How does your garden grow?

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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Mo »

I really like early, fresh, rhubarb. When it's old it tends to get woody or just boring.
Once it gets going I'll cook a big bowl and save some to add to stewed apple the next day. Usually a bowl of stewed apple in my fridge, it goes with anything.
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Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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An excellent year for plums, both Czar and Victoria. Pick to eat. Picked to freeze. Picked for my daughter. Picked for my charity stall on the verge. Given up now, the bees and butterflies are enjoying them so they can have the rest.
There are boxes of James Grieve in the porch. The Worcester are ready to pick (but I prefer JG so they can go on the verge or to dance club and choir when we go back. Good crop of Brambles, and a big job stopping them taking over.
Found a little treasure today. A handful of ripe strawberries that neither birds or slugs had noticed. Strawberries and ice cream for tea then.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
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lancashire lass
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by lancashire lass »

I was thinking about my fruit tree harvests but my garden is so overgrown (I've not been down to the garden at all this past 12 months alone, never mind the 2 years when I was working from home and felt the need to prove I WAS working ...) A patch of brambles took hold in the bed by the glass greenhouse and is now completely blocking the access past the chicken runs. The brambles are even taller than the shed and I can see from the back door that they are full of ripened fruits. In the distance I could see the elders were heavy with fruit too (damn, I bet it would have made a great elderberry port) So I wouldn't be surprised if the birds are really fattening themselves up in my garden.
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Spreckly
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Spreckly »

I managed to buy winter pansies yesterday, so this morning they have been planted up. If I had thought earlier, I would have bought seed.

My hanging basket petunias are very leggy, with very few blooms, but I am hoping to overwinter them in the greenhouse.

My two rose bushes in the back garden are blooming, but on the east coast it is becoming quite autumnal.

My one remaining apple fell before I could pick it, and the birds had made headway with it so it was not worth saving.
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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lancashire lass wrote: 03 Sep 2022, 03:49 I was thinking about my fruit tree harvests but my garden is so overgrown ... A patch of brambles took hold in the bed by the glass greenhouse and is now completely blocking the access past the chicken runs. The brambles are even taller than the shed and I can see from the back door that they are full of ripened fruits.
Sounds like my garden. I spent over 2 hours today chopping brambles and pulling nettles in a tiny corner of the orchard, where I thought there was a long forked pole to replace the washing prop that broke. Mind you, I don't know how long before that one snaps. Jim cut it so it must be over 6 years old.

And I had to have several sessions before i could get down to the other end of the garden to pick the damsons. Never got as far as the loganberries this year, must have a go at that side of the pond.

But all the apples coming ready - they'll keep me busy for months as I planted a succession.
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Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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Mo wrote: 03 Sep 2022, 17:41 I spent over 2 hours today chopping brambles and pulling nettles in a tiny corner of the orchard, where I thought there was a long forked pole to replace the washing prop that broke. Mind you, I don't know how long before that one snaps. Jim cut it so it must be over 6 years old.
Not long.
In fact, by the time I'd carried it through the orchard to the washing line the fork had broken off. So I have a useless 10' pole.
But at least the brambles have been checked in that corner.
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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Still a few strawberries ripening, but only one at a time, so I nibble as I pass.
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Spreckly
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Spreckly »

My garden is growing very well, thank you. The grass needs cutting, and my lawnmower went a few weeks' back to be overhauled, hope it returns soon.

All but two of the crocuses Ted planted on the front lawn have failed to survive. They also edged the drive and were beautiful, however they have appeared on the other side of the drive and at the front of the hedge.

I have several flowers on one of my camellias, the daffs are beginning to bloom, and snowdrops and aconites remain in flower.

Soon be time to sow my seeds.
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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It give a real lift to see the spring bulbs shining in the sun.
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Spreckly
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Spreckly »

Yes Mo, the daffs and yellow crocusses are so cheerful. To me, the winter has seemed very long.
Trev62
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Trev62 »

Our rhubarb is just popping it first leaves and stalks through, early this year for us.
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Mo »

I've had a couple of bowls from mine, picking 1 short stem from each part.
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Spreckly
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Spreckly »

I am biting the bullet in a short while, and sowing some of my Gardeners Delight tomato seeds. I will start them off inside under my bay window, which is south facing.
I was given some rooting powder for Christmas and took a few slips of winter flowering jasmine, which came from two of my previous homes. Ted was a dab hand at cuttings, and the plant I used was a cutting from our previous home. I am unsure if they have taken, so am going to have another go. the are on the friont room windowsill under a polythene bag.

Still deciding whether to plant few potatoes, I have none chitted as yet.
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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Spreckly wrote: 14 Mar 2023, 11:59
I was given some rooting powder for Christmas and took a few slips of winter flowering jasmine, which came from two of my previous homes. Ted was a dab hand at cuttings, and the plant I used was a cutting from our previous home. I am unsure if they have taken, so am going to have another go. the are on the friont room windowsill under a polythene bag.

Still deciding whether to plant few potatoes, I have none chitted as yet.
I alternate with potatoes. I missed planting any in '21 as the slugs were so bad in '20, planted them last year but half of the crop was riddled with little holes. It takes so long to peel them when you have to peel the insides too. So i think I've given up.

Once it gets going there's no stopping winter jasmine. it roots itself into a thicket. Hmm maybe when the flower has finished I'll divide it and see if it will stop the nettles coming back. Jim smothered the grass but never planted the planned shrubbery, so it is covered with nettles. Which will be a job to get out though.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
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Spreckly
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Spreckly »

I decided not to plant any potatoes, but sowed runner beans a month or so since, which have come to nothing, so I have ordered some dwarf french runners which should arrive this week, plus a packet of lettuce seeds.

At long last, my seedling are showing very small signs of life. I have had them under propagator lids for a few weeks, but took the lids off today.

The borrage from last year has leaves, well I am fairly certain it is borrage, I took the seed off it, and hopefully that will yield some more.

My Gardener's Delight tomato seedlings are almost two inches high, and will need transplanting fairly soon. I got a gro bag last week from the supermarket in readiness, and have promised number three son some plants when they are much larger.

Some of the labels I carefully wrote out have gone astray, so what does come up will be a surprise.

I have almost black nasturtiums to plant out, which were sown a couple of months' since, and a tub of very healthy looking lupins, which were sown last year. These have both been in the greenhouse. We did have a slight frost last week, so they will stay inside longer.

Between us, my sons and I are mulching the old veggie plot. I covered it in cardboard last back end, and one compost bin has been emptied onto it already, two to go. The lawn cuttings from yesterday have also gone onto it, and I managed to clip the unwanted grass in places. We have also put an old carpet over the worst area, the strawberry patch, where more grass grows than fruit.

My wallflowers are tiny, only about four inches high, bit of a damp squib, and show no sign at all of growing, let alone flowering.
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