Lynda's Organic Garden

Allotment progress..

2011-06-23T22:15:00.006+01:00

Well - after many months, our allotment site is finally showing some progress.
The site is now in the process of being cleared and levelled.

This is what it looks like now...

Allotment site ...work in progress....

Once it's finally levelled we can start fencing it in and designing the actual allotment site, deciding where plots will go etc.
At the moment we think we should have about 24 small plots.
The area behind the site (far end of photo) we hope will be a wildlife area (outside the fence) which the rest of the local community can enjoy...

It's all very exciting...

Our next action is to have a working party weekend in a few weeks time.

Willow Wigwam

2011-03-07T14:44:00.004Z

Attended a 2 hour class on Willow weaving on Thursday night ... and came away with this wonderful Willow Wigwam Plant support which I made there!
I think it's fantastic for my first attempt....

Love it ... want to make more ;0)

Allotment lease signed....

2011-01-31T17:12:00.013Z

Finally our allotment group has nearly signed the lease with our County Council, after a long time and much discussion....

At least it means that once finalised we can start applying for grants to clear and level the land etc...

Yes.. the land we've been offered needs that much work!

Still ...maybe by this time next year I'll be planting in my patch of the allotment site???

On the reading front, I'm currently reading a book on The Women's Land Army - Land girls and their impact by Ann Kramer.
Always interested in women's history, I've recently become fascinated by these land girls who took on these agricultural jobs in WW1 and WW2.

So inspiring.

I've also ordered The Women's Land Army by Bob Powell & Nigel Westacott from my library to read next.

The Snowdrop

2011-01-31T08:21:00.001Z

"The Snow-drop, Winter's timid child,

Awakes to life, bedew'd with tears."

Mary Robinson

Deep January

2011-01-24T08:18:00.002Z

"It is deep January. The sky is hard. The stalks are firmly rooted in ice."

Wallace Stevens

Winter Garden

2011-01-17T08:16:00.004Z

"Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them."

Vincent A. Simeone

Friday's Poem - The Breathing

2011-01-14T18:06:00.007Z

The Breathing

An absolute

patience.

Trees stand

up to their knees in

fog. The fog

slowly flows

uphill.

White

cobwebs, the grass

leaning where deer

have looked for apples.

The woods

from brook to where

the top of the hill looks

over the fog, send up

not one bird.

So absolute, it is

no other than

happiness itself, a breathing

too quiet to hear.

Denise Levertov

After the snow ...

2011-01-13T15:57:00.010Z

After a long blogging absence here are some photos of the snow we had before / over Xmas.

My front garden:

My car snowed in at the back of the house!

And here are some others of what the town was like:

Poem - Autumn Moonlight

2010-10-15T22:19:00.003+01:00

Autumn moonlight

Autumn moonlight--
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut.

Matsuo Basho

October

2010-10-11T13:13:00.006+01:00

The sweet calm sunshine of October, now

Warms the low spot; upon its grassy mold
The purple oak-leaf falls; the birchen bough
drops its bright spoil like arrow-heads of gold.

William Cullen Bryant

Photos ...

2010-10-09T14:06:00.005+01:00

Photos taken in garden and grounds of Taraloka women's Buddhist retreat center in Shropshire, September 2010

Autumn!!!

2010-10-09T13:03:00.005+01:00

Well, summer came and went and so did my blogging about the garden!!

To be honest it was a bad season in pots and grow bags...we had too much rain and too little sun.
I did manage to get some courgettes and herbs, but the rest was a disaster!!

First change I get I'm going to clear up the garden, empty the soil from pots and tidy up for winter.

The only thing I'll be planting this Autumn in daffodils in pots ...

Hopefully by next year we'll finally have allotments ...pots just don't work in my damp back yard!

From now on this blog will be updated three times a week - Saturday blog, Monday gardening quote and Friday gardening poem!

Strawberries .......

2010-06-07T00:45:00.004+01:00

"Long about knee-deep in June,
'Bout the time strewberries melts
On the vine."

James Witcomb Riley

Cuckoo ...

2010-06-06T14:45:00.011+01:00

Despite the inconvenience of insomnia (which I suffer from on and off) there is is one advantage.
I'm awake for the dawn chorus!
We sleep in the attic room, with the window open (if it's not raining - lol), and I hear the birds begin to sing and call out to each other each morning when I'm awake.
One great thing this time of the year is the cuckoo/s in the fields / woods behind the houses.
Each morning at 5.30 am s/he or they begin to 'cuckoo' - lovely sounds which cheer me up ;0)

Intended to get more planting / sowing done today, but it's raining. Great for the garden though.
My strawberries are coming along nicely and should just be ripe by the end of the month. Only a few small tubs, but worth the wait for the great home grown, real strawberry taste!!

Still here........planting and Bodnant Gardens.

