Mary's English Garden

A Lot Is Happening In The Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:38:00 +0000

Lots going on in the garden this week and our kitchen is a veritable hive of activity, preparing, freezing, bottling and pickling our produce.

We have now harvested the potato pods containing the varieties Lady Chrisi and Red Magic, both of which were delicious. The Lady Chrisi is not unlike the Charlotte, a beautiful firm texture that makes wonderful potato salad whilst the Red Magic is quite floury and is gorgeous roasted.

The potato pods that we emptied have been re-planted with Christmas varieties of Maris Peer and Charlotte and hopefully we will be eating home grown potatoes until the end of the year.

The Onions, Sturon, have now been lifted and are basking in the sunshine until they have completely dried off. By the way, I would thoroughly recommend the onion bags available from www.nutleyskitchengardens.co.uk. I feel lucky to have discovered these as they really are very inexpensive but the quality is superb.

We have lifted the red onions and shallots which are also drying off and will be stored in the onion bags in the garage. I feel confident that we will have sufficient to keep us going until next season, in spite of the very slow start we had.

Our freezer is now getting well stocked with runner beans, french beans, swiss chard, spinach and rhubarb and we will enjoy eating these during the winter months.

Beautiful little baby beetroots have been preserved in vinegar and the only difficulty there is resisting the temptation to keep dipping into them.

We still have an absolute mountain of cucumbers from a solitary plant in the greenhouse. I have been assured that they will last for over two weeks if wrapped tightly in clingfilm before storing in the fridge. I haven't put this theory to the test yet but fully intend to try it out. Tomatoes from the greenhouse are picked on a daily basis and are superb.

I have also been assured that courgettes pickle very successfully. I must say it sounds a little odd to me and I would love to hear from anybody that has tried this.

Beautiful Crops

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:34:00 +0000

We are really reaping the benefits of our labours now and are gathering fresh vegetables on a daily basis.

Last year the potatoes were like marbles but this year we have got it right and what a huge difference in the crops. The addition of some manure in the bottom of the pods and a little potato fertilizer given at regular intervals has made a world of difference. We have so far harvested one pod of "Charlotte" and one of "Blue Belle", both of which, with a little butter on the top (oops, lots of calories) were absolutely delicious.

We have also picked an excellent supply of early peas, or at least my long suffering husband, Peter, has. For some strange reason he really enjoys picking peas and shelling them and, whilst I fail to see the attraction, I am more that happy to let him carry on. Any help with the produce is always gratefully received. We have now planted another row of peas "Kelvedon Wonder" to follow on.

The runner and french beans are also providing brilliant crops and we have this week planted a few more french beans to stretch the season. Now it does say on the seed packet that these very fast growing vegetables should be planted by the end of June at the latest but I really can't imagine a couple of weeks into July will make that much difference, weather condiitons being reasonable. I am sure the dear little beans themselves are unaware I am running a bit late.

Suddenly, with some rain, the onions have really improved and are not going to be the disaster I feared we may have.

One tip I had this year which proved more than helpful was to scatter crushed egg shells amongst the vegetables to keep the slugs away,. It could well be that the slug population reduced a bit this year anyway but this certainly seemed to work well and we shall continue to use this method.

My solitary cucumber plant in the greenhouse is providing us with far more cucumbers than we can use in salads but, treated in the same way as marrows, these make an excellent and tasty hot vegetable so none will be wasted.

By the way, would love to hear from anybody that has a tried and tested recipe for cucumber relish.

Most Things Are FlourIshing

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:13:00 +0000

Let me start this week's blog by telling you about a fantastic book I have discovered and one that is absolutely perfect for amatuer vegetable growers. It is "The Allotment Cookbook, The fruit and vegetable growers recipe guide" by Kathryn Hawkins. Apart from excellent recipes there is lots of advice on preserving, freezing and even hints on which varieties to grow. In spite of having a surplus of some things, there is not a single thing now that will be wasted and I am sure, for me at least, this book will prove to be invaluable.

I have already frozen some spinach, turnips and rhubarb and will be filling the freezer with many more things for winter use as they become ready for harvesting.

Most things in the vegetable garden are looking wonderful and it is a constant thrill to watch everything developing beautifully. However, there is one exception. In previous years I have always been very successful at growing onions but this year they all have very thick stems with no lovely bulbous looking onions at all. If anybody has any idea why this is I should love to hear from them and any advice will be most gratefully accepted.

I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that I had received a gift of Thompson and Morgan's Radish "Rainbow mixed". These are really easy to grow and the different colours make a delightful addition to any salad. However, I have also now discovered that they keep exceptionally well in the ground and last for weeks and weeks without going to seed or getting "woody". These will definitely be a permanent feature in my salad garden from now on.

