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 

  • Yes I agree, much fresher and tastier. It's true that there's not a lot of taste in a courgette it is a carrier of say garlic (which I also grow) or ginger. I made a lunch dish the other day, courgette and tomato gratin. Thin slices of courgette and tomato layered in a gratin dish. Add a couple of chopped garlic cloves and sprinkle with some grated cheese. 15-20 minutes at 180°. All home grown apart from the cheese, very fresh and tasty.

    Tvman x

    Love life and family.
  • Sound delish Tvman.  I love garlic I might try this recipe although it will have to be shop bought.

    Lee 2 x

  • I might try that too - thank you 

    I’m never quite sure what to do with courgettes other than ratatouille 

    Lucy xx 

  • Hi Lee2 and Lucy, courgettes make great spaghetti and chocolate courgette cake 

    Eddie xx 

  • Hi Lee and Lucy, I have a glut of aubergines and I also put a few slices of aubergine in as well. Something else I forgot   and   put some salt crystals on each layer to draw out the water and drain before cooking. Not too many salt crystals to avoid the end product being very salty.

    Tvman xx 

    Love life and family.
  • Hi Tvman, if you like like lasagne, replace the pasta sheets with slices of aubergine, it's so much better, and pickling aubergine with peppers, chilli and dried tomato's makes a addition to many meals.

    Eddie xx 

  • Chocolate courgette cake sounds interesting! Eddie ! 

  • ....but not healthy Eddie lol. My doctor just basically said "eat what you want when you want and enjoy it so I'm enjoying these double standards. How are you Eddie? 

    Patrick xx

  • Hi Lee2, it tastes even betterGrinning, and ifyou cool apples and courgettes 50 50, it has a mild honey flavour Zipper mouth.

    Eddie xx 

  • Hi Patrick, I'm ok-ish, my local health trust recently updated their system, you can guess the rest, anyway getting meds on time is a hassle I don't need and getting one changed from pill to IV, is  a joke, the pill is damaging my gastrointestinal tract from  esophagus to rectum and switching to IV would help enormously, but I have to go through my rheumatologist, my earliest appointment is FFebruary  next year.  I have some of my other consultants, GP,  and hospice looking into it for meGrin.

    I'm with you my friend, in spirit, eat whatever takes your fancy, and if I'm having an ok day with my GI tract, will indulge.

    Eddie xx