Creating gardening labels from a plastic milk bottle

How to make your own free gardening labels

I always remember my grandad collecting our lolly sticks when I was little to use in his potting shed, but we don't have enough lolly sticks now. So I've found my own way to create gardening labels by recycling a milk bottle container.

You need scissors to cut out the labels and a permanent marker to write on them.

This video shows you how to cut the bottle to create the gardening labels.

I

Hot house in April

It's a glorious day to get sowing, managed a few seeds last weekend and now they are already peeping through. Now it's time to fill the shelves and pots with loads of tiny grains of life, providing the right conditions and hoping to see life spring from each one.
I've planted so many seeds, lots of different varieties, I think I may be selling my excess plants.
Lots of courgettes, squashes, pumpkins, marrows.

Each pot has either 2 or 3 seeds sown, I can then transplant when a bit bigger. Hoping I get loads of courgettes, time to put the spiralizer to good use.

The veg garden was also worked on, my daughter has taken on the heavy work, but not as heavy now we use the no dig method. All the edges needed clearing of grass that had grown through from the lawns, need to try and edge the plot a bit better to stop the couch grass growing through. Have got to try and remove some bamboo now, it spreads everywhere and is very difficult to remove.

Bonus, the black currant has layered itself, so we can dig and move those into the back fruit garden.

Need to start working in the polytunnel, the beds need remaking and building up, with some drip watering system to be installed. I need to buy and install a water butt behind it that captures the run off from the tunnel, I've already got a solar pump irrigation system that was a present. If this is installed, it will ensure that the plants are watered properly all summer. The butt can also be filled using the hose, which will ensure the plants grow to their full potential whilst we go on holiday in the summer.

Lots to do, food to grow, family to feed, relaxation to be earnt.

Putting your "Back" into the gardening

Well, the title of this blog post is a lovely phrase, but what does it mean to you, when you want to produce your own organic vegetables for the family.
For me, the thought of digging the garden is now daunting as I'm beginning to creak and any over exertion results in suffering from aches and pains that can impact my daily life, which isn't good. I've suffered from a bad back for the last few years and have been incapacitated simply from digging a small bit of the garden.
We have very sandy soil, so it isn't very heavy to dig, but does need masses of organic matter to keep the nutrients and water in the soil.
This year I decided to investigate the "No Dig" method of gardening and started researching on Charles Dowding's website.
Work started in the spring and I have had to battle with the family about whether this method would be any use, but luckily I had my mum on my side as apparently my grandad had started using this method many years ago, but I didn't know.
I've bought two books by Charles to help me with the planning this year and to try and improve the production of my veg plot.

Early summer mornings, the best time of the day

When the sun is shining and it is lovely and warm, early mornings are brilliant.

I have loads to do, sowing seeds in the greenhouse and the garden, but as the sun gets higher in the sky during the day, the greenhouse becomes too hot to work in. So the weather this morning was perfect for greenhouse planting.

I've managed to sow butternut squash, marrows, courgettes (I grow both types despite being able to leave courgettes on to mature), my Mum and Dad's favourite veg for lunch in the summer are runner beans and marrow, so I grow lots of both. We love the courgettes as they are great on the barbecue and also can be marinated in a salad dressing, a favourite for breakfast too as courgette fritters, and this year I'm planning on growing enough so that I can cook the flowers.

Also sown are some Russian sunflowers which are giants, they will produce and amazing display at the edge of the garden, attract the bees and also provide valuable food for the birds in the winter. I have changed to single flowered varieties of all daisy type flowers as the doubles aren't good for the bees.

The apple cucumbers are in, the seed may be a bit old, but it's worth a try. Apple cucumbers are lovely, they also grow happily up wigwams if you remember to tie them in, this is great as you can pick them without bending down.

The seeds sown on the first bank holiday are now beginning to show their leaves, so are the weeds, so I will be out with the hoe later and trying to prevent them getting a foothold.

Time to go through my seed basket and work out what I need to sow next.

A gardeners work never stops.

Many hands make light work!

I love Bank Holiday weekends, the extra day means we get so much more done together. All the jobs can be cleared on the Saturday leaving time to start 2 day jobs.

