Gardening

[snowychap]

3 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

We haven’t bothered with spuds this year. There must be something not quite right about our soil, but whatever type of ‘tato we plant they are almost impossible to cook. They flake up in to spud soup. We’ve managed to use them up as chips and roasties rather than bin them but we decided this year just not to bother.

 

Worth trying them in bags/sacks (even just inverted empty compost bags work well). That's what I've tended to do for the last couple of years. First earlies, second earlies and main crop (though not main crop this year due to space/timing issues).

[foreveryoung]

Just grafted our knackers off on our garden, saved 3.5k did it ourselves. Dug all the old grass out and fully turfed 120 sqm. Took a low level wall out and made a little play area for our lad at the top and put down 15 bags of bark with a tree to climb, sleepers all round the edging and 3x3 decking with a gazebo on to chill, looks mint to be fair. Problem is now the Mrs wants the kitchen extension, so basically gonna lose 4 metres of garden and most will probably get wrecked with the building work. 

[blandy]

12 hours ago, snowychap said:

Worth trying them in bags/sacks (even just inverted empty compost bags work well). That's what I've tended to do for the last couple of years. First earlies, second earlies and main crop (though not main crop this year due to space/timing issues).

Mine are in tubs. Well I say tubs, but it’s a tub and the compost bin where there’s an unexpected bonus crop growing.

[magnkarl]

So after last year's plea to the council to be allowed to turn the green desert that was the space behind our row of houses I've now been allowed to also do the front bit of 'lawn'. I think someone in the council has found out that they save costs this way and can brag that they're being nature friendly by letting me convert foreign grass species back into U.K chalk-based meadow. 

I've had the luck to be able to get a lot of seeds from severely endangered species that I'll be working on incorporating this year, as well as trying to remove some of the errors I introduced last year. Luckily I've got friends that have both spider orchids and meadow claries in their gardens, and so I've managed to transplant bits of their meadows into ours. The hope is that this will enable me to reintroduce two species that have been extinct from my part of Hampshire for years.

Having had the slightly odd pleasure of a visit from a biologist last year he's managed to find around 60 types of solitary bees, 13 bumblebees and 22 types of butterflies, some of which were believed to be extremely rare like the purple emperor butterfly. This is from 'only' resetting around 30 square meters back to the original habitat of these parts.

This year I'll also work on getting rid of invasive species, including trees, and reintroducing species like goat willow, crack willow and other native flowering trees. I've also made seed bombs out of last year's meadow which I am spreading around the area.

The kitchen garden has been converted to a no-dig system based on Charles Dowding's excellent teachings so I'm hoping to have fresh veg from about now until we're too old to mind the garden. The hope is to be able to sustain ourselves to a much greater extent than we have ever done (solar panels, rainwater collection, power bank using old EV batteries).

Edited February 22, 2023 by magnkarl

[villakram]

3 hours ago, magnkarl said:

So after last year's plea to the council to be allowed to turn the green desert that was the space behind our row of houses I've now been allowed to also do the front bit of 'lawn'. I think someone in the council has found out that they save costs this way and can brag that they're being nature friendly by letting me convert foreign grass species back into U.K chalk-based meadow. 

I've had the luck to be able to get a lot of seeds from severely endangered species that I'll be working on incorporating this year, as well as trying to remove some of the errors I introduced last year. Luckily I've got friends that have both spider orchids and meadow claries in their gardens, and so I've managed to transplant bits of their meadows into ours. The hope is that this will enable me to reintroduce two species that have been extinct from my part of Hampshire for years.

Having had the slightly odd pleasure of a visit from a biologist last year he's managed to find around 60 types of solitary bees, 13 bumblebees and 22 types of butterflies, some of which were believed to be extremely rare like the purple emperor butterfly. This is from 'only' resetting around 30 square meters back to the original habitat of these parts.

This year I'll also work on getting rid of invasive species, including trees, and reintroducing species like goat willow, crack willow and other native flowering trees. I've also made seed bombs out of last year's meadow which I am spreading around the area.

The kitchen garden has been converted to a no-dig system based on Charles Dowding's excellent teachings so I'm hoping to have fresh veg from about now until we're too old to mind the garden. The hope is to be able to sustain ourselves to a much greater extent than we have ever done (solar panels, rainwater collection, power bank using old EV batteries).

A pic during an opportune summer time bloom etc would be great. Sounds like you are earning lots of good karma.

[magnkarl]

To broad bean or not to broad bean, that is the question. Do I waste a raised bed for something that is a bit meh?

I like beans, I just find broad beans a bit bland.. 

Rocket and endives have gone out today, also sowed the first onions. I find it hard to wait with sowing things, but the experience tells me that waiting until March is always better.

[chrisp65]

Allotment up and running, with 6 beds cleared and ready for some planting which isn’t going to happen yet. Crocus are up, frog spawn in the ponds and all looking very presentable for February. Far end of the allotment which is just a bit too much of a stretch for us because ours is over sized being cleared of bramble and crap. We won’t dig it and plant it, we’ll just keep it under control and have blackberries.

Even the shed which is a very fetching shade of radioactive green is all good and doesn’t need any fixing up.

We had a bit of a mound that couldn’t really be called a compost heap, tufts of grass, tough stuff like sweetcorn and sunflower roots, basically all the not quite compost stuff. We’ve literally left it years. Cleared it over the last two weekends and used it to top up the other beds with what had turned in to just excellent crumbly soil.

