LL's Gardening Diary

Members adventures in the Vegetable Patch all year round
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lancashire lass
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

Post by lancashire lass »

Mo wrote:Well done. You make me realise my age.


Gwenoakes wrote:I cannot believe how much you have achieved this year already, LL. Well done you


Thank you - the allotment used to occupy a lot of my time so all I've done is put my energy and efforts into the garden instead, with the added bonus that I only have to fall out of the back door into the garden and can come and go during the day (whereas a visit to the allotment was a trip out - once I'd decided I had had enough, that was it for the day and then I went home. At home I might spend a couple of hours in the garden, take a couple hours break and might even go back into the garden for another hour or so before quitting)

The other reason is probably the weather - although we have had a few cold and even a couple of windy weekends, generally it has been dry for the most part which I've been using to my advantage. I'm also pushing myself to meet targets - I really need to get the hedge trimmed before spring because (1) I really need to increase the light levels to the rest of the garden to grow vegetables this year (if you click on this link back to the start of the Garden Rescue in June/July 2018 as a reminder of how bad it was) and (2) before the blackbirds start nesting (I've already come across at least 5 old nests and realised just how many birds used the hedge) My other target is to set up the wildlife pond as soon as possible because I'd really like to encourage frogs to spawn (currently thwarted by the big pile of hedge trimmings blocking access to the pergola which I have to clear out of the way first) Soil from the pond dig is to be used to fill the raised beds in the polytunnel which are to be used for growing the potatoes and onions .... and I'm aiming for a mid-late March planting (weather permitting - the beds might be in the polytunnel but it'll still be too cold if we have snow!) so that's only about 4-6 or so weeks to be ready on time yike*

Gwenoakes wrote:By the way not sure if you will remember but I planted peas in the greenhouse some time ago (do not ask why) and they are still going strong and starting to flower now, so have been helping them pollinate as you suggested. Not sure if they will survive for much longer but it will be interesting to find out.


I think we've been lucky to have had a mild winter so far - I've noticed my greenhouse garlic have been growing throughout winter whereas on the allotment plot they would only just be pushing up out of the soil by now with the early maturing ones just slightly ahead), the pond fish have been feeding throughout winter (this morning I caught a good glimpse of them and I think even they have been quietly growing while under the PVC cover!) and the daffodils are between 6-8 inches tall and I noticed down the street an early flowering cherry tree was in blossom. Peas are cool weather crops (unlike tomatoes, aubergines, chillies) and being in the greenhouse have had some protection from the worst of the weather especially wind which can be damaging. With increased light levels and longer days, I think your peas might be alright now but fingers crossed. Quite an interesting "experiment" even though it was unintentional .... something I might try myself if all goes well. Please keep the pea thread going because I'd really like to see how it turns out )t'
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lancashire lass
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Storm Erik and Seed Sowing time!

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Storm Erik that hit the UK yesterday was particularly brutal - although Nottingham didn't get the full force of the strong winds, it did funnel into the midlands and was quite scary. Thankfully the wind direction didn't directly hit the neighbour's ash tree close to my house and was partially protected by a tall conifer growing in their garden but several small branches were brought down on to my patio. Despite the scaffold netting over the pond holding the pvc sheets down, one sheet lifted up (and was banging against the wood) so I had to brave the wind and flying debris to find something to hold it down ... poor fish must have wondered what was going on. One of my plastic sheets that I had put between the chicken runs has disappeared (it used to keep the rain from landing on the nesting box - more for my benefit than keeping the coop dry) Amazingly the greenhouses and polytunnels (and my recently rescued one) have come out of it unscathed despite the savage trim to the hedge though when I went down the garden at the height of the storm to check on them, the remaining few unsupported tall branches of the hedge on the neighbour's side were wildly swinging around. The last wood beam on the pergola which was supporting the jasmine finally broke in half and had come down - the wood was rotten so was not unexpected and one of the reasons why I didn't rescue it for painting last year. Some of the twiggy trimmings I had put on top of the big trimmings pile had also shifted but generally the damage was minimal. This morning it was raining and cold so I decided to get on with some indoor tasks instead - seed sowing!