2010-06-03T16:39:00.015+01:00

Last week I went to Bodnant Garden with a friend ... Lovely walk around the gardens admiring all the beautiful plants.
Here are some of my favourite pictures from the day.

Will be going back to the gardens on July 1oth for their Opera Classics evening.
London-based DivaDivo, a superb soprano-tenor duo, will perform many popular classical arias, songs and duets. Bring a picnic folding chairs or rugs and enjoy an evening of quality music on the Front Lawn.

Haven't blogged for a while, but have been busy in the garden.
Planted various salad crops - rocket, mizuna, mixed salad leaves, etc.
also: courgettes, pumpkin, squash, blackcurrant bush, basil, corkscrew willow, some bulbs (iris and gladioli)

Moved some rock plants to long tub on path wall as the slugs were just eating anything else I planted in it - they don't seem to like the rock plants!

Need to get more grow bags tomorrow ready for tomatoes (lol - never successful, but ever hopeful), and some compost for various other things.
Will be buying slug nematodes too - they have to be stopped!!!!!!!!!

Blogging absence...

2010-05-19T07:41:00.008+01:00

Haven't been blogging much lately as my laptop died! RIP
Have to use my husband's spare computer in the 'study' (little bedroom) which is fine, except I used to blog while watching TV. Now I have to make time to come up here and blog!

I've done very little gardening this month either, as the arthritis in my neck has been quite bad and I've found bending down hurts it.
I'm having acupuncture for it at the GP's physio department, but I've only had a few sessions so far, with no immediate results yet.
Have planted some courgettes and a corkscrew willow though.
Need to get more salad leaves going.

Thought I'd share with you the things I made for my partner in the Gardening Swap
Gardening apron, gardening journal, fingerless mitts for those cold days in the garden / on the plot, and a tool / gathering bag (my partner keeps chickens - hence the rooster and chicken pocket!)

Weather here in Blaenau today - grey and wet!

Friday's Garden Poem

2010-05-01T07:12:00.002+01:00

Double Red Daisies

Double red daisies,
they’re my flowers,
Which nobody else may grow.
In a big quarrelsome house like ours
They try it sometimes—but no,
I root them up because they’re my flowers,
Which nobody else may grow.

Claire has a tea-rose, but she didn’t plant it;
Ben has an iris, but I don’t want it.
Daisies, double red daisies for me,
The beautifulest flowers in the garden.

Double red daisy, that’s my mark:
I paint it in all my books!
It’s carved high up on the beech-tree bark,
How neat and lovely it looks!
So don’t forget that it’s my trade mark;
Don’t copy it in your books.

Claire has a tea-rose, but she didn’t plant it;
Ben has an iris, but I don’t want it.
Daisies, double red daisies for me,
The beautifulest flowers in the garden.

Robert Graves

Bad news and good news

2010-04-26T17:04:00.004+01:00

Absence of blogging or gardening these last few days as I've been full of cold.

Bad news:
My courgettes and peppers are dying, despite being in a cold frame. Obviously I put them out too early. Luckily I have more inside.
And a cat has decided my lolo rosso tub is a cat litter tray - grrr - need to resow and put something to keep the cats away from the front!

Good news:
Received some great items in two of my craft swaps

This great recycled cutlery wind chime as part of a Frugal living craft Swap I took part in

And these great items from the How Does your Garden Grow craft Swap.

Gathering basket

Gardening Apron

Sting holder - which cuts the string too

And Gardening Journal

Who's a lucky girl then!

Will show you what I made for my garden partner in return, when she receives the package

Monday's Gardening quote

2010-04-26T08:07:00.001+01:00

"Everything is blooming most recklessly;
if it were voices instead of colors,
there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night."

Rainer Maria Rilke
Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

Friday's Garden Poem

2010-04-24T07:05:00.000+01:00

My Garden

The world is sadly sick, they say,
And plagued by woe and pain.
But look! How looms my garden gay,
With blooms in golden reign!
With lyric music in the air,
Of joy fulfilled in song,
I can't believe that anywhere
Is hate and harm and wrong.

A paradise my garden is,
And there my day is spent;
A steep myself in sunny bliss,
Incredibly content.
Feeling that I am truly part
Of peace so rapt and still,
There's not a care within my heart
How can the world be ill?

Aye, though the land be sick they say,
And named unto pain,
My garden never was so gay,
So innocent, so sane.
My roses mock at misery,
My thrushes vie in song
When only beauty I can see,
How can the world be wrong?

Robert William Service

Lovely book from daughter (scheduled post)

2010-04-22T03:09:00.006+01:00

My daughter got me another lovely gardening book this week - just in time for today's Earth Day.

Grow Your Own Veg (Rhs) by Carol Klein and Royal Horticultural Society

Will review this book , and the other book she bought me, over the next few days.

Alys Fowler

2010-04-21T20:28:00.006+01:00

Don't you just love Alys Fowler

I love her on Gardener's world, and I'm loving her Edible Garden series

I've ordered the book of the series from the library to look at ... and will add it to my book wish list if it's as good as I hope.