In other news, allotment fees a few years ago, were £25, over the last 4 years (during covid etc) they’ve gone from £25, to £35, £45, £65. They’ve just announced this year will be a 67% rise to £108.

 

 

[blandy]

On 23/02/2023 at 19:07, magnkarl said:

To broad bean or not to broad bean, that is the question

My favourites. It’s super difficult finding frozen ones in supermarkets and has been for about 2 years. Growing my own is number one priority, even though I just managed to get 2 bags online. Anyway, bit early to plant them isn’t it?  I don’t usually start them till April, or am I leaving it too late?

[magnkarl]

7 minutes ago, blandy said:

My favourites. It’s super difficult finding frozen ones in supermarkets and has been for about 2 years. Growing my own is number one priority, even though I just managed to get 2 bags online. Anyway, bit early to plant them isn’t it?  I don’t usually start them till April, or am I leaving it too late?

Where abouts are you? My parents would always sow them either in October or in Feb. They always had a super early crop, and then successive harvests throughout spring.

I tend to do broadbeans followed by leeks or broccoli. I’ve bitten the bullet and planted broadbeans as per usual now. I let them soak for a few days and then plant them out once they sprout. It’s quick.

By chance, what do you do with yours since you like them so much? 

Edited February 26, 2023 by magnkarl

[blandy]

Oop North. I put them in discarded coffee vending machine cups to sprout indoors or on the garage windowsill in April, then plant them outside in May.

Eat them with pasta and chorizo and Parmesan, or with a nice butter pie, or just as one of the veg with other meals. The young ones are tender and tasty and ideal for loads of dishes tbh. 

[chrisp65]

Yeah I think there are two tricks to broad beans:

First, catch up young, don’t wait for them to be those big chunky fellas your parents used to feed you, catch ‘em young and you can eat them straight out of the pod or on a salad or thrown in stir fry right at the last minute.

Second, if you do let them get bigger shell them AND skin them. 

Big mature chewy skin on broad beans are ‘orrid. Younger or skinned are great. Our softy southern ones are in pots up the greenhouse. 

[chrisp65]

Went to a local independent garden centre earlier, he was selling off some wooden benches in some very shabby looking cardboard packaging.

The one I wanted was £150, I got to the counter and chanced a speculative “£100 for cash?”

Without a pause, the guy said “yep”

Didn’t stop for a receipt, don’t know if it went through the till. I’ve got home and checked it, all the bits are there including the bag of fixings, actual bench inside the box is in good condition, it was just a shabby box. Everybody happy.

 

[blandy]

Filled some tubs with compost. Broad beans and spuds planted. The beans, I’m trusting you guys who said just plonk ‘em in the mud, you don’t need to grow little seedlings on the windowsill.

[Loxstock92]

Anyone got any experience seeding an existing lawn. Had a new lawn put down couple years ago, our cats have destroyed half of it so hoping to salvage what I can and reseeding some pretty large patches.

[Mandy Lifeboats]

3 hours ago, Loxstock92 said:

Anyone got any experience seeding an existing lawn. Had a new lawn put down couple years ago, our cats have destroyed half of it so hoping to salvage what I can and reseeding some pretty large patches.

Buy/hire an electric lawn rake/scarifier.  This will remove all the dead grass and rough up the soil beneath to receive the seeds.   

They are worth every penny.  

[Mandy Lifeboats]

Best done in autumn on maximum setting or in spring on a lighter setting before you sow lawn seed.  

Mine cost about £100 from Argos.   

[chrisp65]

Just on the random chance anyone else is interested, I did an Aldi middle aisle impulse purchase of some telescopic handle, anvil loppers.

They were £12.99 so I figured they were worth a punt. They’re very good, Really strong. Been wandering around all afternoon looking for one more thing to lop.

 

In other news, my new job as head of marketing at British Loppers is going great.

[blandy]

On 08/04/2023 at 20:04, chrisp65 said:

my new job as head of marketing at British Loppers is going great.

I heard they’re making cut backs and fear you might be for the chop. Still you’ll always have your Aldi loppers…

[blandy]

On 08/04/2023 at 20:04, chrisp65 said:

Just on the random chance anyone else is interested, I did an Aldi middle aisle impulse purchase of some telescopic handle, anvil loppers.

They were £12.99 so I figured they were worth a punt. They’re very good, Really strong. Been wandering around all afternoon looking for one more thing to lop.

In other news, my new job as head of marketing at British Loppers is going great.

Just nipped to the garden centre at lunchtime. Looked at loppers out of interest given your post. They were similarly priced there. I thought they’d be more. Got me some Tommy plants and some mud to put them in and some pots to put out the front where it’s sunnier . Growing them last year and the one before from seeds, I got a good crop but they didn’t ripen. I’m hoping the tiny plants and more sun will fix that this year.

[chrisp65]

5 minutes ago, blandy said:

Just nipped to the garden centre at lunchtime. Looked at loppers out of interest given your post. They were similarly priced there. I thought they’d be more. Got me some Tommy plants and some mud to put them in and some pots to put out the front where it’s sunnier . Growing them last year and the one before from seeds, I got a good crop but they didn’t ripen. I’m hoping the tiny plants and more sun will fix that this year.

Hmmm, the garden centres around here all have them from about £40 upwards, £99 if you want a posh brand, so it was a no brainier for me to take a punt at £12.99

But then Victoria Sponge Cake was £4.50 a slice so perhaps I just go to the wrong places.