January 2007

Happy New Year!



Now the main event has passed i always look forward to starting the growing season all over again. My copy of the T&M catalogue arrived just before Hogmanay complete with DVD and this inspired me and i was raring to go. Well, that was until i realised that my ambitions were going to cost me a small ransom should i buy all my plants from T&M....much cheaper to raise the majority from seed.

Some may recall i received two of the Hall's cold frames for my birthday in November so in my quest for a bright, blooming and productive garden i'm busy getting these sorted and put together. I'm not sure how much they will hold in seed trays but the box says i have 12sq ft of growing space for each frame....what's that in proper money then?

I'm planning on starting quite a few plants off from seed and for the first time ever going to try growing on a few plug plants (just as insurance)....always been difficult for me in the past as i didn't have a greenhouse or cold frame and i found that trying to get these going indoors (usually in the dining room) is less than ideal due to modern heating and difficulties with watering. Much easier to throw water around without the soft furnishings!

I feel the cold frames are a good start to moving to the greenhouse and look forward to seeing what can be achieved, afterall a cold frame is just a mini-greenhouse and ideal for the cultivation of small plants.

Once I get everything under way and fingers crossed the weather will be kind to me i'll be getting the greenhouse base in. Decided that the best way to do this is to lay slabs rather than a concrete raft. The reason's for this are around flexibility; should the need arise to move or dispense with the greenhouse in the future then it can revert to another patio area, also slabs laid on sand would be easier to be removed if required, at least without the need for a pneumatic drill.

I find that April and May are my busiest months in the garden getting all the tatties in and vegetables underway, also fighting weeds is the biggest job for a couple of months...any slacking at this time of the year and they get the upper hand, turning into an even bigger job trying to get on top again...much easier to get the hoe going early and sever the little darlings when they are wee.

I don't know about anyone else but there's still certain areas of my garden that are in bloom and shouldn't be! I've still got Geraniums flowering in tubs from the summer bedding, a penstemon, pansies and more geraniums in the beds flowering too. Okay they're not at their summer best but if it keeps up like this then they will hopefully make a full recovery for next summer!

Had a quick peek out today to see if the bulbs are poking through the ground and they don't appear to be....but then again we haven't had the usual cold snap they like so if they do show through will they flower i wonder? I read that bulbs need 10 weeks of cold before they will flower.

Interestingly if the warmer temperatures are set to continue with global warming we may have to resort to growing bulbs by chilling in the refrigerator before we plant them in order to get them to flower. Thankfully daffodils don't require such a long chilling as tulips. If bulbs do not have the correct chilling time some will not grow and others will produce stunted stalks. I noted last year we had a relatively warm winter, and some of my less exposed daffies were stunted, this may perhaps explain the reason why. Ach well we'll see what happens this spring when they venture forth.

Mid November 2006

The grass is still growing and I had to take a chance and mow it last week, seemed to have benefitted from the haircut as it's looking very smart at the mo. The crazy weather continues with trees dropping their leaves and plants which should be dormant putting out flowers and more growth. The birds are still nesting and one wonders what will happen to them if winter hits with a venegance. They have hardly touched the feeders I filled for them. We've finally had some snow today particularly on the hills. Other areas had it in spades and it caused a bit of bother on the roads.

Continuing to tidy up the garden and have just about cleared all the beds and top dressed them ready for the spring. I've still got garlic to go in but the weather has been very changeable over the weekends and the nights dark early so really restricted to how much time I've got in the garden at the mo.

I've aged another year since my last post and for my birthday now have two cold frames as a result which I'm delighted with. They will make such a difference in the spring to getting underway. Also looking at greenhouses for next year and looking forward to getting that up and running.

All the apples have now been harvested and either eaten or stored. Planning on adding to the apple collection with a cooker next year and didn't want a Bramley but have managed to find a variety called Annie Elizabeth so will be preparing the soil for one of these to go in next Autumn. Will try this on a MM106 rootstock as this shouldn't then grow too big. The nasturtiums are also still flowering in this part of the garden but have died off in the other parts so this is an indication how much shelter the wind netting provides.

The asparagus bed was finished just in time for the plants arriving so have popped them in and top dressed them. Hopefully they should survive the winter with a bit of protection from yours truly. I planted 10 Crowns Of Connovers Colossal and 10 Crowns Of Pacific Purple, and really looking forward to seeing the spears poke their heads up next year.

The autumn raspberries are still to be pruned back with the blackberry canes. The currant bushes are all pruned and ready for the winter.

Not long to Christmas now and it doesn't feel like winter at all but I always think once we have that past Spring is never far away with the lighter nights and we'll be back growing everything again.

Thinking ahead to next year i've placed my potato order. My order for next season consists of Lady Christyl - I know I said I was going to grow something else but I really do like the flavour of these earlies, Swift and also giving Vanessa a try.

Another crop i'm going to try is Sweetcorn Swift F1. This will be a first for me and looking forward to seeing how i get on with this. I love sweetcorn and really looking forward to picking my own juicy cobs - delicious. I am really struggling for space now with all the things I would like to grow.

In the Ornamental garden I did manage to get another bed planted before the soil cooled down so really don't have much to do next year by way of planting to get it all finished off. I've noticed a big difference in the soil temperature despite the milder weather.

The Fatsia Japonica continues to put out it's first flowers and I'm waiting in anticipation for the full effect. We've had a few cold snaps of late and the plant doesn't seem bothered by it at all which is very encouraging. Keep planning to keep it indoors but think I will wait until it's flowered now.