Some seed are worth sowing indoors in January & February to give them a head start if they have a long growing season, especially if they are destined for a greenhouse - aubergine, chillies and peppers in particular are sown in January/February, and if the greenhouse is to be heated, tomatoes (sowing tomato seeds too early for outdoors or unheated polytunnel / greenhouse can usually result in keeping them indoors for too long if it is a long cold spring and they tend to grow too tall & leggy by the time they are planted out) Aubergine, chillies and peppers really need warmth (20-25oC) to germinate so I have sowed some seeds sandwiched in a bit of damp paper towel slipped inside a plastic zip lock bag - I'll take them to work tomorrow so they can sit on top of the computer on my desk (the computer is on all day so gets warm and is perfect) As soon as the root starts to emerge, then they will be carefully transferred using tweezers to a tray of compost which will stay on the computer until they appear .... that's the plan ...

However, a lot of my seed are old now so today's exercise is more about checking to see which are still viable. I'm quietly confident most will germinate especially the cabbage, sprouts and calabrese but I'm also prepared to be disappointed - rather than waste compost, all the seeds today have been sown on damp paper towel and if they sprout, then I'll transfer them to seed trays. So what have I sown?

Aubergine - 3 different ones, Early Long Purple, Violetta di Firenze, Black Beauty
Chilli - Beaver Dam (very mild, very early maturing, very productive with large fruit for a small plant - more like a pepper than a chilli)
Pepper - Sweet sunshine F1 (trailing type, ideal for hanging baskets with Jalapeno sized fruits)
Leek - Lyon Prizetaker
Cabbage - Greyhound, Durham Early, Earliest of All, Primo II
Sprouts - Red Ball, Evesham Special, Bedford Darkmar
Calabrese - Green Sprouting
Beetroot - Burpees Golden
Peas - Sugar Snap
Broad beans - Bunyards Exhibition
Tomato - San Marzano Lungo (plum)
Pot marigold
French marigold
Asparagus - Connover's Colossus

The Brassicas (cabbage, sprouts, calabrese) and Legumes (peas & beans) are known as cool weather crops so they don't need heat to help them germinate but soil temperature does need to be above 8-10oC so indoors on a sunny windowsill will be fine (I have set up the pasting board in front of the south facing back bedroom window) I will transfer the seedlings to grow on in the greenhouse/polytunnel. When I shared an allotment plot with my friend, he was so eager to get stuff growing that he sowed summer cabbage (the pointy type) and calabrese in January and planted them out about the time I was still sowing seeds in late March - amazingly they were ready for harvesting in June when mine weren't until August / September so I'm eager to see if I can do the same this year (if they germinate of course LOL)

I wouldn't normally sow Leek or Beetroot now but just want to check if the seed will germinate. Tomato - the seed are actually relatively fresh as I bought them in 2017 and never opened the sealed foil pack but I have decided to start these off early and am hoping for early crops (I'm also quietly hoping the weather this year will be similar to last year - except for the Beast from the East of course - and be sunny and above average temperature ... okay, possibly wishful thinking and more likely to be cooler, dull and damp because I am gearing up to growing my own veg this year)

Asparagus, Pot marigold and French marigold - I'll admit it is probably too early to sow these although self seeded pot marigold do overwinter successfully outdoors (they can start to become like weeds if not checked) so I'm cautiously optimistic they'll be fine although again, the seed are old. I might get fresh French marigold seed as they will be part of my companion planting in some of the beds to reduce aphid infestation. The Pot marigold are to add colour to the fruit tree bed and to encourage bees into the garden. Asparagus - the seed is old but if they germinate, then it will save me money buying fresh seed or crowns as I'd really like to get a bed established in the garden (I miss picking spears from the allotment) It is definitely a long term project as they are not harvestable for at least 3 years.

