Anyone want a GARDENING CHAT

[Cheerypeabrain]

I'm trialing the sunflowers because I love them...gawd knows where I'm going to squeeze them in! I bought the seeds today, I'd like to do french or runner beans as well as I was going to grow them anyway.
I was going to take part in the Beeb trial but I've forgotten what we'd agreed on! will have to check.

I can only order stuff that'll fit through the letter box as I'm out at work when the postie comes, so I only order seed on-line...nothing bulky like plug plants or tubers/

Right..now I'M being shouted at because I'm not watching Barry Trotter and the Prisoner of Azerbijan with OH....sigh...
ttfn
CPBxxx(Wizard 3rd Class)

[oldmoleskins]

seeing all this encouraging 'trials' chat, would just encourage all to start whenever you think you'd like to... part of the fun is the spread of approaches represented in our very varied gardening - so get going whenever and as soon or 'late' as you like - just keep records and pics and start posting when we put the trials thread up for you.

OM.

[4pygmies]

Today I AM going to:
clear up the PT ready for all the seed trays and baby plants next month
lay the path on the other side of my raised bed by the GH
build a cold frame somehow and put my kindly donated patio door on top as a roof
do a spot of goat wrestling to give them a pedicure
do some apple tree pruning having received instructions from my mate Tim (6'2" - didn't offer to do it for me )
What's everyone else up to?

[Chuckles]

Wow you have abusy day ahead 4P, good luck and enjoy.

I'm going to have a good sweep up, theres loads of debris about in all the nooks and crannies from the wind we've had. May also attack and tie in a couple of climbing roses that have taken a battering from all this wind.

[Plocket]

I think you should poke Tim with a long stick 4P ;D

We are off to M&Ds today so won't be doing any gardening. I don't mind because I feel rather pleased about the little amount I did yesterday!

[Chuckles]

plocket said:

We are off to M&Ds today

Hope you find some suitable wood for LP's bed

[Jonah]

Oh what a lovely day. Hope it has been nice where you all are.
The sun has been out all day, I managed to get outside and mow the grass and rake up tons of leaves. It's tempting to go mad and start moving plants, but I keep forgetting what time of year it is and how risky that would be if the temperatures drop and it gets really nasty our there.
I've been working on more collages to change the flower beds, decided to shift all the 'hot' colours out the back and concentrate on the more muted tones in the front. I don't think there was really room to make a decent hot bed out the front. It's got me feeling all positive about the garden now.
I noticed a lovely echinacea in the J Parkers brochure - Lemon and Lime or something, can't find the book now! Might have to indulge myself!
I've spent days wondering whether I ever received my Trycyrtis from Suttons, been foraging for a receipt as I couldn't remember planting them. Luckily found the receipt from my other order showing they will be delivered february onwards. I think I need a journal.

[4pygmies]

I can't believe the time! Where did the last 3 hours go then? I wish I could mow the grass Jonah but it's still so soggy underfoot here - I bet it makes your garden look much better straight away ( not that I'm suggesting it looks terrible but you know what I mean...). My grass is about 4" high now.......
I didn't wrestle the goats, trim the apple trees or build the cold frame but I did sort out the PT and shift all the muck from the last compost bin (sob) into there so it looks ready (ish) for the Spring. I disturbed a sweet little shrew which was nesting in a pile of old compost bags but I think it'll go back as I left it alone after that. At least it wasn't a rat.......it felt sooo good to be outside doing something. And I pick axed up a load of concrete that was due for removal and levelled off the ground alongside the big raised bed where I want a path. Now all my joints ache but I don't care!

[Cheerypeabrain]

I spent some time in the back garden this afternoon, we'd been at Father's all morning so didn't get out there until about 1430.
I planted the primroses (Primlet sunrise) absolutely lovely warm yellow/terracotta rose-like flowers...no doubt the slugs and the frost will see them off...but I'm ever the optimist. They're in a sheltered spot...also planted up a couple of pots with sunshine-yellow primroses...they do look cheerful.

I was going to do lots more but it was soooo cold that I came in (whimp!) slipping and sliding on the wet mud & grass.
Another thing I've noticed today is that the flower bed is heaving with worms...so the 2 loads of home made compost that I loaded on there have been effective!

