2014-04-27

Update

Some seedlings are coming up in the raised bed: chard, basilicum and dill.
Some radishes are also popping up.
Last Wednesday I got a butternut pumpkin, I transplanted it to a larger pot so it can grow stronger before I put it at the mercy of the snails and slugs.
I read that the base of clematis should be kept in the shadow, and I did not do that. Some leaves have turned a bit yellow. I've now placed the pumpkin pot on top of the clematis soil so it provides shadow.
Other seedlings on the windowsill are also looking good, lettuce in the shed also.
The hawthorn tree is in bloom. It has quite small flowers. Next to it a fern is unfurling.
The roses seem to be doing quite well, and the sage and one of the lavenders are about to bloom as well.
The datura plant (which had started to grow) and the lupine have been eaten. I guess the snails that ate the datura must have seen some weird shit.

2014-04-23

Gifts

A gift from work: a stevia plant and a sunflower sprout.

2014-04-19

Radishes

I cleared a patch in last year's... hollow where we planted some stuff. The radishes did best so I sowed a few rows today. Same packet as last year, from Aveve.
I added a small scoop of dried manure and a few handfuls of compost. And water.

Sowing on raised bed

Last year the sweet onions were devoured from below in a few days, so I'm trying something else this year.

We got a cheapo willow raised bed in gamma (1x1m) and 200l of potting soil. I put it at the back on the driest and sunniest spot in the garden, added two small scoops of dried cow and chicken manure, mixed, watered and sowed:
At the back all along the back, a mix of dill and cucumbers for pickling (Lidl), in ribbons. I didn't separate the three bits (dill-cucumber-dill) not sure it was meant to or not.
A bit further two rows of sweet onions, one of red and one white (Aveve), in ribbons.
Next a row of chard, on the left a packet from Brico (Central Park), on the right some I bought in Spain (Batlle).
On the very edge I spread some basilicum (Central Park).
All of these, larvae, slugs and snails I'm sure would be happy to devour again. Hoping the location, bed and new soil will be a deterrent, we'll see.
It's probably too sunny a spot for the chard and basil, though. Possibly the dill as well. The bag inside the bed has handles, but doesn't look like it would be easy to move once full.

2014-04-16

Violet sprout

Against all odds, a violet sprouted, and before anything else!

Viola odorata
No fridge, no cold frame... just a windowsill in April :)

Edit later: it wasn't violet...

2014-04-10

State of the allium - early April

Just a general status post

Sweet pea germinated - 9 April

Last year's doorway indian cress survived the mild winter. and of course, dandelion.

Apple blossoms! Jonagold.

Apple blossoms.

Our first amateur attempt at training an apple tree.
We should have done this when we planted the tree
last year, but late better than never, I suppose!

I called it Can Cargol, I could as well have called
it Can Dandelion. I do not hate them, I just
would like a few other things to grow here,
so some of them must go!
I'm sure they'll be back.

Red currants we planted last spring.

White currants we planted last spring. I thought they were
dead, but there are some slight signs of life.

Peony

Strawberries

Moss!

Fern waking up :))))

Hawthorn almost there!

These redcurrants are already blossoming!

More apple blossoms. They have a delicate perfume.

 I thought they were pink, but they are white when they open.

Boston ivy at the back.
Boston ivy at the front door.

My slow attempt at an herb garden, using recycled bricks.
The mess at the back is last year's tomatoes.
We have to tidy it up before the new ones arrive.

The rosemary is happy, and me too.

Sowing 2014-04-10

Today I sowed some seeds I ordered from Nicky's Nursery. I got a free packet of wildflower seeds with my order!

I have to say I ignored the instructions in the package. Plenty of seeds left to try again if any of these fail.

I didn't plant all of the seeds I ordered (like for example myrtle which is probably foolish, since getting these to germinate is apparently quite difficult).


I sowed pak choi (Brassica rapa var. chinensis), birdhouse gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), catnip (nepeta cataria), violets (viola odorata). The violet needs to spend a cold winter outside (or some weeks in the fridge) before it germinates so it is probably useless!

2014-04-09

Plantings 2104-04-09

Garden centre trip + work in the garden:

Clematis "Joe"

There were slightly larger plants available, with a small trellis
in the pot, for twice the price.
I decided to get bamboo stalks and make my own.

Space to grow.
I also got this little insect hotel which was cheap,
Mason bees visited immediately.



Buddleja davidii White Profusion 


Rhubarb


Verbena bonariensis


Papaver nudicaule Gartenzwerg


Delphinium Magic Fountain Pure White


Lupinus Gallery Red


Digitalis purpurea


As is evident, my intention for a majority of white flowers has failed this year.