The Frantic Gardeners’ Blog

The weather is changing though. the wind is blowing more, and although not rained, the forecast is for cooler. As long as no frosts [perlease!] an just milder [fingers crossed tho for gentle rain]

Potting on

The remaining mangetout have been planted up into a bucket for the patio pots. Still currently living in the greenhouse though. Greenhouse looking much emptier though

Germinating

All the chickpeas and all the brassicas bar the white cauli, and all the cucurbits bar the butternut squash.

Planting out

this is the scary bit really. due to the weather [gorgeous] and early sowing [taking advantage of the children’s interest] we have ended up with things that just have to go out, potentially too soon if the weather turns too dramatically. Just keeping fingers crossed really.

DD1’s bed is all planted up. She has made a cane wigwam and the sweet peas are out, and then done her initial in zinnias to one side of it, surrounded by autumn aster, and a fish the other side in night scented stock, with brompton stock around. All her own plan, with scant reference to heights, flower colour, season etc etc. Fingers very very crossed!

Potatoes are a go! The are all in. The kids have some earlies in sacks, and the rest are in the main veg bed. DH has decided to do a bit of an experiment. Half are going to be earthed up, and the others are thickly covered with straw. Let the science begin

Maintenance

The girls and I made some cane toppers out of fimo [bakeable modelling clay] Perhaps they will work! perhaps they are as perilous as the canes

To do:

1. globe artichoke - find a home!

2. DH beds to fill - quite urgent - salads currently

3. empty all weedy pots around patio and pop in spare flowers etc

4. buy climbers and plant infront of kitchen, and populate herb pots there

5. pot up tomatoes to final pots

6. sort out the beanfence.

7. make nettle infusion

our bees are happily buzzing around the garden. we have wild honey bees on a chimney [for the last 5 years] and  loads of different bumble bees, hairy legged bees and mason bees. All good for the garden . The drones must be out, cos there are quite a lot of confused honey bees on the floor of the patio and conservatory. The brilliant weather has continued [sunhat, suncream and shorts!!] And my DH has finished all the beds we will make this year [though hoping to make perhaps 4 more in the autumn as part of the bedding down…] .The church behind is flying the english flag, as we approach st georges day. Fantastic! [oh, and i am not at work tho have migraine it is nearly better ]

Also today, we had some of the spare plants potted up on the drive with a home made sign and honesty box. The proceeds are going to the local library. We did well, as there was 4.80 in the pot - we just asked for donations.we sold 3 tomatoes [sungold], 2 peppers [jalapeno] , 2 pots of 2 cauliflowers [violet queen]. We are in a relatively good spot, where ppl often park to go to the local shops, and the library is volunteer run, so ppl do like to help it out.We are pretty happy with that

My DD’s also painted lots of the tomato pots with acrylics, in a variety of ‘designs’ so they should look pretty jolly once out. I enjoyed doing a couple as well.

Germination

The sweetcorn has pretty much all germinated, and all the courgettes and pak choi. The latest twinkle peas in modules have, and 1 of the watermelons have. some of the climbing beans just started. it is darned warm now in the greenhouse, and they are in propagator [for the bottom heat] tho once they have germinated it will be switched off.

Planted Out

We did DD2’s bed. She decided where things would go, planted out 3 sunflowers, declared herself too hot and retired to the paddling pool, leaving me in charge! SO 8 russian giant sunflowers, 6 dwarf sunflowers [already flowering] 12 calendula, 7 foxglove [to flower next year] and 25 alpine strawberries went in. All of these sown from seed. Taking a chance with the weather as the sunflowers really did need to go in, will fleece if we have to.

Maintenance

As I said, DH finished making all the beds for this year - yippee!! We have the items to fill them We also painted the tom pots - as also prev stated

Pests

Seeing lots of butterflies now - glad we have the enviromesh

To Do

1. Potatoes - desperately!!

2. globe artichoke - nearly as desperate!

3. 4. DD1 and DH beds to fill - quite urgent

5. empty all weedy pots around patio and pop in spare flowers etc

6. buy climbers and plant infront of kitchen, and populate herb pots there

7. pot up tomatoes to final pots

8. sort out the beanfence.

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous, and the plants have grown well. The broad beans are flowering, and those sown in situ have all germinated and are growing up. the garlic is growing well too.The apples and pear tree have been absoluted covered in flowers, so hoping for a good harvest in the Autumn.