I've already read her Thrifty Gardener book, which I loved

Thinking about Earth Day later this week...

2010-04-19T14:45:00.014+01:00

International Earth Day is on 22nd April, thursday this week.
Although more popular in Canada and the USA, it's supposed to be an international event just like Earth Hour.

I wish it was promoted more in the UK.
It's an excellent opportunity for people to take one day out of the year and do something for our planet.
On the USA site they are encouraging people to make 5 pledges ... 5 ways in which you intend to be greener for the coming year e.g use less water and electricity, commute without polluting, reuse and recycle, and more:

My pledges include:
* use less water and recycle wherever possible: e.g using bath water to water my plants
* promote environmental issues: on my blogs, on facebook, face to face etc.
and
* planting a tree....

I've no room for a tree in my back yard or front garden (although I do want to try growing holly in pots), but my daughter has some waste land behind her new house which I'll be planting one on, and we've already discussed the possibility of a community orchard on part of the future allotment site.

On the day itself I intend to:
not to use the car, eat only organic or locally grown food, spend the day in the garden, no TV or internet!!! (blog posts will be scheduled)

If you are reading this why not tell me what you are doing for Earth Day...I'd love to hear your ideas ;0)

Graphics curtesy of
http://hubpages.com/hub/earth-day-clip-art

Monday's Gardening Quote

2010-04-19T08:04:00.002+01:00

"I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become,
I will always plant a large garden in the spring.
Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy
that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?"

Edward Giobbi

Sunday Snapshot

2010-04-18T15:39:00.000+01:00

Allotment progress.....

2010-04-17T16:53:00.004+01:00

Allotment committee meeting last Thursday night...
Heard back from the NSALG regarding draft lease from council...hope to get it sent in now and approved within the next month or so.
Looking at grant and other funding sources now to help clear site, fencing, paths etc.

Will be going to both sites (council and private one) on Wednesday - to mark out site on private one (4 small plots) and to measure up, check site etc. on large council piece of land.

Lots of work still to do --but, once again, things are progressing slowly.....allotments will be coming 'soon'! ;0)

Today's weather: sunny but cool
Sown: cut and come again mixed salad leaves

Friday's Garden Poem

2010-04-16T08:11:00.002+01:00

Sweet Springtime

It was in the prime
Of the sweet springtime
In the linnet's throat
Trembled the love note,
And the love-stirred air
Thrilled the blossoms there.
Little shadows danced,
Each a tiny elf
Happy in large light
And the thinnest self.

It was but a minute
In a far-off spring,
But each gentle thing,
Sweetly wooing linnet,
Soft thrilled hawthorn tree,
Happy shadowy elf,
With the thinnest self,
Live on still in me.
It was in the prime
Of the past springtime!

George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)

Sunday sowing...

2010-04-11T19:51:00.004+01:00

Today I sowed - cutting celery, rosemary, spring onions, carrots, broad beans and tendergreen beans in some containers in back yard.
Nice to sit out on a deckchair with the dogs in the sun - although they both seem to have taken a fancy to the thyme and were munching away until I stopped them!!

Potatoes and Chives

2010-04-10T16:12:00.004+01:00

Yeah - finally got my potatoes in their buckets, split some chives, and sowed some more chives!!
Really should have been doing more this week as the weather has been nice, but we've had a busy week and I'm way behind!

Umm - potatoe and chive salad - yum ;0)

Catch up...

2010-04-04T19:05:00.007+01:00

Lack of blogging this week as husband went for his cardio angiogram.

Not much gardening either - although the slugs have been busy visiting the pots of seeds I've sown outside. Need to get some slug traps made asap! I'll have to raid some of Steve's homemade beer - he's gone off it since he's been unwell anyway, so I'm sure the slugs will love it!

We had snow here on Wednesday - but it only lasted the day - lovely pics tho - I must upload them.

Lots of seeds indoors coming through - tomatoes still need to show though.

Still need to plant my potatoes - aaaaaaaarrggggg!!!!

Weather

2010-03-29T09:27:00.003+01:00

Weather means more when you have a garden.
There's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking
how it is soaking in and around your lettuce and green beans.

Henry Van Dyke

Primroses

2010-03-28T16:00:00.000+01:00

Dig In Seeds

2010-03-27T16:01:00.005Z

My BBC Dig In seeds arrived today.

Packets of basil, mixed salad, french beans, courgette and carrots.

Sun catchers

2010-03-27T06:17:00.001Z

I don't have any sun catchers in my garden but I think they are lovely, so along with some new wind chimes I want to buy some this year.

Here are some nice ones I've seen:

Recycled Beach Glass Wind Chimes

Perfect - sun catcher and wind chime combined.
I'll be looking for pieces of coloured glass next time I'm on the beach.

Quirky Plant Stake

Garden Hat...

