General Chat

Hello Daff - I have also had to go out and water in some spots, depite the heavy rain last night. That sounds like alot of work initially in your garden, but if you can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, it has been well worth it.
Talking about carrots,when OH bought up the veggies yesterday from the allotment, he also bought me a bunch of sweet peas. So I cut of some of the green top off of the carrots, and put them with the sweet peas, for a bit of greenery, and looking at them now, they are beautiful. Remember, waste not, want not.
Julia in Derbyshire

Hiya Julia, mine was all virgin clay... had been part of a thicket at the edge of a wooded area, but it also has some estuary, grey, clay..... I have had most of that removed, and the pathways, patio raised beds and decking have been designed to take up the worst spots.. even my lawn at the front is on a raised bed cos there was a big dollop of it right in the middle, lol We are reclaimed marshland, so a mix, really..

The plants love it, once the soil has been broken down a bit, not the grey, of course, we have added topsoil and raised beds to those areas, lol or covered them up as above...... but it has all ended in a basic design of border and pathways that I am very pleased with..

Sun is out... must go and water the bits that the rain just doesn't reach, lol... seems a bit daft to be watering when it has been bucketing down, lol!!

My cauli and swede are ready to be pricked out....... and the carrots are almost ready for thinning... I have the carrots in long tall tubs.... the soil is still too heavy to take them.

We'll be having lots of potatoes, next year!! ;¬))

Love

Daff xxxx

Daff, potatoes are renowned for breaking up heavy clay soil, and an old method used by old time gardeners. Fortunately, we do not have to use this method on the allotment, as the soil is more like flour. I cannot put this all down to my OH's diligence alone, but the subsequent old timers that have had it in the past. I have one of those cheap and cheerful little plastic greenhouses, and grow my three tomato plants in it, it is just wide enough.
Happy gardening
Julia in Derbyshire

Maddie, I have one of those cheap and cheerful tall ones with the plastic cover... I have had it for 5 years now, although we have used it to grow flowers in the past, not veggies.

However, I have a couple of sheets of perspex, and loads of spare bricks, so this winter I shall dot them all around the garden.... all my pathways are slabs with pea gravel. That seems to deter the slugs, so hopefully we'll have a good crop next year.

We dug up the taters, lol... enough for three meals, which isn't bad seeing as they came from a couple of potato peelings and an area which doesn't get a lot of sun!!, lolol And they have broken the clay soil beautifully... I have added some extra manure (well rotted) and put a small shrub in there, lol...... I think I might do the same next year, to some of the heavier clay areas...... watch this space!! Oh, and the taters were delicious!!

Love

Daff xxxx

Hello Maddiecow, that is a very good suggestion with the stones, but I am now into grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Maybe I'll do it for the three little ones
Many thanks

Julia in Derbyshire

Thanks Secret Red Squirrel for putting up the web site on how to grow pineapples. I have just printed off the instructions, so I'll have a read at my leisure. I had a go at this a couple or so years ago, and kept it going for about a year, then it just seemed to die a death. I'll now have to put a fresh pineapple on my Morrisons list for Friday. A good excuse, as if I needed one.
Again, many thanks

Julia in Derbyshire

I think you may be right Ann :)

Sorry Julia I missed the bit about the stones from Scotland, how lovely will they remind you of holidays? If you have kids they can paint there names on them them on holidays and then cover with clear nail varnish.

I think you need to buy a small field Lesley LOL

Hello Maddiecow, have already got my rocks and plants. But, was going to top dress it with pea gravel anyway, but that is a good idea about the shells, and will use this tip. Many,many thanks

Julia in Derbyshire

Sounds fab Julia! A tip for your Rockery (all my herbs grow in mine). I built mine a few years ago and found the large rocks expensive in the garden centre and also too 'knew' looking.

I went onto freecycle and asked if anyone had old rocks - loads of people are getting rid of rockerys to extend these days and I had an abundance of offers and got some fab stones and plants - all for free just as long as I picked, collected and carried to the car myself.

Also what looks pretty and deters slugs in the rockery is everytime we have shell food, I boil up the shells after to clean them and then throw them in the rockery.

