Gardens and gardening 2025

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Hi everyone, I used to post a lot in a previous Gardens etc until my wife was also diagnosed with cancer just over 2 years ago and she went through such a hard time so my time was taken up with not just Mrs Tvman but I was not good because of the rise and fall of red cells, white cells, neutrophils and platelets. 

The good news is that I have a little bit more free time to garden. I never stopped because it's in my DNA to get working in the garden. I'm also a wheelchair user because of a serious back condition called spinal stenosis and the pain is so great that I'm only able to work in short bursts.

So let's see photos of your gardens or allotments, whether they be large or small or maybe you only have room for pots and troughs in a balcony or back yard. 

My speciality for the last 40 years is vegetables and I have won hundreds of prizes over the last 20 years or so. I have had vegetables in show that have made me Northern Ireland champion for my sins. Unfortunately, since covid some shows have ceased therefore I haven't entered any for a few years. 

I've a few photos below, that's if I can remember how to insert them! It's been a while.

Below is a photo of the contents of my greenhouse, there are tomato plants left and right of the pathway. Also just past the tomatoes are cucumber plants against that have frames for them to climb up. The cucumber variety is Mini Munch, they're a small variety that are sufficient for a few salads 

The plants in the large pots below are aubergines, variety Black Beauty and inbetween the pots is a seed tray in which spring onion seeds have been sown which of course haven't germinated yet. Over here in Northern Ireland we call spring onions "scallions" and apart from in salads we have them with butter in mashed potatoes and that dish is called "champ". Believe it or not that was served as a stand alone dish that we had when I was small, some 60 years ago. Just mashed potatoes with small pieces of cut up scallions, cooked slowly in real butter then a dinner plate was loaded up with champ, a hole made in the top and filled with more butter then everything was mixed together and eaten. Along with an Ulster Fry in the morning, no wonder we had the highest rate of heart disease in Europe! 

Last photo below for this post is a bed of garlic (on the left), shallots in the foreground and at the far end for those of you eagle-eyed is a few red and white onions that are just 2 or 3 inches high. They are grown from onion sets that are small immature onions and usually come in a net bag weighing 250g and there are about 70 in total.

You'll notice that I have wire netting around the beds, that's because 3 years ago I had a rabbit problem. 35 years without them, 1½ years of rabbits and none since! The wire netting is staying for a while yet!

What about some photos from anyone else?

Tvman 

  • Hi Patrick, what a cutie. Good luck with the ripening and no doubt we will be salivating when you tell us how delightfully fresh and juicy it is when you taste the first bite Smile 

    Tvman x

    Love life and family.
  • Whatever it is I want 2 of them Smile 

    Tvman x

    Love life and family.
  • That makes two of us, I've no idea what it is, it's not a willow as the photo was taken at the end of November 

    Eddie xx

  • Hi    

    I noticed in your profile you mentioned unusual bruising appearing on your body. I hope you don't mind me asking but did you ever find what was causing it?

    I ask as over the recent months I been collecting more and more unexplained dark bruises that I have no obvious reason for.

  • Hi CrumpetsOrToast, no I don't mind you asking at all, my bone marrow cancer is making my bone marrow fail so one of the consequences is that my bloods are poor. In particular my platelets are very low and the unexplained bruising, I've been told, is because of the low platelet count. Hope you can get a reason as to why you have unexplained bruising.

    Tvman x 

    Love life and family.
  • My hydrangeas - very pleased with how they have taken off 

    I’ve noticed my sweet orange tree which my daughter bought me in March has numerous white buds so hopefully will be flowering soon . Also a few teeny tiny oranges so you never know ! 

  • Hi They are beautiful. I have been trying to find the photos of my hydrangeas, will post them when I find them.

    I think flowers really lift your spirits!

    Love Annette x

    Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, Today is a Gift!!!
  • Hi Well I finally found the pics of my hydrangeas assuming it uploads!  
    The flowers have been amazing for weeks beautiful white ones.

    As it was climbing over the fence into our neighbours, I told her she could just cut it down on her side of the fence. Her answer was she wouldn’t touch it, she loves it and what was it called!

    Love Annette x

    Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, Today is a Gift!!!