General Chat

I think you need to buy a small field Lesley LOL

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 may be right Ann :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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 :)