The Frantic Gardeners’ Blog

We have done some clearing out of the greenhouse. so, with the staging visible again, i have been busy filling it up! the toms are in their penultimate pot, the baby yellow ilidi seem very different. i have also potted on the butternut squash, pumpkin and courgettes [they get potted on once before planting out, as they get sown in modules!]. the 4 peppers are busy going nowhere, so i think we will be buying in peppers this year!

the yard beans are in their final pots with canes in the greenhouse as well. fingers crossed for a crop this year, as they didn’t crop outside last year.

Our sweetcorn are growing beautifully, and the french bean cobra and the runner bean something are germinating too. I guess i need to do some successional sowing of the brocolli now, and think about some salads. i haven’t done them yet this year, as i often sow them and then realise i haven’t got anywhere to put them and they bold. this year i am trying to do a bit more planning! i also have some dwarf french beans to sow that will go in the pots for the kids area

we have some cherries appearing on the minarette too. must keep an eye out for gooseberry sawfly - in leeds they always hit. here we have more a problem with the cabbage white, so i might need more environmesh!

yay! the broad beans in the garden are poking there heads above the ground. no signs of the carrots. also a bit concerned that one of the gooseberries doesn’t seem to have any sign of life. will have to let nice mr ken muir know!

i must get to sow some more seeds. interestingly, pea celebration has germinated much more quickly and evenly than pea endeavour.

brocolli extra early red sprouting - rudolph, and also cauliflower autumn giant. the carrots indoors are poking their noses up, though as they are part of a science experiment, we will have to see the survivability!

bit more tidying and organising of veg bed and fruit bed - the goosegogs are now in as well.

also this year we have started mushrooms in a box, lets see how successful they are! certainly messy, as was told to pour water in slowly, but there is a walloping hole in bottom of bag to aerate, so just came out!

well, so far this year that has been a whole lot of clearing and investing.

we have bought lots of mulch, to mulch over bits until we get to them, and then around them as we lost the battle of the weeds again. we will plant broad beans and pots through cardboard again, as they at least were happy with that.

we have also invested in raspberry canes and gooseberry, blackcurrent and blueberry bushes.

have only sown seeds as part of science experiment - weather a bit atrocious this weekend! must remedy this.

Making various fruit jams and Jellies. have harvested loads of chillies. will dry some and then look for good recipes for others. toms still coming. eying up green ones for green tomato pickle - yummy!

Last of the beans are ekeing out. we are using the beans not the pods on the french ones.

Grapes are harvestable, but will keep on the vine until xmas, so we are picking as we need them. Have now harvested all the pears, and only a few apples left o the trees.

MUST get out and sort somewhere to pop in garlic and broad beans - why am I always late with this??

Has now gone, but we are still harvesting. there has ben an abrupt weather change, plunging us into autumn. My thoughts tend towards he clearing and tidying - not that I have had a chance to do it yet.

The grapes are ready - lovely! Loads of peppers and toms still, but only a few aubergines left. Still harvesting some potatoes, though the crop not been so good this year. All the cucurbits a total washout. time for our fab pear harvest too. a few beans sill, bt a bit nippy now