Gardens, Gardening, Plants, etc 2019

Hi Lass and everyone else,

my tête-à-tête are in flower and are looking very pretty and cheerful. The hyacinths are growing well but not yet flowering. On a plus side there are many more of both coming up. The snowdrops are almost finished as are the crocus. Like you I too have mauve and yellow ones. The tulips are growing as well but just leaves at the moment and much smaller than yours. I love the garden this time of year when it all starts springing to life and surprising us by how beautiful the spring flowers are.

Reading about your cauliflowers reminds me of the first time I grew some. It was 1976 we had a very long hot, dry summer that year and it was my first garden! The cauliflowers grew very tall and eventually very small heads appeared on top of 3foot stalks. They looked most peculiar, 

I used to have an allotment and grew loads of different vegetables and fruit, I had to give it up eventually as it became too hard for me to maintain it. Now I just grow some in the garden. I grow raspberries, black currants and blackberries in the ground and then in pots I grow strawberries, runner beans and french beans, plus herbs. It is very satisfying eating food that you have grown yourself and big bonus it tastes so much better because it is fresher. I used to go grow lettuces in grow bags. The sort that you cut of as many leaves as you want at a time. On a good year eating salad leaves every day I didn’t have to buy any at all throughout the summer! 

Have you thought about one of the bird feeders that you can fit onto the window pane. I think it works on suction. You could then watch them feeding at close quarters or one you could attach to a tree or fence? 

The starlings here are very greedy and are eating the mealworms as if they are going out of fashion! I have put them into a feeder which has a very small perch on it. You should see the antics as they are trying to gobble them up as quickly as they can! The greedy things are emptying the feeder every day.

hope you are all as well as can be.

love and hugs

Maggie xx

Hi all

That's a photo of a little tub out my front, just about to lose the sunshine. Crocuses are starting to finish everywhere, but many hundreds of daffodils are blooming or getting ready to bloom in parks or gardens.

I love this time of year when the sun starts to rise a little higher in the sky. Outside my bedroom window, I have a few feet of lawn then a four foot wall, on top is another bank with a very largeapple tree. For the first time, I have planted various bulbs below the tree and they are shooting up, especially with the sun's rays kissing the slope. Why didn't I do that before? Maybe because I'm spending so much time in bed these days and I want to look out at colour. Of course, when the apple blossom appears, there are hundreds of blooms, it looks fantastic . 

Lass

It's a little early for cauliflower seeds, the light levels aren't good. Your seedlings' first leaves should be flush with the soil. The little seedlings will fall over, the stalk isn't strong enough. Although it may say on the packet to sow from February to April, that takes into account that the south of Britain is a month or so ahead of the north in terms of sowing times. Indeed, there's no need to sow in a propogator, they'll germinate readily outdoors in April. Same with other brassicas. Pm me and we'll put our heads together and work at it. Looking forward to chatting with you and putting the past behind. Life, as we especially are well aware, is oftentimes too short. 

Tvman xx

That’s so pretty, tvman. 

Xx

Thank you Daloni

Tvman xx

Thank you Daloni

Tvman xx

Hi all

Well, 1st of March, the beginning of meteorological spring, and time to sow some tomato seeds, chillis and aubergines for the greenhouse. I'll keep them on a sunny windowsill. I have a heated propogator but when the seeds germinate, they need to be taken out or they grow too quickly and become leggy, then they may topple over and a waste of time, so that's why I prefer the windowsill. They should germinate in a week or so After about another two weeks, just when they get their 2nd set of leaves, I'll carefully use an old pencil and, holding a leaf, not the stem because it's too delicate and easily damaged, I'll transfer them from the seed tray to a 3 inch pot and they'll stay on the windowsill for another few weeks until about May, before I put them in the greenhouse.

Of course, you can skip all that out and buy young plants from a garden centre or a diy store like B&Q or Homebase but I love the hands on approach from start to finish.

Talking about hands on, I'm going to build three compost bays with pallets, hopefully today. Because I had to drastically cut down on my allotment in the field opposite because my back won't allow it, I'm back to my original plot at the top of the garden so I need to almost begin all over again. My most important piece of equipment will be a portable canvas chair for resting in once my elbows or back can't take any more. I forecast that I'll be sitting a lot!.

It's a lovely day here again, not as warm though and we have rain forecast from late afternoon. I was supposed to be at the cancer unit today, but I had a phone call from my haematologist yesterday and she said that although everything is kinda low results are no worse than the last time so I didn't need to go. As smart as your bloke, Daloni lol. As there was a mix up the last time, I have extra injections to do me for four more weeks so I'll see her then. 

Enjoy the sunshine everyone.

Tvman xx

Oooh tvman. A get out of jail early card, sunshine and a project. Who could ask for more? And thanks for the gardening master class. I’m inspired. 

Have a great day

xx

TVMAN thanks for the reminder.

Jobs for the weekend:

sow tomatoes and chillis.

Start off broad beans in root trainers (a bit late but I'm sure they'll catch up

Check chitted potatoes.

I've got 2 allotments that I'm struggling with due to my mobility issues with my leg, I have just paid the rent on these as I'm determined to grow my own. I've had many offers of help that I will take up.

We start tomorrow!

Hi all,

I used to sow all my parsnips and carrots into the cardboard middles of loo rolls. It cost nothing and could be planted direct into the ground without disturbing the roots at all once it was warm enough. That was in the days when I had my allotment.

Just a little tip I thought I would pass on if anyone is interested.

love and hugs 

Maggie xx

So, in fits and starts I've been doing up my garden. So the front now only needs my hanging basket - that's currently soaking in my sink - to be done and then it's done. I've weeded everything and put down some bark to help keep everything damp and cat poo free, hopefully.

Then I have my March seedlings ready to head outside once this cold snap passes. What's going on with the weather! Lol. It's freezing here in Leeds, and really windy too!

Sadly, I need to replant my aubergines because a rogue slug appeared from who knows where and very selectively found my aubergine plants and ate them all!!!

Then April planting that I need to get on with, consists of:

• Two types of courgette
• Coriander
• Chervil
• Spinach
• Endive
• Another cabbage
• Pak Choi
• Cucamelon
• Another carrot
• Chinese Cabbage
• Strawberry Sticks

I tried growing raspberries from seed, but they failed. So I've bought a couple of varieties from Amazon yesterday; because my visit to a couple of garden centres yesterday resulted in nothing.

I've still got to weed and bark my 4 pots out back with big plants - 2 blueberry bushes, clove currant, and the thing I can never remember what it's called, but is supposed to produce a type of fruit. Lol. But that can wait until I do a session of either planting seeds or planting seedlings, or all at once!

How are everyone else's gardens going?

Lass

XX