In the flower garden the shrubs are looking really pretty now and the mock orange is just coming into bloom. Each year we look forward to the beautiful perfume that pervades the garden from this lovely tree and we have never yet been disappointed.

By the way, grateful thanks for the comment regarding adding a little lime to the soil in which our baby Olive tree is growing. We immediately took the advice and can already see a considerable improvement.

The Vegetable Garden is Doing Well

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:14:00 +0000

It has been a little while since my last blog but now I will attempt to catchup on the news.

Everything I planted is doing incredibly well with the exception of one thing and that is Marrows. I have grown them very successfully in the past so why they have rejected my tender loving care this year I have no idea. Never giving up totally on anything, I have this week pushed a few more seeds directly into the ground and will live in hope. The courgettes are thriving so I suppose I could allow them to grow large and just pretend they are marrows.

We are now reaping the benefits of our labours and are enjoying lots of salads, spinach, cabbage, turnips (surely the most under-rated of all vegetables) and swiss chard.

This is the first year we have grown swiss chard but it certainly won't be the last. This week we picked some and cooked it by the simplest possible method, just steaming, stalks first for three minutes, then adding the roughly shredded leaves for a further five minutes. Absolutely delicious and my only regret is that we didn't discover this delightful vegetable years ago.

We have also had quite a surplus of spinach but, not wishing to waste a thing, I discovered a recipe for spinach and celery soup and this proved to be really good. I have now made a batch and put it in the freezer ready for cooler days.

The runner beans have begun to climb very nicely up the canes and the tomatoes, both in the greenhouse and in the garden, are beginning to fruit.

One very small problem has been the lack of rain so my long suffering husband Peter (no gardener himself) has spent many hours standing holding the hose pipe. Maybe I should buy him a sprinkler system for his birthday, now there's a thought!.

An Exciting Week in the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Tue, 25 May 2010 11:03:00 +0000

Lots of things now growing in the garden and great excitement watching everything develop. The potatoes are now growing really strongly and in just a few weeks we shall be enjoying the fruits of our labours.

This week we have been eating and freezing lots of delicious rhubarb and have also pulled the first of the radishes. The lettuces, spring onions, rocket and beetroot will not be far behind and we will soon be eating freshly picked salads and what could be nicer.

We have now planted out the runner beans and tomatoes, much too early some would say, but should we be really unlucky and get another ground frost, I will tuck fleece around them and keep fingers crossed. (Of course I could well be the first one in the neighbourhood to show off my crops and watch with glee the envy of others).

One tip I was recently given is to save up eggshells, crush them and spread them round the runner beans. This is to keep the slugs away and, although they have only been in the ground for a week, so far there has been no signs of the wretched creatures.

I now have another pot on the kitchen windowsill to join the coriander, basil, parsley and thyme, which are all doing well, and this time it is Dill. I really would love to have some more herbs to join them but, failing having a hole knocked in the wall and another window installed, which seems somewhat drastic, I guess I will have to make do with five. Rosemary, bay leaves and mint are growing in the garden so it is a pretty reasonable selection of herbs.

When we moved to this bungalow, some five years ago, there were two really ugly concrete clothes line posts in the garden spoiling the view from the window. As we are totally lacking in DIY skills and would not have the tools to remove them anyway, we had to think of another idea. I covered one of the offending posts with wire mesh and planted some ivy at the base. This is now within a few inches of the top so a have planted a clematis to climb up the ivy and add a splash of colour. I am really hoping this will make an attractive feature in the garden rather than an eyesore.

A Dry Week In The Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:37:00 +0000

Not a drop of rain this week which means Peter has had to get the hose pipe out at the crack of dawn each morning. It is now over two weeks since we have had any rain at all and I am seriously thinking of doing a little dance to the rain gods, praying for a real downpour. (My apologies if you are currently on holiday enjoying the sunshine).

Unfortunately, we are still experiencing ground frost at night so all the plants currently hardening off outside have to be tucked away in the greenhouse each evening. The runner beans are now a good size and I am anxious to get them in the ground but the tender plants will have to wait a bit longer yet.

The peas "Kelvedon Wonder" have come through a little erratically so I have just pushed a few more into the ground filling up empty spaces. I use the very technical method of wearing a rubber glove and using my thumb, simple but it works. I had to do the same thing last year but we ended up with an excellent crop.

The Alpines are looking particularly pretty just now with their gorgeous colours but I must admit, although they look wonderful , later in the season I will have very few in bloom. I guess that is just bad planning on my part but if anybody knows of late flowering alpines I should be delighted to hear from them.

