Gardening Club

[EJ81]

Very impressive Helen! I keep missing the runner beans and getting massive tough ones! Finally got some spinach and lettuce past the slugs though - hooray! Will have a think about winter flowers for you xxx

[Carolyn52]

My hubs (the gardener) bought cyclamens again as last year they flowered all winter and some are recycled again ...apparently the ants do the recycling so the little critters do have use!!
They are colourful and sort of graceful !
Xxxx

[HelenAquarius]

Planning on having the most colourful flowery winter garden I can.

Anyone with any winter flower ideas, please post! I've bought violas but want more ideas.

What are your fave bulbs? I want some thing stunning to surprise the neighbours!

helen xxx

[HelenAquarius]

Ok ladies back to the veg... How about this for a mornings pickings:-) 

[bonariensis]

I'm in France right now, back 23
rd stuff to do that week but Tue or Fri prob OK will be in touch. (hate using mobile) Fiona

[Barton]

EJ, thats a lovely idea if Carolyn and bonariensis are up for it too! Don't want to railroad you, bonariensis!

Ellie, you have some wonderful looking produce there! Well done.

Bonariensis, your garden looks absolutely beautiful!

Hugs. Barton.x

[EJ81]

My boy doesn't start full time for another couple of weeks anyway. Also sorry for spelling bonariensis wrong. My tablet kept autocorrecting to all sorts and I have up!!!

[bonariensis]

A road trip seems like a good idea. We may be going away depending on what happens at the hospital tomorrow but you could come later, it's always lovely here. I think the tide of runner beans and courgettes which has been flowing down the road from the allotment is finally diminishing. Bean salad, bean chutney, ratatouille. You name it, I've been making it, Tomatoes also now on stream, I cannot claim responsibility for all this abundance. The pictures of my garden are a bit selective and cunningly miss all the neglected bits

[Carolyn52]

Hello Ellie
That's scary as I was just texting you. Was the holiday nice ?
I've got a box of framed tapestries ready for your charity stall ..hope it helps and Barton has some stuff too.
Carolyn xxx

[EJ81]

What a beautiful garden. Ours isn't looking too terrible right now so I might brave a photo - have only shared one of the veg plot so far. Now the garden is under control the veg bed is out of control! It's one or the other!

However after two weeks away we did get all of this

 

The best bit is my husband and the boy don't like raw tomatoes so I get to eat the lot. Planning on making courgette brownies to use them up as they are the size of marrows!

Bonarisis you really do live in a beautiful part of Devon. Perhaps Carolyn, Barton and I could plan a little road trip to the south hams to meet up with you once my boy is in school full time?

Ellie xxx

[Carolyn52]

Hiya 

Its beautiful and you must be so proud.

Enjoy and hope you have more energy soon.

xxx 

[bonariensis]

Hi I'm new to this group. I love gardening hence my name bonariensis which, if you put Verbena in front of it, gives the name of one of my favourite plants. Until the end of last year I cultivated the communal flower plot on our allotment site where members could gather what flowers they wanted. Now my own garden is becoming a bit wild. Not having enough time has been replaced with not having enough energy but I'm still doing something. Have made blackcurrant jam and am presently making runner bean and courgette surfit chutney (husband does the allotment). Here are some pics of my garden in July

[Carolyn52]

Hiya Ellie
My gardens doing fine ...I sat it in .drank my coffee and ate my cream donut this morning !! Thank goodness hubs does it.
We have a mouse though ..he feeds off all the Bird seed droppings ....the neighbours cat is too fat and pampered ..not interested in doing what a cat should do.
Hugs xxx

[EJ81]

How are the gardens doing? I hope everyone is getting to enjoy them in the sunshine! I have just finished making cordial after picking 2kg of rhubarb this morning. The rest of the garden is doing ok - lots of lavender and the Guinea pigs are keeping the lawn down! I would post a picture but the garden looks like an early learning centre plane exploded overhead!
Lots of love Ellie xxx

[EJ81]

Wow Helen, you must have had some good sunshine. I have lots of strawberries coming but nothing ready to eat yet. I have given in after my moan about the slugs and snails and bought some organic, child-safe slug repellent! It seems to be doing the trick. Some are still getting through but it's not as bad as it was.

