General Chat

My oh has gone a bit mad with various beans this year........lol

We grow a few of the old Heritage sorts and now have several big jars of " magic " looking beans..............lol

They are a wonder to me : ))

Well Ive just had the shock of my life podding some Runner beans - they are Fushcia in colour!

We have had loads of baby cucumbers (small variety) in the greenhouse lots of Tumbler tomatoes (grown in baskets outside), lettuce grown in a container, ditto potatoes, carrots, French beans and spring onions. Had one very large courgette, then the plant got mildew (also in a container) and three or four courgettes didn't grow, have one growing now, also got beetroot growing. Still have alicante tomatoes to ripen and a beef tomato as well.

Ann
Glos

Sounds like everyones on the case, Im still stuck re a Cold Frame for next year. I saw a really good value one at the weekend and am half kicking myself I didnt buy it. But it was plastic like one of these mini greenhouses, if I want one to keep the cabbage white at bay surely my broccoli will swelter under plastic? Dosent a cold frame need to breath or am I being silly? If I unzipped it then the cabbage white could attack again?

Hi Secret Red Squirrel, I bought my pineapple about three weeks ago. I cut off the top, and tidied it up, and put it in a red plastic 'glass'. It is now sprutting roots, and is ready for the next stage. Keeping my fingers crossed
I have two peppers on my plant, my chillies are now turning red, and I have had several tomatoes off one of my plants.
Good Morning to all
Julia in Derbyshire

I've bought a pineapple today at last lol

Need to eat it first before I try to grow the plant :)

Now why has this thread gone quiet when the garden is busy? I have my first ever pepper almost ready to pick, tomotoes by the bucketful and all my spuds have now been eaten.

Apples - my ,my apples apples everywehere and not even from my garden but next doors!

wow! glad to see so many growing so many different types of vegetables. You're all an inspiration :-)

I now have tomatoes on all three of my plants,just need plenty of sun to make them grow and ripen, though I am feeding them now. Chilli plant is bearing plenty of 'fruit', but not so the pepper. Plenty of veggies will be ready for the weekend meals, so, once again, only the meat to buy
Julia in Derbyshire

lol Old geezer - I must grow super slugs, I use copper tape and Slug Killer certified for Organic use and although not as many this year as last, enough to kill my Courgettes, Cucumber and Sunflower just when I thought I was making headway :(

PS although small my spuds tasted lovely :)

You can keep the slugs and snails Mac....lol

Hi
Yes we grow vegetables as well as fruit. We grow potatoes,peas,runner beans,cauliflower,various lettuce carrots,onions,leeks tomatoes- strawberries,raspberries,gooseberries,plums and apples
Ruth n Jim

We found if you gave a neighbouring allotment holder a cabbage or whatever he would give you some of his carrots or something else in exchange.
Seemed to balance out well
Always enough for a meal.

Ill look on the Argos site re the Cold frames and have a B&Q not far away. Different coloured grasses can look attractive in the late autum in hanging baskets and cherry tomotoes for colour.

I have picked my first spuds tonight for our dinner, I was a bit dissapointed they were a bit smaller than expected even though they have flowered, so Ill leave the rest down for a few weeks - Ill let you know later how they tasted.

We have had our allotment for about 12 years now and have grown all sorts of veg on it over the years.
We have a bumper crop of peas this year ( in fact I'm sick of the sight of pea pods ...lol ).
Much to oh's joy , he has managed to grow carrots without the blasted carrot fly ruining them this year . He splashed out on an " enviro-mesh " tent thing , which has kept them safe .

We grow a lot of the Heritage varieties , some of the " old fashioned " beans are really exciting.

Amanda

My Father had 2 allotments.
I often used to help him at weekends.
He grew
potatoes
cabbage
sprouts
turnips
onions
leeks
couldn't grow cauliflower
Always had flowers too.
We built the shed and the greenhouse and erected the fences.
Happy memories

Maddie, I think you can get reasonably priced put -together- yourself cold frames from such as B & Q or even Argos. They are metal framed and you slot in the Polycarbonate sides and top.
I also hope that this thread can be bought up over and over again throughout the year so people can add their progress, and leave tips for others. A sort of journal of hints and tips.For instance:-
I have four hanging baskets of Pansies on a walkway down to my greenhouse. Because of the weather, I now feel they are past their best, but still need some colour there through to September. So, on Saturday last , I went to the garden centre to see what I could get, which is not alot at this time of year. The colour scheme is blue and yellow. I ended up buying four yellow pot mums for the centre of the baskets, an indoor spider plant which I can divide up, for a bit of something dangling down the front, and two multiheaded 'stems' of pale blue artificial flowers, which I can also divide up. I already have two baskets of artificial foliage, which give colour summer and winter alike.
I am sure many other people have had to use their 'noddle' to overcome gardening problems, and they may be of help to others.
All the Best
Julia in Derbyshire

Julia you took the words out of mouth re spuds being well known for breaking down hard soil. I cant wait to pick mine this week.

I am still undecided about buying or making a cold frame but definatly want one in for next year........but the birthday fairy is visiting this week so I will see what it brings lol.

I do hope this thread runs throughout the year as its great to share tips and ideas and I want to run my veggies through the winter this year so would be grateful for any advice.

I bought a book recently called 'The Gardeners Wise Words and Country Ways' a saying I identified with in there is:

The love of gardening is a seed that once sown never dies

How true

Oooh Merlin, pretty ropey I would have thought. Are you growing your own veggies on your acreages
Julia in Derbyshire

Nice to see some people love to grow their own real ( not Cyber ) veg.I wonder how the Cyber ones taste??.**M**.