Umm can we say over planted! Here's Tabtab the whirring death dealer having a nap but you get the idea of how the rest of the border ended up. For some reason baely anything grew within 2ft of the fence, oh well, we couldn't see it without stretching anyway LOL
As for what's occuring lately, well the dread front garden is being attacked, its the only way to deal with it. I'll save the gory details for a later date but it was so warm yesterday I had to go and lie down for an hour afterwards as I had sunstroke and the front garden is North facing!
Like the borders Baa, the more plants you put in the less room for weeds. My kind of gardening. I'm just re-doing two of my herbaceous borders. My neighbour kindly brought me a van full of wood chippings - about 30 bin bags full as he knows a tree-surgeon where he can get them for nothing, so I tidied and weeded the border and mulched it with a nice deep layer of chipped bark. It looks really good and the slugs don't like it either.
My other project this week was brought on by my over enthusiasm for plant buying at the Harrogate flower show. I ended up re-designing a fairly steep banking under the weeping crab apple tree, setting in a couple of lines of chunky rocks to hold the soil back so I could plant the Solomon's seal, Smilacaena, Epimedium, Erythronium and a few other odds and ends. I finished it off with a couple of Adantium and some Hostas so it should look a bit woodlandy. One of the hens thought it sounded interesting and came over the fence to help re-arrange the soil for me when I went in for a rest.
I've also been trying to get all the vegetables sown and planted out some cabbages and early caulis and some red veined chard. The other battle is slug and snail collecting. There were hundreds every night, even when the weather was hot and dry, and today with the rain, they haven't even gone to hide during the day and are busily munching the lettuce and cabbage transplants I put in yesterday. The garden is full of frogs and hedgehogs come round every night so they should reduce the numbers a bit. I feel a little selfish collecting all their food up so I'm squashing some of them and hoping they eat them up and then I'm taking the rest by the bucket full across the road and tipping them at the edge of the wood. Hopefully the song thrushes, hedgehogs etc will find them before they come back to the garden.
Thanks :) Over planting is a habit I might get over one day but it has helped improve the soil no end and in a shorter time than it would take with amendments that generally sink without a trace anyway.
Do you have any photos of your new border Patbarr? Good to see you have your chickens trained too, Beetle had took to running through to the front door squeaking to be let out into the garden we've been digging up but after seeing a distinct lack of vegetation last Thursday and being prevented from running out onto the pavement he's decided it's all too boring and goes and talks to the duck in the sideboard window until he's shoo-ed unceremoniously out into the back garden. Our last hen who doesn't seem bothered in the slightest that her pen mates are not chicken shaped and like to float about in water has had some near scrapes at being an ex-hen for digging up plants this past month, when she's not harassing the cats that is *G*
We're nearly ready to mark out the borders, that is if my spine and neck aren't damaged beyond repair. We've discovered 3 resident frogs in the front garden so far, their pond/sink has gone but we've provided a temporary shelter with the Yellow flag and an old washing up bowl with some water, stones and plants in it. They will be getting a new dew pondish thing although we had trouble deciding what pebbles we liked so we got a bit of everything I think, it's only going to be about 1m sq as it is. I did have a wobbly moment when I saw some pretty paving stones patterned with ammonite shapes, (un)fortunately the amber colour of the slabs wouldn't have gone with the pebbles we opted for although colour co-ordination s not normally something we worry about.
It's good to know I'm not the only one squashing snails and slugs in the hopes that someone will come along and find a tasty meal. Seems to be a bumper year for them again.
I'm glad Beetle's enjoying himself. I've not taken a photo of the border, but here is a snap of my slug haul from last night - gruesome or what?
And here is one of my little helpers. There were lots of frogs out last night too. I must have caught over 1,000 slugs this week. I'm trying not to get obsessed with them. I think "I won't have a slug hunt tonight" and then start imagining them munching through all my seedlings and have to check them out. I caught a dozen this afternoon on my newly transplanted lettuce. When you see the size of some of the larger ones its scary to think how many seedlings they could eat in a night, and I can't imagine a hedgehog or frog large enough to try to eat a slug that size.
