The gardening thread

[BoatieBird]

I think gentlegreen has grown them

 

[gentlegreen]

Anyone here grown brugmansia?

I'm excited about my plant I bought a couple of months ago. I didn't have a clue what I was buying, I only bought it to support the person selling them.

Just looked this morning and it looks like I'm about to see my first flower?

View attachment 436323

Give it as much good soil / compost as you can.
I made the mistake when I first grew them of being conservative with pot size.
They'll flourish in the ground but you'll want to dig them up before the frost properly gets them - once you're flowering from old wood, they'll start flowering much earlier.
I used to drag huge tubs into a greenhouse.
Any prunings will readily root.

If you're lucky you'll get a highly fragrant one - in the past I've known the first flower was open from inside the house...

 

[Elpenor]

I know it’s only grass but I’m very pleased with how it’s looking out the front, quite healthy and full bodied I guess?



It’s grown a bit long so will be cut tomorrow, I held off doing it the past week as didn’t want to mow it just before a heatwave

 

[newme]

I know it’s only grass but I’m very pleased with how it’s looking out the front, quite healthy and full bodied I guess?

View attachment 436441

It’s grown a bit long so will be cut tomorrow, I held off doing it the past week as didn’t want to mow it just before a heatwave

Having moved into a house where they just let everything go everywhere and didn't maintain it at all I'm the same about mine now finally lol. Is a bit of a generalised anti grass trend in some groups but that does look nicely filled out and looked after. After having to redo bits completely when I eg found a 6x8ft sheet of plywood 3 inches under the ground for some reason or replacing dandelions with clover. The mown into the ground stuff that looks like its artificial is what baffles me, unless they are a keen golfer with a small course setup lol.

 

[two sheds]

I managed to get into the corner of doom! It wasn't that bad once I'd started.

It's tricky to know what to do with it as it's right under the apple tree so pretty shady. I might put a storage bench there. Or perhaps that's where the wildlife pond should go (yes I know they're supposed to be in sun but the few sunny bits have important plants in).

View attachment 434757

View attachment 434758

Leaves can be a problem if the pond's under a tree. I installed a bath soon after I got here and the leaves falling in have made it more into a bog garden, but I'm pleased enough with it, a couple of lovely iris-like flowers have colonized.

 

[newme]

My woodchipper is coming, desperately needed more brown material for compost and I have a load of trimmings saved up to chuck through it for that and mulch.
Any woods I should be avoiding? It's mostly sycamore and some oak plus holly but I'm not sure about that one

 

[two sheds]

I was disappointed with the woodchipper I got - was a bit cheap because I don't actually get much that needs chipping. It kept slipping out of alignment and not doing much chipping. Will oak be too tough to chip? Will depend on how heavy duty it is though.

 

[newme]

I was disappointed with the woodchipper I got - was a bit cheap because I don't actually get much that needs chipping. It kept slipping out of alignment and not doing much chipping. Will oak be too tough to chip? Will depend on how heavy duty it is though.

It's supposed to take up to 40mm, guess I'll try the Oak last incase it is an issue thanks. Mine wasn't cheap or super expensive, I just measured it out in how much mulch would cost over the likely lifetime of the chipper v the cost of buying it in and it seems it will cover that fairly quickly. I do get a consistent supply tho, one clump of them is very dense, was trimmed right back before so it all comes up as straight lengths now for about a 4m section, probably 20-30 per metre. Do think about making something out of them at some point, so much basically straight lengths 3-4m long seems like it should be useful for something.

 

[RubyToogood]

Leaves can be a problem if the pond's under a tree. I installed a bath soon after I got here and the leaves falling in have made it more into a bog garden, but I'm pleased enough with it, a couple of lovely iris-like flowers have colonized.

Good point. Also, retrieving windfalls would be irritating. The pond might turn into cider.

 

[Signal 11]

Chilis (devil's brew) with a very small sunflower in the background.

 

[heinous seamus]

Big fuck-off courgette.

 

[newme]

Had a look at mine while checking the shredder worked.

I've fairly large hands and only held the courgette there.

No competing this was a few mins ago. We don't even like courgette.

Edit Parrots like it tho and we heve yellow ones too. Which I waited to go green..

 

[heinous seamus]

Had a look at mine while checking the shredder worked. View attachment 437789

I've fairly large hands and only held the courgette there.

No competing this was a few mins ago. We don't even like courgette.

Edit Parrots like it tho and we heve yellow ones too. Which I waited to go green..

