What's happening in the garden!

Post by **merry** » Thu Sep 29, 2022 8:30 pm

A new topic for our new board but just the same really

what's happening in your garden?

Everything is dying down in mine now, but we really have had a super year for sunflowers, asters, tomatoes, potatoes, raspberries. No apples and few pears!

TRavine · Post by **TRavine** » Wed Nov 02, 2022 5:17 pm

I think my mom had a few potatoes and sweet potatoes, as well as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and a lot of raspberries and blackberries. Most of it is gone now, of course. Our carrots never really grow properly, and the slugs eat most of our salad, unfortunately. They are hard to get rid of.

Post by **merry** » Wed Nov 02, 2022 10:45 pm

Yes, it's hard to thwart a really determined slug with his eyes out on stalks (!) trained on your salad!

I used to write poems to slugs all the time. Don't ask.

Tom, ask your Mum if she brings her raspberry canes in for winter. I got mine new this year and now they are bare I'm not sure if I leave them out or bring them in and leave them in the garage for the winter like bare sticks.

TRavine · Post by **TRavine** » Thu Nov 03, 2022 7:08 am

Okay, so according to my mom: raspberries should be fine throughout the winter. They survive fine here, and I think Austria gets colder than most of Britain.

You can also put them in the earth and cover them with bark mulch or straw. Maybe not all of them will survive, but they reproduce quite quickly once in the earth.

So they spread!

If you keep them in pots, make sure they have enough water throughout the winter.

Post by **merry** » Sun Nov 06, 2022 10:03 am

Thank you Tom, that's great! I shall keep them, somewhat protected, in their pots, and make sure they don't dry out.

Do thank your Mum for me - Danke, Tom's Mutter (is that even close?!)

TRavine · Post by **TRavine** » Sun Nov 06, 2022 10:42 am

merry wrote: ↑Sun Nov 06, 2022 10:03 am Thank you Tom, that's great! I shall keep them, somewhat protected, in their pots, and make sure they don't dry out.

Do thank your Mum for me - Danke, Tom's Mutter (is that even close?!)

Your German is impeccable, Merry!

100% correct.
My mom says: "Ganz liebe Grüße"

Post by **merry** » Sat Nov 26, 2022 11:09 pm

I have olives on my olive trees.

Beyond excited about this!

They are inedible - terribly bitter - :( and need curing before you can eat them.

The process looks complicated - multi-stage - but I haven't written it off (have faith! I am she who bought a whole sheep's fleece right off the sheep and managed eventually to spin six inches of usable wool from it after MANY stages....)

I am the epitome of 'a dabbler '

Post by **merry** » Sun Apr 02, 2023 9:50 am

OK so we visited a garden centre on Friday and bought:

Seed potatoes (first earlies)
Peas to plant in our new raised bed
Galia Melons (see greenhouse below)
I wanted a 'cottage garden' mix of annuals, but didn't see quite what i wanted.

I already have some tomato and sunflower seeds to plant soon. JYM gave me a lovely little greenhouse/polytunnel at Christmas which will be just the job to bring on seedlings.

I'll buy some more Asters (African Daisies) as those were so successful last year, but am not that confident of growing them from seed, so will see what's available.

Anyone else making plans for the year in the garden?

TRavine · Post by **TRavine** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 7:52 am

Oh Merry, that is exciting!!! You'll have to show me your garden when I visit!
The greenhouse sounds amazing!

My mom will plant vegetables again too. Our garden is not huge but we kind of work vertically (lol) with many pots, using space cleverly.

Usually we have potatoes, a couple of onions, garlic, all kinds of salads, radishes, sometimes carrots, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and courgettes, sometimes even small pumpkins.

Not everything works out and sometimes we only do small quantities, just for the fun of it.
My mom always plants a TON of salad - much more than we can eat. I keep telling her to use the space for something else but so far, it hasn't got through to her. She loves her salad.

Oh, and we have many berries. Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.

TRavine · Post by **TRavine** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 8:01 am

merry wrote: ↑Sat Nov 26, 2022 11:09 pm olives.jpgI have olives on my olive trees.

Beyond excited about this!

They are inedible - terribly bitter - :( and need curing before you can eat them.

The process looks complicated - multi-stage - but I haven't written it off (have faith! I am she who bought a whole sheep's fleece right off the sheep and managed eventually to spin six inches of usable wool from it after MANY stages....)

I am the epitome of 'a dabbler '

You did WHAT??? Oh that is so cool!!!

My primary school teacher was great. She wanted us to learn basic skills, so she invited a woman who could spin with a wheel and she showed us, and every child could try.

I love the olives!!!

Post by **merry** » Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:57 pm

Spinning was much MUCH harder than I expected!