Blanna I get light headed if I do too much weeding!

Not edible but I have a peony about to burst into flower. I counted 17 buds this year!

Xxx

[Blanna]

oh no EJ81, 

I too used to have a Jasmine in my old garden and had to leave it behind, I just loved the smell of jasmine in the summer, In fact I might try and find a spot for a new one just for that reason, but like you my gardening is sparodic at the moment, Im still struggling with mobility because of my arm and just when I think I have gotten control - bang - I suffer an episode of break through pain, oh well I suppose i will just have to wait till It settles down, lets hope you can ID your runner beans.

Helen, I have some strawberrys coming through but no where near ready, I also have some small quinces coming through as well as some raspberrys, lets hope this rainy weather clears enough to be able to get out into our gardens enough to enjoy again xxxxx

[HelenAquarius]

We ate some strawberries form our garden today :-))) only about 5 were ripe but they were delish!

planted some runner beans a month ago and now that bit is a full of shoots. Can't tell what's weed and what's runner bean so decided to leave it for another week (good excuse) hoping it may be more obvious next weekend 🙂

Anyone else got any signs of life in the fruit or veg dept?

Helen xx

[Carolyn52]

Ellie
It seems you need a trip to "plants galore" to replace your jasmine and get into your gardening !
Says me that never does anything more than sit in mine !!
Wish I was more green fingered but hubby is!!
Hugs xx

[EJ81]

Blanna the toadstools are lovely. I can see why you want to keep them as they are.
I have worn myself out this afternoon trying (and failing) to keep up with the weeding. Part way through I was thinking what plants we needed, and thinking about this thread and it dawned on me we used to have a jasmine plant. Asked my OH if he knew what had happened to it and it turns out he had to dig it up when he replaced the fence last summer and decided it looked neater without it!!
I'm really cross as it was a big plant. Also very cross with myself that I didn't even notice until now - I'm blaming chemo brain! xxx

[Blanna]

Thanks ladies, I do love my garden and its been terrible not being able to prep it in spring, but all in all its not been too bad, the mushrooms are called forest fungus, your supposed to leave them to rot down but I put preservative on as I really want them to last xx

[Rose47]

Caroline and Bianna what lovely pictures.  Xx

[EJ81]

Blanna that looks beautiful. This thread is definitely inspiring me to get back on the weeding xx

[Barton]

Oh Blanna, that looks like a lovely garden! I like the large wooden mushrooms. When I moved recently, I left behind a genuine old granite staddle stone. It's a stone mushroom shape that they built grain barns on in the old days so that rats couldn't get in. It broke my heart leaving it there, but at least the new owner seemed to appreciate it.

Hugs. Barton.x

[Blanna]

We've had thunderstorms the last couple of days, it still feels quite muggy, but I'm not complaining,  hope the sun comes out for you in Devon x

[Carolyn52]

Lovely photo and the dog looks so comfy too. Im in Devon ..its cold and cloudy here and I have my furry slippers on ......

enjoy the weather.

hugs xxx

[Blanna]

Lovely gardens ladies, I've just set up my lounger as it's such a nice day, here is mine, I would love to have done more this year to it but cannot due to my arm and shoulder pain, I managed to pull a few weeds before getting tired xx

[rosie53]

Very nice Carolyn......Well done hubby! 

Hugs Janette xxxx 

[Carolyn52]

Thanks Barton ..Will pass on comments to hubs. So u all know what a lousy gardener I am ...here is my bit !! Just nice for coffee and cake !! Ha ha xx

[Barton]

I've seen Carolyn's garden and decking - absolutely gorgeous! I can see why she enjoys sitting out there! Well done, hubby!