My veg plot is split into 3 areas, we've been clearing as we go. Plot one is destined to be a fruit plot, we cleared it during the Easter break and planted a Medlar in the middle, I also moved my strawberries that had scattered themselves over plot 2. Ok, I know shallots are fruit, but they needed somewhere to go in, they are planted where my other fruit bushes will end up, currently in fruit in plot 2. I do have a plan, but it needs to bend sometimes. We've also added some wigwams of sweet peas, to bring in the pollinators and for cut flowers.

Plot two is the worst of the plots, so that gets to be the final destiny.

Over the weekend, we've reworked plot three, the old parsnips vanished, all top and no bottom. The peas have survived in the middle and now there are 8 varieties of beans planted. The only way to compare them is, for me to keep a close eye on their production.

4 types of stringless runner beans on a set of double canes crossed low (they should be easier to pick).

4 types of climbing French beans on 4 wigwams.

Both sets of beans have been catch cropped with lettuce or radishes.

I've also companion planted with border sunflowers at the back of the plot, and calendulas.

At the front, cornflowers and larkspur for cutting and nasturtiums to attract the blackfly off my plants. Sweet peas have been dotted amongst the beans to encourage pollinators.

After watering in, I've resorted to the dreaded slug pellets as we seem to have snail hotels rather than snail bars, I not feeding the hoards on my lovely young seedlings, so they can push off.

Time to watch the fruits of our labour blossom and grown and fingers crossed we should be seeing some results in a fortnight.

Vermin versus seedlings

Time to get even, those horrid little varmits have met their match. Sorry, but my vegetables come first, feeding the family is paramount and I object to the rodents eating my seeds and seedlings, so battle has been waged. When you cost out the seed I've bought, I cannot afford to keep the rodent population supplied with top quality seed and seedlings.
So far we have got 6 mice, 1 rat and 1 rat foot (don't ask). That's 2 mice traps fully functioning for the last 3 nights.
We are wondering if we put in 10 traps, would we get 10 mice at a time. I'm tempted, as despite the traps, the remaining troublemakers have eaten all of my peas and pea shoots, plus my broad bean seeds.
I've implemented a well known deterrent today on my fresh batch of broad beans, holly branches, which mice are supposed to hate as they get their nose covered in prickles, fingers crossed that I will still have some bean seeds in their root trainers when I check tomorrow.
The polytunnel is now wonderfully warm, I've watered well and sown lots of salad leaves, mizuna, rocket, salad onions and spinach. Hopefully there will be so many seedlings that the mice won't manage to eat them all. If they do, we will have very healthy mice and a not so happy gardener.
There is so much to do, but very little time to do it. Hurting my back last Sunday hasn't helped, I've been out of action ever since, so the shallots are still in their nets and not in the soil. I hope that nature will help me and they will catch up. I've decided to grow shallots instead of onions, they are sweeter and more productive in the space we have.
The forecast for tomorrow is brilliant, so I'm hoping that I may manage to get more crops sown and maximise on the lovely warm days.
I feel the need to browse the seed catalogues.

February sunshine (finally)

The weather has been atrocious this year, so much rain and strong winds. Luckily my polytunnel is still in one piece and despite the bad weather has been very warm inside. I had tried my luck with sowing some pea shoots, broad beans and salad leaves at the end of January, but the mice or some other furry vermin has decided that they were very nice and have demolished them already, so time to try again.

This is the first day so far that we have had sun and I haven't been working. So I've made the most of it, been in the polytunnel since 10.30 clearing up the trail of destruction from the mice and sowing masses of seeds in pots. I've put covers over the seeds that they tend to steal and hope that I may have something growing in a couple of weeks.

It was so warm inside, I've had to work with the door open and just a t shirt as it was so hot, no fleece jacket needed. Taking the odd break outside sat on my bags of new compost in a sheltered spot feeling the warmth on my face, those freckles are going to be appearing very soon.

Now to research what I need to do to prepare the soil for my shallots, if we get another day of good weather this week during half-term, I'm not holding my breath though.

The planning starts here.

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 ;)

Ouch - I'm going to ache in the morning

Sometimes you really need some extra muscle, today I had the help of Clive to put the stepping stones in place. If you've lost the thread, don't worry.

Ok, let's recap what I'm up to.

