An update on how the potatoes are growing. I’ve been reminded by the calendar it’s time to dig-up my First Earlies – Epicure, which should be ready for harvesting now.
Potatoe farm
First Earlies Epicure - ready for digging up?
Archive for the ‘garden’ Category
Potatoe Farm update – ready?
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009Roses are Red
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009Well in this case the roses are white. (well we do live in Yorkshire!). This is the climbing rose at the front of the house, and despite neglecting it and not sure when to cut it back or prune it, it’s done very well this year with over 40 flowers, and still lots of buds. It’s an old fashion type, with a very nice scent!
White Climbing Rose
White Rose
I’m surprised Lindsey’s not started to paint them red!
Cottage Garden Border 2009 Hosta Update
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009An update of how the garden border is progressing two years on. In May 2007 we created a new border at the front of the garden under the trees, which is very shady. We planted hostas, fox gloves and geraniums, and despite the battle with slugs and snails, moving the geraniums, that didn’t do to well in the shade this is the latest update. This year in early spring I moved the fern to the back of the border, because it domninated the border when in full growth. I seem to have lost one of the original hostas, don’t know where it went. I’ve also now used, grit over the entire area to stop the slugs and snails eating the hostas!
Blog posts in 2007
https://andysworld.org.uk/2007/05/10/cottage-garden-border/
https://andysworld.org.uk/2007/05/15/cottage-garden-border-re-visited/
Automated Water Irrigation System
Sunday, May 31st, 2009I had hoped to plant-out my tomatoe plants today, but I spent much of the hot afternoon installing my Hozelock automatic water irrigation system, now that the frosts have gone (fingers crossed), I don’t leave them out all year, and store them in the shed, after October to protect from frosts.
Hozelock AC4 and AC1+ Garden Water Timers
The Hozelock AC4 and AC1+ have since been discontinued, (probably available new and used from eBay.), but newer models are available which do the same thing. I have two different models which automatically water the plants at the top and bottom (greenhouse), early morning at 7am and late evening 8pm for an hour. It takes me a while to setup, because I have to drape the water dripper pipe around the base of the blue berry and goji berry bushes. I use two drippers per 18″ pot for my blueberry bushes, I’ve noticed that blueberry bushes “drink” alot, and it’s very important to keep the plants moist in this hot weather to avoid crop loss.
Hozelock 4mm pipe around the base of blueberry bush
The new style Hozelock, quick water irrigation system is much easier to install with potted plants, I also have three of them. I’ll post some pictures, when I set them up, in the greenhouse.
Hozelock 4mm pipe around the base of blueberry bush
You can see the drippers in this photograph.
Hozelock 4mm pipe around the base of tomatoe plants
I’ve used a John Guest on/off ball valve (yes, John Guest fittings work on this pipe as well!), to turn off the water if I need to. Oh I think these tomatoe plants have had it, I planted them out early under glass cloches, only problem is over the last two days, with the heat, I think it’s killed them!
Cheap Multi-purpose compost
Sunday, May 24th, 2009When you use as much compost as I do, (I’ve already used 500 litres of homemade from the compost heap and now it’s empty) it’s always nice to be able to find a cheap bulk supply of multi-purpose compost. I’ve been visting the local independant garden centres, chains and DIY stores, the best deal around seem to be 3 (three) 75 litres bags for £12, of one brand of the other. I then notice this offer from Wickes, 4 (four) 75 litres bags for £11.74 (which makes me think, I think the garden centres are ripping us off, because the bags would have been marked up with £12 before the VAT cut to 15%!. So four bags were dumped into the back of the car. I thought it was a good deal anyway.
Wickes Multi-Purpose Compost
Weeding the drive and border
Sunday, May 24th, 2009-
- Picture of drive from house
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- Close up of weeds in drive
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- Further down the drive
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- Picture of weedy drive from road
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- Another close-up of weeds
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- after a few hours of work!