2010-03-27T04:31:00.004Z

Fancy knitting yourself a flowered hat to wear when gardening???
I found this bright Flowers of Spring pattern by Brownie Knits on Ravelry (knitting site)
The pattern is for sale there...and is knitted in dk yarn, with crochet flowers.
Ideal to brighten up those cold winter / spring days and keep you warm!

Things to do ....

2010-03-26T19:52:00.004Z

Things to do ..

I MUST put my potatoes in!!!!!!!!
I also have a clump of chives that need splitting.
And more herbs and veg need sowing..

Currently reading The Allotment Experience: Everything You Need to Know About Allotment Gardening - Direct from the Plot by Ruth Binney

Weather horrid and wet...where is spring this week???

The fruit garden path by Amy Lowell

2010-03-26T09:56:00.000Z

The path runs straight between the flowering rows,
A moonlit path, hemmed in by beds of bloom,
Where phlox and marigolds dispute for room
With tall, red dahlias and the briar rose.
'T is reckless prodigality which throws
Into the night these wafts of rich perfume
Which sweep across the garden like a plume.
Over the trees a single bright star glows.
Dear garden of my childhood, here my years
Have run away like little grains of sand;
The moments of my life, its hopes and fears
Have all found utterance here, where now I stand;
My eyes ache with the weight of unshed tears,
You are my home, do you not understand?

Amy Lowell

Mothers Day Present

2010-03-23T22:36:00.003Z

Look what my lovely daughter bought me for mothers day - I knew she had ordered me a book and this is what arrived today:

The RHS Allotment Handbook: The Expert Guide for Every Fruit and Veg Grower by Royal Horticultural Society

A lovely reference book from a lovely daughter ;0)

Weather cold and very wet here today...yuck!

Spring begins

2010-03-22T09:23:00.000Z

For winter's rains and ruins are over,
And all the season of snows and sins;
The days dividing lover and lover,
The light that loses, the night that wins;
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,
And in green underwood and cover
Blossom by blossom the spring begins.

Algernon Charles Swinburne

Gardening Craft Swap

2010-03-21T14:40:00.012Z

I've just joined a gardening swap over on Craftster (a craft idea and swap site)

It's called How Does Your Garden Grow, and the idea is to craft some items which you can use in the garden, or to help you with your garden organisation

Some of the things suggested to craft are:
bird feeder
canning labels
decorated knee cushion
decorated pots
flower press
garden bag
gardening apron
gardening books
garden decor
garden journal
garden tools w/ decorated handles
gardening tips
gathering basket
hanging bags for clotheslines
old garden magazines
pressed flower stationery/bookmarks
preserves/canned yummies from previous garden bounty
recipes
refreshing drink mixes (for when it's hot out!)
seedling containers (though it may be a bit late for these)
seeds
soap (to wash off the dirt!)
spray bottles with decorations (and perhaps recipes for organic bug killers?)
stakes to identify plants
suncatchers
sun hat
watering can
windchimes

As I posted previously, I received a lovely gardening apron in a previous swap, so I'm looking forward to seeing what I get from my partner in this one ...and will enjoy making stuff for her...
Send outs are by May 1st - so I'll keep you posted when I send and receive.

Windchimes...

2010-03-20T02:36:00.012Z

I love windchimes.
I have these two rather tired owl and bird house ones in my back yard and this grotesque one in my front garden.

I really want some more this year.

Here are some unusual ones that have caught me eye on the web, available on Etsy:

Sea Glass Windchime

This Star Light, A Crescent Moon, 3D Star, Glass Wind Chime

This Bottle Chime/Vintage Bottles Embellished with Found Objects, buttons beads, etc,

A little Garden by Amy Lowell

2010-03-19T09:51:00.005Z

A Little Garden

A little garden on a bleak hillside
Where deep the heavy, dazzling mountain snow
Lies far into the spring. The sun's pale glow
Is scarcely able to melt patches wide
About the single rose bush. All denied
Of nature's tender ministries.
But no, -- For wonder-working faith has made it blow
With flowers many hued and starry-eyed.
Here sleeps the sun long, idle summer hours;
Here butterflies and bees fare far to rove
Amid the crumpled leaves of poppy flowers;
Here four o'clocks, to the passionate night above
Fling whiffs of perfume, like pale incense showers.
A little garden, loved with a great love!

Amy Lowell

Allotment update and other stuff....

2010-03-18T20:59:00.006Z

Attended this month's Allotment Committee meeting on Tuesday...discussing draft leases for land etc.
Things seem to be progressing slowly but surely...
Homework = look at grant sources and think about fundraising ideas!

Weather horrible today..really wet and windy.

Seedlings doing well inside - tomatoes and sweet peas sown
MUST get sowing more seeds tomorrow!!!!!!!!

I meant to post a photo of this lovely gardening apron which I received as part of a Craftster craft swap I participated in last month.
It's got two small and one large pocket - ideal for storing the bits and bobs you need as you go around the garden.