A dear little Olive tree that was a gift to us for Christmas 2008 has now been brought out of the greenhouse and put into the garden for the summer. It is still very small and I am not optimistic that we will see any fruit for the next couple of years at least but I shall continue to lovingly tend to it and eventually I am sure our patience will be rewarded.

I still find it impossible to resist the temptation of buying salad and vegetable bags every time we go out and they are now in every available space in the garden. Surely they are the best way of container gardening ever and you only need to spend a fraction of what you would pay for large tubs. I must admit seeing the little seedlings popping through never fails to thrill.

A Busy Week In The Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 09:09:00 +0000

At this time of the year there is always plenty of jobs to be done in the garden, most of them really enjoyable.

This week Peter has put the blade down on the mower and we now have a really nice looking lawn rather than the somewhat miserable grassy area we have been looking at for the last few months.

My contribution to the flower garden this week has been limited to walking round admiring the spring flowers. Surely tulips are amongst the loveliest of spring flowers and the pretty primroses which bloom year after year, in spite of following a very hard winter.

Although I have done little in the flower garden, I haven't been totally lazy and potted up lots of tomato plants grown from seed. The only problem I have is that I simply cannot resist potting up every single brave little seedling that germinated and always end up with far too many plants. I shall have to try really hard to find good caring homes for the surplus.

I had five tiny little seed potatoes left and, as I can't bear to throw anything away, I went out to buy yet another potato bag to grow them in. Unfortunately I accidentally picked up and "extra large bag" and when I opened the pack was astounded at just how large it was. I promptly went out and bought another small bag and the potatoes are comfortably settled in their new home.

The extra large potato bag has now been utilized as a "mobile garden" which we filled with compost and have sown cabbage seeds in. In fact I am so impressed with this that I think we shall buy some more bags to put in any available spot in the garden and therefore obtain extra growing space for yet more delicious vegetables and salads.

The runner beans in the greenhouse are now growing strongly and, in the next few days, will be put outside to harden off prior to, planting out.

Spring Has Sprung

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:22:00 +0000

Spring has sprung at last making it a pleasure to work in the garden. Peter and I really love gardening (or at least I do and he loves the fresh air and doesn't mind doing the heavy work) but we do find the lawn and flower beds in the back garden, plus the vegetable plot, are as much as we can comfortably cope with. The small garden we have in the front is just one job too many. For that reason we approached a local gardener, Tracey, and asked her to design a low maintenance garden, carry out the work and maintain it afterwards. She has done a sterling job, removing a forest of weeds and ancient plants and transforming it into a neat, tidy and attractive area. She did this by covering the soil with black plastic and topping this with green slate. She then decorated some containers and filled them with perennial plants including a camelia and a rhododendron. There is still some work to be done but we are delighted with the progress so far.

While Tracey has been busy in the front garden we have continued with the work in the vegetable plot and it is now taking shape very nicely. I have planted out some lettuce, swiss chard and courgettes grown from seed in the greenhouse. The potatoes are romping away and we anticipate our first crop in just a few weeks time. We shall ignore the spoilsports who suggest there are just too many calories in potatoes and thoroughly enjoy eating every single one (even occasionally with butter on top). It is fun to be naughty sometimes!

I have this week started some more seeds in the greenhouse, french beans and marrows and will watch them daily with eager anticipation until they germinate. A container of rocket on the patio is also under way ready to mix with lettuce and baby spinach for a delicious salad. I also thinned out the turnip seedlings to give the little darlings room to expand.

We did find some time to weed the flower beds this week and to plant some Dahlia Mignon for a lovely splash of colour later in the summer.

In the meantime the Alpines are blooming and looking so very pretty.

Oh For Some Local "Global" Warming

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 14:21:00 +0000

I know global warming is something I should be taking seriously but oh how I would love some warmer weather in which to do some gardening. In yet another week of wet, windy and decidedly cold weather it has meant we have achieved very little although wrapped up like eskimos we have managed to get a few jobs done.

On the one and only good day Peter managed to erect the bean frame from really excellent strong canes we ordered from TFM (www.tfmsuperstore.co.uk) at an extremely reasonable price. On previous occasions we have bought canes from the local garden centre and driven home with them pointing skywards through the car sunroof with me in the passenger seat holding on to them for dear life. How much easier to have them delivered to the door.

I have now planted the beans in large pots in the greenhouse along with just two squash seeds. The five squash plants I grew last year were very successful and the fruit (or vegetable), I am never quite sure which, produced huge and delicious crops but roamed all over the garden, hence the need to limit ourselves to just two this year.

I have also sown a few more carrot seed, this time "Suttons Purple Haze" and put outside the swiss chard and lettuce to harden off ready to plants when the weather permits.

The rhubarb is growing vigorously and within a few days we shall have our first pick of the season. We love it in pies and crumbles and, with the addition of some demerara suger, a little grated fresh ginger and a splash of orange juice, it is truly delicious.

