Autumn preparations

Got a great deal on some brassica plants this week from Mr Fothergill's, they arrived on Wednesday, so I've been keeping them cool and damp. I've just potted them on into trays today, so that they get a good start, this also gives me some time to prepare the ground for them. I've got curly kale, lots of different cabbages and cauliflowers.

I also ordered some potatoes which should give us some home grown new potatoes for Christmas. Luckily Hubby bought me the September Grow It magazine and they have advised starting to grow them in 4-6" pots first before putting them in the potato bags, so I've planted 30 potatoes and they are in the big polytunnel. 

Earlier in the summer, we got a great deal on some fuchsias which are hubby's favourite plants, unfortunately one of them got damaged on the way home, never fear, I took the branch that broke off and took load of cuttings from it. Was really pleased today, to pot on 6 new plants from the cuttings.

I've also planted in modules some different varieties of oriental veg and some Swiss chard.

Jobs still to do:-

Plant more seeds in modules, lettuces, etc.

Clear ground for the brassicas to go in.

I'm now trying to do some research into what to grow in the polytunnels over winter, I want to maximise on the produce that we can keep. I'm not planning to heat them though, but that may need to be a plan that is changed :S

Hot, hot, hot

A wonderful day today, very hot in the garden, hotter inside, so the garden won.

Polytunnel is like my own personal sauna, it was so hot and humid in there this morning. The cucumbers, chillis, aubergine and pepper is loving the heat.

I've got lots of lunchbox sized cucumbers growing, lots of water needed, and feeding once a week. If the weather keeps warm, I should be pickling loads too.

You can just spot my first green pepper on this pepper plant.

Loads more seeds to start in modules, I can't rely on direct sowing with such sandy soil. Will also sow direct but can infill if necessary.

Just need to stop the Mosquitos biting me.

Bank holiday update

Well, not the quietest weekend ever due to the Bournemouth Rugby 7's. Better than previous years though apart from jungle drums (well be honest, that's what the heavy bass and drums sound like if you listen carefully) from 9.30am on Sunday morning continuously until I finally managed to get to sleep at about 11.30. By 10.30 I had a migraine, so couldn't even drive to escape it, ibuprofen, and more sleep finally sent it on its way by 7pm :(.
Loads to do in the garden, polytunnels and greenhouse though. I've managed to plant up all mum and dads tomatoes in their polytunnel. Now to fix the drip feed watering system, the capillary matting and then plant it all up before they get back in 2 weeks. Hopefully they will be able to start harvesting very soon. Just need to get them to stop opening all the vents and door so it can get to temperature, their glasses steam up ;)
We need to trench and then plant out the 60 runner bean plants I've been growing on for them. I have loads of borlotti beans to go in too. I'm going to fill on the gaps on dads wigwams of French beans.
The list isn't getting any shorter, but the crops are just getting ready to start to produce, then heaven, all home grown produce, full of flavour, straight from plant to pot, so minimal loss of goodness. Can't beat it.
Off to find some wooden vegetable boxes, going to put some dwarf French beans, peas and radishes in their polytunnel, it may give an earlier crop.

Brrrrrr

Well, the plan was to plant more seeds, reality is, temperature is only 8 deg C, so too chilly for me even in the greenhouse. I hoped the fresh air would help to get rid of my horrid cough and cold, but I'm going to spend time inside keeping warm with lots of hot drinks.

We are also trying to reclaim many areas of the garden that are covered in holly and brambles, turning them into cottage gardens. It may be a good time to get the sketch book and pencils out so that ideas can be easily visualised and discussed with everyone. 

I'll be on the lookout for some typical cottage garden plants in our travels on the roadside stalls.

Just one BIG PROBLEM, something is munching the new raspberry canes Dad planted, not sure if it is rabbits or deer. Time for netting to be installed. We know that deer are regularly in the garden, they especially love the roses in Laura's garden, so we have put a cane and net fence around her garden to protect the rose bushes we've just planted.

You can just make out the canes and black net by the edge fencing at the front of this shot.

One very healthy rose, all are traditional english roses, repeat flowering, heavily scented and are pinks or mauves to go with the colour scheme.

