Last Post 1122 days 12 hours ago
29 April 2010 21:48:20
Loads of room for flowers!
Loads of room for flowers! the existing extension will be replaced by a new one the same size! all the grass will come up and a courtyard built with raised beds and a pergola, total area for this is 40ft x 30ft !
29 April 2010 17:59:57
New Garden Part 2 Finished!
Got another few bits finished in the new garden today! the roof of the fruit cage was finally put on and the cage is now finished, will plant it up on Monday, leveled the area where the raised veg beds will go in, ordered the timber for the beds and the slabs for the path, the new greenhouse was delivered and hopefully Denis will make a start on the frame tomorrow, compost bins in place, so Part 2 of the garden is now complete! Roll on tomorrow and the start of Part 3!!
28 April 2010 20:41:58
Work done today!
We got all the paths finished around the new veg garden which i think really sets things off, we also got the netting done around the fruit cage, only the roof left to do so delighted with that, will mark out the new veg beds and get the timber ordered, will also need about another 14 slabs or so to make a pathway in between the raised beds! the new Greenhouse arrives tomorrow, so if we can get that in place, timber and slabs delivered by the weekend we can start the finishing touches next week, and hopefully will be planting up the new veg beds by the weekend of the 8th & 9th of May! that would be some turn around in just 4 weeks!!! we will be well pleased with that!
28 April 2010 11:18:16
Darlingtonia californica
Cobra Lily
12 seeds |  | Rachel, came across this when browsing seed catalogs last night, don't know if you have it in your collection but it seems to be named after you! guess that beats a fartichoke hedge! Carnivorous!
Cobra Lily is perhaps the most spectacular of all carnivorous plants, with the appearance of a cobra ready to strike. Found in wet areas of Western Oregon and Northern California, the Cobra Lily traps its prey in its hooded pitcher, from which there is no escape. This is a prized addition to any carnivorous plant collection, but cultivation can be challenging as the soil must be kept cool and very damp. Some people provide water every day by adding distilled ice chips, which serves to cool the soil. It appears that soil pH is not important, but the plant does require careful attention. Grows 18" - 24" in height and prefers light shade.
Zone 7+ |
27 April 2010 17:21:55
New Garden Part 2
Part 2 of the new garden renovation is almost complete, the fruit cage has been up now for nearly a week and the foundation for the storage shed has been finished also about a week, the past few days has seen a slight lull in progression due in part to the allotment, orchard, the tomatoes and waiting for some things to be delivered! we are now full steam ahead again! the foundation for the paths is 50% complete and the first lot of slabs have been laid, the foundations and the paths will be finished tomorrow, and the netting will be put on the fruit cage, beds dug and manured and left ready for planting, that will finish part 2 of the garden renovation, Part 3 will start when the new greenhouse is delivered from the UK on Thursday!!!
26 April 2010 17:37:30
Jerusalem Artichokes
Got a good bit of weeding done on the Allotment today, weeded two of the potato drills and got a bed dug and weeded and planted up with a dozen Jerusalem artichokes, the first two sowings of potatoes are up and doing well, Home Guard and Nicola, the third batch, Kestrel have already started to show, done a bit of weeding on the onion beds, both varieties of onions, Stuttgarter Giant and Red Baron are flying and the shallots are also growing well, got the bed dug for the Golden podded peas, which will go in next week, wanted to get the net up in place for those today but that will have to wait till next week! will put the feet up for an hour or so and go over to the new garden after tea and get a bit of work done potting on the toms..........
26 April 2010 11:08:40
Golden podded Indian peas
We have a dozen of these plants almost ready for the allotment, only started to harden them off over the weekend so it will be next week before we get them planted up, looking forward to seeing how they get on, even as 5" seedlings they are quiet robust, much more so than the usual pea varieties, Tall 6' plants, beautiful two-toned purple flowers and bright lemon-yellow pea pods. Best eaten when small, excellent for stir-fry. Seeds are tan with purple flecks, can be dried and added to soups.
Seed Savers Pea, Golden Sweet Edible Podded
25 April 2010 21:19:30
Chili Peppers
It will be time soon to plant on the chili plants, they are all doing well and in the last week have started to take a jump! we have 6 different varieties with Elefantrussel the tallest of them, and naturally the tallest seedlings at about 5" to 6" tall, the other varieties are Lemon drop, Hungarian hot wax, Sweet ladies finger, Scotch bonnet and Bolivian hairy..............