Sorry you've got spinal problems Baa. I've got cervical spondylosis and some damage from an accident a few years ago, but I tend to do things any way and then suffer for a few days afterwards. I know I shouldn't lift anything heavy, but I'm impatient and if my partner or son don't do things when I ask them I end up lugging things about myself. I don't think they realise how painful it is.
Enough moaning. I've planted two new geraniums in the border I cleared, one is Ann Folkard (I can't remember how to spell it) and and other one has no label but has a lovely dark burgundy coloured leaf. They were more purchases from the show last week. I've planted nearly everything now except for a few alpines which are waiting until I have tackled a section of rockery which has been invaded by clover. I know it isn't organic, but I'm contemplating using glyphosate on it as it's impossible to dig out.
Well all my gardening efforts have been rained off this week. Hope the pond is coming along Philomel. It would be full to overflowing here.
Here is a photo of a colourful corner which I can see from the kitchen window - makes washing up a pleasure - if anything can.
The bluebells are all transplanted from a small clump my mother brought home during the war. She said that she and my grandmother used to walk about three miles to a farm in the next valley for black market eggs and ham and their walk took them through bluebell woods, so on the way home she pulled about 6 up to plant in the garden and now there are hundreds. They always flower for her birthday which is a nice memory of her.
Beautiful colour arrangement Pat! Strange that the bluebells flower on your mother's birthday, you would think they'd flower on different dates according to the weather.
We are rained off and freezing here too, had a little time to garden sometime last week but I need to do so much yet. Forever waiting and so far behind. It actually felt warm this morning, didn't last long.
Your slugs are a colourful array! I did that years ago, on damp evenings I would go out and pick them all up and take them up the road. I got 70 or more huge black slugs in one night, later a similar number of snails. I kept a watch and got rid of most, still get an occasional one or two but not many. A trowel comes handy. They say snails are homing, I imagined a trail of them coming back over the road and being run over.
What a beautiful corner Pat, and what a beautiful story to go with it. It must be lovely to have those bluebells collected by your mother and grandmother so many years ago.
Maggi xxxx
Pat that is beautiful.
Well just moved to a new place tree weeks ago and had to start the garden from the bottom.
The earth is worst that Sahara so some improving had to be done.
Only planing to saty here for one-two year, so there are no long plans or radical changes (even though I fell like doing it)
Have not been able to do as much as planed, because I have some
Examinations coming up in a couple of weeks. It has been about 8-10 C the last couple of weeks, so nothing is coming up or is doing so veeeery slowly.
It is very small garden, 10 meters long and 5 meters broad.
Well here it is, very chaotic, shhh... don`t show it to anyone LOL
The plastic cover on the pots is my “little greenhouse”, a desperate attempt to give some warmth.
Zest, welcome to the European Forum. (I think I'm right in saying I haven't seen you before - or maybe I've been dozing!) Good luck with your new garden - it seems to be shaping up nicely. Please keep us informed of your progress.
Maggi xxxx
Hi Sorgina.
You are so sweet, but feel a bit lost at the monent :o(
Hopfully it will be better when the plants get growing, if they ever do.
You have a good memory, it is my firt time here, eventhough I have it under
Watchin forums. Will send photos later or when it looks better.
Hello Baa,
Finally made it to the European Forum. Managed to find some Strelitzia seed, and, it's cooking nicely on the heated mat!
I grow mainly tropicals, here in Moreton in Marsh, which is "fun" when you have a cold spring. It's a bit like cricket in the rain, you need to know when to put the covers on!
I'll post more when those seeds germinate (fingers crossed).
Hi prophetfive, and welcome!