Sowing

Today I have sown sweetcorn ‘lark’ , climbing bean cobra and blauhilde and dwarf gold bean all in roottrainers, hoping to be not to early and not too late so we can plant  out in about 4-6 weeks. [lets see!] . I have also sown pumpkin [T and M experimental] Courgettes parthenon and … and butternut squash in module, again hoping for 4-6 weeks and out. As a gamble i have sown some watermelon seeds into pots - you never know!! I also sowed a second sowing of pak choi, broccolli romanescu and white cauliflower. only 3 of each, as think i sowed too many the first time, and really should think about when we are going to eat them! Next year I would like to work out how many of each to sow at a time. A second sowing of peas too [twinkle]

Potting On

I have potted on 5 each of the different peppers [inferno, jalapeno, mixed grill] all 6 of the aubergines [mixed] , 2 of the multiple cape gooseberries, 4 of the 5 melons and 1 more of each tomato [sungold, gardeners delight and golden sunrise] to make 5 of each. Hoping this will be the right amount of everything! I also potted up the last of DD 2’s short sunflowers - a week has made a noticeable difference between them and those potted up before we went on holiday.

Into the coldframe

go the brassicas and pak choi, and the mangetout. plan to be into the ground on weds.

Maintenance/DH

DH has finished this eve the first of the marked beds - not quite raised as our soil drains so very freely! but a marked out zone, one each so that we can be putting our chosen plants in.

So, To Do:

Sowing:

locate the runner beans and sow! then see what other wierd and wonderfuls i have bought and if there might be space

Into the veg patch:

Strawberries into strawberry planter and along veg bed wall. artichoke also along veg bed wall

Potatoes - into bags and into the ground

beds 1 and 2 of the 4:

Brassicas - into bed and enviromesh around them

peas/mangetout - into bed and need supporting structure

carrots - into bed if there is space! otherwise consider sowing into pots?

beds 3 and 4:

get ready really, some of the girls plants could go out, tho quite small ? better to pot on further before planting out? never sure of optimal size. DD2’s sunflowers are ready, but not sure whether not too early?

into pots:

dwarf french beans

discuss with girls and DH all their flowers and herbs and where they are hoping to put them!

Maintenance

lots of weeding!!

and the weather is gorgeous. there are a few things i have forgotten to do tho, and so am behind. mostly the chitting potatoes that i forgot that are in the dining room. hmmm. hopefully they will catch up a bit. The brassicas also need a home, and DH bought some strawberries - apparently - which should have been planted. 90 of them!! The toms need potting up urgently too, and we are off away on holiday for a week. eek! SO the potatoes get left in the dining room, the girls heel in the strawberry plants as a temporary measure. I pot up tomatoes and give everything a good water and off we go!!

SO currently everything growing, even DD2 has 2 gourds that have germinated. when i return, i will need to go through greenhouse and take out those things that need an outside bed now, pot up everything that can’t go out, and try and find enough space to empty propagator of the peppers and aubergines so that i can sow the french beans, sweetcorn and cucurbits. will ask DH very nicely to continue to make the beds and also to say where he is thinking the strawbs will go!

just being a bit more frantic than normal I have fitted in work, playing and doing stuff [lots] with kids, some sowing and potting on, but no time or energy left for blogging!! [or tweeting which I was going to try and do well this year! maybe slow and steady ] so what have we been doing?

Sowing

Garlic has gone straight out into the veg bed, way too late really but will keep hopeful Various salad potatoes and earlies have been chitting, and now we need to plant them out - maybe this weekend.

today i have sown marigold, dwarf french bean, mangetout oregon sugar pod,  pak choi [purple] and DD2 has sown her gourds.

previously [march 13 ] i have sown some jaguar peas into half gutters to see how that works and also some cauli purple queen, romanescu brocolli and normal white cauli. DD1 sowed all her flowers - mostly stocks but some zinnia, stocks, sweet peas and rudbeckia too. all now germinated .

germinating

we are doing well with germinating so far this year. just waiting for the eryngiums still, but everything else done rather well. was v relieved that the peppers made it

Potting on

i have potted on DD2s sunflowers today, and they automatically look happier. I also potted on the tomatoes gardeners delight - probably a bit to soon as their roots not huge, but because i had 2 per module.

the nights are still pretty chilly here [into the minus anyway] and some of the days pretty hot, so there is lots of running and opening up greenhouse and then running and closing [just remembered the tops, so better go back out!] and have taken lots of things out of the propagator today that are teeny tiny, as they only get to stay in if not germinated or particularly tender.

I really must get the blog picking up my flickr pics. just need a widget i guess also wanting a widget to autonotify twitter - hoping my sysadmin can sort that out too. [please ]

Sowing

So, we have sown today [frantically admidst all sorts of other jobs ] globe artichoke, tomato sungold and gardeners delight, and golden sunrise[ sungold is orange - confusing or what!] . Was v disappointed in the sungold, as there were only 6 seeds in the packet, and it says average of 10. i think 6 is too far away, so emailing their customer care, and hope to have a replacement pack. will see how that goes! I also sowed my DH choice of seeds for pots and his vegbed: datura for the pots, echinacaea and eryngium for the bed. I think I need to remind everyone about THE VEG!! I am v happy for some flowers to attract in beneficials, and also for general wildlife and looks, but i do prefer to mostly have VEG. I also sowed lot of nasturtiums, which admittedly he bought, but i am very fond of . With 6 seed trays in the propogator, there is only room for pots now, so no more sowing until things move out. For me, i sowed canteloupe melon mmm mmm