The flower garden is desperately in need of some tender, loving care but in the meantime many of the bulbs are flowering including the beautiful little grape hyacinth and these really do give us so much pleasure.

The aubretia too is looking oh so pretty alongside the yellow primroses.

A Wet Week In The Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:48:00 +0000

We have really had more than our fair share of rain this week but in between times we have had a few sunny spells which encouraged some things, particularly weeds, to grow quite strongly.

This week we planted some garlic, which we haven't grown before, and there were two reasons for this. One, we like garlic and two, we have been told on good authority that it does act as a garden pest repellent. Time will tell if this statement is accurate.

We also planted some peas (Suttons Kelvedon Wonder) although why we did that I have no idea. The frozen ones in the shops are excellent and very reasonably priced so is it really worth giving them precious space in the vegetable garden?

Having said that, a really nice thing to do is to sit round the table with the family shelling peas and even the appearance of an occasional maggot doesn't detract from our pleasure. We grow our peas between two low trellis's rather than pushing twigs in and this does seem to work quite well.

I also started off yet more potato pods. I am sure we will end up with far too many but it is such fun growing them by this method that I can't resist the temptation to keep planting more.

We have also sown some more radish and spring onion seed to continue from those planted a few weeks ago. I try very hard to extend the season of some things but it doesn't always work. The things that I plant early seem to take forever to germinate whereas those I plant later seem to romp away and everything is ready to harvest at the same time. I guess that is just bad planning.

The flower garden is beginning to look quite pretty and although the miniature daffodils are late putting in an appearance this year, they are well worth the wait.

A Lovely Week In The Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:37:00 +0000

With some lovely spring weather this week, at last we can get really busy in the garden. Yes it can be hard work at the beginning of the season but oh so enjoyable and worth every bit of the muscular aches and pains that come with it.

This week I have planted four short rows of spinach in different varieties so that I can compare the results. These are Lazio, Toscane, Mediana and Galaxy and come in one pack from "Garden Extras. I also sowed in the garden "Suttons" Beetroot, Bolthardy and Turnip Atlantic both of which I grew very successfully last year.

Until last season I had never grown, or even bought, turnips but then we discovered how very easy they are to grow and how absolutely delicious they are cooked in a variety of ways. Not only are we growing them again this year but will massively increase the quantity.

I have also planted some more potato pods and put even more to chit ready for planting in the next two or three weeks. Hopefully they won't all be ready together as we have no desire to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner just to avoid waste. However, I feel sure we will find some willing hands to relieve us of any surplus.

The seeds in the greenhouse are thriving with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, courgettes and lettuces all growing strongly.

We do have considerable problems with cats and foxes who seem to take an absolute delight in digging up everything I plant but I have discovered, quite by accident, a really excellent way of protecting them. This is gutter guard mesh from Garden Extras and at approximately seven inches wide covers beautifully a row of newly sown seeds. Not intended for the purpose I know but it is cheap, it works, and I am incredibly proud of myself for making the discovery.

Yet Another Cold Week In The Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:41:00 +0000

It remains cold but at least this week it has remained dry enabling my husband Peter to start cutting the grass. With the blade up high he has taken the top layer off and raked out some moss and it certainly looks considerably better for some loving attention.

We actually have an ideal partnership. Peter can't tell a weed from a welly so I get to choose what to grow and where to put it while he does all the donkey work such as keeping the lawn looking nice and carrying out any digging or heavy work. That suits us both and we are perfectly happy each doing our own thing.

A week or two ago I planted a few radishes in the vegetable garden but, as yet, they are showing no inclination to appear. However I am ever hopeful that if it warms up just a little they may make the effort.

This week I have planted some "Early Nantes" carrot seeds in containers. I have found from experience that, if you only have a small garden, this is an ideal way of growing them as I pull beautiful straight and attractive carrots rather than the mis-shapen, somewhat ugly specimens grown in the open ground.

I have also sown pots of leeks in the greenhouse and some "Red Baron" onion sets outside.

One final task this week was to plant "five" seedlings of "Tumbling Tom" tomatoes in a hanging basket and this will remain in the greenhouse until all danger of frost has passed.

Last year I planted about "twelve" seedlings in the hanging basket but this was a BIG mistake. Yes, they grew well and the foliage was massive but it produced hundreds of tiny tomatoes no bigger that a pea. We did bravely eat a lot of them but I am very much hoping that giving them more room to spread their roots will yield better results. We shall see.

This Week In My Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:15:00 +0000

This week the weather has varied from beautiful spring like days to bitterly cold wintry evenings making gardening a little difficult. However I have now made a start on some seed sowing in the greenhouse and have lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, courgettes and thyme on the go. I also potted up some swiss chard that I sowed a week or two ago.