Strelitzia seed can take a year or more to germinate, I have grown both reginae and nicolai. Some will germinate in around 30 dyas, if they push themselves to the surface then best left there. I have experimented with various things, palms included, and they produce a short root for a start, then a stem. If you bury the seed the neck of the stem can rot, as it seems to live on the seed while the leaf grows, then the root continues to grow. Those that don't germinate are best left in the heated propogator, mine is 68-72F, I left them at the shaded side, it is under a south facing window. Don't wet them too much, they will start to germinate from January onwards the following year. Mine did when we had a mild spell 3 weeks into January (not this year!), so I watered them, and they germinated up until late May. Good luck! It's fun growing tropicals in this climate!
Hiya wallaby1,
Interesting to hear of your experiments with Strelitzias.
Have you managed to get S. nicholai to flowering size? I'm told it's all down to keeping the beast potbound. Mine is potbound, hasn't yet flowered, and is threatening to push the roof off the conservatory!
Hi prophetfive,
My S. nicolai is getting a good size, one is 3 years old, the others 2 as they germinated 1 year later. They still have a long way to go. They should be pot bound, but they also have to grow, so that isn't my concern yet. I don't have a conservatory, they overwinter inside and at the moment are in a greenhouse. I hope to try one outside eventually, they can take some frost and with growing them myself their chances should be improved.
I find some plants need a potting boost to make them flower, so perhaps, if your pot isn't already filling your conservatory, you could try potting it up again. If you could remove some of the compost from the top and around the roots and use fresh compost, organic leafy compost would probably suit it if you have it or can get it. I find this helps with calla lilies, they race away and flower after a potting boost. You might find it difficult if your plant is really big!
Hi wallaby 1.
Put my two Strelizias outside for the summer, and, wouldn't you just know it, the weathers going to turn cold again. "Cast not a clout", I think is the correct response!
Doesn't that saying include June and July now too?! It won't hurt them outside now, the rain should give them some nitrogen.
I visited the National Botanic Garden for Wales near Carmarthen a couple of weeks ago and it was wonderful. The glasshouse is amazing equally as good as the Eden project and the whole site and gardens were excellent. It is all set in beautiful scenery and well worth a visit.
This is inside the greenhouse.
I've also been to a rare plant sale at the Sheffield Botanic gardens and bought more plants, and today a gardening friend and I went to Harlow Car gardens at Harrogate where I restrained myself and only bought one plant. Unfortunately their catering has now been taken over by Betty's Tea Rooms and I'm afraid my restraint didn't go so far as avoiding their fantastic cakes (twice).
Harlow Car gardens has recently received funding and has improved dramatically with more gardeners to maintain it and lots of refurbishment of old areas and the creation of meadows and a new kitchen garden area. Another excellent and very enjoyable day out.
Pat you have had more than your fair share now of garden visits! I'm jealous!
OK own up, what plants did you buy? No good telling us and then not what plants! Do you know you could have bought more plants with the money you spent on cakes.
Well while you have been enjoying yourself, I have been hard at work planting up my new 'tropical' bed. Only 20 more to put in, then maybe some geraniums dotted around that I grew from seed Bill Wallis and Summer Snow. It will really need mulching first once some of the smaller plants get going, I don't want to smother them.
Thanks for the photo of the National Botanic Garden for Wales Pat. I went there a few years ago, the year after they opened I think, and it's great to see it again. I loved the house with all the plants from different parts of the world.
Harlow Car is another favourite of mine and it's good to hear of the improvements they are making. (Hope I can get there some time to sample those cakes LOL)
That bed's looking lovely wallaby! Looking forward to seeing it when it matures and the plants take off :)
Hello Zest, I hope your plants are growing well now the warmer weather has arrived. You will have to show us how it is coming along.
Your new tropical bed looks interesting Wallaby1. Are the tall ones Brugmansias or Datura? A woman near us has a very small back garden which she has totally filled with tropical plants, bananas, datura and brugmansia, cannas, strelitzia, tree ferns and all sorts of other things. She has a few seats hidden among them and a small pond. It is totally enclosed by quite high fences and is just like being in the jungle. You wouldn't be surprised if snakes and parrots appeared. She has open days and raises money for the Red Cross. I think she has to bring most of them indoors in winter - can't imagine what the house is like as it has only a small conservatory, although I think she takes over the garage too.
