Thanks, may give that a go. Haven’t actually got much room for more pots. My back garden is quite small, and a lot of it is functional space so can’t plant stuff there. Maybe out the from thereElpenor the bowles mauve is pretty good for taking cuttings. Just chop off a newish looking end bit with no flowers and pop into a pit, try to keep it watered but not too much. I have had success with this. The plants seem to due after a couple of years ime but by then the cuttings would have got to a decent size. A good way to save a few quid. Or £50 if it would involve going near a garden centre
The gardening thread
- Thread starter ringo
- Start date
Idaho
blah blah blah
Garden is looking good this mid summer. I've got three aubergines and another half dozen at the allotment. I managed to keep the gastropods at bay long enough for the cucumbers to get going. Strawberries are a bit of a mess. Grapes have gone ballistic. Might be able to make wine this year.
TopCat
Putin fanboy
You still have the allotment?
Idaho
blah blah blah
Yeah still got it. I haven't been all week as after 4.5 years I finally succumbed to the 'rona. Generally things are going well there, although garlic and mange tout have been pretty much a total failure this year. Blueberries are looking very promising and I've given the 3 sisters a go this season.
TopCat
Putin fanboy
Sunshine makes all the difference.
Bean tendrils reaching poles and tightly twirling around.
Cucumbers stretching higher. Tomatoes growing well. Salads all doing well.
Courgettes and aubergines are trying hard. Lots of broccoli will bring all the cabbage whites to my yard.
Bean tendrils reaching poles and tightly twirling around.
Cucumbers stretching higher. Tomatoes growing well. Salads all doing well.
Courgettes and aubergines are trying hard. Lots of broccoli will bring all the cabbage whites to my yard.
Made a mistake yesterday and didn’t read instructions of fish bone blood meal powder plant food box.
Instead of distributing a handful every square meter (so about 1/4 box at most) I have used an entire 2kg box! Hopefully it doesn’t shock the plants otherwise I’ve fucked my entire garden!
Instead of distributing a handful every square meter (so about 1/4 box at most) I have used an entire 2kg box! Hopefully it doesn’t shock the plants otherwise I’ve fucked my entire garden!
Idaho
blah blah blah
Some mixed progress at the allotment. Dug up some earlies for dinner the other week. Good but too small. Leaving the rest for a few weeks.
This is the 3 sisters bed. So far, so good. Corn is certainly doing nicely.
Took the first harvest of mini courgettes. Will need to crop them little as I went a bit crazy planting so many.
Did spring sewn broad beans, which I didn't have much hope for. However I reckon there will be a modest little crop. Another week needed and the blackfly and rust is beginning to take hold.
This is the 3 sisters bed. So far, so good. Corn is certainly doing nicely.
Took the first harvest of mini courgettes. Will need to crop them little as I went a bit crazy planting so many.
Did spring sewn broad beans, which I didn't have much hope for. However I reckon there will be a modest little crop. Another week needed and the blackfly and rust is beginning to take hold.
quimcunx
imprimeo, lamino, distribuo
It has also occurred to me I should have thrown a shitload of seeds down last year when my borders were empty. I put some down this year when my borders are already pretty stuffed with perennials and quite a lot of them have done well. Though the soil is improved this year.
Callie
Pivoting
How are you getting on? Sounds like it's going well!
quimcunx
imprimeo, lamino, distribuo
It's going well. Mainly through me developing an addiction to buying plants online and in person. Once the perennials reach full size it will be too full. I could do with moving a few things around where they are taller or shorter than expected. Bastard snails/slugs massacred 2 clematis and have been having a go at some of the dahlias. Some fails eg 30 iris planted, 5 grew, 60 squills planted 3, grew! Its giving me a lot of joy both pottering and just sitting looking at it all. And neighbours regularly compliment it
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newme
Giant in Pastyland now
Wondering about getting a mulcher/shredder (already have a mulching mower) at some point as I get a lot of branches from trimming back and have a fair stock now, had been using these to basically increase the height of the hedge in places its low when I had no other option. But it seems I am rather short of brown v green stuff for composting as I get loads of green waste and my brown is basically whatever leaves I kept from the row of Sycamores. Seems it would pay itself back quite quickly v the cost of mulch and being able to use it for compost. These things any actual use without paying a fortune?
Also turns out my courgettes are supposed to be yellow, so I may have one huge one ready v wondering when it would ripen.
Also turns out my courgettes are supposed to be yellow, so I may have one huge one ready v wondering when it would ripen.
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Just attached some trellis (trelli?) to the back fence for my jasmine to climb up the fence and to the front wall for the lonicera to climb up.
Am impressed with myself that I’ve managed to do it before the growth got too high! They may not grow much more this year but they’ll be needed next year
Am impressed with myself that I’ve managed to do it before the growth got too high! They may not grow much more this year but they’ll be needed next year
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
Strawberries, not a large crop as I had to compost several for sitting too long. Courgettes are coming on, tomatoes are massive plants but two green tomatoes appeared. Beans still yet to produce anything same as peas. Huge crop of rainbow chard to get through and some kind of lettuce. Wild mustard has got everywhere.