25 April 2010 15:44:44
Lima Beans
Has anybody grown this type of bean before, planted 12 seeds about 10 days ago and they have started to germinate, i know that bean seeds can be big and boisterous when they germinate but these ones take the biscuit! planted them in 3" pots and since they started to show the compost has been lifted right out of the pot by the seedlings! also the thickness of the leavs as they break the compost, they are about 1/4 of an inch thick each!! will be interesting to see how these grow!
25 April 2010 13:51:55
FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING,
PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS :
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another
NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another
TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends
WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.
25 April 2010 04:00:08
Dealing with "leggy" tomato plants
24 January 2010 15:56:50
Hello all, this is a post i put up in January but i think it might be of interest to some people that may find themselves with leggy tomatoes!
I have noticed in several journals that a lot of people have started their tomato seedlings off already and in some cases from last December, and more luck to them! i have always waited till the middle of February each year which i feel is time enough, while planting tomato seed that early works well for lots of people, if your not to sure what your doing you can be caught out with plants coming on to soon! if you find that this happens to you, here is what to do! Tomato seedlings have the remarkable habit that they grow roots from their stems wherever they contact soil. You can bury the stems right up to the leaves, and they will happily just grow more roots. To help keep tomato seedlings compact, I re-pot them once or twice while they're indoors. At the two-leaf stage, I dig them out and carefully replant them at the very bottom of a small container. By filling the container, burying the stem so that only the leaves stick up above the soil, the seedling is shortened and it becomes stouter and stronger. If you have room for larger containers, you can keep re-burying seedlings to shorten them until planting time arrives. When you plant in the greenhouse, you have one more chance to shorten the seedlings. Even if your tomatoes are very long and stringy, plant them so that only the top four or five leaves are above the compost. This helps prevent the stems from breaking, and it adds to the root size. The seedlings will grow very quickly once they take hold, and the lost height will be made up before you know it.
24 April 2010 21:36:55
First Chilli Harvest of 2010
Maggie picked the first batch of this years chillies today! this is the earliest we have ever picked them! they are from the Cayenne chili plant we over wintered! they are about 4" to 5" long, she only picked the larger ones, to give the plant a chance to produce more! about 14 chillies in total were picked!
24 April 2010 13:19:35
Hi Gismo, sorry for not getting back sooner has been a busy few days, i posted a photo album of the info for the Echium seed! Some might say its a lazy way of doing things! I Like to think of it as cutting corners!! best of luck with the seeds!
22 April 2010 18:45:26
Almost finished!
Just need to dig the beds and get the netting on and we will be ready to plant up!
21 April 2010 22:41:51
Fruit Cage
We got the foundations of the fruit cage poured today, and the door on!! batons are only there to hold the frame level while foundation is poured, they will come off tomorrow and the frame will get a second coat of paint hope to put posts with wire tension bolts in before the weekend, get the netting on over the weekend, and trenches dug, manured, and fruit bushes planted early next week!
21 April 2010 18:06:11
The Allotment
Spent a couple of hours on the Allotment today and what a beautiful day! we managed to get the last of the main crop spuds in, Maris Piper x 50 and Roosters x 25, the Earlie's (Home Guard)and one of the second Earlie's (Nicola) have broken the soil and are showing well, that's all our spuds in now, the onions and shallots are flying, the onions are about 9" to 10" tall, the Shallots about 4" tall and bushy! the Cauliflower, Broccoli, Spinach, Kale and calabrese are all about 6" tall and doing OK, we have Jerusalem Artichokes in 2 ltr pots at home and will bring them out next week, we have a first sowing of broad beans growing at home and have a second sowing started in peat pots which will go on the allotment when ready, they will be joined by Runner beans, French beans, Lima beans and Asparagus beans, a second sowing of peas, Asparagus peas and Indian golden podded peas, leeks and some Rhubarb stools! all that in and we will be out of space for a while!!
21 April 2010 01:28:37
Web image of new greenhouse
Got a phone call tonight from the UK to let me know that the new greenhouse will be delivered on either the 28th or the 29th of April, cant wait to get this greenhouse in place! it will almost complete the veg garden, the fruit cage will be up and running by the weekend so apart from the new greenhouse all that needs to be sorted is the shed and the 3 veg beds! will make a start on the paths and the compost area over the weekend! finally feel like we are getting places!! The Hercules greenhouses comes with a sturdy cill which can sit directly on to a variety of surfaces. Greenhouses with less metal in the frame work require a base for extra strength, this extra strength is not needed here. The eaves height is 1670mm which is one of the tallest around, even compared to greenhouses that include a base.