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- after a few hours of work!
This is a job long overdue. I spent many days last year removing all the Ground-elder from the border under the hedge, dug out all the soil and replaced with new. You wouldn’t think so this year, the Ground-elder is back, but I think this time it’s worse because of the new soil in the border. I like to garden organically, so no weed killer, just hoe, trowel and spade to dig it out by hand. While I’m attending to the border under the hawthorn hedge, I think it’s time to attend to the gravel drive, well most of the pea size gravel has gone, and I’m left with a green drive. In the future, it needs a weed membrane and new gravel or larger pebbles to stop the weeds taking over, so this is my Bank Holiday project!
BBC – Dig In – Grow your own grub with Dig In
Monday, May 18th, 2009-
- Lettuce, Carrot, Tomato and Squash Seeds from BBC digin
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- Beetroot Seeds from BBC digin
Have you got your seeds yet?
I think it might be too late to apply online,
Gravel Pit Allotments Association
Sunday, May 17th, 2009
Gravel Pit Allotments Association Home Page
I’ve been a bit busy recently with the development of a new website for the newly formed Allotment Association in my parish. The allotment association calls itself Gravel Pit Allotments Association because it’s hoped the site will be developed on a field called Gravel Pit field. You can read what we’ve all been up to here on the website Gravel Pit Allotments Association.
Time to fertilise the Blueberry Bushes
Saturday, May 16th, 2009It’s that time of year to feed my Blueberry Bushes, they will also need feeding again in early July, (do not feed well rotted manure). I’ve never fed them before, blueberry bushes must be given a ericaceous, fertiliser (rhododendron / azalea fertiliser). It’s taken me a few years to research what to feed them with. They are plenty of commerical dry and liquid feeds available for acid loving plants e.g. Miracle Gro Ericaceous Plant or pelleted chicken manure but both of these contain the incorrect balance of Nitrogen (N), Phosphates (P) and Potassium (K) for use with Blueberry Bushes. So I’m going to use Vitax Conifer & Shrub fertiliser at 1/2 recommended dose. This recommendation came from David Trehane, The Dorset Blueberry Company which is where my bushes came from five years ago. It’s not that easy to find Vitax Conifer & Shrub fertiliser in the garden centres, most seem to favour other brands of ericaceous plant fertiliser, although I have seen garden centres selling other products by Vitax , so you may be able to raise a special order for some.
So this is what the pack looks like should you need to find it.
Vitax Conifer & Shrub fertiliser
For my size plants, that are in 18″ pots, I’m using about two teaspoons around the plant base. Vitax Conifer & Shrub fertiliser is organic but not certificated! It comes in pelleted form, so I’m going to measure out the 12 teaspoons, because I have 6 plants, and then using a pestal and mortor, crush the pellets into a powder and sprinkle around the plant base.
I had a teacher at schools who’s nickname was FERTILISER, I never found out why! But’ that’s another story…
Impatiens ‘Blue Sky’™ Busy Lizzie
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
Cold Frame full of Busy Lizzie 'Blue Sky'™
Impatiens ‘Blue Sky’™ is the world’s first multi-flowering, blue Busy Lizzie. Here are some pictures of them in the cold frame before I put them out after the threat of frost has past.
Busy Lizzie 'Blue Sky'™
I need to pinch out the flower buds before they flower, but missed this one.
Close-Up of Busy Lizzie 'Blue Sky'™
These are still available as young plants from Thompson & Morgan click here. (I don’t work for them or have any association with the company, I just think they sell great value plants!). Because Thompson & Morgan have applied for a PBR on this plant, I don’t think it’s available from any other source. Plant breeders’ rights (PBR), also known as plant variety rights (PVR), are intellectual property rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant (or to another person or entity that can claim title in the new plant variety by, for example, agreement with the breeder or inheritance from a deceased breeder).
I’ve always liked Busy Lizzies, especially this variety with blue flowers.
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