Dream of spring

2010-03-15T09:25:00.002Z

All Nature seems at work.
Slugs leave their lair
The bees are stirring, birds are on the wing,
And Winter slumbering in the open air,
Wears on his smiling face a dream of spring.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

We have a little garden by Beatrix Potter

2010-03-12T09:44:00.003Z

WE have a little garden,

A garden of our own,

And every day we water there

The seeds that we have sown.

WE love our little garden,
And tend it with such care,
You will not find a faced leaf
Or blighted blossom there.

Beatrix Potter

First day in garden for a while ...

2010-03-11T15:41:00.004Z

Spent an hour in the front garden today.
First gardening since my husband went into hospital early last week with a minor heart attack.
Scary time - especially with his epilepsy as well - but he's stable now.
He came home Monday and felt well enough today to sit on the bench in the front, watching the dogs play while I pottered about tiding up and sowing a few flowers - alyssum, aster, voila, marigolds, petunias and a climbing rose - and lollo rosso and spring onion seeds.

Need to get some more seeds sown indoors today, including the squash, courgette and pumpkin seeds which came free with this months 'Grow Your Own', which I subscribe to.

Happiness Award

2010-03-11T15:20:00.008Z

A big thanks to Jo at The good Life for passing on this Happiness Award
A lovely surprise - thank you ;0)

I have to list 10 things that make me happy and pass on the award.

So here are my ten things:
My family
My two beautiful dogs

Reading
Knitting
Gardening

Walking by the sea

A nice cup of tea (just settling down to a cup of Russian Caravan)
A long soak in a hot bath
Getting together with friends

Going to the opera or theatre

and of course reading other gardeners' blogs, such as Jo's!!

Will be passing on the award to:
Lucy at the Smallest Smallholding
Peggy at Organic Growing Pains

Each leaf..

2010-03-08T09:20:00.002Z

Each leaf,
each blade of grass
vies for attention.

Even weeds
carry tiny blossoms
to astonish us.

Marianne Poloskey,
Sunday in Spring

Winter Garden by Matsuo Basho

2010-03-05T09:33:00.000Z

Winter garden

Winter garden,
the moon thinned to a thread,
insects singing.

Matsuo Basho

Daffodils

2010-03-01T09:19:00.003Z

Daffodils,
That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty.

William Shakespeare

My Plant Personality is Zen!

2010-03-01T01:11:00.003Z

Your Plant Personality Is: Asian/Zen

Sleek and chic, you feel more comfortable in simple but chic black pants than a pair of sweats. You enjoy a garden that is designed with the principles of Zen in mind -- tranquility through simplicity.
You hate clutter, and your garden -- serene with clean lines of space -- will mix spirituality with order, just like you.
With delicate irises and Japanese silver grass blowing in the wind, you'll love to relax in your garden and watch the world go by.

What Plant Personality are You?

Birthday books

2010-02-27T16:00:00.009Z

It's my birthday on Monday and I've received a book token from my aunt and uncle today, so have ordered two of the books I really liked:

How to Grow Your Own Food: A Week-by-week Guide to Wild Life Friendly Fruit and Vegetable Gardening by "Dirty Nails", reviewed here
and
The Allotment Book by Andi Clevely, reviewed here

I could have been out in the garden today...but it's a rugby weekend ...so I'm glued to the telly!
Sob - Wales lost yesterday!!!

Sowing more seeds tonight - thyme and tomatillos ;0)

Washout / Snowout

2010-02-26T05:13:00.009Z

This week has been a washout (or should that be snowout) as far as gardening is concerned. Tuesday was a real North winds snowy day here. Since then it's rained!

I'm patiently waiting for some signs of life from the seeds I've sown. So far only the Sage has started to come to life.
Next year I must really invested in heated propagators.

Bought yet more Chili seeds - Apache ones, as my brother wanted some and so I bought some for him and myself. Well, you can never have too many chilies...and last year not all of them did well.

Currently reading:

The Allotment Keeper's Handbook: A Down-to-earth Guide to Growing Your Own Food by Jane Perrone

and

The Organic Salad Garden by Joy Larkcom and Roger Phillips

Sunday snapshot

2010-02-21T19:59:00.000Z

Not planting but planning..

2010-02-19T17:50:00.005Z

Haven't done much gardening this week as it's either been pouring with rain, snowing (again today), or I've had a migraine!
I am planning on sowing some more seeds tonight...have trays and compost ready.

Happily reading other gardening blogs for lots of ideas and tips.

Attended an allotment committee meeting on Monday night. Things are progressing (slowly) on the land acquisition front.

I'm a Tree

2010-02-15T00:57:00.000Z

You are the Tree.
You often have a lot of drama going on around you, but on the contrary you rather prefer peace.
Quiet and reserved best describe you, but you should never be underestimated.
Despite your love of peace and serenity, if anyone gets on the wrong side of you, you truly can be formidable.
You believe what you believe and are not easily persuaded if its not in your fancy.

