Annies mini diary

Forgot what happened last year - maybe it's here!!
User avatar
Annie
Project Hedgehog Leader
Posts: 10383
Joined: 01 Aug 2010, 15:45
Gender: Female
Location: lennoxtown North of Glasgow

Annies mini diary

Post by Annie »

A new year entry and then goodness knows when I will return to this thread.
The smallholding that belongs to my friend who I share the veggie garden with,is now up for sale after my friend and husband have gone their seperate ways. In a way I am not too upset, found it hard going what with the horse muck chucked on for 2 years in a row without it being given time to mature, very open windy site as well, so many plants I brought on at home ,which looked strong and healthy succumbed to the conditions. The 1st year we grew veggies was the best, the last two have seen too much rain damage as well. My friend may well want to plant up but I am blowed if I am going to the trouble of tending a garden to see it sold.
This year I will have just the 3 small raised beds at home to use plus pots and the greenhouse and maybe it will work better, not over taxing myself but just sticking to the basics . I have decided to lawn most of the back garden and do away with the borders, there is an established one I will keep that disguises the chicken garden a bit .
Anyway we will see how it goes.
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end .
Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
User avatar
LittleBrownFrog
Legendary Laner
Posts: 4477
Joined: 09 Jan 2012, 20:06
Gender: Female

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by LittleBrownFrog »

I hope you have a more successful year this year Annie. I think everyone suffered last year - it makes me glad that I wasn't really trying to grow anything.
"Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder..." Thoreau.
User avatar
billnorfolk
Legendary Laner
Posts: 1067
Joined: 07 Jul 2011, 13:24
Gender: Male
Location: Great Yarmouth Norfolk

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by billnorfolk »

Not alot going on for you this year Annie thats sad ,hope you make a go of your home plots ,take care Bill )t'
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

Bill's Diaries.....2012 2013 2014
User avatar
Annie
Project Hedgehog Leader
Posts: 10383
Joined: 01 Aug 2010, 15:45
Gender: Female
Location: lennoxtown North of Glasgow

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by Annie »

Must admit that the sunshine has made me start thinking about the garden again, though this beautiful brief period of sunshine isn't going to last, so thinking is all I will do for now.
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end .
Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
User avatar
Annie
Project Hedgehog Leader
Posts: 10383
Joined: 01 Aug 2010, 15:45
Gender: Female
Location: lennoxtown North of Glasgow

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by Annie »

{rofwl} {rofwl} {rofwl}
Its been so long since I posted on here , I couldn't find the thread !

Eck built me a raised bed about 4' x 8' last year I think and I have decided to make it a fruit bed.
It already has a gooseberry bush planted in it - though no signs of life yet.
I have several strawberry plants in containers from last year, also no sign of life yet, just hope the hens big scratchy toes haven't done for them.
Then yesterday I bought a crown of Timperley Early rhubarb, looks quite healthy with 5 leaves unfurled on small stalks. I am leaving it in the greenhouse for now though as I want to dig more soil into the bed before planting anything .
Eck is not happy that he can't eat of the rhubarb stems until next season but the smallholding has as yet not been sold so I can still scrump some from there. I am certainly not paying £3 for 3 stalks which is what the supermarkets are asking.
Will look around for a different variety of rhubarb to prolong the season, I dont like the crowns you get in bags, they never seem to thrive for me so will be looking for another plant.
Should I get some raspberry canes or not, probably yes.
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end .
Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
User avatar
lancashire lass
Legendary Laner
Posts: 6528
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 15:17

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by lancashire lass »

There are lots of different varieties of rhubarb - I was thinking of Livingstone which is an autumn cropping rhubarb, and there's also Glaskin's perpetual rhubarb which is supposed to be croppable a lot later in the season than most others

Raspberries - well, I'd probably opt for them too )t' but that's because I'd prefer them to rhubarb LOL
User avatar
billnorfolk
Legendary Laner
Posts: 1067
Joined: 07 Jul 2011, 13:24
Gender: Male
Location: Great Yarmouth Norfolk

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by billnorfolk »

Annie wrote:{rofwl} {rofwl} {rofwl}
Its been so long since I posted on here , I couldn't find the thread !

