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 Fleabane, I'd get hubby to add some grit to your soil, as herbs really don't like wet feet, and isn't it great to just be outside, pottering in the garden, I have a 5ft rosemary shrub which I strip off the leaves and use the stems as skewers on the BBQ, and hang bunches by the kitchen door for the aroma and to keep the insects out, and chives, which go with new potato's, salads, in rice and stir frys
My friend you couldn't use me as a guide to the temperature, I'm going through the male menopause again 
, and my treatment and heart issues add to my problems keeping warm, I often have a wooly hat and scarf on when everyone else has a Tshirt on, and occasionally it's the other way round , lol, I hope the lamb was a big success, and you had a lovely day, we had a lovely dinner with family on the farm and it was nice enough to eat outside, with my hat and scarf on, lol
Eddie xx
Sound like u had a wonderful day. I over did it...ache like anything but job is done...
Wasn't it great to sit outside..all that vitamin d and u had nice food and good company by the sound of it
The lamb was huge, took hours to cook, but was so tender...enough left for sandwiches, lamb curry yummy
Well nearly bed time for me...
Have a good evening
Hi my gardening friend, I haven't had much time for the allotment, but it's doing well without me lol, just a few pics, xx
Eddie xx