Thanks Philomel, it has been years of collecting , mostly grown from seed but some from small plants I have grown on. Some already 5 years on, they should take off now in the ground.
Pat, the tall ones are Paulownia tomentosa, they have been in since Autumn 04 . I also have Ficus carica, Eriobotrya japonica, Musa sikkimensis, Ensete ventricosum, Penstemon species, Salvia species plus Blue Enigma and Black and Blue, Hemerocallis, Phormium, Yucca filamentosa, Abutilon vitifolium, Hibiscus Galaxy Hybrids, Hibiscus syriacus, some roses, Rodgersia, Rhododendron macabeanum, Leptospermum nitidum, Dianella tasmanica, a few bits and bobs.
I have got some Brugmansia versicolor also but no room! Not in that bed anyway, but it is supposed to be hardy if well mulched, and grown from seed should have a good chance.
That is quite a list I hope you'll let us see how it develops.
My plant purchases the other day were a Cercis Canadensis, Brunera 'Looking Glass' Tricyrtis formasanum and T.hototogisu, Oriagnum Kent Beauty, Dianthus suska - a new dwarf double alpine in a deep pink with a lovely scent and very blue green leaves.
I also received some micro propagated potato plants that I had forgotten I had ordered from Alan Romans - Aura, Orion, Shetland Black, Fortyfold and Arran Commander. So more things in pots to take special care of as they were rather expensive. It says anything over 30mm will store to grow on next year. Has anyone tried any of these varieties, I've no idea what they should taste like, and they should be interesting colours. Also has anyone grown micro plants before - any advice on caring for them would be appreciated.
Great list of plants Pat, I have Cercis canadensis Forest Pansy, still in a largish pot and it needs to be moved, argghh no room in that bed. I saw it locally for half the price you normally pay, they are gorgeous.
I also got Brunnera Looking Glass last year, it's still small but the leaves starting to look good. I love Tricyrtis, one I got last year also from the same place didn't live, it was a Crug collected one, the parcel should have arrived in one day, it took five. Unfortunately the plant wasn't dead, just looked droopy, but it did die and it's diffficult then to ask for a replacement. I also lost 2 small Woodwardia, they sent 2 small ones, they do when they don't have a bigger one. They were nearly dead, now both are. They weren't from Crug I should explain. They were very apologetic, it was the carriers at fault, but I am reluctant to repeat the experience, although I have had some very good plants from them and they do have rare ones.. I did get a Tricyrtis Raspberry Mousse from West Country Lupins, they now sell on ebay, also an Astrantia Moulin Rouge, they are both new. Both look well.
I haven't tried any of the potato varieties, T&M were selling them, they might have some info on their site. I have found Osprey to be a very good variety, grew it last year. I have to grow varieties that mature early because I always get blight, just after the earlies are done. They were a good crop and very clean and tasty, good for everything. Charlotte also does well. Trying a new one this year called Sunrise. I grow Swift for earlies, they are speedy and delectable.
I will update you on the new bed, I think some of them may be a bit too close, we shall see, some of those get quite large. Still haven't managed to get the last ones in, but they all need watering. We only had 1/4" with the last rain, need another good shower. And they say it always rains in this country! Water on meter is going to be costly with the price rises.
Recently purchased Echium webbii, from my local cash & carry plant centre. I'm not "au fait" with echiums. Presuming they're not hardy, how far do you cut them back? Mine are showing lots of new growth below this years first set of leaves.
I just found this forum and thought I'd add my musings for what they're worth. Back yard for me is a tiny 20 x12 foot enclosed courtyard. In which grow a honeysuckle and Jacaranda and a silk tree in two raised boarders. A washing line was the first thing I planted when we moved in LOL. This courtyard doubles as my plant nursery as I have no other place for it - its a kind of utitlity room of the garden.