Eck built me a raised bed about 4' x 8' last year I think and I have decided to make it a fruit bed.
It already has a gooseberry bush planted in it - though no signs of life yet.
I have several strawberry plants in containers from last year, also no sign of life yet, just hope the hens big scratchy toes haven't done for them.
Then yesterday I bought a crown of Timperley Early rhubarb, looks quite healthy with 5 leaves unfurled on small stalks. I am leaving it in the greenhouse for now though as I want to dig more soil into the bed before planting anything .
Eck is not happy that he can't eat of the rhubarb stems until next season but the smallholding has as yet not been sold so I can still scrump some from there. I am certainly not paying £3 for 3 stalks which is what the supermarkets are asking.
Will look around for a different variety of rhubarb to prolong the season, I dont like the crowns you get in bags, they never seem to thrive for me so will be looking for another plant.
Should I get some raspberry canes or not, probably yes.


Definatly get some Raspberry canes Annie,i love to pick them and have with my breakfast in the summer >stir< .I managed to get some cheap compost ideal for raised beds from B&Q £1 a bag ,some were split but ideal for what i wanted.Unless you allready have the soil to hand ,try your local garden centre may be happy to let you have split bags cheap unless they use them for there own plants.Do you have to leave stuff allready planted on the smallholding? is there nothing you could transfere to your garden. )wav(
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

Bill's Diaries.....2012 2013 2014
User avatar
Annie
Project Hedgehog Leader
Posts: 10383
Joined: 01 Aug 2010, 15:45
Gender: Female
Location: lennoxtown North of Glasgow

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by Annie »

Mission accomplished today in the glorious sunshine )c(
The raised bed was dug over and actually looked not bad at all but I still added a bit of fresh top soil to the part where I was to plant.
In all there are 11 strawberry plants that have survived in containers through the winter so popped these in but while I was sorting them out I came across 2 garlic growing away too. Plenty of space for them under the cloche so in they went too.
I had nipped down the garden centre for some bags of top soil and compost and had a mooch round the plants, still nearly all spring flowering stuff on display but on one table in a corner , were a few pots of herbs and 1 Glaskin Perpetual rhubarb - I remembered the name from LL'S post so snapped it up, now that and the Timperley Early are also planted and under the cloche. Watered in and hopefully a bit of warmth building up.
I have started my mini food patch.
Bought a small bag of Desiree seed spuds too - only about 8 but too early to do anything with them.
The packets of sweet peas caught my eye too, so many varieties, colours, mixed, doubles,old fashioned, new - it took me an age to decide on the 2 packets to buy and then when I got to the counter the assistant said ' go and get another packet they are 3 for 2' {rofwl}
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end .
Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
User avatar
lancashire lass
Legendary Laner
Posts: 6528
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 15:17

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by lancashire lass »

Annie wrote:The packets of sweet peas caught my eye too, so many varieties, colours, mixed, doubles,old fashioned, new - it took me an age to decide on the 2 packets to buy and then when I got to the counter the assistant said ' go and get another packet they are 3 for 2' {rofwl}


{rofwl} {rofwl} - hope the 3rd choice was easier
User avatar
Annie
Project Hedgehog Leader
Posts: 10383
Joined: 01 Aug 2010, 15:45
Gender: Female
Location: lennoxtown North of Glasgow

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by Annie »

I had to decide quickly LL as there was a queue at the till {rofwl}
Its been overcast today but I could have got on with something but didn't I'm :oops: to say.
My excuse is I am keeping my hands clean as I am attending a funeral tomorrow and even if I start off wearing gloves , somehow within 5 mins they end up on the ground.
What I reall need to do is start to dig out the old roses and shrubs to make way for a piece of lawn, oh well tomorrow is another day.
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end .
Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
User avatar
Annie
Project Hedgehog Leader
Posts: 10383
Joined: 01 Aug 2010, 15:45
Gender: Female
Location: lennoxtown North of Glasgow

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by Annie »

