Nef's News 2012

[Nefertari]

I only bought this house in mid June 2011 so didn't get a full growing season in. the garden was pretty much a blank canvas as had just 2 apple trees (dwarfing) and the rest was laid to lawn, er I mean moss and weeds.

I managed to get 4 raised beds dug and planted last year. Made a big strawberry and raspberry bed, put in some blueberries 2 honeyberries, a pear tree, 2 rhubarb, a kiwi, gogi berry and am just waiting my delivery of a stella cherry, an apricot which i'm going to fan train against the trellis, 2 victoria plums, one will be on the other trellis fence, and a damson tree. I have already put 2 thornless blackberries in 2 different places. I have a fig but don't know if i will keep it or dig up and put something else in its place.

I love my fruit in case you hadn't guessed

I still have a couple of rows of leeks to use up/give away then all the raised beds are ready to rock n roll. All winter i've been putting the chook manure on them and the aubiose/hemcore as and when i've cleaned the run out. Since the garden hasn't been cultivated at all in 30 years at least, it needs all the help it can get.

before christmas i dug the patch behind the raised beds and almost up to the back fence. Still have to get someone in to remove a largish branch from the weeping willow as it sticks out pretty much vertically.

These are the veg seeds i'll be sowing later on.

carrots (for the hens)
pumpkins (for the girls)
runner beans
parsnips
courgettes (for the girls)
leeks
butternut squash
spinach (for the girls)
sweetcorn (for the girls)
Brussels sprouts

i have some first early charlotte spuds but i'm putting these in a biiig barrel on the patio.

i have some seeds i don't want that were giveaways in GYO mag this month if anyone would like them?

i have tomato gardeners delight
sweet pepper california wonder and
leek lyon 2
all are mr fothergills seeds

Will now go and find my before pics!


pumpkin (for the hens)

[Nefertari]

this was before the trellis was put up to hide the washing line. you can also see the fruit trees, strawberry and raspberry beds, and the leeks before i started harvesing them

Here you can see the rest of the raised beds. the black plastic was where i killed off the grass and weeds before digging. the parsnips and runner beans will go in this bit.


Eventually i shall put a greenhouse next to the green shed.
this is where the apricot and 1 of the plums will go

This is the girls shed, their house and you can just see a bit of the run

[perchy]

Ooh how exciting

I try to grow the odd thing for the girls

I have trenches dug, fill it with chicken waste, the lot, 2 weeks worth and then cover it over and make another

[Nefertari]

is that for your runner beans Perchy or just generally?

[perchy]

Your pics are lovely you have a good size garden, and the girls have a lovely bit too.

I did the trenches for the runner beans and broad beans last year, and they did very well, as we have got a very new bit will dig lots of small trenches to help the soil as it has been "sort of grass" for a while

[Nefertari]

the fruit trees I ordered (bare root) arrived the other day so today's job has been to plant them.

I had to nip to h0mebase first to get some stakes and they have a 2 for £20 on fruit trees at the mo. i didn't need 2 more but anyway, they had some others also on offer for £9.99 one of which was a bramleys seedling. I fancied doing an espalier and saw a nice shaped tree that would do nicely for that.

so i ended up getting that and the stakes and the wire etc to train this one.

will post pics later but have put it the other side of the arch on the left hand side as you stand looking down the garden. this makes the bit to the left of the garden a mini orchard now.

the new trees I got from Victoriana nurseries are 1 cherry, 1 apricot, 1 damson and 2 victoria plum. the apricot I've planted by the trellis that hides the washing line. This will be fan trained.

Oh and the hens had a wonderful time eating all the big, fat juicy worms they found

[LittleBrownFrog]

Sounds lovely. I was just thinking this morning, that when we move, I want to grow much more fruit - it's so expensive in the shops now, and so samey, never seems to really taste of anything.

[Nefertari]

very true LBF and because commercially grown fruit is picked before it is ripe, it doesn't develop the taste that home grown (and picked when properly ripe) does.

[perchy]

Now I have a little more room I may be able to have some fruit bushes, I have a redcurrant, but it is in with the girls

Maybe I could get a dwarf apple tree?

[Nefertari]

You can get some really good dwarf or family trees now Perchy.

I bought GW magazine the other day and as normal, lots of catalogues fell out. One of them for instance is from J Parkers who have lots of dwarfing fruit trees.

[perchy]

You can get some really good dwarf or family trees now Perchy.

I bought GW magazine the other day and as normal, lots of catalogues fell out. One of them for instance is from J Parkers who have lots of dwarfing fruit trees.

Ooh will have a look, something I am definitely interested in, thanks