This week in your Kitchen Garden.

[sheothebudworths]

No, but it works just fine (with re to keeping heat in and preventing the wind from blowing the whole thing off) so long as I remember to do it up!

But yeah extra luck that it wasn't windy last night.

 

[Melinda]

Im trying not to freak out.

I have a an egg sized swelling on my arm where the slug was this morning.

It looks like Ive sliced an egg in half and stuck it on my arm.

I tend to react badly to insect bites but are slugs more dangerous to my health?

Anti-histamine time or anti-biotics?

 

[Mrs Magpie]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-sharp-teeth-slithering-round-gardens-UK.html

 

[gentlegreen]

 

[gentlegreen]

Best put something soothing on it so you don't scratch.
Aloe Vera works wonders for me.

Do you have antihistamines in the home for hayfever ?

 

[sheothebudworths]

Ooh god how horrible - would have thought antihistamines would be perfect if it was an allergic reaction (and it sounds like it was)?

 

[gentlegreen]

I reckon she's been scratching it.

 

[Melinda]

Urban loves a mystery illness! Biting slugs!! Cor!

Nah,I dont think it was the slug because another *massive* lump came up on my other arm, bloody insects! Took an anti histamine to sort out the painful itchy mania - which I resisted, gg!

But woke up at 5am this morning and my arms were on fire, both sites were red hot and painful to touch. Called NHS Direct- (w.t.f. are they for btw? A fruitless exercise which served only to raise my blood pressure).

So primary care walk in clinic for me and my lumpy arms

 

[sheothebudworths]

Awww ....fwiw...when I have a heat rash, the only thing I ever need antihistamines for, it takes a whole weeks course of them to sort it (and a good few days before the itching stops), but defo worth the visit eh, if only to put your mind at rest!

 

[sheothebudworths]

Flowers on my peas!

And on my two pound shop bought tomatoes!

Might try one of them in a bed....

 

[Melinda]

Well, Ive come away with hydrocortisone cream and anti histamines, both of which I had at home. I suppose it was worth ruling out a serious infection like cellulitus.

Apparently lots of people have been in this weekend with bites. The nurse practitioner did say I had one of the biggest reactions though.

*smugs*

And OMG its itchy.

 

[felixthecat]

Everything is growing like crazy, with the notable exception of the spring onions, something which has grown really well before. Oh well, never mind.

Flowers on the sugarsnap peas and tomatoes, budding well on the raspberries and potatoes. Salad greens growing as fast as we can eat them, lollo rosso taking its time but growing steadily. Baby strawberries and gooseberries now protected from the birds (bastards). Squash and courgettes possibly budding (or maybe its wishful thinking). Carrots and onions doing well, peppers, chillis and aubergines toddling along nicely.

Oooh and I got a lemon verbena plant yesterday which I've been looking for for ages! And a catnep ( in the vain hope the cat will sleep in that and not in my bloody beetroot). And a chocolate mint.......................

 

[Melinda]

Those chocolate mints are lovely, I can never get enough of the smell!

 

[felixthecat]

Those chocolate mints are lovely, I can never get enough of the smell!

'Twas the smell that did it. I already have bog standard mint, apple mint, peppermint, spearmint, and pineapple mint......

I am NOT buying any more herbs.


(yeah right)

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Oooh, Lemon Verbena....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloysia_citrodora

It always looks dead after the winter, but fear not...it survived this year when other things did not. New little green buds burst out of the bark every spring, even though there's no evidence of buds there a week or two before.

 

[aqua]

allotment going so well still have my eye on the other half of the one I have

several things are behind felixthecat but fuck it

 

[felixthecat]

Oooh, Lemon Verbena....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloysia_citrodora

It always looks dead after the winter, but fear not...it survived this year when other things did not. New little green buds burst out of the bark every spring, even though there's no evidence of buds there a week or two before.

I've been after a plant for ages. Fortunately the herb man at the Bath and West show came up trumps

Its my favourite of any of the lemony scented/flavoured herbs - strongly lemon yet still delicate.

Cheers for the info on the overwintering!

 

[aqua]

you know I've just realised I don't have ANY mint plants this year

 

[felixthecat]

allotment going so well still have my eye on the other half of the one I have

several things are behind felixthecat but fuck it

I want an allotment. I'm jealous.

I have a tiny back garden and its simply not enough room - its growbags and pots a-gogo here.

ETA - btw Miss Aqua, I'm about 100miles south of you and it really does make a difference!!!!!

 

[sheothebudworths]

Apparently lots of people have been in this weekend with bites. The nurse practitioner did say I had one of the biggest reactions though.

*smugs*

Glad it's nothing nasty! Although ITCHY is a whole lot of nasty in itself!


Right - I've put one tomato plant in a bed (might be risky!), with some more beetroot seeds and dwarf french bean seedlings.

Transplanted a couple more established dwarf beans from some bigger (but cramped..) pots into the flower bed, repotted broc seedlings and lots more tomatoes into bigger pots.

I also pinched out the tips of my MELONS LOL...leaving just four leaves as recommended, but am worried this was a foolish idea, since I'm more or less just left with the leaves that were clearly suffering after their big night out now...

Should have checked up on it first, but couldn't be bothered, although I regretted it almost instantly.

Ah well - you live and learn - will see what happens!

 

[sheothebudworths]

I want an allotment. I'm jealous.

I have a tiny back garden and its simply not enough room - its growbags and pots a-gogo here.

ETA - btw Miss Aqua, I'm about 100miles south of you and it really does make a difference!!!!!

It's the pot stuff that's so infuriating - especially when you're buying them all the first time around! I've spent a fortune on them - the bigger ones really add up, financially!

Compost, too!

Am constantly running out of both - although at least the pots will all be reusable next year.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Its my favourite of any of the lemony scented/flavoured herbs - strongly lemon yet still delicate.

It can get quite big....mine was a layered cutting off a friend's....hers is about four feet tall and easily a yard wide. I tend to think of it as a small shrub.

 

[felixthecat]

It can get quite big....mine was a layered cutting off a friend's....hers is about four feet tall and easily a yard wide. I tend to think of it as a small shrub.

Excellent! Scented shrubs ftw. Similaly I can never understand why people want to grow roses that don't smell - seems a complete waste of time to me

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Same here...I make an exception for 'The Fairy' though.....

The flowers are much smaller than this photo suggests...sweet little flowers, little dainty leaves and it is a great gap filler, it flowers till about Christmas and takes really easily from cuttings....

 

[zenie]

I managed to get and lose a thyme and an oregano plant on the same day

Oh well some hippy got my plant stash was only £2.50 for both.

Flowers in my hanging basket are coming up too.

 

[Biddlybee]

You could try and take a cutting from my thyme, but tbh £2.50 isn't much. 3 for £5 at Columbia Road

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

Thickie question.... how do I know if my spuds are ready??

 

[gentlegreen]

Thickie question.... how do I know if my spuds are ready??

Earlies, mids or lates ?

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

earlies, theyve been in about 8 weeks Loads of foliage ( im growing them in a potato planter sack) and a few little flowers starting to appear

 

[BoatieBird]

Thickie question.... how do I know if my spuds are ready??

I've been thinking the same thing, I'm also doing the potato planter thingy.
I haven't got any flowers yet, I wasn't sure if they flowered or not until I read your last post