Last Post 8 hours ago
19 May 2013 22:36:56
Work in the garden today.
Earlier today i spent some hours in the vegetable garden area.The tunnel needed watering and feeding.The greenhouse needed similar.Time was spent making up more hanging baskets with some flower and vegetable companions.
Trays of Spinach,Beetroot,Cucumbers etc,needed moving on.The pots of divided Peppermint from last year have all formed well now and need the exit door.The Strawberries plants have been added to some of the baskets.
Both the Carrots and Potatoes are coming on well in the greenhouse.Similar with the Potatoes in the polytunnel.The Mustard green manure will be dug back into the ground in a short while.
Outside weeds are appearing ten a penny while inside the tunnel weeds have booked a place until at least September.If the vegetables would only grow as quick.
The water barrells have all been given a new supply of manure,comfrey,nettles and weeds,with all to their own area.Let them cook away for the next few weeks.They will be diluted to the correct strength when the time comes.
Hoeing has been top of the list and will be in top gear for a long while.Trays will need hardening off first to be on the safe side with Mother nature.
I gave a light clipping to the Boxwood hedges in the large tubs to finish off the evening.Off then for a Sunday evening stroll to admire other gardens.The Tulips in the picture i noticed in my neighbours garden.No more garden plans untili later in the week.
07 May 2013 22:13:21
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At only 9 years of age Ciara my Niece captured a bronze medal in the All Ireland Gymnastics final 2 Sundays ago.Many times the little girl would always call to me at times during summer to see if a hand was needed at watering.As you can see from the top picture that was taken around early 2010,and a few years later to get to this stage was good at only 9 years of age.I might even ask the young lady to swing up and pull the dark clouds of rain away and keep the sun coming.Not looking good for the next few days with lots of rain expected.Warm damp weather a visit from Potato blight soon.
07 May 2013 21:44:52
Tinfoil on the support tips for eye protection.
Important to take care with small legume [peas etc] supports.I was told some time ago about this.With most of the small supports i use tiny branches of trees i gather on a Sunday evening walk.The taller areas will be canes so their fine.
Each time one is in place in a bucket with the 45 cm etc stalks i always wrap some tin foil at the top of the branch for eye protection,as throughout the year weeding,harvesting etc will need doing for each area so its important to be safe with the small supports.
29 April 2013 23:13:39
Dipping area for trays in place.
Outside the greenhouse i have set up my plans for dipping trays.Once that happens then they will be drained alongside,and back in to the greenhouse.Those heading for the tunnel will have similar.Some trays will need moving on later in the week but thats another story.The Potato bags are growing well in the greenhouse and similar with the Brassica trays etc.Another plan that will need setting up will be for shade in the greenhouse in a short while,we hope.Time to have a quick check overall in the tunnel now,for the next fifteen minutes.
29 April 2013 22:49:43
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Thanks again with all your advice about plants etc for this area on a previous journal.
I will not get back to it until later in the week now.
The weather is still strange,but not to bad.
Weeds appear fast,so the garden hoe will be in full use.
Plans for very early in the morning will be feeding some areas and back tomorrow night all going well to the greenhouse,for a short while.
Slugs are warming up to attack and have paid a visit already,but now its time for the battle stations with them.
21 April 2013 22:15:50
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Here i save any used butter dishes and after a wash down,i cut into plant marker sections.When i have that area complete i then use a permanent marker,so water will not remove any details i have put on them.Come late autumn a little touch of soap powder and a brillo pad will clean them off and allow me use them from year to year.All costing just the price of the little marker.
21 April 2013 21:54:29
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This is how i make free sowing pots from empty loo rolls.First i will have the cardboard flat on the table,then the opposite,way.Now i have formed a square pot.The edges are then marked in at the same distance,and being careful i cut to each mark.Push in each flap and fill.It can be any size of a pot you will need.As cardboard is biodegradable,it will rot in the ground and will not effect the plants growth.I will add all pictures from start to finish in my album
16 April 2013 23:25:23
Ideas needed for this flower area.