A couple of years ago we reclaimed an overgrown area of the garden to create Laura's first garden. This area was full of holly, willow, nettles and the dreaded brambles. We wanted her to be able to look after her own garden, and grow not only flowers, but herbs and vegetables. It has been really successful and unfortunately due to exams and homework ended up back under my care and attention with the odd bit of help from Laura. It has remained under Laura's direction though, so is full of mauve, blue, white and pink flowers, just NO YELLOW or ORANGE that's for Grandma's garden, any accidents need moving.

We did have a bench seat tucked in next to the garden with an area of lawn in front, a real pain for Grandad to mow, but it was manageable when the mower went into reverse.......

............ok the mower currently isn't going into reverse, ah well, time for a change methinks.......

So I've moved the bench, and removed the grass making laura's garden bigger. But, there is a special storage area for wood at the back of the garden, I still needed to give access to this from the front if necessary. There is a trellis, but it is on hooks so it can be removed to give access. How do I manage the access? That's where the stepping stones come in. We have created a path of stepping stones in a lovely warm cotswold stone to the storage, filling in around the stepping stones with small Cotswold chippings. This gives a lovely warm glow to the area. At the end of the path, I've put a planter with variegated ivy, cyclamen, a bay tree and violas to give a focal point over the winter. I've also put in lots of bulbs and more pansies, violas, polyanthus and sweet williams.

The aim of this garden is to be full of herbs and roses, useful all year round and full of heady scent in the summer.

At the back of the border there are 2 beautiful jasmine's which are clambering over the rails of the veranda supporting Laura's tree house (this needs some repairs now, the steps leading up are beginning to weaken, so hopefully we can get this fixed and she can still vanish in to her hidey hole with her nose in a good book. There is a climbing hydrangea which is doing really well, it should give a good evergreen barrier helping to generate interest and stopping the different areas of the garden being seen, I love secret gardens and would love to be able to build more areas like this with paths leading you to new discoveries.

We also planted a couple of grape vines. These haven't done so well, we will be tying them into the veranda, but we aren't sure how successful they will be.

Clive started to cut down the branches of the willow which were overhanging the garden, it is a beast, the roots are a nightmare and we hope eventually to be able to remove it, the top branches came down in a storm the other year, it's covered with ivy and is taking valuable sun from the middle of the garden.

We do have one major hiccough to our plans, deer, they love Laura's roses and despite us blocking where we thought they were coming in, the plant I carefully pruned the other day ready to go in this week, which I left on the freshly dug earth, had a haircut overnight, all the lovely fresh leaves had vanished, and the tale tale hoof prints were there in the earth. I've bought some special connectors, small green connectors shaped in a ball that take bamboo canes (we aren't short of those). The idea is to use some black netting which I can thread a cane through at the top and make a barrier around the garden. Deer like firm barriers to jump over, this will not be easy to see, so hopefully will stop them having breakfast on this area of the garden. As the farmers say, either don't grow stuff or use barriers, either the deer or rabbits will get you. We get additional pests here in the country as well as the usual pigeons, slugs and snails. Clive's put the uprights in, now I just need to cut the net, which is 4.3m x 4.3m into 3, I think 1.1m high should be enough. I also need to make an easy to manage gateway so I can access the stepping stones, as that is where I'm hoping to plant most of the herbs next year.

The temperature suddenly dropped and the rain started just before I had finished, not being one to give in to a bit of rain I finished the planting, then had to clear everything away and wash off the path from all our muddy feet, I also gave the plants a quick water, I know it was raining, but I wanted to give them a good start. By the time I'd finished I was freezing, a hot cup of tea and my snugly fleece started to thaw me out, but I was shattered and the aches and pains started, who needs to go to a gym!

Fingers crossed the weather isn't too bad tomorrow, we can then put up the fencing, and plant the rest of the shrubs and roses. I might even manage to start on mum and dads anniversary garden, it's visible for their patio door, I've got wallflowers and loads of daffodils to go in, to give them some early colour. This garden needs some serious work as its got overgrown, the perennials need splitting and some movie as they are in the wrong places. Once this is all done, I can dig up some strawberries for mum to plant in the polytunnel, and plant my peas and lambs lettuce to overwinter.

There is always something to do in a garden......