What kind of plant are You?

Migraine ... seeds

2010-02-13T20:18:00.004Z

Yet another migraine today .. that's 4 this week! No gardening today then.

This evening I have started these two pots of seeds my brother dropped off for me last week:
Sage and Chili pableno

Weather today: icy cold!

More seeds

2010-02-12T17:20:00.006Z

My small seed order from Thompson & Morgan arrived today.

Cutting Celery, Tomatillos, Hyssop, Sweet Pea Pansy Lavender Flush, Water Cress, Rosemary, Land Cress.

Although I'm only growing in pots and tubs at the moment, I do like to have a variety of plants. I'd rather have a small amount of say different tomatoes, than lots of the same. I often grow more seeds and pass the seedlings onto family and friends.
At least with salad crops such as rocket, I can sow throughout the season.
Of course, when I finally get an allotment then I can grow more!

My husband is eagerly awaiting my sowing the Rosemary. We already have two plants in tubs but we use quite a lot of it, as each Sunday my hubby makes roast potatoes with garlic and rosemary!

Anyone else grown tomatillos before - are they easy to grow?
I just want to try them as I love salsa and hear they are great for preserves.

Weather today: cold and grey

Moon Planting

2010-02-12T00:09:00.017Z

Does anyone out there plant / garden by moon phases?
I've been reading a little about it on the web and find it quite interesting.
I just wondered if anyone has experience of it.

Basic moon planting rules are:
New Moon To Full Moon: Sow, Transplant, bud and graft.
Full Moon To New Moon: Plow, Cultivate, weed and reap.
New Moon To First Quarter: Good for Planting above-ground crops with outside seeds,flowering annuals.
First Quarter To Full Moon: Good for planting above ground crops with inside seeds.
Full Moon To Last Quarter: Good for planting root crops, bulbs, biennials, and perennials.
Last Quarter To New Moon: Do Not Plant

I've been reading The Gardeners Calender website and it's section on Moon Planting here.
Apparently this weeks Moon Planting planting / sowing schedule should be as follows:

Friday 12/02/2010 NEW
Moon in Capricorn: This is a Earth sign.
It is a good time to sow Root plants like Carrots, Chives, First Early Potatoes, Garlic, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichokes, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Shallots, Spring Onions,
but it would not be a good time to sow Flower plants like Broccoli.
Fruits Harvested now will store for longer.

Saturday 13/02/2010 NEW
Moon in Capricorn: This is a Earth sign.
It is a good time to sow Root plants like Carrots, Chives, First Early Potatoes, Garlic, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichokes, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Shallots, Spring Onions,
but it would not be a good time to sow Flower plants like Broccoli,
Fruits Harvested now will store for longer.

Sunday 14/02/2010 NEW
Moon in Capricorn: This is a Earth sign.
It is a good time to sow Root plants like Carrots, Chives, First Early Potatoes, Garlic, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichokes, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Shallots, Spring Onions,
but it would not be a good time to sow Flower plants like Broccoli.
Fruits Harvested now will store for longer.

Monday 15/02/2010 NEW
Moon in Aquarius: This is a Air sign.
This is a good time to sow Flowering plants like Broccoli,
but it would not be a good time to sow Rooting plants like Carrots, Chives, First Early Potatoes, Garlic, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichokes, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Shallots, Spring Onions, Fruits Harvested now will store for longer.

Tuesday 16/02/2010 Waxing crescent
Moon in Aquarius: This is a Air sign.
This is a good time to sow Flowering plants like Broccoli,
but it would not be a good time to sow Rooting plants like Carrots, Chives, First Early Potatoes, Garlic, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichokes, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Shallots, Spring Onions,

Wednesday 17/02/2010 Waxing crescent
Moon in Pisces: This is a Water sign.
It is a good time to sow Leaf plants like Cabbages, Celeriac,
but it would not be a good time to sow Fruiting plants like Broad Beans (Fava), Cucumbers,

Thursday 18/02/2010 Waxing crescent
Moon in Pisces: This is a Water sign.
It is a good time to sow Leaf plants like Cabbages,
Celeriac, but it would not be a good time to sow Fruiting plants like Broad Beans (Fava), Cucumbers,

If you subscribe to the Gardener's Calender website it will send you weekly emails, including moon planting

Here are some other moon planting links:
Moon Planting
Keith's Moon Planting Page
Planting by the Moon

Let me know what you think.

First seeds sown in 2010

2010-02-11T19:37:00.008Z

It was a gloriously sunny day here today, but I was busy running my (grown up) daughter to the doctors etc., so I wasn't able to get out in the garden.
However, while waiting for dinner to cook I sowed the first seeds of the season:

Aubergine: halflange violet

3 types of Chili: Jalapenos; Cayenne; Hungarian hot wax

3 types of Sweet Peppers: Robertina; California Wonder; Bright Lights

Here they are in a seed tray with my home made tin foil 'incubator' (as my husband calls it).