Yes, we do. Just having a break to read this thread. Have been making vanilla panacottas with stewed grapes and raspberries in apple juice, for tomorrow and to use up the soft fruits which are in abundence at the moment. We are not 'pudding' people as such, but something light like this will fit the bill. Have already made some Strawberry Conserve, and some Raspberry Vinegar, for winter sore throats. You have to be very inventive when you have loads of crops coming up.
My OH has an allotment, and he grows every veg and soft fruit we eat, including Turnips and Parsnips for the winter, and also Brussels, which we love. Up at the house I grow, aswell as all the flowers, shrubs, hanging baskets, borders, window boxes and tropical border, three tomato plants in a little plastic mini 'greenhouse'. They are this year, Tumblers, Roma, a plum, cooking tomato, and a Golden Sunrise, a yellow salad tomato. As I stand watering these, I can turn round and pick some Alpine Strawberries from the hanging basket. I have pots of herbs in this little area also. In the greenhouse, I have a pepper and a chilli plant, which has about 6 chillis on at the moment. For anyone wanting to grow Garlic, just get an ordinary bulb from the supermaket, and split into sections and space around a large container.
Well, OH has just walked in with the 'Sunday Dinner'. I can see potatoes, peas, carrots and a cauli. There is also some broad beans, which I will use for tomorrow, along with some of the potatoes, boiled today, then sauted tomorrow, and with the panacottas, that is tomorrows dinner taken care of. We are having rhese with roast chicken, and home made sage and onion stuffing. But I will, joint the chicken as it is too big for two. Then on Saturday, after I have defrosted two of the saved portions, I will turn them into sticky chicken with rice and a salad. Tuesday, will be new potatoes, fresh mint sauce, lamb chops,cabbage, peas and carrots. And so we progress through the week, having what depends on availability on the allotment.
Lovely grub

Julia in Derbyshire

PS. After I have cleaned todays bag of 'goodies' I am off to build a rockery in a long trough. Bought the plants yesterday, and the stones I have bought back from holidays in Scotland.

Happy gardening all

Daff did you make or buy your cold frame? I am interested in one as I think it would have protected my Broccoli better, but dont have much room left on the top patio and like my lawn for God kids and neices and nephews to play on so only have flowers in boarders down there.

Prob is I have tried to encourage bees and butterflies down the bottom of the garden and they took a fancy to my Broccoli at the top. I am thinking of building one but am not sure where to start.

Apparently Lesley if you leave your courgettes too long they grow into marrows!!! x

A said to say we make our own compost here and that adds to the taste ~ everyone should try having a go x

I wasn't allowed to play in the muck when most people ere starting their veggies... but I do have a magnificent looking potato plant growing in the flower patch... should be ready to harvest any day now.... I have now got a veg patch proper... I have carrots in tubs, and my cauli and swede are doing nicely... they will be ready to plant out any day now.. runner beans in a tub, and I have the first flowers appearing... sweetcorn and onions are doing well, as are the peas and sugar snap... I have planted beetroot, in pots, and await germination.

As I said, later than most folk, but I wasn't able to play... so most of my harvesting will be late. I am emptying the freezers bit by bit so that I can freeze some of it when it is ready.

Next year, I shall have loads.. I have a small coldframe, but lots of spots I can build makeshift ones... plus every window ledge in the conservatory, and my old marble coffee table, will be fully utilised as germination spots, lol

Can't wait!!

Love

Daff xxxx

this thread is sounding more like farm world (or whatever it's called) lol

Hayley's got donkeys and I'd love a real one but my garden isn't that big unfortunately. **wonders if there is a donkey sanctuary nearby**

I want an olive tree too! I just LOVE olives! Am off to the Garden Centre as most of flowers were bashed by the hailstones and I want to replace them.

I had the Olive tree as a birthday present from my inlaws three years ago, it was about 10 inches tall and I think cost about £20.00.

I havent repotted it yet so its still quite small, about a foot and a half tall, but bares enough fruit for two jars.

Its only in a ten inch pot, I do need to repot it this year, but its small enough for me to bring into the conservatory in the winter in a small pot, although it was out in the snow last winter and has survived and looks healthy.

I love black olives (more than green) aren't green olives just olives that haven't fully ripened yet?

I want an olive tree now! Do you need a big container for it?

Reading about the spuds below, I tried old pototoes in my compost bin last year, but it dosent work out. I read that normal spuds that sprout are more prone to disease. You can buy a bag of proper sprouting potatoes for as little as 99p I put only two in an 18 inch pot and last year had about 20 spuds, I havent dug up this year yet to see how many I have, but you just pull out the big ones and leave the smaller ones there and they will continue to grow.