Hugs. Barton.x

[EJ81]

Very impressive! I daren't show the rest of the garden as it needs some serious weeding! We inherited it from a very keen gardener and it's a bit much for me to keep up with xxx

[HelenAquarius]

Wow he's done a very neat job! What a great gardener you have there. No need to get off the decking Carolyn - Hubs has got it covered methinks.

:-)))

xxx

[Carolyn52]

this is a bit of my garden. Hubs is the gardener.I prefer the decking area to enjoy my coffee.xxx

[HelenAquarius]

Wow sounds like you've been busy! No I haven't had a chance to get the jasmine yet ... Darn it! Too much blooming treatment stuff and hospital visits getting in the way!

The garden is changing by the day isn't it  - such an exciting time of year, I came out this morning and a second rose on my little rose bush had opened up in a rich deep red velvet colour..stunning!

The cucumber seeds I planted have started growing and are prob ready to pot outside now.. They were so good last year. 

Come me back sun, all is forgiven!

xxx

[Rose47]

Helen and EJ81 your gardens both look lovely:) I have been on a flower buying frenzy and potting them all up.  Had homegrown radishes yesterday which were lovely.  Helen did you get a Jasmine ? I am so glad I did as the smell is so nice.  I have sweet peas and clematis near it which are all spreading their way up and looking very pretty.  Now all I need is sun in east Anglian and it will be perfect !! Xxxx

[EJ81]

Raonaid if you hit reply rather than quick reply you should see a little picture icon on the tool bar.

Denise I think you have plenty of time to grow butternut squash if you get a plant rather than seeds. Although they do tend to spread so it won't stay in the pot! xxx

[raonaid]

How do l add a photo?

[raonaid]

Weeding

[raonaid]

I have a shady garden and l like bleeding heart flowers and lovely chocolate colour geraniums. I decided to make a stumpery with lots of ferns but the ivy l planted to grow up the wall completely covered it all. Ah well less wearing.

[Deedeepuss]

Wow, your gardens all sound great.

I do my tomatoes in pots, last year they were amazing, but have had a few years where not enough sunshine and they never ripened. Suppose I could have used them for chutney but didn't!

Never grown butternut squash, but love it. How easy is it to grow, is it too late tho year and can I do it in a pot? So many questions ! 😄

Two years ago we got rid of our patch of grass, you couldn't call it a lawn. We had a few really bad winters and no matter what we did just couldn't get rid of the water. Clay soil. So now its a little border and stones, so I have pots.

I've never done it but have seen it where people put lettuce and cherry tomatoes in their hanging baskets, they look good and you can eat it 😁

Gotta get my act together with herbs this year. I too don't have much success with basil.

Denise xxx

[EJ81]

Here is my plot. It's quite a sun trap. The stuff on the left is rhubarb not weeds! Also the bushy bit in the main bed is broccoli but it's starting to bolt. Going to take it out bit by bit though as the Guinea pigs will eat it. Xxx

[jenny29]

I have a small garden that because its small and overlooked gets a fair amount of shade, plus it gets dry. After much experimenting I've found geraniums and fuschisa do okay. Also a climbing rose, as it grows tall enough to get some light. Unfortunately I cant seem to grow vegetables as they need more light.  

[EJ81]

What a gorgeous garden. I am very jealous of your chickens. We used to keep them when I was little and I wanted to get some rescue ones but my husband is not convinced xxx

[HelenAquarius]

Here' my shelves above my sunny border plus Daisy-Dew Drop, one of my 4 gorgeous chickens 🙂

[EJ81]

Shelves along the wall sounds brilliant. I have just been out to look at it all now I'm back from work and I've lost even more to the slugs overnight! Might have to replenish it all before I take a photo as its all looking very sad at the moment. I am going to have to find some other child friendly slug deterrents. I read that pistachio shells were good so put loads out (after eating all the nuts which I love!) and our local squirrel keeps stealing them to bury so now we have holes in the lawn!!
I grew more from seed this year as the cold frames made it really easy as long as I remembered too close them on cold nights. We've had lots of late Frost's this year.
Julzd you've definitely still got time to do herbs and tomatoes. I've copied my neighbour and done tomatoes in pots this year. It makes a grow bag go a lot further and it's easier to stake them but I think I'll have to keep up with the watering. Xxx

[HelenAquarius]

Wow that sounds fab! 