Tomorrow I intend to get sowing more seeds and get some weeding done in the pots in the front garden, all being well!

Weather today: Sunny and crisp

Even more book reviews...

2010-02-11T17:06:00.000Z

Collected these books from the library on Wednesday.

The Allotment Book by Andi Clevely

Fantastic gardening book.
Beautifully illustrated with colour photos.
All the advice you could need from 'why choose an allotment', to 'how to garden', 'structures and equipment', 'crops', 'cultivation', 'harvesting and storing'.
there are some lovely recipes too, such as Courgette Bread, Allotment Pickle, and Pumpkin Chutney.

I love the layout of this book and found the information really inspiring.
It's been added to my Wish List!

Rating: Excellent *****

The Allotment Book: Seasonal Planner and Cookbook by Andi Clevely

Companion book to the one above, this is another one I've added to my Wish List.

This book goes through planting and harvesting, season by season, with great recipes accompanying each section.
Beautifully illustrated and written, it's a joy to read.
I loved the tips such as 'Holiday Watering', and the 'Try This...', It's not to late too..' and 'If you have Time' tips throughout.
A lovely book and a great gift for the beginner or expert gardener, and all cooks!

Rating: Excellent *****

How to Plant Your Allotment by Caroline Foley

Another great book for the new allotment holder.
Clear, simple advice on how to choose your site, rules and regulations, how to maximise your space, what plants to grow etc.
Included also are sample plot layouts: from the large family plot, to an Oriental plot, an Italian plot, a Caribbean plot, and an Ornamental plot.

Very good book for beginners ****

3 more book reviews

2010-02-10T00:10:00.000Z

Collected three more books to read from the library at the weekend.

Joe's Allotment: Planning and Planting a Productive Plot by Joe Swift (Hardcover - 2 April 2009)

Joe Swift, Gardeners' World design guru, explains in this book how he takes on a 250 square foot allotment for the first time, revealing how he learned to clear the plot, planned beds, decided what to grow and then sow and plant. The book gives a season by season account of his successes and failures.
This is a great book for allotment newbies, as it's inspiring to see even a famous face like Joe tackle a new plot.
Full of advice and inspiration, this book will make you want an allotment, even of you didn't want one before!

Rating: Very good ****

The Half-hour Allotment (Royal Horticultural Society) by Lia Leendertz

This is another interesting book on allotment gardening, based on the idea that you do not have to spend more than 1/2 an hour a day on your allotment to get good results.
Full of ideas for how to cut down the time you need to spend on your plot, as well as sections on deciding what to grow, nurturing your plants, managing diseases and pests, etc.
This book is nicely illustrated and easy to read. Definitely worth reading for ideas.

Rating: Good ***

Allotment Gardening: An Organic Guide for Beginners by Susan Berger

From the Inside Flap
Aimed at those who have not had an allotment before, Allotment Gardening is packed with advice: from choosing and planning your allotment through to harvesting and storing your produce. Part One covers: tools; planning and clearing the site; soil, crop rotation; planting and protecting plants; design; growing techniques; common problems; gardener’s calendar. Part Two includes and A-Z of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers; companion planting; storage tips; directory of organic seed suppliers; useful organizations. Each fruit and vegetable entry features easy recipes, such as Pumpkin Soup, Frizzled Brussel Sprouts, Roasted Beetroot with Thyme, Sauteed Kohlrabi, Ribollita, Blackcurrant Sorbet and Rhubarb Jam.

This book is an ideal book for beginners, as it explains things step by step, from choosing your allotment (if you're lucky enough to have a choice!), to clearing the ground, composting, soil testing, crop rotation, sowing and harvesting.
Then follows sections on growing individual vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers, with tips for use and recipes.

Another nice book for your gardening collection.

Rating: Very Good ****

Oragnising seeds

2010-02-09T17:01:00.006Z

No gardening today, as I woke with a migraine and missed most of the day.
Since I've been up, I have organised my seeds into each month ready for sowing.
Reading another few gardening books too, which I'll review tomorrow.

Weather - cold and windy, but dry.

Book Reviews

2010-02-08T22:45:00.016Z

Read these three books over the weekend.

Grow Your Own Fruit (Rhs) by Carol Klein

Nice colourful book with all the information you need to grow your own fruit in your garden, allotment or even in tubs.
40 different fruits, including lemons, olives, etc., are described in this 224 page book.
Carol Klien writes enthusiastically about gardening, and explains things in easy to understand ways.
A great reference book for the fruit grower. Recommended.
Very Good ****

Organic Gardening: The Natural No-dig Way by Charles Dowding

This 224 page book is full of ideas for any gardener who wants to grow organically.
Using the 'no dig' method, of permanent raised beds where compost is just added as a top coat each year, this book explains how it reduces weeds, how worms take the compost down, etc.
Easy to read and very informative. Pity there are not more pictures.
Great reference section on fruit and vegetables, with recipes too.
Invaluable for the organic gardener.