4 x Vent with Bayliss auto opener included
4 x side louvre vent
Green finish
Low level threshold (no step at the door)
Toughened safety glass (large panes)
Lockable sliding single doors
Guttering and downpipes
Hanging basket rails
PVC Bar capping system
Extra strong frame
Extra cantilever roof braces
| Kit's opinion: It is only comparable to greenhouses that are twice the price. It has all the features of the more exclusive brands, without the sometimes eye watering price! Often customers will over look this greenhouse, by looking at some of the cheaper alternatives, but beware. Often by the time you have added a green finish toughened glass and other accessories, the price is more than a superior Hercules greenhouse. |
This new Hercules Blenheim has all the top features that you would expect from a Hercules greenhouse. The superb 4' wide double doorway has the low level threshold for easy access with a wheelbarrow or wheelchair.
20 April 2010 17:45:32
New Garden Part 2
Got the fruit cage up in place today, friend of mine will level it and baton it in place and the concrete will be poured tomorrow morning, will wait till it sets before putting the door on! delighted with how the cage is coming on so far! inside area will measure 8ft x 8ft, and 7ft tall........
19 April 2010 22:49:15
Old Orchard April 2010
Managed to make a start on the old Orchard this evening, picked out the worst tree and started there! there was quiet a bit of dead wood on the tree so i cut most of it out, worse was the weed that was growing up through the tree but after persevering for a while managed to take all of that out! don't want to cut to much from each tree as it would act as to much of a shock to them in one season, the plan is to work on them over a period of three years or so and see how they fare out, plan to increase the size of the orchard by planting two more trees this year! already have 2 eating apple, 2 cooking apple and 1 pear, so was thinking maybe a plum and another apple ? am open to advice ? anyone any ideas............
19 April 2010 21:22:40
Golden Sweet Edible Podded
This is the pea i was telling you about Jacinta,
Originally collected at a market in India. Tall 6' plants, beautiful two-toned purple flowers and bright lemon-yellow pea pods. Best eaten when small, excellent for stir-fry. Seeds are tan with purple flecks, can be dried and added to soups. (60-70 days)
19 April 2010 17:20:28
Rat Tailed Radish Seedlings
Chinese Rat Tailed Radish
25 January 2010 21:16:57
Chinese Rat Tailed Radish seeds should be sown direct in drills 1/2 inch deep between March and September, keep moist till germination and thin to 6 to 10 inches between plants, the plants will quickly run to seed and will produce pods after 40 to 50 days, they can reach 4ft tall and some staking will be needed, the pods should be picked regularly when 3 to 5 inches long to keep the plants cropping, pods can be eaten raw or cooked, they are excellent as a snack or added to salads, they may be pickled in vinegar or lightly stir fried, in India they are cooked in ghee and used in curries, the pods are most spicy when raw as they lose pungency with cooking, pods are best when freshly picked, but may be kept chilled for a month or more. Dont forget to put up a photo of seedlings!
19 April 2010 02:45:10
Plans for today!
Today's plan is to finish the frame on the fruit cage, get the rest of the main crop potatoes into the ground, Maris Pipers and Roosters, 65 tubers in total, that will bring the potato crop to 130 tubers sown in total! also plan to plant out the Jerusalem Artichokes (thanks Rachel) we have a dozen plants in 2ltr pots, plant a few more seeds and if there is enough time maybe start some of the toms in their final pots...............
17 April 2010 03:37:09
Advice needed on Bulbs!
Hello all, in need of some advice! there are a lot of Spring bulbs in the new garden that we would love to keep, ie Daffs & Snowdrops, what is the best way of storing these bulbs till i can plant them again in October! also our Amaryllis! what do we do regarding storing/replanting the bulbs
16 April 2010 02:28:06
Good Value Pots
Had seen these pots in the good old €2 shop last week and was keeping an eye on them! got a phone call from a friend of mine tonight to say they were selling fast and was i interested in them! told him to pick me up 10 as at 9 and a 1/2" tall x 11 and 1/4" they would be ideal for chillies and peppers, and even small bush tomatoes! got 10 pots for €20! great value for a good sturdy pot that will give us years of use! don't know if they have much stock left but get your hands on a few if you can! at €2 great value for that size pot!!!