I'm not that into courgette either, which is a shame as it looks like a bumper crop is on the cards.

So far I've made courgette fritters and courgette cake (like carrot cake, but with courgette).

 

[iona]

Best thing to do with courgette imo is grill or dry fry it, get that maillard reaction going

 

[Callie]

I'm a a bit faffy but courgettes sliced into discs, coat with oil then a mix of breadcrumbs, parmesan, lemon rind, Mediterranean herbs (finely chopped oregano or rosemary), salt&pepper, little bit of chilli. Then skewer them up, sprinkle on more breadcrumb jazz then bake. Makes a tasty side dish and would probably be a nice veggie main with halloumi or feta.

 

[Happy Tree]

It's not all gardening.

 

[TopCat]

Got to pick and pickle gherkins today.

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm not that into courgette either, which is a shame as it looks like a bumper crop is on the cards.

So far I've made courgette fritters and courgette cake (like carrot cake, but with courgette).

I learned to enjoy them grated in salad - mixed with other things including milled flaxseed to take up some of the moisture.
Tahini (of course), but also things like Bombay mix to add a bit of crunch.

 

[Saffy]

I'm at my mum's house and her golden delicious apple tree is looking beautiful. It only had 5 blossoms last year, so it's a bumper crop this year.

 

[zedr]

Got a friend's wedding this weekend so I'm going to harvest, chop and then freeze a load of apples ready to pulp and press tomorrow. Then harvesting some blackberries for jam. Both as little gifts.

 

[iona]

It only had 5 blossoms last year, so it's a bumper crop this year.

Golden Delicious can tend to want to be biennial iirc. Thinning the young fruit out in future should discourage that if you'd prefer fruit every year.

 

[Idaho]

My courgettes have been rubbish this year. Planted loads but they haven't been productive. Maybe too dry and not enough organic matter.

Dwarf french beans have been very productive though. And onion harvest has also been good.

My favourite has been the three sisters bed. Not much in the way of squash (a few), and only a light catch crop of beans, but the sweetcorn seem to love the company and look great.

I've netted them off best I can from Mr Brock and family. They love sweetcorn and wait for it to be perfectly ripe.

Need to go later to pick another suitcase full of runners. Made Chillirunnerlilli last night with the last batch. Spicy picalili type thing that I make every year.

 

[iona]

Need to go later to pick another suitcase full of runners. Made Chillirunnerlilli last night with the last batch. Spicy picalili type thing that I make every year.

I do one too but mine turns out more yellow. Could I have your recipe to compare please?

 

[Idaho]

Hot oil + Black cardamom seeds and fenugreek seeds

Add onions and fry to near golden then push to one side in the pan and add more oil plus shit loads off garam masala and some turmeric. Fry the spices into a paste, adding vinegar to stop it sticking.

Stir up and add garlic and chopped chillies.

Add vinegar until you've got a decent liquid base. Sieve in gram flour to thicken (can use any flour).

Add chopped beans and sugar and give it a good 5-10 min blast.

Decant into jars.

 

[TopCat]

Hot oil + Black cardamom seeds and fenugreek seeds

Add onions and fry to near golden then push to one side in the pan and add more oil plus shit loads off garam masala and some turmeric. Fry the spices into a paste, adding vinegar to stop it sticking.

Stir up and add garlic and chopped chillies.

Add vinegar until you've got a decent liquid base. Sieve in gram flour to thicken (can use any flour).

Add chopped beans and sugar and give it a good 5-10 min blast.

Decant into jars.

Yum!

 

[TopCat]

House smells of vinegar as do I.

 

[TopCat]

My mum bought me the posh jars.

 

[cesare]

My mum bought me the posh jars.

Looks delicious and professional

 

[iona]

Picked gherkins always seem like a great idea but mine never stay crispy for very long, no matter how I do them. Think I maybe need to pick them earlier, or just eat them sooner after pickling even though the flavour won't be as good. It feels weird not to have anything growing myself atm due to moving recently, but one of the beetroot chutneys I made last year was so good that I'm going to buy a load of beetroot to see if I can recreate the recipe.

Last day of <10 hours sunlight is nine weeks tomorrow up here, so I really need to get my shit together and do some final seed sowings.

 

[zedr]

Got a friend's wedding this weekend so I'm going to harvest, chop and then freeze a load of apples ready to pulp and press tomorrow. Then harvesting some blackberries for jam. Both as little gifts.

now just for a little taste test!