Did you do any better?? I was all primed to buy my own spinning wheel too but it just wasn't worth it for the 6 inches of bedraggled 'wool' I produced after hours of washing the fleece in a deep bath in the garden (many changes of water) and then drying and carding and treadling...

I love berries! Only raspberries so far but I did grow some beauties last year.

Our garden isn't huge either but i will gladly show you every single thing in it when you visit

I can talk about plants for ages.

I put this portable greenhouse up yesterday - JYM gave it to me for Christmas. Just what I need for little seedlings.

TRavine · Post by **TRavine** » Sun Apr 09, 2023 10:19 am

merry wrote: ↑Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:57 pm Spinning was much MUCH harder than I expected! Did you do any better?? I was all primed to buy my own spinning wheel too but it just wasn't worth it for the 6 inches of bedraggled 'wool' I produced after hours of washing the fleece in a deep bath in the garden (many changes of water) and then drying and carding and treadling...

I love berries! Only raspberries so far but I did grow some beauties last year.

Our garden isn't huge either but i will gladly show you every single thing in it when you visit I can talk about plants for ages.

I put this portable greenhouse up yesterday - JYM gave it to me for Christmas. Just what I need for little seedlings.

greenhouse.jpg

I probably did terribly. We each only spun for like five minutes. Imagine a class of eager primary school kids all waiting their turn at the spinning wheel.

I am SO looking forward to seeing your garden. Ours isn't huge either, but we work vertically with alot of pots that we build on top of each other lol. It's not relaly a space-problem but rather a time-problem because all of that stuff needs to be watered and looked after.

The greenhouse looks lovely! You'll need to update us on what is groing in there once it's all planted!

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Sun Apr 09, 2023 12:17 pm

Merry, you might want to put some ballast on the bottom level of your greenhouse thingie to stop it blowing away. There are storms forecast for next week.

Furby · Post by **Furby** » Fri Apr 14, 2023 7:24 am

Why dont green houses have built in stabilisers storms are quite common in UK aren't they.

My garden takes care of itself these days. Whatever grows grows. It has blue flowers only at the moment. The roses have grown into tall trees these days the natural life of roses must be trees not bushes.

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Fri Apr 14, 2023 4:57 pm

Some form of periwinkle?

Patience · Post by **Patience** » Fri Apr 14, 2023 6:14 pm

Eccs I agree it looks like periwinkle. It’s a great ground covering plant. It was a nuisance to get rid of in my garden.

Furby · Post by **Furby** » Sun May 07, 2023 11:53 am

The first new poppy has grown today. There were more poppies in a tub but they seem to have decided life as a weed is a happier one.

Post by **merry** » Sun May 07, 2023 12:01 pm

I love your poppies and your periwinkles, Furby!

Last year's raspberry canes are in full leaf and some fruit setting
New raspberry canes which arrived bare are beginning to bud

Planted:

New potatoes (earlies, in two tubs)
20 Sungold tomatoes, some last year's seed and some new (they are much cheaper obviously to grow from seed rather than buy plants, but a LOT more work...however.. I have the time)
5 water melon (a new venture, since the greenhouse should keep them alive till the air temp is higher in June
one Galia melon (so far)
some golden heritage carrots, 2 rows (in our new raised bed)
two rows of peas (also in the raised bed)

Lots more to do but I feel it's a good start!

JYM gave me paper pot maker this eco-friendly seedling pot maker for Christmas. It's a bit fiddly to make them but it's good that you have an endlessly renewable supply, and also that you can lift the paper pots directly into their beds when it's time to plant them out.

Post by **merry** » Sun May 07, 2023 12:09 pm

I'm no great gardener, I can't be bothered with all the fiddly bits and take short cuts, and have never won a prize ever for my Sungolds (I can't work out why! they are beautiful!) but last year I did win a prize for my Asters and Raspberries (and potatoes as it happens) and I was SO PROUD because in general I just don't have green fingers. I'm reposting not to brag

but because they look so pretty and these pics were on the old, lost board.

TRavine · Post by **TRavine** » Mon May 08, 2023 9:32 am

merry wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 12:09 pm I'm no great gardener, I can't be bothered with all the fiddly bits and take short cuts, and have never won a prize ever for my Sungolds (I can't work out why! they are beautiful!) but last year I did win a prize for my Asters and Raspberries (and potatoes as it happens) and I was SO PROUD because in general I just don't have green fingers. I'm reposting not to brag but because they look so pretty and these pics were on the old, lost board.

asters.jpg

raspberries.jpg

Oh Merry!!! These flowers are BEAUTIFUL!!! No wonder they won!!

Do give yourself credit for your gardening, I think you are doing a terrific job!!