I had started four bags of potatoes in the greenhouse (on reflection this was far too early) and have now put them outside hoping this will encourage them to grow, something they seem particularly reluctant to do..

When I did this the weather was glorious for a few hours but that evening I heard a forecast that sub-zero temperatures were expected that night. Help! panic stations. Hastily I groped my way down the garden in pitch darkness to tuck them in with some garden fleece. Although I have a feeling that I may have lost this crop, totally down to my impatience, I did notice one little shoot struggling through the surface of the soil so, who knows, I will nurse them along for a bit and see what happens. In the meantime I have put a few more in trays to get them to chit before planting.

I have taken the anti-frost fleece off of the onions and the little garden ornaments/scarecrows seem to be doing their job beautifully as the birds have not touched them. On previous seasons I have constantly gathered onions up from all over the garden and re-planted them. I also planted just a few shallots this week.

We spent one day at a garden centre admiring the many gorgeous things on offer and wishing we had a garden the size of a park. There are so many lovely things available but I contented myself by buying some "Westlands John Innes Sure Start" seed compost which I find is excellent plus some seeds. I am sure we will be making lots more visits in the coming weeks.

I notice the rhubarb is beginning to sprout beautifully and I do not hasten this along, as many people do, by covering with cloches or forcing. I allow it to develop in its own good time and look forward to the days when we have delicious crumbles and pies, not too far in the future.

Spring Seems a Long Time Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:41:00 +0000

Yet again, another week of inclement weather that has prevented us working in the garden. I have taken a chance and planted some tomato seeds in the greenhouse in spite of it being hardly warm enough. These were a gift and are Thompson and Morgan's "Tamina". I must admit I had never even heard of this variety before but they certainly get a good write up and are suitable for garden and greenhouse so fingers crossed they will be a success.

I did find this week some starter packs for the very reasonable price of just 99p each. These contained pots, compost and seeds and, although I selected just two, Swiss Chard and Courgettes, there are many more available and I may well indulge in some more.

Swiss Chard is completely new to me but I had seen it used in a TV cookery programme and people enthused over it so I really wanted to give it a try. I have no idea how to cook it but will experiment if it grows successfully and use my husband as a guinea-pig. Fortunately he is always willing to play the part of that dear little animal. Any cookery recipes will be gratefully received.

This week I also managed to get two more of the 6" glazed pottery pots and, on my kitchen window sill I now have Coriander and Mint to join the original Basil and Parsley. The Coriander germinated very quickly but the Mint is being decidedly obstinate and, in spite of loving persuasion and a little bullying, it is showing total reluctance to appear.

One thing that did appear this week were some Crocus in the garden. These beautiful brave little flowers have survived the snow and being swamped with torrential rain to remind us that spring really is not too far away.

This Week's Odd Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:16:00 +0000

In spite of the return of sub-zero temperatures we have managed to get a few things under way although we are certainly late starting this year. I got my long suffering husband Peter to dig three holes for me so that I could plant the new shrubs I previously mentioned buying, the Potentilla, Weigela and Duetzia. Before planting I put a good handful of both bonemeal and growmore into the holes hoping that this will give them the best possible start. From now on I will occasionally chat to them and say a little prayer over them if they need it. That probably sounds slightly mad but I am all for giving them every encouragement,

We have also prepared a small bed into which we dug some farmyard manure before planting out the onion sets. For the time being we have tucked them in nice and cosy under some frost protection fleece and just hope they will not freeze to death.

This week we also planted a seed tray in the greenhouse with peppers. Although we do have a little gentle heat in the greenhouse it is really hardly warm enough to germinate them but we are just hoping for the best. If necessary we will plant some more when the temperature rises a little.

Finally, I have mentioned before looking for bargains. This week, in the local 99p shop, I found two beautiful sunny yellow glazed six inch post complete with matching saucers. These I have planted with Basil and Parsley seed and I think they look absolutely delightful on my kitchen window sill.

The Cost Factor

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:12:00 +0000

Have you noticed that since the surge of interest in gardening, particularly home grown fruit and vegetables, just about every shop under the sun is selling seeds, plants and garden accessories. The newspaper shop, supermarkets and even our local bookshop has jumped on the bandwagon.

I am a great believer in the adage "you get what you pay for" so I shall continue to buy my vegetable seeds from a well established and reliable company. Having said that, there are undoubtedly bargains to be had if you look for them.

This week I have bought three strong healthy shrubs, Potentilla, Weigela and Deutzia for the ridiculous price of just 99p each. They will fill spaces in the border beautifully and I am sure the red, white and yellow flowers will be a delight to see.