The current rain is perfect giving them a good soaking before I feed with fish, blood and bonemeal and then mulch them. Hopefully they will produce masses of flowers this year.

Hoping we do get some dry spells during the rest of the week, as loads to do.

Progress has been made

Even though it was overcast today, it was lovely and warm in the greenhouse. I've managed to sow kohlrabi in modules, peas for pea shoots, lots of different varieties of French beans, leeks, gherkins, squash, green and purple basil and dill. I've also potted on a large tub of mint and a herb pot.

Loads more to do, but I'm running out of space. I'm very spoilt, hubby has just bought me a polytunnel as an anniversary present, so we can now clear some more ground and put it up, I can then grow everything on in there.

I may have excess produce available for sale this year, all organic and home grown.

The first seeds finally sown

I know it's April Fools Day, but I'm posting after 12, so it is true. It's been a very busy term at college, on top of that our own seedling has been performing in Carousel at the Regent Centre in Christchurch, so there have been many trips, costumes and other paraphernalia to organise that support a performance. Final performance was last night and I'm now finally free to get the garden into production:)
I've actually managed to sow some seeds today in the greenhouse.
A huge pot of salad leaves, these will stay in the greenhouse providing all of us with an early supply of baby leaves for our salads and packed lunches.
I've also sown a couple of other pots of lettuce

On Raymond Blanc's recent tv programme, he mentioned his favourite lettuce which is "Reine de Glace", I've managed to get some seeds, so those are now in to bring on as seedlings, then I can pass them onto Mum to prick out. I've also put in some "Unicum" seeds too, these are a heritage variety, time to grow some wonderful vegetables that have bags of flavour.

I've also sown in modules, cabbage "advantage", cauliflower "candid charm", broccoli "tender stem green", Komatsuna "Japanese spinach Te-suto" and some red spring onions.
My modules were really successful last year, we have very sandy soil and sometimes seedlings struggle to get started, but if I start them in modules, they get a head start and then grown brilliantly.
I've now got to hunt down the rest of my seeds...... they are here somewhere, now where is the safe place I put them .......

I ran out of time in the autumn and didn't manage to put in the final daffodils and tulips, so they've just gone in some pots, I can put them somewhere cool and get some late flowers off them.
My mothers day pressie was some boxes of agapanthus, these have started shooting, so I've potted them up too, again because of the sandy soil, I like to put them into pots and grow them into strong plants before planting them out. You have to learn to garden in a different way when the soil is so sandy, it literally blows away in the wind if you don't add any compost or mulch it, it's really hungry soil, if you don't enrich every time you plant, it's like being at the beach, but grey sand, and the water just runs off the surface.
I need to develop some proper compost bins around the garden using planks, to allow us to rotate and make loads more compost, we have enough garden and household waste. We did get some of the plastic compost bins, but these are useless.
At least I can tick a couple of things off my list today.
Definitely going to plan a shopping trip this week, was inspired by Gardener's World on Friday, love the clematis viticella going to start a collection, they will be perfect in the garden as they are a family favourite and we've never yet grown the right variety, think this could become an obsession along with heavily scented roses.
.........
I so want to put some country garden borders in, it's been both mum's and my dream, through reclaiming bits of the garden, we will get there, provided dad can keep his tidy edges. It is our only battle, dad is a military gardener, he loves straight edges, trenches, everything cut back and tidy, we love natural, spontaneous, and very typical country garden style. We will get there, but very gradually :)
Time to do some planning methinks. I wonder if there is an iPad app out there to help with garden designing?

Boy am I behind this year

I've just been looking back at my blog, realised that at this time last year, I had already cleared out the greenhouse and loads of seedlings already coming through, and had potted up some plug plants.
My marking has taken precedence this year, first time I actually have my students finishing their course at the end of this week. Loads of pressure, so no time to garden.
Ah well, I actually get a holiday from Friday, so time to spend loads of energy and time in the garden, sowing now, so we can reap in the future. I can't wait to get the soil under my finger nails and find my strap marks again. It won't even bother me if it rains as the greenhouse will protect me, or I can nip to a garden centre or 2 :)
I'd better find my seed boxes and get sorting, well, next weekend anyway ;)