15 April 2010 19:51:59
New Garden Part 2
The back end of the garden was cleared today, the steel for the fruit cage arrived and was primed and painted the first coat, tomorrow the foundation for the shed will go in, and the concrete for the posts of the fruit cage, and the fruit cage will be erected and a start made on the paths!
13 April 2010 21:44:36
Allotment onions
This has really been a busy day! even by our standards!!! managed to almost get the end of the new garden cleared, skip now full, new one arriving tomorrow morning, planted the first of the main crop potato varieties (King Edward) on the allotment, also got the onion beds weeded and planted Broccoli (2 types), Calabrese, Cauliflower and Cabbage, had a good chat with our landlady and we have decided to do a course in Pig farming! starting in May i believe!! watered the onions and we headed home, had some dinner and went over to the new garden, watered the greenhouse and then divided up some of the Rhubarb into pots for safe keeping till all this madness is over! got 9 pots done, will do a few more in the morning before work, foundations for the posts, and indeed the frame of the fruit cage going in tomorrow! so its all systems go on phase 2 of the new garden! off now for a hot shower, few beers and bed early with the book i picked up yesterday on fruit trees, want to have a good look at the Orchard tomorrow! but that's another days work and indeed another post....................
12 April 2010 14:26:17
New Garden
Have posted up a few photos of the "New" garden, we have part 1 completed with the renovation of the old greenhouse which we are both delighted with, part 2 will consist of clearing out the old brick compost heap and getting the area ready for the 2 new compost bins! also to clear the area for the fruit cage and get the cage erected! will make a start on that in the morning, now i have to get in to Chapters to source a good book on fruit trees! want to get in and out of town as quick as possible! to nice a day to be missing out on the Garden!!!
11 April 2010 22:42:48
New/Old Greenhouse stocked
Managed to get the first of the toms into the renovated Greenhouse this morning! was delighted to see it being filled! we have 86 toms in 1.5ltr and 2ltr pots and they will thrive in there with all the light and the bit of heat we have been having, also got the peas and broad bean plants into the ground, they had been sown earlier in peat pots and had reached about 3" to 4" tall and the root was starting to pass through the walls of the peat pots so they had to go in! Half filled a skip with stuff from the new house, will make a start on clearing out some of the rubbish from the new garden tomorrow! mostly a few old bushes and an old brick compost heap that's full but has been taken over by weed, will divide up the Rhubarb plants into pots for safe keeping till the garden renovation is over, hope to get into Chapters tomorrow and pick up a good book on growing and maintaining Fruit trees! and if we can squeeze a trip to the allotment into all that and get the main crop spuds in that would be great! going to get some more seeds sown tonight and then a nice hot shower and bed before 1am with a good gardening book!!!
11 April 2010 16:10:57
James Grieve Apple
I have managed to find out some information on 2 of the trees in my Grandfathers orchard they are a variety called James Grieve, and the apple tree is particularly suitable for cooler areas (apples may drop prematurely in warmer areas), and it also has a very refreshing taste. If picked in September it makes a great cooking apple which retains its shape in pies. Leave it on the tree until it is fully ripe in October and that acid taste disappears. It then makes a refreshing sweet eating apple with a nice tang to it. No real problems with diseases, and particularly easy to maintain. Handle the fruit with care when picked because James Grieve bruises easily. It originated from Scotland in 1893. Another good variety for apple juice when picked in October. this info ties in well with the information that i already had, this variety of tree was bred in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1893 and my Grandfather planted his orchard in 1929, i got the name of the tree from my uncle who worked in the orchard as a young boy with my Grandfather, he is sure also that the Pear tree in the orchard is a variety called Independence, have searched the net but no info as of yet! the search goes on...........
10 April 2010 13:29:53
Old Orchard
I have decided to take on an old Orchard! (as if we weren't busy enough already!) its at the back of my uncles house, which was my Grandfathers house, the orchard comprises of 5 trees, 2 cooking apple, 2 eating apple and 1 pear tree! they were all planted by my Grandfather sometime in the 1930s! i have some experience with fruit bushes but am a complete novice when it comes to fruit trees!! all the trees have been fruiting well for as long as i can remember but have received no attention for the last 30 years or more regarding pruning, spraying etc! would welcome any advice regarding them, or advice on a good book to buy, would also love to find out the varieties that they are if anyone has any idea on how to go about this i would love to hear from you, this is a step in the dark for us but an exciting one!