The plan is to remove all from this area and,hopefully to thin in the section a little towards the ditch.Last time i had Rhubarb here,but that needed digging up and splitting.So now in a new area.My plan is to add colour to this area.I want something that will not grow to high,but more so to fill the vacant place.Something that will spread for me.I had thought about using here,as a herb patch but they are now in seperate containers.Ideas please.
16 April 2013 23:15:36
The cat looking at the computer for mice.
As i was filling out some notes on the computer,who decides to pay a visit only my mouse catching friend for the garden.Could it be he is looking up a way to remove them from the garden here,indeed our other little four legged enemies [r..s]as well.So far none have been sited on the compost heaps.Now i have a computer checking cat,with a line of defence against them,so all is not lost.
16 April 2013 22:57:23
Thanks Jacinta..
Over the weekend i had two of these clematis picked up for me from Aldi.[Thanks Jacints for lettings us know].My plan is to add them to the others i have,as some vacant spaces need filling.
Over time i often thought about climbers at the side of the house here.I have a small clematis at the front door,and will also be needing its full name,when the time comes.
The next move there will be breaking through some concrete.Thats on the plan for next weekend,weather permitting.Canes etc need sorting out for the job.
16 April 2013 22:41:14
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Time for some cleaning up.Now the 1000 litre holders are in place,the plan is for water from the house roof to be used on flowers only.The water from the hot house will be used for the veg garden.So far the man above has not left us short.Let it fall though,when we need it most.All plastic water holders are in place with 220 litre in front of the tunnel,and similar in front of the main garden shed,front and side.
16 April 2013 22:21:48
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Last Sunday morning i spent time in the greenhouse .
Trays needed a visit.I prepared some of the saved yogurt tubs for the purpose.
Made a few small holes in the bottoms for drainage purposes.
Now that some of that area is sorted out in the greenhouse,then later in the week i hope to spend time in the tunnel doing similar.
So much for good weather.
13 April 2013 22:50:34
Sowing today in the vegetable garden.
Today i spent time in the veg garden.That was until the rain decided to pay a visit from app 2 pm.I started with Beetroot, and the bed alongside those will be left vacant as this crop needs successional sowings.[little and often] Both it and Spinich are members of the Chenopodiaceae family and similar to most root crops will not have their roots disturbed,so are always started in single cells trays.I started more Carrots and with those been of the Umbelliferae family they can be quite fussy if their roots are disturbed in the early stages,so seeds begin in the vegetable bed.With the Solanaceae family i have all Potatoes in now and made a start on more Tomatoes.Plans for tomorrow will be to spend time in the greenhouse.Weather will not effect plans there.
13 April 2013 22:31:09
Looking for a full name here.
This heleborous [i think it is] i have a while now.Maybe im wrong.What im looking is its full title.It flowers early,and is in the main flower bed due for repair.
Many thanks.
07 April 2013 22:21:01
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By seven o clock yesterday evening a large portion of the veg,garden has been left ready to work on in comfort.Some of the vegetable seeds are started with special areas with no set backs there now.Behind the tunnel is next for the chop.First the per,weeds etc have to be removed and any deep holes filled.Then the mypex will be spread there with the p gravel then.Any containers will have the bases washed first,especially in that area.With the crop rotation i am happy with rows,1,2 and 3 now,with rows 4 and 5 next to be attacked in the cleaning up stage.That will wait for another evening.The weather man has given a mention of rain,but if it is not to bad then more sowing etc will get a visit at some stage on Monday evening,i hope.The Catrion seed potatoes need a visit to the planting area,at some stage later on Monday evening.Now that the beds in the main rows are ready then any areas not given French wells [2 litre milk cartons with holes in the bottoms and watering and feeding from here] then that is another job i cannot slip up on.No good digging to place them in areas and seeds already having been started there.So special markers are down.No further plans for early in the week only hoping for sunny weather.