BiL is getting me a big bag of horse poo for the fantasy-veg patch...he's offered to help as well...THAT should rustle a few feathers and get my OH galvanised into action. (not today). I have asked for at least 3m sq. (as a start)

Packaged up some seeds for trunkyjo and found that I'd deleted ALL my PM somehow so I've lost her address COOOEEE TJ!! ;D

[Chuckles]

Been a grand day here to Jonah ;D. I had a good sweep up as planned but did bits at a time, damm cold wears you out if you try to do to much. I had a good general tidy up though, all my bits and bobs of bricks and stones etc are all now in one place rather than scattered about the place in small heaps. Raked over the new veg plot, next doors cats had been running a muck over it . Talking of cat's, the beasts had been in the GH and used one of my buckets with compost in as a litter tray , I'm not having that

I planted 3 echinacea in Aug Jonah, can't recall the name it was a cream one they are lovely and I've not grown them before, think I saved some seeds so fingers crossed I'll have a few more to plant.

Mowing the lawn always makes everything look so much tidier, like yours 4P mines too wet and half mine has now gone but I do have my raised beds and veg patch now ;D. No wonder your aching 4P swinging a pick axe, still it's a satisfying ache I know how I felt after getting the steps up and all the rubble underneath them.

Ooooh Primroses, lovely CPB. I've got quite a few pots of one's I grew from seed also Primulas and Cowslips. Must think where to plant them. Your veg patch won't be a fantasy much longer CPB and I agree it did turn a bit nippy when the sun decided to hide for a while.

[Jonah]

Coconut Lime [not lemon and lime!]was the one I fancied. But I like all of them!
Nice to see folks having a good day.
Better go and help OH with bathing the terrible trio!!

[Plocket]

Dad had a gorgeous pine bookshelf he was willing to hand over but as perfect as it would have been I couldn't bear for it to be used in such a fashion. The good news is that dad had some suitable corner posts and has plenty of planks too. The bad news is that he wants to make it now! He's really keen on the plan and thinks it would be brilliant for LP to grow her own veggies and stuff. Mum seemed to think the little trough would replace my pots in the front garden but we managed to get her to understand that the trough was ONLY for LP. So I think dad's got a new project, and has almost convinced mum that they need a nice trough in their courtyard!!!

Managed to run around M&Ds garden enjoying the weather, and I helped unblock the overflow for the top pond. Generally though we just pottered around. Oh we found my old skipping rope so LP was teaching herself to skip which was rather amusing.

[Dutchy]

Ah nice and good on all of you. So much work done and so many plans.
LP is so going to have fun with her trough.

I have ordered seeds ( Chillies ) but will have to wait for them to arrive in a months time. In the mean time I have been staring at possible ways of growing Mecanopsis from ( old ) seed.
I have cut two pep bottles in half. I( reckon with winter not showing I will at some stage have to put them in the fridge.
Hence the pep bottles. Clean and not taking up much space. I will also try several in pot outside. But first I have to start them off. One week on the windowsill with appr. 20 Celsius than a month at 2 or 5 Celsius. How on earth do these plants survive in the wild??

Andy or OM have you any better ideas?

[Plocket]

Pep bottles??? The mecanopsis I grew did have to go in the fridge for a while but didn't do particularly well after germination so I wish you luck with them. They are fussy whatsits by the sound of things! ;D

[sweetleaf]

Hi kids! I went with OH today in the biggest van we could borrow to fetch our "new" second hand aluminium greenhouse. It came with a huge piece of staging which was in one piece and couldnt be collapsed.
He didnt charge for the staging

After an hour and a half dissasembling and loading the GH we were on our way back, with the back doors of the van tied shut because the staging was sooo big! The GH will be built during the week, by stages, and I cant wait!
As for other freebies I got loads of really big pots and just a few other bits and bobs..I now have enough to stock two greenhouses! I dont know how the lady could bear to part with it, but Im certainly glad to have it!

;DIm taking the plastic one up to my plot, and altering it to fit the side of my shed, ideally it will be a huge cold frame/coffee drinking spot, and being plastic the allotments manager will have no objection. ;D
The picture is of one on ebay, exactly the same....sold for almost twice what I paid for mine ;D ;D ;D

[Chuckles]

Glad you got sorted with the GH sweetleaf, it's all very exciting isn't it. The old GH sounds like it will be more of a sun room extension on your shed At least some good has come from this grotty weather we've had.

[Rosefriend]

I wish you luck with your Mecanopsis Dutchy - I have never been able to grow them at all.

Perhaps someone has some tips that they can give you.