Its pretty crowded now with a nice row of Marmande Raf tomato plants which I am experimenting with as I kept the seeds from market bought toms....sorry...maters ;) some Scotch Bonnet chilli bushes which overwintered from last year Hurray! These are grown soley for the purpose of the most fantastic chilli vodka (don't knock it till you've tried it folks)
At the moment I just seem to be constantly sweeping up after the silk tree which plopps its spent blossoms on everything cheeky enough to grow beneath it. A gardeners work is never done.
The sun's just going down...time for a glass of Rioja on the terrace. Salute. Lizzy
Stop it Lizzy, you're making me jealous again!
I've had a pretty busy gardening day mainly netting a cherry tree - see the thread about picking crops.
I have a bit of a dilemma at the moment, all the brassicas in the seed bed are desperately in need of transplanting, but I don't have any space to move them to until I've lifted the new potatoes. I converted one of the beds into a herb garden last year and hadn't taken this into consideration in my rotation so I've run out of space. Less potatoes next year!
Pat
I received a parcel today with another plant that I had forgotten I had ordered, a Stevia rebaudiana. It really tastes as sweet as they say. You use it as a sugar substitute, either the fresh leaves or you can dry them. I tried a leaf brewed with my Earl Grey and it was lovely. I'll have to wait for it to grow before I take any more leaves from it, but it should do alright in the greenhouse.
My other task was to extract a young female blackbird from inside my cherry net. I've no idea how it got inside as I thought the net was weighted down all round the base and there are no blackbird size holes in it. It took about 10 minutes waving my fish pond net about to catch and release it, and then it went with its friend and started eating the black currants. I don't usually net those as they usually leave them alone.
The tomatoes are swelling nicely now and have about six trusses per plant, but none ripening yet. The aubergines and peppers have flowers just opening and the first two cucumbers have set and a few tiny melons. I'm still worried about the Achocha taking over the whole greenhouse. If it keeps growing at this rate I'm going to get the scissors to it as it will smother everything. I thought it would provide a bit of useful extra shade when it was really hot, but it is starting to make it dark rather than shaded.
It will teach me a lesson trying new exotic sounding plants.
Hi Patbarr ;o)
Yes!!!! Happy to say that the plants are growing beautifully ;o))))
Well most of then anyway, only a few of the corn and some peas I planted came up. Was to busy studying to take proper care og them.
There is lots of weeds that is for sure, the former resident did not care for gardening, so they are very much settle down here.
There are some mistakes (were I should have placed/not placed a few plants), all done in frantic panic. LOL just whanted to plant then and get then growing.
This photo is taken a few days after examens, all messy and full of weed but things are growing and that is the important thing.
Had a little resident in the strange “cage”, an injured young black bird, but that is another (very long) story. The sunflowers are about 1.75m
Will post another photo when it is more presentable ;o)
Monica
Hello Monica, There look to be some nice exotics there - the canna and is the other a Strelitzia? You will have to tell us about the baby blackbird on the Birds in the Garden thread - we ramble on about all sorts of things there.
Wouldn't it be good if we could just garden and not have to fit it in between everything else we are doing.
I'm trying to plant everything into the ground that has been slowly deteriorating in pots for ages. A lot of them would be better thrown out onto the compost heap, but I like to give them a chance, they have favoured me by germinating in the first place, so the least I can do is look after them.
I've been planting some leeks out and transplanting a few Swiss chard that had self seeded in the wrong place.
The weather forecast said we were going to have rain last night, but it never appeared. I was planning on transplanting some of the cauliflowers from the brassica seed bed, they are quite large and will struggle to get going if I move them while it is dry and sunny. I'll probably wait til later this afternoon and do them then.
Pat
Pat I think the other plant you can see is an Alocasia.
You had the rain a week or so ago when we didn't, we had about 1/4" last night, just after I got the hose pipe out. They have kept forecasting rain and we haven't had it, or just a few spots, the garden and pots were getting really dry. It can rain along the ridge to Lincoln but I am a few miles from that. Dreading the water bill!
zest, they say let seed and seven years weeds! Good luck, if you can mulch the ground with somthing that will smother the weeds and make life a lot easier. What examinations did you do?