Germination

Mistakenly, thinking the propogator in greenhouse not quite so warm as when in conservatory, i put the peppers and aubergines in a mini electric one in conservatory, and it doesn’t seem to have worked, and none germinated. Peppers are awkwrd things tho, so will keep my fingers crossed for another week. If they haven’t grown then i will by a few more packets to resow.

the broad beans tho are having erupted looking earth in some of the modules, which suggests they are about to appear and the sunflowers have all germinated for DD2.

Maintenance

It has been far too rainy recently to want to dig over and further organise veg patch, but this is getting higher up urgency list

Maintenance

well, we have been working hard in the garden, clearing from the veg bed and the greenhouse 2 years of accumulated rubbish and weeds so that we can start again. A HUGE bonfire was had, and we have lots of compost from continuing to compost through the last 2 years, but not used it!

DH has set up the greenhouse with the propagator there as well, as the conservatory has been renovated, and no longer suitable for the mess of potting on ;)  . The previous shelves have been renovated a bit too, so i have a potting and sowing area in there for now, though when we get far more things I will have to lose it . contemplating bubble wrap, and also capillary matting and autowatering.

Planning

we have planned out the veg bed a bit, and the bit nearest the house will have 4 beds which are to be permanent, and one each for us. The girls are really excited, and bought mostly flower seeds, though DD2 has also chosen some woodland strawberries.

Sowing

Today i sowed the peppers - jalepeno, inferno and red grill, some from a mixed aubergine packet and physallis. These are obviously planned for the greenhouse. Later i will be sowing melons and tomatoes and that should fill it up! I also sowed some broad beans into a module, as that area of the veeg bed not quite ready yet. All are out into the propagator in the greenhouse, which is a home made job with coldframe on the top, and the individ trays get those seed tray lids on as well. It is the first year that the propagator is in the greenhouse, so i do hope it stays warm enough at night. Hmm, think tomorrow may add bubblewrap to make sure!

SO, nice to be back after a 2 year break.

must add some photos at some point to this blog.

today i have planted out into the veg bed the first sowing of celebration peas. [the endeavour have been composted] also the broc early red and cauli autumn giant. they are watered in nicely [waterbut] and environmeshed over, otherwise we have a plague of caterpillars. the peas also environmeshed as last time we had pea thrips. hopefully this will help.

to help me get to the veg, DH has been hacking away at one of the fabulous shaped yews. it feels sad and a bit of a desecration, but it is too big. they should shoot well from the woody bits, so we will have it as perhaps a simpler cylinder.

i am going to use the last of my compost now to pot on a few more toms.

we have some early cherries on the cherry minarette, and loads and loads of blossom on the apple minarettes, so hoping for a good crop. the strawbs are in full flower and looking v healthy, and all the bush fruit has settled. one of the raspberry canes appears to be doing nothing though.

its still under black membrane wraps, but the peas [celebration not hopeless endeavour] neeeeed to go out, as do the caulis and brocolli [so that i can then do a second sowing! I desperately need some more cardboard boxes, and some timeto do a spot of weeding! it is MUCH easier to do sowing and potting on with children than sorting and weeding. even if the sowing is ‘unusual’ and somethings don’t recover from the potting on!

the greenhouse also needs a bit of a sorting out, as i have potted on some of the toms again, and the yard long beans need to think about climbing up some permanent sticks! only 4 peppers, ah well.

oh, and the propagatory totally backed up! the artichokes have been potted on, as have some of the sunflowers.

for germination - we have had 100% of all the squash family [including the butternut squash from supermarket!] and the runners and celebration [but a solitary endeavour - will try sowing direct]. runners will soon need to go out [protected] and the squashes potted up.

for sowing, today i sowed the first lot of climbing bean blauhilde and cobra in roottrainers, the runner bean sunsomethingorother - to look up! I also sowed the sweetcorn - butterscotch and a supersweet.

beautifully chitted!! we have planted charlotte and pink fir apple. we don’t need to do much in the potato line, as a farm on the edge of the village sells so many diff varieties. infact, we have that many farm shops that we are spoilt for local grown organic [though not yet able to be labelled as such] produce.

We have planted through cardboard again, as that seems to be reasonably successful, and we are hopeless at weeding!

I am looking at the caulis and brocolli and peas and thinking they are also ready to go out. hmm, they’ll have to wait a bit!

toms have been happy with the repotting, and getting a move on. the yard long beans at least haven’t sulked too much!

the first of the squashes are already germinating - butternut from the supermarket. the girls always like to sow some saved seeds.