Jannie's 2012 Diary

[p.penn]

Oh Jannie - that is looking sooooo good! Well done!

I wish I could be that organised.

[mrs boodles]

It just looks so amazing Jannie, so neat and organised.

[jannie]

Thankyou both .. I am lucky as the weather has been kind and stayed dry on the days when the grandkids haven't been here.. hope it stays that way till the project is finished

[Benny&Co]

Awwww Jannie, as always truly awesome pictures.

I love your courtyard and raised bed, what a clever cookie your hubbs is.

I was just saying to Perchy what an inspiration you guys all are to me

Hehehe love your little helpers scarifying the garden for you too!

[jannie]

Thanks Bev

Hehehe love your little helpers scarifying the garden for you too!

they also fertilised it for me

[madmum]

Jannie that looks amazing....I love the courtyard feel and the planter is going to look fab.Thank you for sharing your pics are as Bev says, an inspiration....I have yet to buy my compost for our raised bed...i suspect it will be an arm and a leg!!!!!

[jannie]

Thankyou MM.. it is nice when an idea looks as good as you hoped it would

It has taken a lot of filling but we had hardcore for the bottom 6" that was levelled with sand .. then we mixed all the homemade compost with the soil we'd dug out to put the drainage in .. it was really good soil ! ...then topped up with Vitax compost .. our local garden cente has it on offer 3 x 60 ltr bags for £10 plus 10% discount if you order 12 .. so cost £36 in all

[jannie]

I've had one of those days today .. you know the ones when you wonder why you've got time on your hands !! .. I'm in a right maudlin mood and I'm sure there must be something I could be doing in the garden ..but I can't think for the life of me what

.. and what about this weather !!! .. everything is growing so fast ... all of a sudden the buds on the fruit trees and bushes are bursting open .. the magnolia is in flower and the daffodils are wilting in the heat .. and..... I've had to water the garden .. this is Wales for goodness sake !!!
anyway .. the potatoes are growing well in the polytunnel .. as I mentioned in another thread I had more than I ordered from T&M .. I normally grow them in bags so rather than waste the spare ones I made trenches as deep as I could go and planted them in there..

I'm now worried, if they grow well, how I'm going to dig them out without damaging the membrane.. I think I'm going to have to dig with my hands .. hind sight is a wonderful thing!!

I also have a row of Radish, a row of carrots and a row of beetroot up..


and this week in the greenhouse .. the Charlotte and Cara potatoes in bags are up ..as are the Carrots and Cos lettuce..

[Annie]

Jannie this doesn't sound like you at all, perhaps if OH takes you out for tea it will cheer you up a bit .
Isn't it amazing how well its all going , really hope the good weather hold on for a while longer - I think I might need an extra hour tomorrow never mind an hour less ! I wonder if the spare potatoes in the trench would lift easier if they weren't allowed to grow so big, maybe used more like salad potatoes - suppose that depends on the variety.

[jannie]

Don't usually let things get me down Annie .. but it's been a rough week!! ... going to fetch the caravan down to the house in a bit ready for 1st outing .. that'll cheer me up ..
The potato variety is 'Cara' .. they're fast growers so good for really early salad or leave them to grow on for keeping ..I will get them out whilst they are small ..hoping to time it so the courgettes are ready to go in .. whatever I get from them will be a bonus

[jannie]

Spring has definately arrived .. hope it hasn't got a sting in it's tail

The Cherries are blooming



and so are the Plums



and the cottage garden, where the fruit trees are, is full of spring colour..

[Benny&Co]

Wonderful pictures Jannie

[jannie]

Wonderful pictures Jannie

Thank you

Looks like Spring has turned back to winter ..I really hope the fruit trees don't suffer from this cold weather ..they are all in full bloom now

Well turned my back on my plants for a few days break and they have doubled in size ..
Tomatoes are ready to go out into the greenhouse but will have to stay in the house for a while longer..far too cold out there!



and the courgettes and squash are doing well ..



..think I'll have to pot them on again before they go out into the polytunnel as they are going where the first early potatoes are now ..it's all a juggling act

[perchy]

Not bad

[jannie]

Typical !! .. a day without the grandkids .. hubby in work .. and it's tipping down with rain
.. had a little time walking around the garden yesterday and everything seems to be doing well ..

The broad beans are getting going now despite the hard frosts



potatoes, spring onions and radish are coming along in the pollytunnel ..though the beetroot have dissappeared



some mixed salad leaves just about ready to eat



some of the peas have germinated but lost half to mice I think



The courtyard project is coming along ..2/3 of the paving is down and the fruit trees are in bud .. will take next pics when it's finished