Hi Pat and Wallaby ;o)
Yes it is an alocasia, smuggle it out from city park in New Orleans 3 years ago. It was growing were my DH ask me to marry him, so it something special for me.
Good idea will post about the black bird, it is both a god, tragic and a story full of bravery, well at least as I se it. Some how I wish I did never had anything to do with black birds, what I have learned will alwas hunt me.
The examinations were pathofysiology and pharmacologhy, I am a nurse student. If I had known it was this hard I would have chosen something else LOL.
Hopefully I will have my bachelor degree in a year.
It is pouring down at the monent, good thing it has been very dry and hot up to 31C. A bad combination when your garden has more sand than Sahara ;o)
I've been having a battle with a new pond filter today. I bought a new pond pump and when I managed to wire up an outdoor connector the new pump was so powerful that the old filter couldn't cope with the flow and water was pouring out everywhere. So I had to buy a larger filter. The first one that arrived had been broken in transit so I had to send it back. The dustmen had emptied the bin containing all the packaging when I found that it had been damaged, so I had to find lots more bubble plastic, parcel tape etc to re-pack it. Anyway, the replacement came today and it was far larger than the dimensions they had given, so I've been trying to dig and level a suitable size hole at the top of the waterfall. Then I couldn't get the pipes to fit in to flow down the waterfall, and finally when it was all connected up and working nicely I noticed a new leak on the inlet joint, so I've switched it all off and abandoned it until tomorrow.
Why are things never straight forward?
Yes, things sometimes just seem designed to be difficult!!
Good luck, hope yuo get it installed and working soon.
Phew, that took a while to read :-) Some very interesting reading though! Pat your garden is beautiful! 50 lbs. of cherries????? Oh, that's just not fair! And some nice looking hens as well! Intresting that so many of you keep chickens! I can't believe how big the Hostas are already in May - they're barely out of the ground here by that time! What is the latin name of those bluebells, I think I have those growing in my garden - they were here already so I don't know their name - had never seen them before. Baa, your border looks good, what are those blue flowers, they're really beautiful. I have the same problem with overplanting, if I see a bare patch I feel I must plant something in it - gets a bit crowded in July when the plants reach full size. But I'm slowly learning and trying to restrain myself in May when the plants are starting to grow and trying to visualize how large they will get! Somehow there are always more plants than the space in the beds allows - so I keep chopping away at the grass - my husband woories that there won't be any left in the end .... too many plants to try out, too little space.
Sorgina, it seems that we have more than an interest in gardening in common - I'm battling with fibromyalgia as well. Had to stop working 5 years ago because of it. Having kids sapped all my energy. I also tend to channel my limited energy towards the garden rather than the never ending house chores - get a few complaints, especially in May when it seems that everything needs to be done at the same time - never get it all done though. This summer I've been playing catch-up and I'm still not cought up. Still have too many plants in the cold frame that came up from seed last year and another batch in the greenhouse that desperately need transplanting to bigger pots and moving outside! Hope to get it done before the summer's over.
This is my current project in my front yard - I'm planning to sit there in the afternoon sun and enjoy the view of my pond :-)
That looks a lovely relaxing place to sit rannveig. I'm sorry about your fibromyalgea it must make gardening very difficult.
I will have to put the seat back near to my pond. I can't remember why I moved it.
You asked about the Bluebells in my garden, they are the native English Bluebell - Hyacinthoides non-scripta. I just keep dividing them and moving them around the garden. They started from just a few bulbs that my Mother gathered during the war.
By the way, I have now fixed the new filter and pump and stopped all the leaks, so the waterfall is running again. I just have to disguise the double size filter now - a bit of landscaping and a couple of ferns should do the trick.
I'm exhausted at the moment. I've lifted, cleaned and bagged up the remaining potatoes. I'm quite pleased with them, there are some quite large ones even though it has been a dry summer, and there is hardly any slug damage. I've tried Record and Sarpo Axona this year for the first time. The Record make very good mash. I haven't tried cooking the Sarpo Axona yet but they look nice, pink with a smooth skin and a few quite large ones.
