Fabindia's UK Gardening

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fabindia
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Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by fabindia »

We have left a family looking after our house and garden back in Thailand. I planted a row of sunflowers just before I left but the weather has been really warm and the small plants need plenty of watering else they'll shrivel and die.

Anyway, back to this topic. Wendy and I are back in our old home in UK with its very large garden. We are staying there, but it really isn't our house any more as our daughter and her husband now live there and we regard it as their house now. Neither my daughter or son-in-law are keen gardeners and do as little as possible in it. I did cut all the hedges back in September when I was last back but the winter has left it looking rather sad.

So yesterday I made a start at giving a good tidy up in preparation for the Spring and Summer.

The daffodils give the garden a splash of colour and the bluebells and tulips are coming along. I can see the rhubarb starting to shoot and so cleared up the area round them. We also have a few strawberry plants that have survived the winter well and are looking very nice and green.

The apple and pear trees are starting to push their buds out, and it is really starting to feel like Spring (it has been quite windy and therefore chilly here today but the blue sky and sunshine was nice).

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Michael
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by lancashire lass »

oh what a shame - I saw the photos earlier )like( but didn't have time to comment, and now they aren't showing.

fabindia wrote:The apple and pear trees are starting to push their buds out


I was in my garden first thing this morning doing a damage assessment after Storm Gareth and continuous strong winds, and I noticed all the fruit trees are definitely budding up to burst into blossom (the pears are on the verge any day soon)
fabindia
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by fabindia »

More just pottering around and tidying up today.

Sorted out a few random strawberry plants and put them in large pots so I can keep an eye on them. The bees are flying well despite the wind so should be no problem with pollinators for the strawberries. Can't wait for the first ones now.

Noticed that our daughter's cat was very interested in the pond this morning. Turns out there are quite a few frogs spawning at today. Ever since I was a kid I have got excited to see frog spawn. My personal version of Spring Watch I guess :-D
Michael
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by Freeranger »

Have you taken the photos down, Michael?

I had cleared some time in the diary and then started work on the garden. I was trying to get a bit ahead by doing some landscaping - mostly making and planting up beds with ground cover to try and cut down on maintenance. I raided friends' gardens for cuttings and shoots, and then the weather's been biblical ever since! Have just shoved a load into wet soil by pressing them in with my hand and watering them, but still have a load that need to go in. Typical! Best laid plans.....
Cheshire Chick
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Sounds like you are making a really good start in your daughter's garden. You have got really stuck in since you returned - I hope they appreciate all your hard work - or is it a labour of love??!! Couldn't access your photo's unfortunately. It's a shame as I love looking at other people's gardens. Hope you are coping with this awful wind and rain here at the moment after sunny climates in Thailand.
fabindia
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by fabindia »

The first apple blossoms of Spring

It was rather cold overnight here in the Northeast and we woke up to a beautiful clear sky but I noticed just in a few places a touch of frost.

I am in the garden every day looking at what's going on and although the apple tress were in bud yesterday, the flowers weren't out. Then today, with a little Spring sunshine, suddenly a couple of the trees have sprung into blossom. I just love growing apples!

We don't have all Summer in UK, as we are returning to Thailand, and whatever has become of our garden there during a prolonged period without rain, early June. As a result, I have really got a lot of time to see the results of anything I plant now.

So, I have planted a few things that should shoot up early. I notice that a few of the radishes I planted are just coming up and I have also planted a few potatoes in the hope of a very early crop. The rhubarb is looking good so should get a few decent rhubarb crumbles before we go :-)

I think I also will plant some beetroot. Beetroot does really well in our garden and a few nice baby beetroots would be a bonus.

Loving the Spring sunshine at the moment. The hawthorn hedge which was bare when we arrived back a few weeks ago is now getting very green and the frog spawn which just contained tiny dots has now taken on definite mini tadpole shapes.
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fabindia
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by fabindia »

Forgot to mention, the daffodils are probably at their peak and as they fade over the next few weeks, the bluebells and tulips should be out.

Also, I gave the grass a first, very high, cut of the year yesterday and noticed lots of wild primroses have spread across the wild area I keep at the top of the garden. A few are just starting to come into flower but will be a good week before the others are out.

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Michael
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by lancashire lass »

shame no-one can see your photos Fabindia ....
fabindia
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by fabindia »

Apple and pear blossom doing well now, though some of the later flowering varieties are still to bud.

A few radishes have poked their heads above ground and the rhubarb is coming on a rate of knots.
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by Freeranger »

Heavy frosts here, Fab, so haven't sown anything yet. Still only the tiniest buds on some plants, including our fruit trees.
Have you had any problems with pruning in the cold weather? Not sure whether to start yet or not.
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by Mo »

I always wonder about that, too. You are supposed to prune most things (except plums & cherries) when dormant, but does it do any harm to prune them when there is frost?
A friend who used to have a commercial orchard told me that you should prune apples even if you've left it too late and they aren't dormant.
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fabindia
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by fabindia »

How time flies by - we have been back in UK for nearly 3 months now and we are due to return back to Thailand soon.

Although I have done lots in the garden, growing lots of bedding plants, besides leeks, potatoes, beetroot and radishes, I am afraid we will not be here to see the fruits of our labours. I have had a few radishes and made a couple of rhubarb crumbles but it is still far too early for the rest. Never mind, our daughter will get the benefit.

We are not back in UK again until October, by which time summer will have been over and it will just be tidying up in the garden to do prior to winter.

Hopefully, the family looking after our house in garden in Thailand have managed to keep my sunflowers over there alive and the banana and coconut trees are still going strong :-D
Michael
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Re: Fabindia's UK Gardening

Post by lancashire lass »

you should get to eat your potatoes and leeks when you get back in October .... If this is a regular thing, in future why not try growing late maturing crops like winter squash, swede, sprouts and cabbage (for autumn/winter harvest - might be an idea to grow the latter 3 under fine mesh netting in the probable visit from the cabbage white butterfly) )t'
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