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Strawberry kits, mooli, direct runner beans firestorm and sweet peas? (was asked to get them) all ordered, shoveled loads of mulch over and logs, two days to get 2 beds going. Then start making trelis work for later
 
Strawberry kits, mooli, direct runner beans firestorm and sweet peas? (was asked to get them) all ordered, shoveled loads of mulch over and logs, two days to get 2 beds going. Then start making trelis work for later
Think you'll be lucky to get any runner beans sowing them this late. Sweet peas you can sow from October through into spring.
 
Think you'll be lucky to get any runner beans sowing them this late. Sweet peas you can sow from October through into spring.
Yeh I am going for Lucky or learn a lesson. Have full covers with mesh under for mini tunnels. Also about 300kg of apples coming down soon to compost lol.
 
Yeh I am going for Lucky or learn a lesson. Have full covers with mesh under for mini tunnels. Also about 300kg of apples coming down soon to compost lol.
Firestorm doesn't seem to be a dwarf variety though so they won't fit under little mini tunnels?
 
The nasturtiums are loving the weather this year but are basically salad :p

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I now have my fingers crossed that the nicotianas I planted alongside the front path don't succumb to downy mildew... with the lilies gone over I need perfume. I have a tub out the back too ...
But the begonias are quite smelly - albeit I can't yet place the fragrance, plus I have my brugmansia on its way and the self-sown Marvel of Peru I never expected to survive transplanting ...
I suppose I might bring through one of my sweet pea tubs...

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Firestorm doesn't seem to be a dwarf variety though so they won't fit under little mini tunnels?
Yeh building treliss work up a 8x10ft wall behind the bed for climbers. Corrugated top then drop off netting to cover, protected from wind. Will start in tunnels then move. Sweet peas are great tho the birds eat loads of them (we have some parrots) so on the list. Got 2 strawberry baskets and 750kg of compost coming soon . Shifted loads of logs and mulch now to clear space for it. Got alpine strawberries and https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0936KXGYH/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=A2S48DYKEPRKJQ&psc=1 on the way now too. So at least something should work if I sow half now half later and see what works.

Beds existing have gone bananas, waiting on rain water barrel and have to fix a compost bin with no door but something to get done. Think a lot of salad and stuff in my future. Shame I can't harvest the field behind, seems to be wheat now lol.
 
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Just been doing a quick sort out of photos off my phone and noticed this; what a difference a year makes!
This is in the sh1ttiest soil you can find - digging down through 60cms of mainly builders' rubble and clay in Sowf Lahndon. Not visible; the underground irrigation system pipework etc - just have to hope the landlords don't want us to return it to how it was when we leave :D

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Now is the time to be getting bare root orders in for winter planting, in case you haven't already. Already seeing a few place running low on stock of certain things.
For things like what? I was just googling planting for month name and doing seeds lol. Strawberries, radishes, spring onions, carrots etc. Plus just throwing whatever out there in the hope it works lol. Run out of space at the moment so I should be outside building the hugelkultur (currently a large pile of wood dumped there) or setting up the other bed.

Somehow my cyclinder Bosch mower is broken after 3 months and it took forever to find the instructions. Who the hell uses a plastic piece for something thats taking all the force of cutting, metal replacements and double sided cutting I think. Clover is taking over tho so its not a huge issue.
 
For things like what? I was just googling planting for month name and doing seeds lol. Strawberries, radishes, spring onions, carrots etc. Plus just throwing whatever out there in the hope it works lol. Run out of space at the moment so I should be outside building the hugelkultur (currently a large pile of wood dumped there) or setting up the other bed.

Somehow my cyclinder Bosch mower is broken after 3 months and it took forever to find the instructions. Who the hell uses a plastic piece for something thats taking all the force of cutting, metal replacements and double sided cutting I think. Clover is taking over tho so its not a huge issue.
Trees, hedging, shrubs, climbers, fruit canes and bushes, strawberry runners, rhubarb crowns... Potatoes and asparagus crowns are planted slightly later but I'd still want to order them this year
 
Trees, hedging, shrubs, climbers, fruit canes and bushes, strawberry runners, rhubarb crowns... Potatoes and asparagus crowns are planted slightly later but I'd still want to order them this year
Ah ok, yeh I already have far too many trees, bushes, bamboo, gunnera, reeds, etc spent yesterday clearing the front and layering the hedge with it, focusing entirely on food stuff where I can. Rhubarb sounds a great idea I might actually fecking eat on before it goes off then, keep meaning to make a compote or something then find its limp cos I didn't do it right away. Potatoes I can't be bothered with and asparagus I don't like. Thanks for info will look at strawberries and rhubarb.