I've selected seed potatoes from all the varieties I've grown this year and labeled them in net bags. Last year I forgot and had eaten all the Kestrel that I was going to save.
I'm not going to grow so many next year as I took up far too much garden with them this year. After all I need more space for all the seeds from the Round Robin.
Oh that's it!!!! - there's only Hyacinthoides hispanica in my book and although the flowers are similar it didn't quite fit. The ones I have also seem much hardier - there were three very large clumps of them here when I moved. I divided them up this spring, gave a lot away but still had plenty to plant in new spots. Thank you so much, I'm so glad to finally put a name on them!!!
Thank you - I'm almost finished! The paving stones are all in place, now I just have to fill up the spaces between them with sand and finish off the outside edge. Not sure how I'll do it - I'm planning to make a paved walkway that connects with the seating area. That'll be stage 2. Eventually I want to get rid of all the grass in that area - it's a bother to have to mow that narrow strip of grass....
Small steps at a time, but eventually I'll get there. :-)
Well, the fibromyalgia certainly doesn't make it easier, that's for sure. I often feel things are moving at a much slower pace than I would have liked as I'm very impatient!! I need to make my borders much wider than they are, but it is so hard work that I only mange to chip away at the edges slowly.....patience, patience... it's not one of my virtues! My husband does help me with all the hard labour - in this pavement project he did the digging and shovelling gravel - then I just put the puzzle together:-) But I do tend to over exert myself at times - I get into stubborn, impatient mode and just keep going until I can't ... then it's time to rest.
I've also been battling with my pond - it was leaking and I had to find the hole in the lining and fix it - I thought I'd go mad, because I didn't seem to able to stop the leak .... anyway I filled it up and it doesn't seem to be emptying as quickly so hopefully I managed to fix it in the end.
It seems as you've been very busy - no wonder you're exhausted after all that work! I'm glad to hear that your crop of potatoes was good. No room for potatoes here and I'm afraid my attempt at a vegetable garden was rather miserable this year. The carrot seeds dried out - so no carrots. I was too late sowing the lettuce seeds so no lettuce. For some reason I only planted three plants of broccoli and two were ruined by cabbage fly or whatever it's called so I only have one broccoli plant and 4 plants of kale growing there, plus some rhubarb and chives. Better luck next year I guess ...
We're having our first taste of fall at the moment - it's soooooo cold outside :-( At the moment the wind is howling - from the north (ugh!) - and the temperatures have dropped to 8°C. (I think I feel a cold coming on!) My poor plants !!!!!!! I always get a knot in my gut when the wind picks up from the north like this. I need taller plants at the north end, where the fence is to get better shelter from the north wind - it's the worst wind direction here. It's really bad when the late frosts hit in April or May - somehow there always has to be bitter winds to go with it - as if frost in May wasn't bad enough on its own! But they can't be too tall so they don't shade out the rock border I have along the driveway - that needs full sun. It really is a dilemma. I think something about 3 - maybe 4 m could help things a bit. Just have to find suitable plants that can take a beating and - wait until they grow that tall!
Hi Rann.
How are you, don`t think I have met you before ;o)
How is your project coming on, it really looks pretty, like it very much.
It will be a good spot when you need a rest from gardening. As you said, fibromyalgia certainly doesn't make it easier. But you are a figther, keep on :o)
Had a friend working in Iceland, she told me how hard it blows. We are a bit more protected here, but the last few days seems like a hurricane has decided to settle down. Temperatures are droping fast, today has been 12C and very windy.
Hi Pat :o))
What athing with that filter, good think you got it to work. How is the saying now, when it rains it pours (hope I got that right)
How did the sarpo Axona potatoes taste? Been looking for a puple potato, do you now the name of that one?
The garden project is coming along, don`t think the cosmos will bloom, it is getting to cold now. But it looks a bit like a garden now.
Please look here
http://www.simplesite.com/oxalis/4128544
Some closer photos
http://www.simplesite.com/oxalis/4128541
Happy gardening Monica ;o))