09 April 2010 18:22:29
New Garden Part 1 Completed
Today we managed to complete the renovation of the old greenhouse, delighted with the outcome! need to finish the staging and coat it and the plants can go in on Sunday! nearly 40 years old the greenhouse has been transformed for less than €400!! really delighted, see the before and after album for photos!!
09 April 2010 02:31:54
The New Garden
Not to long in from work! long day! old greenhouse almost finished, 6 panes of glass left to go in, were supposed to be delivered Thursday wont be here till later on this morning, large skip arrived today so we can start clearing out the new garden over the weekend, want to make a start on the fruit cage get the foundations in for the shed and also get the area cleared for the compost bins and get them up and running! have the kettle on! need a cup of tea! have to pack up a dozen and a half tomato plants for a good friend of ours, also write out a bit of info regarding their habits, a shower and then some sleep! roll on the weekend!!!!!
08 April 2010 14:04:44
Lovely Day
Lovely morning with some warmth in the air! went through the morning ritual of transferring the tomatoes from the kitchen to the greenhouse, the renovated greenhouse should be up and running tomorrow! the day time temps for the next 3 to 4 days are good so if it doesn't deteriorate to much at night will leave the toms in the greenhouse full time from now on!
07 April 2010 08:56:34
Fruit Information
While searching the net for info for the upcoming fruit cage and info in regards to moving the large fruit bushes i came across this site
www.fruitexpert.co.uk excellent site that covers everything for the propagation, growing and production of fruit! even has a good list of recipes!! if you already grow fruit or you are thinking of starting, this site is well worth a visit
06 April 2010 23:40:37
Tomatoes Plants Everywhere!
Tonight i finished potting up our own tomatoes for this year! 79 plants were potted up and they are now in either 1.5ltr or 2ltr pots were they will stay till they go into there final pots in the first or second week of May, the only ones i don't pot on from the 3" pots are the Garden Pearl, they will be left to grow on and will go straight into the window boxes and hanging baskets! also the plants potted on into the 1.5ltr and 2ltr pots were watered in with a small addition of Epsom salts in the water as i find this will help with the production of strong foliage on these young plants....
06 April 2010 22:10:06
Transplanting Fruit Bushes
We have 2 large fruit bushes in the new garden that we need to move, i know its probably the wrong time of year but i was wondering if it would be possible to do this now and what would be the best way to go about it, the fruit bushes are both current bushes, about 6 years old and are about 4ft x 4ft, any info would be most welcome as we would really like to hold on to these plants and move them into the new fruit cage!
06 April 2010 18:59:10
Greenhouse Renovation
Started to get the glass in the greenhouse today, there are 5 panes that were broken before we started on the renovation so the new glass has been ordered and will be delivered on Thursday, rang the UK today also to enquire about the new greenhouse, it will be delivered in 3 weeks so will look forward to getting that up and running............
05 April 2010 16:52:07
Greenhouse Renovation
The old greenhouse has now had its 2 coats of paint and has been bolted on to its new base! really delighted how things have gone with it! it looks brand new! hope to start putting the glass in tomorrow so it will be up and running for the weekend! it doesnt look to bad for nearly 40 years old!!
03 April 2010 13:12:05
Tomatoes for Export!
Jacinta, here is a photo of the toms i promised you! they are about 8" tall and starting to produce good root systems, have started putting them in the greenhouse today, will leave them in the greenhouse during the day for the next week, taking them in at night time, will have them ready for you next Mon/Tue week, will be in touch before hand....
02 April 2010 11:45:17
Modena, Italy 2008
What a horrible day!! that's all you can say about that!! went into work about 7.30 left about 10.30, lit the fire, going to have a nice long hot shower! go out to Howth get some fish, get home in front of the fire with a pot of tea and a good gardening book! will pot on some of the toms later and also the flower seedlings! Alison got those plants from Jacinta yesterday thanks a million, potted them up yesterday and put them in the greenhouse, Shelsers plant will be very special for us, thank you.........
02 April 2010 02:09:41
Greenhouse Renovation
Managed to get the first coat of paint on the greenhouse this evening! was to dark in the end for photos! but delighted!!!! don't hold out much hope for tomorrow with the forecast! will go into work about 8 for an hour or two! and then home if i can will get the second coat on great, but i think I'll spend the day potting on toms!! Have a lot of orders that need addressing!!