I also found the sweetcorn (Incredible F1) and winter squash (Potimarron) seeds I had bought at the same time as the tomato seeds so are also within the sow by date and will be sown in April/May. Potimarron aka Uchiki kuri or Red kuri or onion squash, is one of my favourite winter squashes so I'm very pleased although I am wondering where to grow the plants as they like to trail and there just won't be space in the polytunnel or garden. One idea will be to grow them on top of the tree trimmings pile and let the vines spread over it - I'll have to plant them in big pots and keep well watered as the trimmings pile won't be like a compost heap. The sweetcorn will be grown in the bed between the glass greenhouse and polytunnel so will benefit from the shelter and warmth and be in full sun for most of the day.

I bought some shallots from the supermarket yesterday - I have found that they grow just as well as those bought from seed suppliers and are a fraction of the price. They are the round bulb type rather than banana type. On the gardening forum that I follow, there was recently a debate about burying the bulbs or sitting them on top of the soil - I've always buried them (onion sets on the other hand are nestled on the top) but apparently can be successfully grown on top. One of the members has already planted his and left them in an unheated greenhouse ... seemed like a good idea so I have done the same but also gave them my special treatment as I do for garlic (a soak in diluted bleach/dip in diluted alcohol and final soak in seaweed solution to kill off any possible fungal spores and pests, then a bit of mycorrhizal fungi which I think is beneficial) I like shallots because they are also good storers and keep well over winter/early spring when the last of the stored onions might start sprouting.

Finally, the potatoes are all chitting now - supermarket spuds Rooster (2), Jazzy (4), Charlotte (4) and Marabel (4), and certified seed Elfe (20)

I don't expect to grow the same quantities or wide variety as I did when I had the allotment plot but the aim is to get the garden productive as well as reduce some of my grocery shopping bill with some fresh produce. I'm hoping if all goes well to sell some surplus seedlings so that will be a nice little earner too.
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Gosh you have been so busy LL - what a marvellous start you have made. Enjoyed reading what you have been up to in your garden and I definitely know where to come if I need some advice on when to plant things/ start sowing seeds etc. )like(
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

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Yes, Wendy for dogs, Manda for medical (+hens), MQ frugality, Richard photography, LL gardening and green.
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lancashire lass
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... confession ....

Post by lancashire lass »

)t' thank you for the lovely comments. I should add that I am a moderator on a gardening forum so I have had the benefit of learning from others and their experiences as well as having a strong curiosity to find out why things grow and trying out "experiments" of my own - for example, I am completely sold on routinely using mycorrhizal fungi when sowing/planting crops and now I really want to see if biochar is all it is said to be for myself rather than surmise that it might only be beneficial in certain conditions .... hence I'm hoping to trial it in some pots this year. And my disinfecting procedure of garlic cloves, shallot & onion sets prior to planting was the result of learning about garlic mite and is now standard practice. As for trialling different varieties - I concluded that what does well in the south or further north won't necessary grow as well for everyone: growing late maturing garlic do better in the north (Scotland) where they have much colder winter weather and have fewer pests whereas I lost too many bulbs because they were in the ground for too long and at an increased risk of pest/disease damage so early maturing garlic were much better for my growing conditions. And let's not forget flavour - supermarkets may sell a wide range of fruit and vegetables but the choice of varieties are restricted for high turnover, handling and transportation - when you grow your own, then there's a whole new world of varieties to choose from (like potatoes and winter squash to name a couple)

I was about to say there was no news on the seed viability trials because it is too early by even normal standards but just 24 hours of placing some seeds on top of the computer (left on overnight in standby to keep it warm), I think the tomato seeds are about to sprout yike* Even the aubergine seeds look promising which I was not expecting ... I had convinced myself that they were too old and wouldn't grow and yesterday I had decided to buy some fresh seed :oops:

I've been happy with Premier Seeds Direct on ebay who sell most of their generously filled packets of seed for 99p each, buy 5 or more and benefit from a discount saving - I bought 10 packets for £7.90p (included the 40p postage) I particularly wanted fresh seed for things like carrots and beetroot and also cucumber and courgette, so my shopping basket contained:

Beetroot (4 different varieties - Albino White, Detroit Red, Golden Detroit & Barbabietola di Chioggia which is the one with the red & white rings)
Carrot (Tendersweet - I want to do successional sowings throughout the growing season for a constant supply)
Courgette (Atena Polka F1 - yellow courgettes supposedly prolific)
Cucumber (La Diva - I've successfully grown these before and they are similar to standard cucumbers but smaller, less prickly and can be grown outdoors)
Chilli (Beaver Dam - I've decided to get fresh seed as chilli seeds can take a while to germinate and I don't want to be waiting to see if they will or will not germinate before deciding they are duff - chilli seed should ideally be sown in January so I'm already a bit late)
Aubergine (Moneymaker F1 - I wasn't convinced the other seed would germinate and like the chilli, I didn't want to wait too long as they need to be sown now rather than later)
Winter squash (Harlequin F1 ... I wanted a bush type variety that I can grow in big planters. I really wanted to grow a variety called Celebration F1 as they are lovely and sweet but not many seed suppliers sell them. Harlequin is supposed to be very similar so I'll give them a try)
Cabbage (Copenhagen Market- a small early maturing summer cabbage ideally suited for small gardens)

Flowers:

French marigold (French Legion D'onore - not sure what the flowers look like but I think they are the standard ones. French marigolds are crucial for using in companion planting as I try to avoid using pesticides as part of my trying to be "more organic" so made sense to get fresh seed)
Monarda citriodora (aka Bee Balm, Bergamot, Lemon mint - I grew some on the allotment plot back in 2013 and they have stunning flowers which, not surprisingly attract bees, but the leaves can be used for culinary purposes too)

Another couple of squash I found in my seed box to add to my growing list are:

Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato (does taste more like a dry sweet potato than a winter squash and one of my favourites) and Butterpie F1. I bought these seeds in 2017 so the packets are unopened - for some reason the Butterpie seeds are no longer available from any seed supplier. The fruits are supposed to be like a ball shaped butternut squash on a bush type plant but I've never grown them before so not sure what they are like - the fact that seed are no longer available is worrying ....)
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

Post by Mo »

Do you grow lettuce. That usually does badly if the packet has been opened.
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

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Mo wrote:Do you grow lettuce. That usually does badly if the packet has been opened.


that's true. I don't usually grow lettuce - they either become snail food or the weather gets unexpectedly warm and all the lettuce decide to go to seed all at the same time. One of those crops that seemingly appear easy to grow but are annoyingly more frustrating than most others.
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.... mild for this time of year ....

Post by lancashire lass »

Rather worryingly, temperatures for the week particularly in the midlands will be above average of about 12-14oC day temperature with good spells of sunshine (cold, possible frost at night) which is enough for trees to start budding up and flowering, weeds and grass to grow, frogs to spawn and birds to start looking for nesting sites - everything I was hoping not to happen yet until I had finished getting the hedge trimmed and the wildlife pond built and filled in the garden. And more worrying, it is likely to be a warm spell followed by a cold snap (the Beast from the East last year landed on 1st March) so spring isn't really here just yet but it feels like it.

Still, on the plus side it will encourage my seeds to germinate indoors! Every day I've been checking my seeds for viability - the Greyhound cabbage (seed bought in 2015 so still good for at least another 1-2 years) are germinating as expected, as are the tomato seeds - both of these will be popped into compost . There's one aubergine seed with a distinctive little root appearing (Violetta di Firenze) out of the 50 or so seeds I had tossed onto damp paper (no sign of life with the other 2 aubergine varieties but my new seed is winging its way to my house and possibly arrive today or tomorrow so all is not lost) The Pot Marigold are all sprouting well - the seed was bought back in 2012 so that's quite remarkable. I did say they can be a bit like weeds once they start self seeding and survive most winters so perhaps the seeds are a lot tougher than I realised. No sign of the other seeds germinating yet - some of them might just need a little longer to germinate especially as it has only been a few days.

In the glass greenhouse, one of the Russian Red garlic cloves is finally pushing up )c( I suspect the "mild" winter so far (and being in the greenhouse although it can get just as cold in there as it does outside even on a sunny day in the middle of winter) has not encouraged them to grow and they might need vernalization - which is a term meaning when a seed or tree (like fruit) needs a period of cold for a constant 10-12 weeks to encourage them to grow or blossom when the weather warms up. Seeds and garlic are easy - just pop them into a fridge for a couple of months then sow/plant out. Which reminds me .... I bought some bilberry seeds last spring which indicated the seeds should be put into a refrigerator and sown in late winter so I think it is time to retrieve that packet of seeds and sow them now.
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

Post by Mo »

Can you throw an old sheet or something over the hedge to deter birds, like the green netting they use when development is planned.
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Nearly finished ....