Pre the slugs, we have 4 chickens and hence lots of eggs and found last year we could crush up the egg shells, microwave them to go hard and scatter them around the plants and this was good. 

They are are a nightmare aren't they... I'm sure the neighbours fling them from garden to garden!

so, we also have an old plastic X as celebrations box that has slits in the top where we stuff the lighters when caught so they can't come back out as not sure how to get rid of them.  Sounds horrid and is really 😞

im impressed you have been growing for. Seed. I did that last year but found it too time consuming and frustrating so the only thing I've done agai. This year from seed is the cucumbers as they were brilliant.

my fiancé put up shelves along our sunny wall to maximise the growing space.. I'll try and put a photo up as its great and I get lots of pots on there for veg and herbs 🙂 

if if you get w chance to put a photo up I'd love to see!

[EJ81]

Yay! A gardening thread brilliant!

I have a veg bed at the end of the garden. I love it as in our old house we only had a small garden and I could only do a few bits in pots. This is my third year having a go and it is definitely my patch.

I have planted lots but I am really struggling to keep the slugs away this year - I feel like word has got out and now they are all treating it like an all you can eat buffet!!

This year I grew courgettes, pumpkins and runner beans from seed but I'm going to have to try again with the beans as they've all been eaten already. I've also planted celery, strawberries, cress, salad, tomatoes, peppers, sweetcorn, (really easy and looks great), carrots, potatoes and peas. I bought a couple of cold frames at the end of last year so I have cucumber plants in there and spinach waiting to go out. Not sure what will survive as lots is getting eaten already! Any tips on getting rid of slugs will be greatfully received.

I hadn't realised how much I'd done until I wrote it down. I have a lovely nursery neaebybwhich happens to do lovely tea and cake so I do tend to get carried away when I go there!

Nothing beats home grown. I cooked a rhubarb pie with my little boy yesterday and he only eats broccoli because he picks it himself before I cook tea!

[SamanthaL]

Bossy lizzy are good for shady borders

[HelenAquarius]

Still here - Yes I can't really bend down easy as breathing difficulty so I was very slow but I was good at giving orders to my dad and boyfriend! we've got hundreds of slugs.. Drive me nuts so will look into cyclamen and lily of valley  🙂

Maria Louise I hope the cucumber and pepper survive without a greenhouse!  I think I will look into jasmine as I want some thing that smells good.  Delighted that courgettes are easy and abundant as I've planted 3 of those too 🙂

Julie raised beds are lovely I think. Even if you manage to get one thing in it feels like an achievement I think! So lovely to watch things growing.. The cycle of life etc. And to eat ones own produce is THE BEST! 

Julzd - the herbs we have success with are.. Thyme, mint (grows really vigorously so best in pots... We drink lots of mohitos so it's good for that! ) chives, rosemary. Sadly basil, my fave, never survives. 

Tomatoes are easy... But buy little plants ie don't grow from seed. Last year I tried to do it all from seed.., (no cancer then!). I put 2 cherry tomato plans in pots and 4 in a pair of grow bags. Last year they were fab. Had too many. 

I hope someone else is gonna grow something! But if so do it soon and just get someone in for an hour to help plant it :-)))

xxx

[Stillhere]

Hi Helen, wow you sound very fit if you could be gardening straight after chemo!!

I used to have a shady border at our last house and I grew hostas (beware slugs) hellebores, cyclamen and lily of the valley from memory. Some geraniums are shade tolerant too, maybe just google for ideas? Sometimes the soil in deep shade can be dry, worth checking.

I used to love gardening but now we live in a remote lane I only have a small bed and lots of pots because of rabbits and deer! Country living for you!!

[julzd]

Hi I'm hopeless at gardening but I'm thinking of getting one of those pop up greenhouses and doing some herbs and tomatoes is it still early enough to do these ? X x