The diary of two novice gardeners and chicken keepers
Apr 29th, 2011 by Chris
What a spectacle the wedding has been. They both looked beautiful and it all made me very proud to be British. I am not a religious person but the ceremony was very moving and I hope that they have a good loving marriage. Princess Diana would have been so proud of the boys as I am sure Prince Charles is.
Apr 28th, 2011 by Chris
I have sown some French Beans today. It is a little early but very warm so I have sown them direct.
Tip – Water the seedlings regularly until they’re established. Once they are sturdy, don’t water them unless the weather is dry. Start watering them again when the flowers appear. Too much water when French beans are young encourages leaf-growth at the expense of flowers and pods.
Apr 26th, 2011 by Chris
I have added two more Clematis to the side garden.
Clematis Vyvian Pennell – This vigorous climber has double frilly flowers of violet blue blooming in May and June again in September.
Clematis Montana Rubens - Sun loving drought tolerant plant. Ideal for fast growing screening. Will tolerate full sun and sandy, drought-prone soils as well as cold exposed locations and heavy clay soils.
Apr 21st, 2011 by Chris
Now the ducks have moved home we have reclaimed the pond and have both spent time cleaning it up. Rob managed to get all the mud out and I have made the beds surrounding it ready for planting.
Yesterday I bought two Aubretia plants from Mick Market at the allotment and they are now sited at the back of the pond with the hope that they will spread and hold back the soil and stop it from dirtying the water.
Tip – Cut back quite hard by shearing after flowering has finished to maintain a neat, compact growth habit and to encourage a second flush of blooms. Incorporate ericaceous compost into the planting hole for best results.
Apr 20th, 2011 by Chris
My sister gave me a pot of seedlings but she couldn’t remember the name of them. I have potted on a load now and they are coming on well. Last time I spoke to her she said she thought they were Lychris or Rose Campion and I am very pleased because they are beautiful plants amd will fit nicely in a new bed I have made at home.
This is a superb plant for a sunny border. A clump-forming perennial which seeds itself. The silver woolly leaves are a pleasant backdrop to the bright magenta flowers which appear in late summer. It can tolerate most well-drained soils but produces the best leaf colour in dry soil.
Apr 16th, 2011 by Chris
I have sown a deep tray of Leek Musselburgh and put the tray into a polythene bags to preserve moisture and heat. I have grown this variety before with varying success which has more to do with the gardener than the variety. I shall grow them on until they look sturdy enough to plant out on the allotment. They will probably be put into the ground that the potatoes come out of where they will stay until early next year.
Apr 16th, 2011 by Chris
I have sown a batch of Brussel Sprouts Noisette. Noisette are an old French variety that produces small to medium sized sprouts with a nutty flavour.
Tip – Cut the top from this plant as soon as big enough to eat. This encourages the rest of the sprouts to mature at the same time rather than gradually but can reduce the crop slightly.
I have also put in some quick growing Broccoli Autumn Calabrese seeds. I have sown them thinly in a tray of moist seed compost and enclosed the tray in a polythene bag. I shall keep them indoors until they germinate which should be 14-21 days. They will need potting on and hardening off before planting into their final position but I am more confident with that now. At first I was very nervous when growing brassicas and lost a lot of seedlings.
Tip – Once you have cut the large central head from Broccoli leave the root in and you will more than likely get some tasty side shoots.
Apr 13th, 2011 by Chris
Mar 20th, 2011 by Chris
Today was another lovely day. A bit of grey cloud but warm enough for my first proper visit to the allotment. We did a lot of tidying up and digging over of beds.
I brought back some bags of seed heads that had been left over the Winter to dry out. I have already put some Sweet Pea seeds to chit. They are a few Zorija Rose and some Pip Tremewan left over from last year. I brought home loads of Sweet Pea seeds but they will be mixed. I also brought home Lupin seeds but think that they have gone off. Time will tell. I will sow them and see what happens. The other seed heads were hard and round and I think they must be from the Alstromeria. I don’t usually let them go to seed but pull them when they have gone over. The seed heads, if left, will explode and shoot their seed everywhere which is why the flower bed is always full of new shoots.
The Rhubarb plant is growing well even though we still have straw around it to protect from frost. I have bought two new crowns of Champagne Red and they look ready to put into the ground soon.
We stayed for two and a half hours today and there are still loads of jobs to do.
At home I have chitted some Hurst Green Shaft Peas and sowed them in trays ready to get a good start. I also have Broad Bean Witkiem Manita coming along in toilet roll tubes.
I have sown the first four Tomato seeds, Black Cherry, bought fresh this year from T&M.
After having no computer and no internet for over a month I am finally able to write on my weblog. It has seemed an age. The weather this morning is beautiful with blue skies and sunshine lighting up the new growth in the garden.
Out in the world there is civil uprising in the Middle East and yet another natural disaster, this time in the form of a massive earthquake in Japan so I am counting my blessings for being safe and happy.
