is today? lol

Yesterday I planted up some more potatoes. I am not sure if they will be of any use, but they were old ones and have sprouted beautifully with no help from me. As they seem determined to flourish and grow naturally, I have given them the chance. I topped up the soil from the earlies (they have all gone now, and were quite delicious) and we have started on the *normal* potatoes as well. They too are delicious, and we have experimented. Some are from peelings, believe it or not. I just wanted to try them. Others are *proper* main crop seed potatoes.

I have kept a couple of the earlies, and they have been stored.... not sure if they will last long enough to be used as seed potatoes next year, but worth a try.... They are in a pot, filled with dry and sand wrapped in newspaper in the cupboard under the stairs at the moment. we''ll see.

Every day for weeks now, we have had fresh salad with sandwiches, mixed salad leaves, cut and come again... Japanese mix, so haven't a clue, lol. Plus pak choi and spinach and also those baby peas that you stir fry in their pods, can't think what they are called at the moment, (edit mange tout) the last couple of days, I have used them lightly steamed and so fresh, from garden to plate in about 15 minutes! Can't get much fresher than that.

Carrots are doing well, and so are the runner beans and normal peas. Lots of onions and beetroot doing well, as are the cabbages and the cauli has just been planted into their final spot. One of the cats killed the broccoli seedlings (*glares at Polgara*). I also have tubs of garlic spread around, and I have not needed to spray any food crop at all so far, so to date, everything is organic... yeh! I have needed to spray the roses, but they are around the back.

Courgettes and cucumber are flowering well, and the bees love them so won't need any help pollinating! The strawberries all died, so I bought two plants and they are flourishing... when granddaughter was here, they obligingly produced a single huge juicy ripe one every day for her... she was thrilled to bits, and it is so good for them to know where their food comes from.

The tumbling toms have done fantastically well, full germination, and all now flowering profusely. This morning I noticed tiny little toms appearing... I feel like a new granny every time I see something grow properly... lovely isn't it.

And my roses... they are stunning, abundant, and hubby says they are smelling gorgeous, along with the honeysuckle and jasmine... I do have some gaps in the borders that I need to fill, but have perennials just sprouting, they will go in this autumn and next spring, so next year will be more how I want it to finally look.

*sighs happily*

I love my garden.

Love

Daff xxxxxx

Morning Daff
You sound so far ahead of us here in the Midlands.
All our veggies and fruit are down the allotment and are the domain of the OH, who tells me that everything is doing well. I had the first of his strawberries last week. Just the one LOL.
However, up here at the house, I have a basket of Alpine Strawberries doing very nicely. The Melons and Squash are coming on, (my first time), but I will have to be patient for any fruit. for a while.
Tomato plants are all doing well, they are the baby tomato type, but tumblers, as is the aubergine, peppers an chillies. Herbs are also doing well.
Hanging baskets are now filling out well, as are the borders, and this rain that we have had since the weekend, has been good for them all.
Clematis and Passion Flowers abound.
Ever thinking ahead, in the kitchen window bottom I have grown some Hollyhocks for next year, and am keeping my beedy eye on some Cacti, which are just coming through
There is no rest for the dedicted gardener, is there LOLOL
Julia in Derbyshire

Julia, it is just so satisfying to see it all growing so well, and then to be eating it, too. The taste is excellent, so much better, and when you know that nothing has been near it other than organic stuff... well, I know the compost is from stuff we have bought in the past which may have been treated, but next year it will be truly organic.

The Bokashi system has been a huge success... the liquid run off from it has been used diluted 1:10 to feed everything, and of course I have the two wormeries and two leaf mould compostors... I have been adding the bulk of the Bokashi contents to the leaf mould. The first lot went maggoty, but then rotted down so quickly... the flies were a bit of a problem, but I got a powder (organic) that I added to it, and that sorted it out. Then I adjusted the amount of the special bran you use, and the last three lots have been brilliant, no flies or anything. But I also broke it up as I put it into the compostors. It seems to get the rest of the compost to break down much more quickly. I think I shall be able to use last autumn's leaves as compost and mulch this autumn, which is excellent... we have an awful lot of leaves, lol.

I also haven't needed to buy any tomato or plant feed. I have a regular supply of run off. So the layout was a bit expensive, but already we are finding the benefits.

Plus, the soil is being beautifully broken down with all this organic stuff we are throwing at it. We built a couple of raised beds, but placed them on top of dug over soil, which is clay, but has been worked with sand and leafmold... but still needed work on it. My idea was that the raised *beds* will produce a good crop this year, but will also leach into the soil beneath it and increase the friability... I think it is working a treat, and next year we may be able to plant straight into the soil. In fact, the winter crops will go in there, anyway. I have bought some seed which you sow and grows overwinter, then you just dig it in next spring, as well.

I feel so proud of myself, lolol!

Love

Daff xxxxxx