Post by lancashire lass »

Mo wrote:Can you throw an old sheet or something over the hedge to deter birds, like the green netting they use when development is planned.


hmmmm .... maybe just a quick reminder of the "height" of the hedge (as seen on the neighbour's side that I have not trimmed) {rofwl}

lancashire lass wrote:Image


It won't be too much of a surprise that I spent most of yesterday carrying on with the hedge trim. Soon after feeding the chicken, I grabbed the loppers and cut the small bit of hedge on the other side of the garden this time - in summer, these branches grow into the apple trees and the one butted up to the chicken run is just not thriving as it probably needs more light (the apple tree next to it on the other hand is doing well) If the tree continues to decline, I am seriously thinking of removing it - it's not a heavy cropper and it's not like I haven't got enough fruit trees.

After a quick breakfast, it was back in the garden for yet more trimming - I was determined to get the hedge behind the glass greenhouse / chicken run / shed done. It was while I was gingerly trying to avoid getting trapped between the structures, hedge and some of the branches on the ground that Scary went into a frenzied squawk and clearly in distress. Foxes sprung to mind though I couldn't believe one would have walked right past me while in the garden but still, I got in a panic and caught my leg on a branch trying to get out to see what the matter was. By the time I got to the chicken run, she was on the ground with a few feather out of place and looking very unhappy but ... there was nothing there. I went into the run, checked everywhere for holes (even the resident rat hasn't been seen in weeks), stroked and spoke quietly to her and then I noticed she was looking intently at one of the perches - one end had dropped down. I don't know for sure but it's possible it had come down and she had got trapped, hence the squawking. Phew, thank goodness that's all it was - I checked the perch was sturdy so no need to put it back and then it was back into the garden to finish off.

Trimming that part of the hedge surprisingly did not take long, so after a quick break I turned my attention to ... the pond. I have barely done any maintenance since late summer/autumn last year although to be fair I didn't want to start messing around too much. I did notice the water level had dropped and I'm just hoping this is due to evaporation rather than a leak - the small pump has been running 24 hours a day and water from the biofilter deliberately landing on the surface so that it (i) introduced oxygen and (ii) prevented the risk of ice forming. And I did raise the PVC sheets at one end to increase ventilation on the sides and with a mild winter and sunny days, the water level may be naturally dropping. But how to fill the pond - I couldn't put tap water directly into the pond so I commandeered one of the chicken feed (black plastic builders) bins, cleaned it out with water and filled it up. I'll leave it a few days for the temperature to stabilize and any chlorine to come out, then pop the little pump into it and it will empty the water directly into the biofilter before it goes into the pond. Meanwhile, the fish are even more active than usual for a winter and waiting eagerly to be fed in a morning, and I imagine would even be begging for an afternoon feed. They have been feeding nearly all winter - I haven't given them much but they are taking food. And growing too! When I get round to taking the PVC sheets off the pond in spring, I think I might be in for a surprise. So far (touch wood!), there have been no casualties.

Then it was off to the bottom end of the garden. No matter how I looked at it, the trimmings already on the ground had to be dealt with first. And took the longest time - all the long lengths were trimmed and stacked on top of the growing pile of long lengths ready to put on top of the pergola, while the twiggy bits were put on top of an even bigger pile of trims. I'd say the trimmings pile is easily 7 feet high now LOL but I am convinced that between additions it is settling down and perhaps when it gets warmer, it will settle down quicker. I was struggling to get some of the trimmings on top so quite a lot ended up being threaded into the pile.

Finally, I had managed to clear a path to reach the pergola, and access to the hedge just past the first elder which I finally finished off. However, a new pile of trimmings had appeared and I still had to clear the last lot which was right in front of the hedge waiting to be trimmed. Frustrating, there's probably only about 6 feet to do (as I had already trimmed the hedge from the back fence up to that bit) but I was getting tired from all the lopping and sawing, and as this part of the hedge had probably grown undisturbed for easily 10 years or more, the branches of the hedge were more like tree trunks and very heavy once cut down.

