General Chat

Good morning Julia. Thanks for the info. I usually start sowing some of my seeds this weekend, but grandchildren are here, so I'm watching Peppa Pig instead :-D

Hope to make a start later, when grandpops takes them to the park :-D

I Have to agree with you Julia ,years ago i had a large [and i mean large] greenhouse on one of my allotments where i grew all my seedlings for planting out in early to late spring.
i had a proper blue flame greenhouse heater which i used to keep the chill out of the nursery half ,and starting in late November with the show leeks ,and onions ,it used to burn three gallons of oil a week.on a 24 hour setting.
With the price of oil now ,i couldn't do it ,but the little greenhouse i have now ,i can keep the chill off it by using a little 40 watt background heater normally used to heat a bedroom or out house.
Being in the north east of England ,any other form of heating now ,is out of the question specially on a pension.
My seeds these days don't get set away until mid march at the earliest.Fred.
:-)

Morning Wend, no rush, no rush. Just take your time.
I saw you mentioned the setting of Beans yesterday.
In these parts, we had in the olden days, what was known as Bean Sunday. That is the closest Sunday to May the 12th, and is when all food people in thses parts would set their Bean Seeds.
Nowadays, we go by this rule of thumbs, and it works for us, with beans still being picked in Septemeber.
It is well to remember that, according to me old Dad, that the working class man of old, only started to dig their gardens at Easter. This was because it was the first holiday of the year, after Christmas, So as Easter is a moveable feast at any time between the end of March and anytime during April, setting your beans at the begining of May, sounds about right to me.

Take Care

Julia in Derbyshire

OK, thanks Julia - you've let me orf the hook and I can watch Peppa Pig to my heart's content (rolls eyes lolol) :-D

Wend, I forgot to mention, I usually start setting my seeds of anything around March 17th, so you can watch Peppa Pig with a clear conscience.LOLOL


Julia in Derbyshire

Julia - strange how Paddy's day comes up in gardening world for planting and sowing!!

Seed potatoes usually planted on that day usually do well.

Yes, it is strange, isn't it.
I don't know how I came about picking that particular date, the 17th March,though it has always worked for me. I think years ago, I wanted a date that would stick in my mind, and picked that. Anyway, I have a son born on that day, a deceased, but favourite aunt, also. And the day before, the 16th, a grandaughter, so it should stick in the brain. LOLOL


Julia in Derbyshire

i went to the farmers market and bought some lavender plants
then to redcar and bought some sweet peas
they will stay in the green house for now

checked the lavender cuttings i took last year
and only 3 have taken

but 3 is better than none

Thank you Ann, I shall let you know whether they continue to thrive, they are tucked up for the night!

It sounds a wonderful bargain, Puss! I shall take a look. I already have 18 and counting, raised beds, nine of they several bricks high. I do have a large garden but not sure whether I can accommodate one but where there's a will... I do use my m-i-laws greenhouse (pretty big), well even m-i-laws have their uses :-D ;-)

I'm going to settle down and read all the posts here so that I can see what everybody is up to and learn a few things.

Take care everybody and enjoy tomorrows gardening <3

ash anyone got plenty now, going to pop it around my trees tomorrow, for the first time ever ive planted runner beans, hope its not to early as it said jan to may, ive got seedlings of carrot
and tomato , pots are showing, i just hope oh will keep an eye for me if i stay in hosp :-0

Great to see you posting again Lavender and enjoying your garden :-D

Thought that I might write a little here about my first love - composting.

Since I live on a farm and plenty of space is available I have a long strip of land 37 feet x 12 feet. It is boarded all round to contain the compost.

At present there are five, large heaps which are turned regularly with a digger. The heaps are turned several times a year, particularly during the summer months. In my experience, the more times it is turned, the quicker it makes. If the heap is dry I sprinkle water from the hosepipe as my husband turns it with the digger.

The grass clippings are added (provided it has not been sprayed), weedings, prunings, kitchen peelings (not potato as they give disease, I've read recently), torn up cardboard, cereal boxes, paper etc. help to bulk it out and add valuable 'brown' material. I try to aim for 50 : 50 brown and green. We have two little ponies so the muck goes straight in too. I probably should rot the leaves separately, but they go in as I collect them and they rot down fairly quickly too.

I am always amazed at the speed that the compost becomes usable. A couple of times a year we move the compost heaps down so that there is space to start a new heap. The oldest heap is still pretty huge and resembles very fine, dark soil. When most people look at it they think that it actually is soil.

I really enjoy doing it and have lots to add to my raised beds and borders. Each time I add a crop I add a couple of barrows to the bed. It is so fine that I am even able to incorporate it into a bed when sowing carrots. They don't seem to fork too much as it is as fine as the soil.

It's my only skill! :-)

wow lavender sounds good, ive got 2 compost ins at various stages, ut im scared to look in in case there is any meece in there . xxx :-D

probably only RATS :-D

omg really lol :-0 :-0

No, don't worry Puss. People do say don't add scraps for fear of encouraging them but I've never seen any evidence. There are probably loads on a farm but i guess they come and help themselves to bits and then get on with their lives ie making lots of little rats! It's my greatest fear!!! :-)

Lavender and rats in the garden after harvest :-D

We too are farmers and grow potatoes commercially and I didn't know you shouldn't pot peelings on the compost heap, I thought years ago people use to grow potatoes in there compost heap. Showing my age now.
:-D :-D :-D

we had a vole near the compost bin the other day lavnder, OH disposed of him by the brook, he watched walk the garden initialy thinking this a rat, but he noticed it had no tail, the same with anything small and d furry rats being the biggest,its so bad
ive been thinking of therapy tbh we live in the country side so its a matter okf time lol :-0

would you like the man in a white coat to call after he has finished with me Puss? ;-)

oh yes please lavender

that would be good, do you think they will be good as rat cathers too :-D