Tried to go outside and sort a new bed, organise bits for the hugelkultur or whatever. Moved 750l of compost out the back, checked the existing beds, all the lettuce of every type in a 6x3ft area had black bits on it, google said its bacteria or caterpillars, get rid asap, pulled the lot, raked, found an ants nest and eggs I removed, then kept finding loads of caterpillars. Turns out I didn't grow salad, I had a caterpillar and ant breeding ground. Stripped the whole lot back and checked everything else, peppers aren't looking great either. Don't think they took to being transplanted very well, took like 2 hours clearing up the whole bed (16x3ft in two sections) stripping grass back from behind, removing everything around the boundary and anything that looked remotely sketchy. Rest looks fine tho but its rather discouraging, will leave it for a few days and keep checking for caterpillars and ants then recover with compost and try something else, Mooli just arrived and I think I will start following the packet instructions, 20 other varieties of stuff turned up in a big pack, half of which will go to community garden as I am not growing things I won't eat.

Did find despite my efforts to remove brambles we do have a few patches of blackberries now nicely out of reach for the dog so I can trust them.
 
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I have a rhubarb to go in but can't decide where to put it. I know the get BIG and will shade out anything nearby. Would it be ok in a dry, shaded spot under a holly triffid? Probably wouldn't like 'dry'
 
I have a rhubarb to go in but can't decide where to put it. I know the get BIG and will shade out anything nearby. Would it be ok in a dry, shaded spot under a holly triffid? Probably wouldn't like 'dry'
Mine is in a partially shady spot at the top of the garden but the soil does dry out very easily (chalk and tree roots). The rhubarb flourishes in the spring but by the time summer comes along there's not really enough water for it. So I'd suggest you find somewhere that's damper even if it's not quite as shaded.
 
Grass at the back mown for the first time having been seeded 3 months ago (first pic), then no rain for 6 weeks (second pic), then 6 weeks of a decent amount of rain (third and fourth pic taken in this period). Amazing how a bit of rain is all that’s required for nature to do the rest.

Last two pics taken today post mow. Still a few patches but I guess that is a reseed in the autumn? Think I’ll plant something along by the fence anyway

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I know nothing about lawncare but I'd be tempted to over-sow the barer patches now.

I think it will fill in naturally but you might want to give it a helping hand to speed up the process.
 
I know nothing about lawncare but I'd be tempted to over-sow the barer patches now.

I think it will fill in naturally but you might want to give it a helping hand to speed up the process.
It sounds like you know more than me. I’ll look into that :)
 
I'd reseed now if the next few weeks aren't forecast to be too hot or dry (or you cba watering it) but otherwise leave it till next month
 
Only one cleome sprouted - I hope it's pink :)

And the marvels of Peru are filling out very well considering they were self-sown seedlings I planted as an afterthought :)

I deployed some spare spider plants that were getting smotherd by the nasturtiums in the back garden.

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The brugmansia has thankfully revealed itself to be pink, and several of the purple French beans are starting to flower.
The courgettes are starting to go bonkers which is just as well as my brother's plants have virus :(
And the caterpillars have apparently stopped destroying my kale :)
The plants are surrounded by my broadcast salad experiment ... (land cress, purslane and lamb's lettuce .)


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Well my attempt at a buy it for life lawnmower failed spectacularly. bosch ahm 38g which should be basically bulletproof except one part, which was not broken when it stopped mowing. Given up and bought a battery cylinder mower as sod it basically, remarkably annoyed I can't get it sooner then a week from now but weirdly it cost 25% more if I wanted it before then.
Two extra beds arrived and I now have around 2000kg of earth/compost/mulch etc to move about and plant stuff. Peppers have basically died (well the fruit fell off but the plant seems ok?), peas are falling over as they got tall and I wasn't paying attention. Mizuni, spring onions, chinese lettuce(?) chard, and some various tomatoes seem to be doijg ok, labels were awful and have all washed off somehow, huge amount to be done. Week off timed well.
 
Magpies have been on the rampage. Baby Strawberry plants uprooted and thrown about, last of the apples pulled off and pecked around the garden and bedding plants pulled up. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see them pull the apples off with my own eyes.
They're young ones so I'm hoping they calm down a bit. It's hard not to feel upset about it.
 
Magpies have been on the rampage. Baby Strawberry plants uprooted and thrown about, last of the apples pulled off and pecked around the garden and bedding plants pulled up. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see them pull the apples off with my own eyes.
They're young ones so I'm hoping they calm down a bit. It's hard not to feel upset about it.
Not sure how well it would work with magpies but I've heard of people having success getting rid of troublesome crows by hanging a (fake! - can be bought online) dead crow up for them to see.
 
It's the blackbirds and starlings here, having to pick all the tomatoes early to ripen indoors before the bastards get to them.
 
The peas are flopping, I have no set up anything I need to and I need more caffeine.
Waterbutt now arriving end of August, nearly 6 months later
 
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