How does your garden grow?

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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Mo »

When I got home plums were all ripe and dripping off the tree. I picked some more but had frozen 2 or 3 years worth (in case of frost at blossom time) and other jobs awaited. Apples & pears to pick, jungle to clear.

So put PYO plums on Next Door, Freegle & Freecycle and have had a dozen pickers. And guess what - my plums turned into 6 free range eggs, a malt loaf and some gardening help. The eggs were from a place I pass every Monday but thought they would be closed - they said they have an honesty box with a tube to lead the money through there fence {cry} that they need to, but I found that too).
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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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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Picked most of the conference pears. They haven't done very well this year. The Packham's is laden but not ready to pick, they are odd, sometimes nice, sometimes take the skin off your tongue with an odd taste (like cheap pear drops), sometimes gritty texture.
Also picked the James Grieve, given away the seconds and stored the good ones (I'll sell some of those iao choir and on the charity stall at dance club. The Laxton Superb, Laxton's Exquisite and Worcester I only pick as wanted - they don't keep. The plum pickers have taken some of those. Far more than I can use.
Late apples are coming on.
And all the bramble that are taking over the garden are fruiting. I picked a handful to cook with windfall bramleys last night
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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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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This week I've started picking runner beans, just enough for me. But they did well to recover from the bad start.
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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I picked a few Lord Lambourne last week - it was mostly the specky ones that were ready. But tried the Cox today and they were ready so I've picked a box of them, Will get the high ones later.
This morning I tried a scary job. The lowest branches on my Monkey Puzzle tree catch my head if I walk under it but I didn't want to handle it (very sharp). Stood the green wheelie bin under it, chopped the side branches off with long loppers and caught them in the wheelie bin. It looks very odd now as I've not finished the job just taken off the bits most in the way. I'll see if my loppers will get the branches near to the trunk (when the wheelie bin is empty) I can see it being a long job.
Most of my jungle is prickly, so goes in the bin rather than compost heap.
Swapped some plums for a couple of courgettes the other day, to add variety to my meat free meals.
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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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I've had a couple of sessions in the jungle at the bottom of the garden picking damsons. Made jam, had a few bowls of stewed Damson & apples, and got 7 x 1lb punnets for choir/dance club. They seem quite high this year, but the branches are quite bendy if tugged with a walking stick. Gloves & loppers needed to remove brambles & nettles.
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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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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It's a pear day. Went outside meaning to pick late apples but noticed the Packhams had started to fall so made a start on them instead. And the Conference are ripening, I had 3 (tiny, small & smallish) for lunch. Nice, just wish there had been more and a decent size.
The Bramley apples are pathetic too - apparently it's a nationwide problem. Yet the other apples did well.
I think I picked the last the runner beans yesterday.
Loads of pruning still awaits, though I did 2/3 of the Hazel hedge at the front so I'll be able to see some of the crocus on the verge in Spring. I really ought to tackle the brambles on the roof - it was a mistake to leave them. Give them an inch...
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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I've hardly been in the garden for ages. My porch was full of apples, more than I could use or sell on bring & buys. So I left the high ones for the birds.
Loads of tidying & pruning that needs doing, but just couldn't get motivated. I've decided I really must remove the slippery moss from the path but am doing it 1 bucketful at a time (all this bending and stretching makes me feel my age).

When I carry my compost down to the end of the garden I'm walking in a bog. Daren't stand too long or press the heel of my wellie down as it would sink..
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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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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As I said in a different post, I was really put of by the slugs and wet weather so didn't buy seed potatoes. Wish I'd got runner bean seeds. This epidemic is bound to lead to a shortage of fresh veg.

My rhubarb is doing well. I would be selling it on charity and choir bring & buy by now.

The thing I can't belief is that the Greengage, which fell over in August is flowering. I didn't cut it down, thought I'd wait and see. Now is the right time of year to prune plums so I've cut out some dead or low branches and >fi<

The pears are bursting their buds, wild cherry and plums are white. It's Spring. (bout time too).
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 »

My pear tree looks as if its blossom will be out soon. My magnolia Susan is in bud, also my two magnolia stellatas. We always planted hyacinths in the borders after flowering over Christmas, and they are a beautiful show of blue and pink - I prefer the blue - and have picked some for inside.