Still, it was a good day and the weather was dry and mild - very spring like. On the Saturday on my way to the supermarket, I drove past the local park (where I used to take my dog for a walk) and the yellow crocuses were in full bloom (the top of the banking was covered with them so it was a mass of colour too hard to miss) In the garden, I saw a couple of daffodils with flower heads emerging - the leaves of the ones on my patio now about 8 or so inches tall. One thing I have noticed beside the mild temperature .... the ground was surprisingly dry and not typical for this time of year. We could still be in for a turn in the weather as it is only mid-February but it does make me wonder if we might be in for another drought year?

Meanwhile, seeds of the tomato and one of the summer cabbages that I sowed had germinated and on Saturday I planted them in compost (2 trays with 24 modules) I also filled another tray and sowed lavender seeds (they were a freebie from a supplier a couple of years ago - with having a bed dedicated to lavender on the allotment at the time, I saw no reason to grow more until now) Apart from the sugar snap peas which surprised me, none of the other seeds are doing much but I'll leave them a little longer before making the decision that they are past their best. My new seeds arrived and I put some of the aubergine and chilli seeds between damp paper towel. With the mild temperatures (forecast up to 15oC by Friday), I feel an urge to sow more but I just know it will be a mistake.
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

Post by Mo »

Yes, I see your point about the hedge!

What did you do with all the lavender from the allotment, sell lavender bags? Memories of Childhood Decembers making presents for relatives.
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

Post by lancashire lass »

Mo wrote:What did you do with all the lavender from the allotment


To be fair, the lavender at the top end of the plot were mainly to encourage the bees to visit (with the comfrey at the bottom of the plot) but I also harvested some of the flowers to make a soothing oil - the dried flowers would be packed into clean jars and filled with sweet almond oil then stored in a cupboard for a few weeks/months. You can leave the flowers in the oil but looks better if strained and all the bits removed from the oil. In winter the skin on my hands can get very dry and itchy but a bit of the lavender oil rubbed in not only smells divine but is also a natural antiseptic and soothing.

I am also currently looking into a new project that I'd really love to try - steam distillation to make essential oils. It was while I was doing a bit of research for a colleague at work that I came across the set up and it suddenly occurred to me how simple it was ... I wouldn't mind giving this a go (not just lavender but other plant material, herbs and spices) It probably looks more complicated that it really is but with working in an organic chemistry lab, all the equipment are very familiar to me so I am keen to give this a go even if it means playing around with culinary herbs and spices while I wait for the lavender to grow.

But like the allotment plot, another reason for the lavender is to make the garden more bee friendly and encourage them to visit especially when the fruiting crops such as the courgettes and winter squashes are flowering. Lavender is also very useful to deter cabbage white butterflies - an unintentional experiment proved how effective it can be: when I tried to grow vegetables for the first time in my garden (before I got the allotment plot so very much a novice grower) I had planted cabbages and broccoli in a netted cage but I had more plants than space so I bunged the surplus in a bed next to some lavender. My net proved ineffective against determined butterflies (I quickly learned that a finer mesh is needed especially as I watched them flutter around and next minute were inside the cage) and my "protected" crop were soon infested with caterpillars but amazingly, the broccoli out in the open were .... fine. So lots of reasons for growing lavender )t'
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Sounds like you have found yourself another interesting project LL. I can't believe some of your seeds have germinated already. You really put me to shame. I have still got to sort my mess of a greenhouse out before I can begin doing anything. I usually start my seeds off on the kitchen windowsill where there is a lot of light and it is a very sunny spot (when the sun decides to shine). Good luck with the project and I am glad that your little Scary was OK and no harm came to her.
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

Post by Mo »

2 good reasons there for growing lavender then, quite apart from enjoying and using it yourself.
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Re: LL's Gardening Diary

Post by Mo »

That essential oils link gives several methods. Which are you planning to use? Are you going to set up a still in your kitchen?
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