I really liked this book and want to add it to my collection.
I'm definitely going to adopt this no dig method when I eventually get my allotment.

Very Good ****

How to Grow Your Own Food: A Week-by-week Guide to Wild Life Friendly Fruit and Vegetable Gardening by "Dirty Nails"

This is my favourite of these three books.

208 pages of informative, well written gardening information!
A practical, week by week guide to sowing, planting, and harvesting your own crops.
Alongside this are recipes, wildlife observations, history and other interesting facts about fruit and vegetables.
Not only great for the beginner gardener, but also for experienced ones, as there is so much to read and enjoy in the book.

I'll be buying this asap.

Excellent *****

Plant Markers

2010-02-07T04:17:00.004Z

Bored with those plastic plant markers?
How about making your own?

I found this tutorial on the web for making simple colourful plant markers from glass pebbles, twigs, twine and downloaded printed vegetable pictures

Or make ones from polymer clay like these ones here

Or how about these ones made out of fun foam!

Here you can learn how to make simple ones out of wood or MDF

Or use stones like the ones here

Gardening books

2010-02-02T04:31:00.009Z

Collected three books from the library yesterday:

Organic Gardening: The Natural No-dig Way by Charles Dowding

Grow Your Own Fruit (Rhs) by Carol Klein

How to Grow Your Own Food: A Week-by-week Guide to Wild Life Friendly Fruit and Vegetable Gardening by "Dirty Nails"

All three look great books and I'm looking forward to reading them - however, the last one - Grow your Own Food - I'll be buying asap, as I think it's great.
Great week by week guide to growing veg, with anecdotes about wildlife and history of vegetables too.

I will be reviewing all books in due course.

Gardeners

2010-02-01T04:16:00.003Z

The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied.
They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before.

Vita Sackville-West, 1892 - 1962

I'm a Sunflower!

2010-02-01T00:46:00.003Z

"When your friends think smile, they think of you.
There is not a day that goes by that you can't find something good about the world and your fellow human."

What Flower are You?

Snow and seeds ....

2010-01-31T22:25:00.019Z

Started snowing here last night and has continued on an off all day.
Has stuck to the garden and pavements, but not to the roads.

Spent today browsing gardening blogs and seed catalogues.

Ordered the following from Thompson & Morgan:

Tomatillo Large Green
Code: GWW0608
£0.69

Herb : Hyssopus officinalis Tricolour Mixed
Code: GWW0747
£1.89

Herb : Rosemary
Code: GWW0872
£1.99

Sweet Pea : Pansy Lavender Flush
Code: GWW2396
£0.69

Land Cress
Code: GWW0616
£1.79

Herb : Cutting Celery
Code: GWW0864
£1.99

Cress : Watercress
Code: GWW0992
£0.00

FREE Grow your way to 5 a day leaflet Code: HWW1050

As I had a £5.00 off voucher and got free Watercress seeds I had a good deal on this order.

Collecting and planning

2010-01-29T22:48:00.005Z

Here are just a few of the things I've waiting to be planted / sown in my garden this late winter / spring

2 climbing roses
Potatoes
Onion Sets
Salsa seed pack (2 x tomatoes, 1 red pepper, 1 Chili pepper, 1 red onion, 1 coriander)
Herb seed pack (parsley, chives, basil, mint, dill, thyme)
Beans pack (tendergreen, borlotti, broad bean)

Have some other seeds waiting too - will check what I've bought and post!

A Winter Eden by Robert Frost

2010-01-29T04:22:00.005Z

A Winter's Eden

A winter garden in an alder swamp,
Where conies now come out to sun and romp,
As near a paradise as it can be
And not melt snow or start a dormant tree.

It lifts existence on a plane of snow
One level higher than the earth below,
One level nearer heaven overhead,
And last year's berries shining scarlet red.

It lifts a gaunt luxuriating beast
Where he can stretch and hold his highest feast
On some wild apple tree's young tender bark,
What well may prove the year's high girdle mark.

So near to paradise all pairing ends:
Here loveless birds now flock as winter friends,
Content with bud-inspecting. They presume
To say which buds are leaf and which are bloom.

A feather-hammer gives a double knock.
This Eden day is done at two o'clock.
An hour of winter day might seem too short
To make it worth life's while to wake and sport.

Robert Frost

Welcome

2010-01-29T03:57:00.001Z

Hi
Welcome to my new blog ... all about my gardening trials, tribulations, successes and jubilation's!!!

At the moment I'm gardening in pots and grow bags in my small front garden and small back yard.
At sometime this year though I will hopefully be getting an allotment, and expand my gardening...