Further bargains I bought this week, also for the princely sum of just 99p each, were two "garden ornaments" which to me look like pretty little scarecrows.

Having this week bought my onion sets (Sturon) and shallots (Pikant), which I shall plant as soon as the weather permits, I will bring the "scarecrows" into use.

I remember last year, having planted the onion sets, I had to go out each morning and gather up and re-plant all of those the birds had pulled out and dropped all over the vegetable garden. This year I am hoping the scarecrows, my secret weapon, will save me having to do that chore but we shall see. Even if it doesn't work, they look very sweet anyway.

The New Season Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:10:00 +0000

Whilst winter may still be with us I have now made a start on this year's vegetable garden but first we needed a trip to the local garden centre to buy compost etc.,

When I bought my seed potatoes from "Gardenbargains.com" the instructions that came with them suggested planting them in one half John Innes No.3. and one half garden compost. Our compost needs a few more weeks before it is ready so I spoke to an expert at the garden centre and asked what I could use as a substitute and this was his reply:-

"Now love, you don't need to be fussy, drop a potato on the ground and it will grow but if you really want to go mad add some farmyard manure to the John Innes".

I will admit to being just a tad on the mad side anyway and I so desperately want wonderful crops this year so we bought both the John Innes and a bag of Westlands Organic farmyard manure.

We carefully mixed the composts and lovingly laid the potatoes in the pods (6 of each of Blue Belle, Lady Christi, Charlotte and Red Magic) gently watering them and making sure they were nice and cosy in the greenhouse. We also have a small heater which will just kick in if the temperature gets down to zero centigrade. Can't have the little darlings freezing to death.

Later on we will plant some more pods for growing outside but, being a little impatient, I couldn't wait to start.

We also bought some Westlands Pure Start seed compost and from now on I shall be sowing on a regular basis, far too much I am sure but I can usually find a few willing hands to accept the surplus.

Ugly Spaces in the Flower Border

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:41:00 +0000

I must start this blog with grateful thanks to Michael for responding to my blog on brassicas and for his suggestions regarding slug control. I always think it is so nice when amatuer gardeners share ideas and remedies. As suggested, I visited " www.slugbell.com" and found, not only were the slugbells inexpensive but also most attractive and will certainly not look out of place amongst the flower beds or the vegetable garden. So thank you for that Michael, I shall be ordering some right away.

This week, with the snow almost gone and clearing fast and most things in the garden dormant for a little while I have been taking stock of the flower borders. It really is most unattractive to have stretches of bare fence showing and nothing but a few miserable little twiggy bits in the border trying their best to look like plants. Obviously one or two more evergreens are needed to fill the gap, the only decision to be made is which ones.

Now there are some perennial plants in the border which will shortly come into growth and, if only I could remember what colour they will be, it would be easy to choose but that is a non-starter so I must think of something else.

In our small front garden I have a Rosemary bush and a Bay tree and these would be wonderful candidates to fill the space. They grow very quickly, are really hardy and easy to prune into most attractive shapes. I also find that herbs can be a positive asset in the flower garden.

Added to which they improve my culinary efforts no end. What could be nicer than Rosemary added to crispy roast potatoes or baked with a lovely leg of lamb. Add a bay leaf or two to stews and caseroles and also infused into the milk used to make rice pudding. Quite delicious.

It will be just a few weeks before planting time arrives so I have time to mull over the problem before coming to a firm decision. Out with the catalogues again. Talking of catalogues Mr Fothergill's (www.mr-fothergills.co.uk) summer garden plant catalogue 2010 is now available and is superb.

Short and Sweet This Time

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:15:00 +0000

Whilst the garden looks like a Christmas card and is lovely to admire through the window, it is impossible to work outside at the moment. The ground is frozen solid and since I have no wish to turn into a snowman I shall remain in the warm and enjoy reading garden catalogues.

The seed potatoes that I ordered for mid-January delivery arrived this week, somewhat early, so at least I can do one little job indoors within the next week or two.

Two weeks before planting they need to be chitted, a really simple method of kick-starting the tubers into growth, You arrange the tubers on egg boxes or egg trays and place them in a sunny but cool position. (I find small muffin trays work well for me). Soon small shoots (or chits) appear all over each tuber and they are then ready for planting.

I will keep you informed of my progress but I do expect to get massive crops, unlike the tiddlers I grew this year. There is always something new to learn and my knowledge of the best way of growing potatoes is increasing in leaps and bounds.

The Festive Season

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:10:00 +0000

This week we had the first of the really hard frosts and brrrr, is it cold. However, I am more than happy to see it as this frost will break down the soil beautifully in readiness for spring planting.

I have already ordered some seed potatoes and extra pods for mid-January delivery (See Garden Bargains.com) and will plant the first pod in the greenhouse towards the end of that month. At that time I will really feel the new season has begun.

