Jannie's Grow Your Own Diary 2010

[ma larkin]

I have only just read this thread! What you have done Jannie is amazing! Hope you enjoyed your lunch!!

Ma Larkin

[jannie]

Thanks Ma, but it really is a labour of love..I am in such a good place mentaly living here - I love my home and garden...and yes the first salad of the year was delicious..

Yesterday I planted my brambley apple tree ( b'day pressie !), that makes 5 varieties of apple in the garden . Then I spent a couple of hours thinning out and transplanting Cabbage, Kale, Leeks and Caulies..
There were quite a few thinnings left and thought it a waste to compost them and the chooks already had a cabbage to peck on, so I tossed them all in a salad with a few mixed salad leaves, well I can't tell you what a lovely salad they made - DELICIOUS..

I also planted up the cucumbers which are now in 10'' pots - can't believe how quick their growing.. I think the courgettes will have to be potted on soon as well..and I'm going to have to start hardening off some bedding plants today, as the greenhouse is bursting at the seems . I think if I get them tough enough I can then cover them with fleece at night till the frosts are over and they can be planted out..

[jannie]

Well the mice problem seems to be coming to an end now the peas and beans have finished sprouting... We have caught 17 to date

I was a bit overwhelmed with the the greenhouse yesterday when I realised that everything was outgrowing their pots, so I potted some of them on into growbags and pot's. I also planted up the grandkids tomatoes. So at least now I know what I can sell down the scout's

Some of the tomatoes and courgettes
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The potatoes are also doing well....
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I hav

[jannie]

I hate hate hate this cold wet weather !!!!!..

There is so much in the greenhouse that is ready to be planted out.. I really want to be out in the garden today.. All I've managed is a quick walk around to check on progress...

The mice look like they've been defeated as I now have a half barrel which is full of 6'' pea shoots.. Stuck a few twiggy brances in as they're looking for somewhere to cling to..

I picked my first radish an hour ago.... a quick wash under the garden tap and into my mouth...yumm Don't tell hubby...I will let him have the next ones..

I'm not going to sow anymore seeds this week as we're off to Dorset next weekend...we've booked the week, but hubby and I are going to leave the family there after a few days away ( haven't told them yet!!!!) as I don't want to leave the chooks and garden for too long. I do trust my friend to look after everything, but I think It's too much to ask to take care of everything for more than a few days...
REMINDER to myself not to book holiday in May again..

[jannie]

Last night was the 1st night out of the greenhouse for the bedding plants and veggies. Hope I have got the timing right and we don't get any more frosts...
I'm going away tomorrow and trying to make it easier for my friend to look after the garden and chooks.... going to come home on Friday 3 days early as I feel I am asking too much..

The peas have caught up after loosing the 1st sowing to mice....and the new strawberry plants, taken from runners, are all in flower...
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Bedding plants are all ready to go out next weekend...
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Raised veg patch is growing well ..picked radish so far.
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and the potatoes have flower buds....
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So all in all everything outside the greenhouse is doing well....I'll save the greenhouse for next time......

[stace]

Wow Jannie all looking great

Have a good trip

[jannie]

Thanks stace... catch up with you all next weekend unless I manage to sneak my laptop into the car.....

[Richard]

That's it - so good, I dare not put my new pictures up now, too embaressed !!

Brilliant stuff

Richard

[jannie]

Cheers for the nice comments Richard... I wish I had your plot though..I never seem to have enough room to plant everything I grow..


It's been a busy few days planting since getting back from Weymouth.....the warm weather has given everything a good growth spurt..

5 hanging baskets planted up today...


also planted out spare tomatoes, peppers and chillies in amongst the cottage garden plants....never tried it before so fingers crossed should be interesting..

The only plants left in the greenhouse now are the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, chillies and a courgette which are staying in there.. Hard to believe that 2 weeks ago every inch of staging and floor was covered in trays and pots of plants.!!

Tomato plants growing well..



Still plenty of planting to do this week....just wish the daffodils hadn't been so late flowering 'cause I can't overplant yet..


The roof of the log store covered in plants yet to be planted out.

[perchy]

Looks brilliant Jannie, and photo's in the sunshine

Are you sure they are tomato plants

[jannie]

Are you sure they are tomato plants

Mmmm...I'll let you know if I don't get any red fruits...

