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
Nice plot Patrick, raised beds looking good. I also like gladioli and I find that they multiply quite quickly, sometimes in the wrong place.
I see you have the new type of scarecrow in your plot, the crouching type lol 
Tvman x
Hi Patrick
I am good and had my chemo today. So it is all go for the safari in 2 weeks time 
.x
Below is part of a raised bed in which I have 6 Brussels sprout plants and I started them with 2.5m width of horticultural fleece that unfortunately turned out to not be wide enough because the plants grew so tall.
Consequently the fleece no longer fitted and I had to remove it completely before constructing a frame. However, before I could cover them with netting I had a visit from 1 or 2 unfriendly cabbage white butterflies that laid pretty yellow clusters of eggs as the photos below show.
Now I have removed them by rubbing them between my finger and thumb, I try not to use chemical sprays. I completely avoid them in fact. Finally I managed to construct a frame and covered it with green netting with small holes. The plants should be safe now.
Tvman x
Hi everyone, I've an apple tree in the back garden (as well as an orchard across the road in the field) and it's flush with apples. So much so that if Conan realises they're there he'll have a field day.
He's 13½ now and not as quick as he used to be especially since he pulled a muscle in his back left leg from which he's slowly recovering.
Tvman x
Talking about flush, this mirabelle plum tree will feed all the mouths that care to eat the stuff
Patrick xx
