I wonder how many years of gardening it takes before you can really recognize when to sow and plant!! It doesn't help that the instructions on the back of the seed packets seem to be really wrong. Looking at last year I seem to be having the same problem with the lettuce that I have each year, I sow according to the instructions but they never germinate until the weather gets warm.
This year Spring has been particularly cold and wet and germination seems particularly slow, but maybe not. My leeks germinated well, the beans are just starting and I have 4 mange-tout. It is the lettuce that are being a pain, I have sown seeds 3 times, one packet promised me that I would have salad to eat in 26 days!! Not a thing, I have bought 12 lettuce plants at various times over the last few weeks and 9 have been eaten by something, as have 2 peppers and a courgette, I now have 3 lettuce and 2 courgettes sitting under plastic bottles, hopefully they will survive.
We have been lucky with the fruit this year, the trees all managed to blossom whilst we had a few days of good weather, the only fruit that is not performing well is my gooseberries, they seem to be on strike. The snow in winter broke some branches off my neighbours plum tree, these happened to be the branches that grew over my plot and they are really nice plums so I won't have any of those this year but mine seem to be doing well. Now I just have to be patient and maybe also sow some more lettuce :)
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
October
I wrote last month that the beans were nearly finished, that wasn't true, I continue to have beans, I have eaten some and managed to freeze another bag. My peppers continue to do well as do the tomatoes and courgettes.
I have picked quite a few parasol mushrooms, they grew without any rain, but it has rained for the last couple of days so I will start looking for field mushrooms. It has been a good season for almost everything, only the onions were a disappointment and I reckon that that was my fault, next year I will drench them regularly.
I am now clearing some of my top plot that I didn't clear properly originally, I cleared a bit and then hid it behind a 'plum' hedge, this time it will be done properly. I am also going to clear some of the surrounding area as I am fed up of being attacked by ferns and brambles from the surrounding plots.
My garden looks great, it has really flourished this year and looks very green and colourful.
I have picked quite a few parasol mushrooms, they grew without any rain, but it has rained for the last couple of days so I will start looking for field mushrooms. It has been a good season for almost everything, only the onions were a disappointment and I reckon that that was my fault, next year I will drench them regularly.
I am now clearing some of my top plot that I didn't clear properly originally, I cleared a bit and then hid it behind a 'plum' hedge, this time it will be done properly. I am also going to clear some of the surrounding area as I am fed up of being attacked by ferns and brambles from the surrounding plots.
My garden looks great, it has really flourished this year and looks very green and colourful.
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| The back of my orchard, now clear of nettles and brambles
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Friday, September 18, 2015
September
What a difference a year makes, I have just read what I wrote last year but none of it applies this year. Everyone has harvested everything much earlier.
We have just had 2 days of something called, I think, 'cyclonogenesis'. 2 days of heavy rain and winds, but now the weather is warming up again. I have no lettuces left this year, on the whole my lettuce have behaved very badly but I did have some, enough to provide salads through June and July.
The tomatoes have been great, nearly all have already ripened and I have managed to freeze plenty. I think I have probably just picked the last of the beans and I have plenty in the freezer. Both trees had apples, I have loads of pears and the raspberries are producing a few regularly.
This years courgette has been really good, it has produced consistently without absolutely overwhelming me, it is so hit and miss when buying a courgette plant. My veg are all looking healthy and I will probably be able to harvest tomatoes, peppers and courgettes for a few weeks more and my leeks are growing steadily, ready for the winter.
We have just had 2 days of something called, I think, 'cyclonogenesis'. 2 days of heavy rain and winds, but now the weather is warming up again. I have no lettuces left this year, on the whole my lettuce have behaved very badly but I did have some, enough to provide salads through June and July.
The tomatoes have been great, nearly all have already ripened and I have managed to freeze plenty. I think I have probably just picked the last of the beans and I have plenty in the freezer. Both trees had apples, I have loads of pears and the raspberries are producing a few regularly.
This years courgette has been really good, it has produced consistently without absolutely overwhelming me, it is so hit and miss when buying a courgette plant. My veg are all looking healthy and I will probably be able to harvest tomatoes, peppers and courgettes for a few weeks more and my leeks are growing steadily, ready for the winter.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
August
2nd August
Everything is early this year. The plums are already ripe, as are the blackberries. With a bit of luck I will manage to pick all my plums before my neighbour realises they are ripe!
I have had my first tomato though it is the only one to have turned red yet, and everything else is flourishing. My freezer is almost full. A good year :)
16th August
It feels like autumn! After months of very hot weather and no rain it rained all day on Thursday and remains cloudy. The pears seem to be ripening and are falling off the trees
I managed to eat all my plums, in any case the plum thief left last week, I still have neighbours but I don't dislike them so they are no bother.
I have picked nearly all my beans, the mange-tout have nearly finished, even the second sowing is not really producing. The tomatoes are now ripening well, the peppers are good this year. The leeks are growing but the cabbage don't seem to have taken. In general it has been, and still is, a good season.