[ma larkin]

Your garden and produce looks amazing! You obviously have put alot of effort in to it!

Ma Larkin

[jannie]

.The last couple of days have been backbreaking....

Sunday

Decided to sacrifice some of the lawn to grow more veg...not easy as I'd spent hours scarifying and reseeding to repair chicken damage and the lawn is now looking fab.. ...I thought is was going to be an hours job, but as usual jobs never go to plan.........we had laid the whole back garden to lawn, when the cottage was a holiday let, and the turf we used was backed with plastic netting, so it was really difficult to turn over. It also turned out that the soil was only good to about 3-4 inches, so had to send hubby out for load of top soil..... ever wished you'd not started a job... ... still the chooks were happy to have the turf to scratch over.......
Anyway several hours later and my little veg patch doubled in size, so now as well as the raised bed I have a veg garden planted up with onions, broad beans, a little wigwam covered in mangetout peas, curly Kale, brocolli, french beans, asparagus, sage, rosemary,cabbage, cauli and tomato...all edged with french marigolds.. it looks so pretty 'cause I've followed Alys Fowlers method of planting..... pics to follow when it stops raining...........

Hubby decided that the brackets for the hanging baskets should be replaced.....I thought rusty looked rustic....he thought they looked like they'd fall on someones head ......anyway he won and, as he found some pretty ones with butterflies on, I let him get on with it......Yet again wish hadn't started job....First 2 went up without a hitch despite the holes not matching up.....the third one was over the pond which we had placed close to the house to watch the fish....he couldn't place the ladder safely so concocted a platform to work off...needless to say it wasn't very safe and hubby ended up in the fish pond. I shouted at him 'cause he could have electrocuted the fish...well he could have.!!!!....I won't write what he said...Hmmmm

[jannie]

Monday

Time to tackle the front garden...Quite a big space, which I'd originally planted with some fast growing shrubs to fill up the space.... Last year I grew hundreds of cottage garden plants from seed and dug up all the shrubs ready to plant my old fashioned cottage garden....I ordered a couple of ton of top soil and dug in lots of homemade compost....I managed to get most of the plants in by the Autumn and despite the harsh winter everything was growing well...............including THE WEEDS !!!!!! I can't believe how rubbish the top soil is ... ....
Anyway despite weeding the patch every week this spring, the weeds were threatening to take over again, so before planting out my dahlias I tackled another weeding session...3 hours it took, but I tried to be thorough and with all the perenials doing well it was a bit of a balancing act to get between them....at least I didn't get wet like someone I've mentioned. .....

As I wandered around the garden yesterday evening I had an amazing sense of achievement..apart from the fruit trees ..everything that fills the garden..I've grown from seed...... .......

will post some before and after pics soon..

[jannie]

.The last couple of days have been backbreaking....

Sunday

Decided to sacrifice some of the lawn to grow more veg...not easy as I'd spent hours scarifying and reseeding to repair chicken damage and the lawn is now looking fab.. ...I thought is was going to be an hours job, but as usual jobs never go to plan.........we had laid the whole back garden to lawn, when the cottage was a holiday let, and the turf we used was backed with plastic netting, so it was really difficult to turn over. It also turned out that the soil was only good to about 3-4 inches, so had to send hubby out for load of top soil..... ever wished you'd not started a job... ... still the chooks were happy to have the turf to scratch over.......
Anyway several hours later and my little veg patch doubled in size, so now as well as the raised bed I have a veg garden planted up with onions, broad beans, a little wigwam covered in mangetout peas, curly Kale, brocolli, french beans, asparagus, sage, rosemary,cabbage, cauli and tomato...all edged with french marigolds.. it looks so pretty 'cause I've followed Alys Fowlers method of planting..... pics to follow when it stops raining...........

Hubby decided that the brackets for the hanging baskets should be replaced.....I thought rusty looked rustic....he thought they looked like they'd fall on someones head ......anyway he won and, as he found some pretty ones with butterflies on, I let him get on with it......Yet again wish hadn't started job....First 2 went up without a hitch despite the holes not matching up.....the third one was over the pond which we had placed close to the house to watch the fish....he couldn't place the ladder safely so concocted a platform to work off...needless to say it wasn't very safe and hubby ended up in the fish pond. I shouted at him 'cause he could have electrocuted the fish...well he could have.!!!!....I won't write what he said...Hmmmm

Here is my new veg patch...