Rosefriend

[Plocket]

Oh that is just fantastic Sweetleaf - is it going to be fairly easy to re-build? I do envy the fact that you've got space for a greenhouse. I'd borrow M&Ds if I could trust them to water seedlings (anything!) regularly!!

[sweetleaf]

The couple had hung on to the instructions, which was a relief, Plocket, and having taken it down we just need to reverse engineer it!

We managed to bring a couple of the sides back whole too! And the door just slid off, ;D so that came "as is."
I did have to sacrifice a flower bed, originally, to put up the first (plastic) greenhouse


Chucklesyou are right Im already looking forward to watching the birds, coffee in hand in my shed -conservatory! Very good on a cold day!

[Cheerypeabrain]

sweetleaf said:

The couple had hung on to the instructions, which was a relief, Plocket, and having taken it down we just need to reverse engineer it!

We managed to bring a couple of the sides back whole too! And the door just slid off, ;D so that came "as is."

I hope that you have HOURS of pleasure in there SL... ;D
See how long it takes for you to fill it!

CPBxxx

[4pygmies]

HURRAY! That's brilliant Sweetleaf - hours and hours of fun pottering all summer.....lovely! I sorted out my PT today so now I'm just waiting for seed trays and plants............roll on March....

[sweetleaf]

I have to say it looked enormous, when I first saw it .........but so did the other one, and it very definitely got a bit cramped, but I can manage with two surely?
Well maybe not...........

[sweetleaf]

4pygmies said:

HURRAY! That's brilliant Sweetleaf - hours and hours of fun pottering all summer.....lovely! I sorted out my PT today so now I'm just waiting for seed trays and plants............roll on March....

Im considering sowing a few seeds in february, to try and get a head start, considering the winter appears to have been missed. As soon as the days are getting a bit longer, Im on the case.

[mickthecactus]

Really pleased to see your new greenhouse Sweetleaf. Bet you're glad about the storm now!

I believe there is another storm warning Wed/thursday.

Certainly was a lovely day yesterday. I also wanted to mow the lawn but too wet.

Went to the allotment and dug leeks and picked Romanesco cauli. Then eat them for lunch.

Finished laying the first half of the path to join both ends of the garden

Then into the greenhouse with the radio on and a glass of Guiness and spent 2 hours repotting succulents.

Perfick.

[Plocket]

I'm going to start as many seeds as I can as soon as possible. It's alright for you greenhouse owners, you've got space to put things, but I've got to carefully work out what I'm going to grow and when - if I plant too many seedlings there just isn't room for them.

[Chuckles]

Although I've not done any serious seed growing before, I'm thinking the same Plocket. I guess if we get failures we still have tome to do more.

[borderbabe]

Morning all! its amazing isn't it - a coulple of hours in the garden yesterday and the winter blues are better today. I had a great day tidying the plot and planting snowdrops. I also removed a hardy fuschia from the middly of a bed where is was blocking out some other stuff. I'm full of ideas now for moving a lot of my perennials but having trouble remembering its still only January!

I saw and heard a bumble bee as well not bad for 14th Jan! I hope we dont have a cold spell as that would be harmfull for all the insects that have come out early.

[Plocket]

I think you'll be surprised at how many successes you have BB, rather than failures. I hope Blodau won't mind me telling you that she sowed LOADS of tomato seeds last year, in case of failures, and ended up with far more plants than she expected! Personally I plant a few seeds, see how they do, and do some more if I need them. This is particularly good as I've limited space so can't grow rows and rows of vegetables. I'll so a couple of pots of carrots, and then sow a couple more pots a few weeks later, and so on. That way I don't get a glut, and eventually the pots and space will be free for my next lot of carrots. Or other vegetable.

I keep forgetting it's only January too Borderbabe! I want to be out there pruning, sowing seeds etc. It's so tempting!!!

[Cheerypeabrain]

sweetleaf said:

4pygmies said:

HURRAY! That's brilliant Sweetleaf - hours and hours of fun pottering all summer.....lovely! I sorted out my PT today so now I'm just waiting for seed trays and plants............roll on March....

Im considering sowing a few seeds in february, to try and get a head start, considering the winter appears to have been missed. As soon as the days are getting a bit longer, Im on the case.

Last year I started sowing seeds on FEBRUARY 7th! Then the weather deteriorated so by the time I could plant stuff out a lot of it was rather straggly....I'm waiting until March this year...yeahrite..... ;D

[Dutchy]

Sweetleaf, brilliant new gh congrats.