Time flies and I forgot to blog

Good intentions failed me, I got so busy I forgot to blog, it did get manic balancing work and everything else. Still I now have an iPad which should improve my blogging.
I'm determined to get loads of veg in to overwinter this year. I got a deal through mr fothergills for some cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower plants, plus some lettuces and they are now safely in the ground. I sowed some broad beans and turnips, using radish as an intercropping and all are doing nicely. I just need to keep the slugs and pigeons off them.
I have a packet of meteor peas to go in, these are supposed to be hardy and cope with overwintering. I've also got the garlic and onions to go in.
Before I can plant anymore, I need to move all the shrubs we bought earlier in the year into Laura's garden, this is now going to be our rose and herb garden. I've reclaimed some of the lawn, made a larger bed, we've bought the stepping stones to keep the access to the wood storage. This pathway will be great edged with thymes, but for now, lots of bulbs, violas and polyanthus are ready to go in, with some beautiful cyclamen for instant colour.
As soon as the herb garden is planted, we can start on the next veg bed and get that planted.
No peace for the wicked, we've also got to clear the greenhouse completely out, so we can let off a sulphur candle in it, this will kill any moulds, bacteria etc before we put up the bubblewrap and bring in the fuchsias and olive, also all of the geraniums and then we can take loads of cuttings.
The forecast is wet, wet, wet, but the garden needs the rain.
So there are the plans,
How much will we achieve........

Early sow and sow

Well the clocks went forward and I can't stay in bed or 6am up tomorrow will be killer, 7am this morning and by 8am I was in the greenhouse.
I've decided to capture my progress in pictures, so here goes.

 This is the first of the veg beginning to show through, the beetroot is coming through the most followed by the spinach.

 These are the plug plants, there are twenty little modules for each type of plant, there are lobelia, geraniums, busy lizzies and petunias.

It's getting full, I've already moved some of the pots outside that don't need greenhouse protection, loads more planted today including, broad beans, courgettes/marrows, celery, onions, shallots, summer cabbage, lettuce, thai basil, parsley, leeks, some unusual french beans called Ying Yang that can be used fresh or dried.

Loads done, all watered and now waiting to see what happens.


I think I've planted more, but what, escapes me until I see the labels in the daylight.
Productive day, you bet!

Sunny Saturday

A beautiful day, I was in the greenhouse by 9am and it was already 18 degrees Celsius. I've cleared out all the old pots, planted bulbs watered everything.
After lunch we nipped to the Garden centre and bought some plug plants and seeds, all potted on now.
Loved gardeners world last night, didn't realise that I could grow dahlias from seed so bought some, going to back in greenhouse tomorrow to sow them and more.

Loads of vitamin D, and relaxation, recharging my batteries.
Posted with BloghuB for Windows Phone 7

Gardener's World is back

Friday was the start of the new series of Gardener's World on BBC and yippee Monty Don is back and they've returned to the original format. Back to the presenters talking to us as equals, camera men and editors showing us what we want to see, no "arty shots". My personal belief that if you don't notice the camera angles and just see the presenter, then you've got the best behind the scenes team possible, you don't go and see a show at the theatre and see the backstage crew appearing (just those sound men setting the levels too high so you don't forget them).

It was great to see lots of tips and tricks in a "real" garden that is a family garden, loved the beetroot module idea, off to plant some in a moment for both of the veg plots.

I would like a timelord though, I don't have enough time to do the gardening as my students' need my attention whether planning or marking. My reward for hard planning is a few minutes in the greenhouse.

The sun is just beginning to shine between the clouds, so I think the time has come to stretch my legs, grab a packet of seeds, label & pen and head to the greenhouse.

Happy growing

New year, new plans, time to make the garden work

I can't believe that I've neglected my blog on my garden for so long. Spookily today my daughter had the same thought as me, "Mum, we need to get the veg garden planned properly this year".

So time to work out a plan of action to clear the ground in the veg plot, clear off the grass that's managed to embed itself under the fruit bushes and trees.

I've just realised that the potatoes are still in the ground (unless the rats have been using them during the freezing weather).

Well a couple of seed catalogues have arrived, I've bought a couple of packets of seeds today, now to check what I've already got and work out what I still need.

We are also going to try some microgreens, I've bought 3 packets of seeds, broccoli, red basil and rocket. I've also decided to use up some of my old seeds as microgreens, I'm going to clear the windowsill and get them going to provide some great leaves to go in my salads and sandwiches.