The forsythia at he end of the front hedge is flowering, the many varieties of daffs and narcissi are still in bloom, and one hanging basket, accidentally left outside last back end has buds on the fuschia stems.

Two clematis on the workshop wall are growing rapidly, tied one up, the other too short, in that bed are masses of forget-me-nots, which are dug up annually, some are starting to flower.

The flowering currant in the veggie patch has been flowering for a couple of weeks, the pink camellia has been in flower for weeks, and the white one is just starting to flower.

A beautiful time of year.
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Mo »

Spreckly wrote: My magnolia Susan is in bud, also my two magnolia stellatas.
Jim used to plant what I thought was far too many things in the borders. My magnolia has died
Spreckly wrote: We always planted hyacinths in the borders after flowering over Christmas, and they are a beautiful show of blue and pink - I prefer the blue - and have picked some for inside.

I like the blue too - nicer colour and I remember a story I read as a child about a blue hyacinth.

Spreckly wrote:The forsythia at he end of the front hedge is flowering,
That's something else that has almost got crowded out, not sure if Jim planted all those berberis or if they self-seeded.
Spreckly wrote:the many varieties of daffs and narcissi are still in bloom,
and mine - a swathe of white ones, and clumps of yellow.
Spreckly wrote: and one hanging basket, accidentally left outside last back end has buds on the fuschia stems.
{rofwl}

Spreckly wrote:Two clematis on the workshop wall are growing rapidly, tied one up, the other too short, in that bed are masses of forget-me-nots, which are dug up annually, some are starting to flower.
Forget-me-nots invade the veg patch and delay weeding as I don't like to pull them out. Leaving the self-seeded broom was probably going too far

Spreckly wrote:The flowering currant in the veggie patch has been flowering for a couple of weeks, the pink camellia has been in flower for weeks, and the white one is just starting to flower.

A beautiful time of year.
Yes indeed
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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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My daughter and SIL took some photos of my poor greengage tree (now named Greeny Weatherwax).
I shn't attempt any clever stuff, but they are here
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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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

Post by Mo »

Thanks whoever recommended Suttons seeds. I've ordered runner beans. Wasn't sure of the varieties of seed spuds they had on offer so shan't bother this year. Almost decided not to anyway.
Suttons have a fast-track on some seeds (one sort of each thing, to allow packers to social distance, so I went for that kind). Don't know how long I'd have had to wait for any other sort. The Wilko website had cheaper prices on own brands but everything was out of stock!

From my desk I can see white pear blossom, pink clematis (montana rubens) on the garage and a very pale pink wild cherry at the end of the drive. The apple buds are showing pink now.

And the weeds are growing - so I'd better go out there.
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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 »

Mo - I have posted on Bill's garden thread, but just ordered flower seeds from Suttons.
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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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I've spent the last couple of weeks, little at a time, trying to get the weeds out of the fruit garden and along the drive.
I can't do much at a time, I get dizzy bending down. And it's been hot.
I thought the blackcurrant bush that was tangled with couch grass and lemon balm was a challenge. Then I moved on to the gooseberry bush! I didn't manage to clear it last year and hadn't looked since, and it was thick with a tussocky grass that wouldn't pull out. Ended up chopping the roots underneath it's mat with secateurs and pulling out little bits at a time. Probably not got all of it. One side of the bed looks a lot better, still a lot to do.
While I was at it I planted my free Suttons seed in pots (no spare, clean ground for flowers, all shrubs, grass and wilderness.). Because I'd ordered from there limited range (to help social distancing) they sent a mystery packet of yellow marigolds. Don't know how they do in pots. In my old garden the orange variety of calendula self seeded, but don't think they did much here.
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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Mo
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Re: How does your garden grow?

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There are just too many parts of this garden shouting for attention. The fruit bushes (still only got 1 side approximately done). The bramble jungle ever expanding - I will soon not be able to get into the shed. But what can I do with them, my green bin is full. The raspberries - made a start on tying them up and weeding yesterday.
Realised yesterday that I should have started those runner beans by now so went onto the veg patch. Oh dear. When I last looked (in March?) it was partly flooded. Lots of weeds in and around the wigwam. So, in case it takes me a long while to clear it I started a few in pots (anyway we can get frosts here for another month). Have done 3 short sessions weeding. The ground is really rich so should be good.
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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