Yesterday morning I had a quick peep inside the cloche to see how things were doing and in only a couple o fdays or so, the strawberries have put on some more tiny shoots and the rhubarb had unfurled a couple more leaves too.
Then at teatime the wind gut up and blew the cloche over, breaking 2 rhubarb leabes and a piece of the gooseberry bush. I know they will recover but I was a bit cross.
Last year Eck anchored the cloche down for me and he was going to do it this weekend as we hadn't expectd it to get so windy just now, anyway he isa good chap and nipped out and did it straight away for me.
Blow me if the wind, then didn't catch under the corner of the zip and rip that }hairout{
I imagine I can get a replacement cover but it will probablycost 3/4 as much as the whole thing did last year. Might have to think of a cunning plan.
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end .
Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
User avatar
billnorfolk
Legendary Laner
Posts: 1067
Joined: 07 Jul 2011, 13:24
Gender: Male
Location: Great Yarmouth Norfolk

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by billnorfolk »

That makes me mad when the weather spoils things Annie.Rain it has been at it now since yesterday morning non stop ,seems spring is getting further away ,oh well cant be helped >gl<
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

Bill's Diaries.....2012 2013 2014
User avatar
Annie
Project Hedgehog Leader
Posts: 10383
Joined: 01 Aug 2010, 15:45
Gender: Female
Location: lennoxtown North of Glasgow

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by Annie »

I had to dig deep to find my diary but )c( I have something to report.
I had started digging over round the shrubs in the flower border about 10 days ago and had lifted 3 lots of crocosmia Lucifer, its beautiful but a bit of a thug and I had decided to plant it round the front of the house at a bit that struggles getting something to flourish. Windy but sunny today so I went out and turned over the bit at the front and put the crocosmia in.
Ummm I am in the mood for a bit of gardening now so what next ?
I checked the 2 small raised beds and thought I would dig over the bigger of the two. At the back end of autumn I put a few buckets of chicken coop bedding and poop on top of these beds so its had a while to mature a bit and I thought today was the day I would dig it all in together. Looked quite good when I had finished so I wanted to put something in and thought the safest bet would be the Desiree seed tatties. I only bought a small bag of 10 so 2 rows fit nicely in this bed. I have covered it over with some of that large bubble wrap (free with an armchair earlier in the year and I knew it would come in handy) to keep the ground warm as there is still a slight threat of frost and anchored it down with a bit of plastic trellis and a flowerpot to stop the cats digging the spuds up.
Feels good I have made a start . Next big job is the greenhouse tidy and clean !
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end .
Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
User avatar
mrs boodles
Legendary Laner
Posts: 4652
Joined: 05 Jan 2012, 20:50
Gender: Female
Location: cotswolds

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by mrs boodles »

Well done Annie, you sure have been busy, does`nt it feel good to be out in the sun
User avatar
Annie
Project Hedgehog Leader
Posts: 10383
Joined: 01 Aug 2010, 15:45
Gender: Female
Location: lennoxtown North of Glasgow

Re: Annies mini diary

Post by Annie »

Off to the garden centre to see whats what at the weekend, tempted by a special offer voucher that came through the post )c(
3 raspberry canes for the fruit bed and maybe another 3 strawberries .
1 each of red, yellow and cherry tomato,
3 cucumbers
Pkt broad beans seeds, cut and come again lettuce seeds,carrot seeds.

My plan is to use the biggest of the rhino tubs for carrots ( they don't grow very big but I love small carrots, you just wipe clean and eat whole) and 2 with tripods of runner beans. Smaller rhino tubs for courgette and salad leaves. The toms and cucumber will be the only thing in the greenhouse this year (apart from me and a cuupa tea). Just not sure what to do with the broad beans, I do have a small raised bed but it gets very little sun as its sandwiched between the side of the house and the fence (slatted fence so a bit of sun gets through) not sure they will go there or not. Anyone grown broad beans worth mentioning in pots of any sort ?
It will be alright in the end , if its not alright, it isn't the end .
Quote from the proprietor of the The best exotic Marigold Hotel for the elderly and beautiful
Post Reply