Everything is early this year. The plums are already ripe, as are the blackberries. With a bit of luck I will manage to pick all my plums before my neighbour realises they are ripe!
I have had my first tomato though it is the only one to have turned red yet, and everything else is flourishing. My freezer is almost full. A good year :)
16th August
It feels like autumn! After months of very hot weather and no rain it rained all day on Thursday and remains cloudy. The pears seem to be ripening and are falling off the trees
I managed to eat all my plums, in any case the plum thief left last week, I still have neighbours but I don't dislike them so they are no bother.
I have picked nearly all my beans, the mange-tout have nearly finished, even the second sowing is not really producing. The tomatoes are now ripening well, the peppers are good this year. The leeks are growing but the cabbage don't seem to have taken. In general it has been, and still is, a good season.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
July
7th July
It really is salad time! Some of my earlier sowings have produced, plus I bought 3 lettuce in the market but my nth sowing is just producing so I should have salads for the rest of summer. There are lots of flowers on my tomatoes, plus my first green tomatoes. The peppers are doing well and I have 'Mange-tout'.
My onions are pathetic again and they are drying off so they will get no bigger. I thought I watered more this year but I think I only watered the top soil, next year I must soak the ground more often.
The potatoes are really good, I still have gooseberries, the raspberries have almost finished now but I have had loads. The cherry season has been poor but there are a few plums and the pears and apples look promising.
I continue to learn, but, for a non-gardener, I think I don't do too badly. This year is hard as we have had so little rain and there have been some very hot times.
It really is salad time! Some of my earlier sowings have produced, plus I bought 3 lettuce in the market but my nth sowing is just producing so I should have salads for the rest of summer. There are lots of flowers on my tomatoes, plus my first green tomatoes. The peppers are doing well and I have 'Mange-tout'.
My onions are pathetic again and they are drying off so they will get no bigger. I thought I watered more this year but I think I only watered the top soil, next year I must soak the ground more often.
The potatoes are really good, I still have gooseberries, the raspberries have almost finished now but I have had loads. The cherry season has been poor but there are a few plums and the pears and apples look promising.
I continue to learn, but, for a non-gardener, I think I don't do too badly. This year is hard as we have had so little rain and there have been some very hot times.
Monday, June 8, 2015
June
8th June
This Spring has been very warm and there has been very little rain so everything needs watering all the time.
My vegetables have been fairly unproductive so far, the carrots have done nothing, I won't try again, the second sowing of leeks has done nothing either, usually they do well; the second sowing of beans has produced 1 shoot so far. The last sowing of lettuce has produced a couple of plants and I have sown again, I have had a couple of salads now. the strawberries are doing well and the raspberries have produced the first ripe fruit today, the cherries will not be far behind and I have had gooseberries for a couple of weeks now, so all in all things are doing well. I will sow more leeks and probably buy some plants as they are useful in winter.
19th June
It is nearly summer. Finally I have leeks and beans sprouting. The tomatoes have their first flowers, the peppers are flowering, and I have a couple of small courgettes that, for some reason, seem to want to stay as small courgettes! The 'mange-tout' are growing well, so hopefully I will have some to eat soon. I have had my first potatoes, to eat with my lettuce, and I have plenty of fruit.
The weather continues to be warm, last week got a bit cooler but, apparently this has been the hottest Spring since the 19th Century, everything needs watering every day
This Spring has been very warm and there has been very little rain so everything needs watering all the time.
My vegetables have been fairly unproductive so far, the carrots have done nothing, I won't try again, the second sowing of leeks has done nothing either, usually they do well; the second sowing of beans has produced 1 shoot so far. The last sowing of lettuce has produced a couple of plants and I have sown again, I have had a couple of salads now. the strawberries are doing well and the raspberries have produced the first ripe fruit today, the cherries will not be far behind and I have had gooseberries for a couple of weeks now, so all in all things are doing well. I will sow more leeks and probably buy some plants as they are useful in winter.
19th June
It is nearly summer. Finally I have leeks and beans sprouting. The tomatoes have their first flowers, the peppers are flowering, and I have a couple of small courgettes that, for some reason, seem to want to stay as small courgettes! The 'mange-tout' are growing well, so hopefully I will have some to eat soon. I have had my first potatoes, to eat with my lettuce, and I have plenty of fruit.
The weather continues to be warm, last week got a bit cooler but, apparently this has been the hottest Spring since the 19th Century, everything needs watering every day
Friday, May 15, 2015
May
So, it's 15th May, that magical day after which there should not be a frost! Everything is now in. I have sown carrots and lettuce for the 3rd time, no sign of germination, so sowing early was not such a good idea, on the other hand the Spring onions did germinate so I got that right. I have bought 3 lettuce plants and put them in today so I will have some lettuce and hopefully the last lot will do OK.
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| A beautiful lizard |
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