At this festive time of year friends and family ask "what gift would I like for Christmas?" and when I reply a packet or two of seeds they scornfully dismiss this suggestion but for me that would be lovely. Not for me the diamonds or furs but a packet of seeds, be it fruit, flowers or vegetables gives me months of pleasure. Sowing, nurturing and enjoying the results, what could be nicer.

Just one exception, please no house plants, I am the absolute kiss of death to them. In fact, I will share with youi another of my poems written after yet more house plants were relegated to the compost heap.

Houseplants

When it comes to houseplants I am the first to admit that into my home, they appear not to fit.
Why this should be I really don't know,
it seems as though they have no wish to grow.
Whilst other peoples seem to thrive, mine find it difficult just to survive.
So much knowledge is needed you see,
whether to water, to feed or just leave them be.
While neighbours flowers bloom like mad
mine just sit there looking tired and sad.
With indoor plants, I really care a lot
and display each one in a lovely pot.
But I am sure they sense I am unaware
of what to do to ensure their care.
When sick, I pass them on to a green fingered friend
and in no time at all they are on the mend.
In due course they are returned to me
but will they live?, we just wait and see.
It is totally different with garden plants,
at least outside they are in with a chance.
With sun and gentle rain we hope
that nature on its own will cope.

Brassicas

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:02:00 +0000

Although I consider myself quite successful at growing vegetables, some I must admit are a bit of a disaster, particularly the Brassicas.

I am quite renowned locally for my wonderful spinach (Perpetual spinach from Suttons Seeds) and I still get a reasonable picking a couple of times a week even at this time of year.

Three other brassicas I attempted to grow this year and the cabbages, cauliflowers and brussel sprouts were somewhat disappointing to say the least. As quickly as I could plant out the cabbages and cauliflowers, the slugs were tucking in as though this was the last supper. This battle went on for several weeks but in the end I admitted defeat.

Now it was a totally different story with the brussel sprouts. They grew and grew until they were about five foot tall, albeit a bit holy after sharing them with the white butterflies, but I could live with that.

However, each time I brushed past them, a huge cloud of white fly emerged, almost like a snow storm. The sprouts were forming beautifully but somehow I couldn't face picking and cooking them. How could I possibly be sure that every single one of the little critters had come out in the wash and the thought of eating a stray one was not particularly appealing. Therefore they had to go and I consoled myself with the thought that they would make wonderful compost for the next season.

I do not give up easily and I am busy leafing my way through many seed catalogues to select next year's produce. This time I will be well and truly armed with slug pellets and insecticides and if that makes me cruel to some of God's creatures, then so be it.

Beans (Runner and French)

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:58:00 +0000

Beans are our absolutely favourite vegetable and we try and make room in the garden to grow as many as we can. Apart from having generous portions with almost every meal during the growing season, we also freeze them for use during the winter months.

We grow two varieties, one of which is Scarlet Emperor, the most vigorous of all the runner beans and it never fails to produce huge super crops regardless of weather conditions, although we do use the hose pipe during very dry spells.

I start these off in the greenhouse and plant twice as many as I am likely to need. The reason being that as soon as I put them outside I guarantee the slugs will come along to claim their share. I replace each one as soon as the (now very fat) slugs have finished their tasty meal but always end up with plenty of healthy plants for our own use so I am not complaining, well not too much anyway.

This variety does have "strings" but I have discovered an absolutely fantastic gadget which not only removes the strings but also slices the beans beautifully. This is a "KRISK, French style bean slicer", very inexpensive and really easy to use.

Even Peter, my husband, although not exactly kitchen orientated, needs very little persuasion to sit preparing beans for the freezer.

Each year I also like to try a different type of climbing runner bean simply because there are now so many to choose from and I love experimenting. I have had moderate success with the purple and yellow varieties and will certainly be trying those again next season.

The gorgeous little french beans I plant directly into the garden and, by waiting until the ground has warmed up a little, we had a good crop this year in just about eight weeks from planting. Every couple of weeks I push a few more beans into any available space, or even a container, therefore ensuring a continuous supply.

We always grow far too much of everything for our own use but get enormous pleasure from "showing-off" and sharing out the surplus with friends and family.

To digress, it really is amazing to have reached December and the geraniums are still in bloom. I am sure all the clever scientists would attribute this to global warming but I just think how very lucky we are that the hard frosts are late in arriving this year.

The Squash Family

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:20:00 +0000

I have started to reflect on this year's produce and I am now making plans for next season.