Red clover I planted has gone bonkers. Rest of the lawn is half white and micro already. Want to see what the red ones flower as.
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20Bees
Well-Known Member
I’ve probably seen fewer than 10 bees, and there’s plenty in my garden that would normally be teeming with them. There were several bumblebees about when they first emerged, but just 3-4 each day now. Buddleias are blooming but I’ve seen just one brimstone and one red admiral, there should be dozens of butterflies by now, and many more varieties.
Ladybirds were late but plentiful, there aren’t many now, but what has shocked me is that my 30 year old rose has not had a single greenfly this year, and it’s usually covered in the wretched things as soon as each bud softens. None at all so far.
There are big commercial farms to the south and east of my garden, both growing wheat in the closest fields, and a small family farm beyond the wood, growing rape. I suppose the lack of insects is due to something they’ve sprayed, or could it really just be the weather?
I sowed 16 packets of seeds this spring. Sweetcorn, sweet peas and sunflowers started indoors in loo roll tubes, then direct sowing of cosmos and calendula, wild flower mixes, limanthes, leeks, carrots, kale, spring onions, parsnips, carrots and French beans. Of all those, 16 packets, unbelievably just FOUR calendula have grown, and 15 out of 50 beans from a desperate second sowing. I’ve never NOT had sunflowers and sweetcorn, though sweet peas don’t do well for me. Yet calendula in a different bed that self seeded from last year are thriving, also self seeded borage and aquilegia. Hardly any poppies, and there were few forget me nots. I planted 30 alliums, seven have grown and just two of those have flowered. The unkempt strawberry patch is producing well though raspberries look dismal, and I don’t think there will be many apples or plums. Potatoes need a few more weeks.
Slugs are terrible but I left it too late to use nematodes, though the failure of so very many seeds to appear can’t all have been slug-related. Weird, sad, and frustrating.
Ladybirds were late but plentiful, there aren’t many now, but what has shocked me is that my 30 year old rose has not had a single greenfly this year, and it’s usually covered in the wretched things as soon as each bud softens. None at all so far.
There are big commercial farms to the south and east of my garden, both growing wheat in the closest fields, and a small family farm beyond the wood, growing rape. I suppose the lack of insects is due to something they’ve sprayed, or could it really just be the weather?
I sowed 16 packets of seeds this spring. Sweetcorn, sweet peas and sunflowers started indoors in loo roll tubes, then direct sowing of cosmos and calendula, wild flower mixes, limanthes, leeks, carrots, kale, spring onions, parsnips, carrots and French beans. Of all those, 16 packets, unbelievably just FOUR calendula have grown, and 15 out of 50 beans from a desperate second sowing. I’ve never NOT had sunflowers and sweetcorn, though sweet peas don’t do well for me. Yet calendula in a different bed that self seeded from last year are thriving, also self seeded borage and aquilegia. Hardly any poppies, and there were few forget me nots. I planted 30 alliums, seven have grown and just two of those have flowered. The unkempt strawberry patch is producing well though raspberries look dismal, and I don’t think there will be many apples or plums. Potatoes need a few more weeks.
Slugs are terrible but I left it too late to use nematodes, though the failure of so very many seeds to appear can’t all have been slug-related. Weird, sad, and frustrating.
clicker
nanook rubs it....
Same here. Last year the garden was literally buzzing with bees and full of butterflies. This year one lonesome bee flying around looking disinterested and a dead red admiral looking dead.
But, like you say hardly any greenfly.
Idaho
blah blah blah
Little mist of rain and they flood in
Not just mist - I’ve purchased 2% beer from Tesco today to make traps for the fuckers enjoying dinner on my lonicera every night
mentalchik
"I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit."
My tiny little oasis in the middle of a dirty old town.....
Callie
Pivoting
Wow that's lovely, so much colour!
newme
Giant in Pastyland now
Missed this bit and thought fucking hell give us a chance lol.
Got a huge amount of rainbow chard go to and few ideas, think the french radishes probably need binning by now, replant and actually cook them in a reasonable time this time. Got a few big unplanted sections due to a few failures so more lettuce I think thats worked well then we will see on some more experimental things once I get them started in the propagators I still haven't used yet. So much chard tho, some sort of half cooked salady thing would work or a stiry fry I guess but need to have other things for that.
Edit realised I have some Jalapeno pickling juice that might work nicely with the radishes if they are still good.
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I'm best impressed with my lawn this year, all the rain has obviously done it good. There's always plenty to do in the garden but I find mowing my lawn the most pleasurable and I do spend a lot of time tending to it.
You can't see it on the picture, but I installed smart edge lawn edging a couple of years ago, it's at the top end of the lawn separating it from the flower bed. The joy of easily following the line with a pair of edging shears to get the perfect edge ever time.
You can't see it on the picture, but I installed smart edge lawn edging a couple of years ago, it's at the top end of the lawn separating it from the flower bed. The joy of easily following the line with a pair of edging shears to get the perfect edge ever time.
rubbershoes
not the only raver in the village
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