May bank holiday weekend – yahoo

So I am guilty of not blogging for a while.  I suppose I have been so engrossed in the garden, I think to a dangerous level.  I am out in it all the time, I think, watching it grow.   I have to say I am quite happy with progress this year.  Either I have taken control of my garden or it has taken control of me!!! I suppose I could be worse, stuck in my phone or on the computer or watching telly, I do that too sometimes.

Just the few updates:

Cucumbers:

First year trying these, I purchased indoor and outdoor variety’s, now the outdoor ones cant be set till May, so that will be next week.  However the indoor variety I have in peat pots a while.  I started them in the dark warm hot-press, with cling film over them.  They are coming on very nicely, producing a second leaf, I have them on the sitting room window in direct sun, I believe they need a huge amount of watering over the growth period and need very sturdy support for their vine like growing!!  I will try my best I am sure they will be sweet to eat.

Cucumber, second leaf coming

Tomato’s:

I am so thrilled with my tomatoes this year, looking back on my writings last year I had no confidence in even putting them outdoors for the daytime, however this year I have them in pots and in the ground outdoors for the past few weeks, I bought an organic tomato feed, and hope that they thrive, goodness knows I have enough of them.   I have a couple of variety’s, Tumbling Tom Red trailing, which gave me a huge crop last year and Gardeners delight, which I have mostly in the raised beds and some in pots.

Tomato

Tomato

Tomato

Aubergines (Eggplant):

These were a fail last year, however I have successfully re-potted about 8 plants from the peat pots to larger pots, they are all in my porch.  Which, at this stage will be totally full of growth this summer, what with the cucumbers vining and clinging to everything in sight and the Aubergines (hopefully) with their beautiful bounty gracing me with there presence!  They seem to have gone a bit dormant since I re-potted them but I think they are ok.

Aubergine

Eggplant

Lettuce/Radish/Spring Onions/Beets:

I have all of these succession planted in the raised beds, the first set seem to be thriving,  I think I planted these end of march, the second set seem to be a bit laid back, not sure what happened and the third set seem to be ok, I think maybe I am too impatient.

Lettuce

Radish

Spring Onion

Beetroot

Asparagus:

I am so very proud of my one asparagus.  I purchased 3 crowns in Lidl ages ago and planted them at the back of the vegetable garden, gave them plenty of room, weeded the area well and watered them well..  I thought they had all failed till one day I was above and low and behold my small one little asparagus, so I can grow asparagus, I might try and get some more now that I have confidence, so I hope Lidl have more.  I am so thrilled with this.

 

Red onions:

My sister is usually the one to grow the onions, but this year she bought too many red onion sets, so she gave them to me.  More to grow, running out of space, so, I got to work digging and found room for them all, all 30 sets!! Some are in fish boxes!!I am thrilled, they are poking their heads up to me and from the past harvests of my sister there is nothing like a home grown onion…… there is nothing like home grown full stop!!!

Red Onion – looking good

Potatoes:

They said there was a hard frost the other night, I was a bit freaked out, but my spuds don’t look like they got any bit shook, I think they look very healthy really, all 9 of them!!

Potatoes, earthed up this evening

I also bought some red currant plants, another Rose and raspberry plant in Lidl earlier in the spring, the 3 red currant plants have thrived, I thought the rose had died, but hope springs eternal and I see small buds on the beauty, however I think the raspberry plants have died, but I have one from last years purchase and it is looking very healthy!

I just love my garden, it gives me such pleasure and delight and I love to watch every single thing every single day growing for me.   Roll on summer and growth.

Happy GARDENING!

P.s. not very happy to find this little casualty this evening, blackbird I think

 

Planting out 7-8 May 2016

This weekend I decided was the moment to plant out most of what I have left in peat pots all around the house. It was the first warm weekend but was a bit windy. 

So tomatoes first . I have to say over the past weeks since planting the seeds I have grown very attached to my seedlings, you might have realised that with all my pictures of them! Well I checked and watered them every day and sometimes had a good chat with them.  With great care and thought I had decided where to plant them out. Most went in nice shaded long box pots and the trailing variety went into an old barbeque and hanging baskets… I lined the boxes with small stones for drainage then made a nice mix of soil, potting compost  and miricle grow beads, a nice mixture for them.  When I planted them in I gave them all a great watering with a cap full of liquid tomato feed per watering can.  The trailing variety I planted with the same mix but no stones they came with a base.  Nice baskets..€5 in heatons. 

 

preparing base

  

they look so fragile

  

tomatoes in hanging basket

  

tiny tomatoes

I have a few more trays to plant out but I think I may put some in the green house, compare growth and harvest time !!!

Also planted out some very tiny but hardy spring onions, can’t wait to see how they grow. I feel I am running out of space to plant  but enjoying it so very much.  Using every little space.  When planting I tried not to  disturb the roots too much. But when I got up this morning and checked on them a local cat had scratched the area up and left me a little fertiliser !!! So we will see how it goes..

 

spring onions

 
Kale coming up nicely in peat pots so some of them went out directly in the pots so no disturbing there, just make sure to firm everything in well and give them all a great watering!!

 

kale … tiny

 
Everything seems so small and vulnerable, but I will be minding them all.

The spuds and radishes and lettuce are getting fine and strong though …

 

radish

  

potato

  
To recap, I have most seedlings either in the ground or in pots.  Well fed and watered, and kept weeded. Just some more tomatoes to get stronger and some nasturtiums (so healthy but I don’t know where to put them) !! Lots of marigold seeds scattered around the vegetables.  Do you know it’s a great lifestyle enjoying the garden.

I am blessed

Happy gardening