Two things I had never grown before but decided to try this year were Melons and Butternut squash. The Melons I grew in my small cold greenhouse and they certainly grew and grew and grew. Unfortunately that was only the foliage and the fruit was pretty much non-existent. We did have several melons the size of golf balls but they just went brown and dropped off in spite of my loving care. One appeared to keep growing and this one I nurtured, oh so carefully, even chatting to it on a daily basis.

When it was just about the size of an orange it ripened and smelt lovely. I waited until we had several people in the house and sliced it into minute portions so everybody could taste this prize specimen. To be totally honest it was pretty awful but everyone said how delicious it was although I am sure they were just trying to spare my feelings.
That is one thing I will not bother to grow again.

I was much more successful with the Butternut squash. I planted just five seeds in the greenhouse and when they were sturdy little plants and the danger of frost was past I transferred them to the garden. They also grew and grew and grew, very much more than I expected but instead of pinching out the growing point as I am sure professional gardeners would do, I just let them have the freedom to go where they wanted.

They spread in and out of the tomato plants, sweet corn and leeks covering an extensive part of the garden. However, they really rewarded me and produced masses of squash, not very uniform in size I must admit, varying from really small to enormous but all equally delicious.

These were "Cooks Garden Range Squash" and will definitely be on my "must grow again" list.

They were lovely roasted with other root vegetables and freeze well but I have yet to find a really good soup recipe. Those I have tried so far have been somewhat bland but I will keep trying.

An Ode to Garden Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:18:00 +0000

During these long dark evenings when gardening opportunities are a bit limited I do amuse myself by writing a little light hearted verse, only about my beloved garden of course. Thought I would share this one with you.

Of the many garden visitors, there are some we do prefer
and others may look quite nice but we do our utmost to deter.
It is said we are here for a purpose, all creatures great and small
but some we welcome with open arms, others not at all.

That wriggly little worm, we can hardly call attractive
but they aerate our soil so well just by keeping very active.
We really should encourage them but I have yet to find a way
of trying to communicate and inviting them to stay.

To attract the beautiful butterfly, a buddleia bush is fine
for there is absolutely nowehere they would rather spend their time.
No problems with this pretty thing, no pain from bites or stings
just the pleasure of observing their lovely colourful wings.

For birds there are so many things that you can easily do.
A bag of nuts, a nesting box, they'll be so pleased with you.
So do these things and more, to encourage them along
and you will be rewarded with a very beautiful song.

A slug, I am sure you will agree, is fat and black and ugly
and I cannot think of a single thing that would make this creature lovely.
So sink a jar of beer into the ground and it will try to swim.
It seems a reasonably humane way to rid your garden of this thing.

Green and Black fly too, we would rather they didn't come
sitting on our roses and basking in the sun.
Clinging like glue on to the leaves and spoiling the beautiful bloom
For them you can be sure, we just do not have the room.

If you really are adventurous, you could make yourself some money
by intsalling a beehive in your garden to produce your very own honey.
However, if your fear of stings is such that you prefer to make a stand
it probably is much better to buy a supermarket brand.

Some of these things just have to go but find a way that's kind.
Do unto others as you would have done to you is what I bear in mind.
So I try to give a pleasant death to these things we call a pest.
I am sure I do not always succeed but I try my very best.

I have, of course, just mentioned a few, there are so many more,
Some creatures you will really hate, others you'll adore.
Whilst many of them are welcome and their presence no one minds,
with others, oh if only, they could read our "keep off" signs.

The Gardening Seasons

noreply@blogger.com (Mary) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:16:00 +0000

I must admit that my absolute enthusiasm for outside gardening wanes just a tad at the onset of winter and revives at the commencement of spring. On the few nice days during this cold period I gather up the last of the vegetables as I need them, tidy up the garden as necessary ready to start again when the weather improves, and escape to my small greenhouse to prepare seed trays etc ready for early January when I will start sowing again. We do still have growing a few leeks, some spinach, parsnips and celariac which are excellent when most other crops have finished.

Apart from these odd jobs, I sit in comfort in the warmth of home, reflect on what I have grown this season and study catalogues to decide which of the wonderful things on offer I will grow next. I get enormous pleasure from doing this.

My absolute favourite catalogues are Mr Fothergill's and Suttons, both of which contain a vast variety of seeds and plants at very reasonable prices.
My only problem I find is that everything looks so tempting that I would like to buy some of each which would be fine if I had several acres and employed a staff. However, with my small garden I have to come down to earth and select just enough (flowers, fruit and vegetables) for our own use and with a little surplus for friends and family.

In the following weeks I will share with you some of the successes and failures from this year and my hopes and aspirations for next but in the meantime let me add a supplement to the recent "Humble Potato" blog. I have now emptied the last pod and hey presto, I have cracked it, no more pea size potatoes, just lovely ones, mostly a good size and absolutely delicious.