Monday, May 29, 2006

Rain, slugs and weeds....aaahh the joys!

Back from Belgium and apparently we missed a soaking weekend.....doesn't seem to have put the weeds off though. Spent yesterday evening weeding and trying to spot carrot/spring onion/beetroot seedlings through all the weeds!! The beans are all still there in spite of some very greedy slugs. Praying for a warm week so they start to outgrow any chance of too much damage. Really don't want to use slug pellets.
Managed to take the family up the lottie this morning while it was sunny so that we could mow the paths....just finished in time too, the rest of the day has been torrential showers and strong winds....will Spring ever appear?? Apparently this week is supposed to be fine and dry so a few evenings will be spent tidying and resowing I think.

Also not sure the strawberries and raspberries will come to much this year, looks like Tesco's profits are safe for another year!!!

More photos soon...

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Sunday 14th May: Beans, beans and more beans....oh and some courgettes too!!

Warm weather over the past week has sent the greenhouse crazy! Had to take a chance and move the runners (Streamline), french (Tendergreen), and courgettes (Parador) out this weekend. Hopefully the slugs won't have too much of a field day. Threw some pelletted chicken manure into the bed as "my mate" says the ammonia seems to put the slugs off. We'll see.....I expect he'll tell me I've planted out WAY too early.....I think I'm the first on the entire site.

Other things happening this week:
spuds all up, rocket doing really well, broad beans all up.

Finally cleared my last bed (ROOTS) and sowed Spring Onions (White Lisbon), Carrots (Early Nantes & Flyaway), Beetroot (Boltardy) and Radish (French Breakfast)
Off to Belgium for a wedding for four days next week so we'll see what happens

Friday, May 12, 2006

Blimey......it's growing!!!!

So....what's in?
Well...
  • Lettuce, Rocket, Cut & Come Again - in a raised bed I've covered with Enviromesh to protect against flea beetle which was a huge problem last year apparently
  • Rhubarb - crowns planted almost a month ago.......no sign, seem to have vanished...and I thought it was supposed to grow like a weed!!!
  • Broad Beans - lovely pattern on the leaves from bean weevil I think but trying to be relaxed about it as everyone else's look the same too!
  • Potatoes - Maris Peer, Pentland Crown and Valor
  • Spring Onions - White Lisbon
  • Carrots - Early Nantes 2 & Flyaway
  • Beetroot - Boltardy
  • Raspberries - Tulameen
  • Strawberries - Mae & Florence
And check out the compost bin....looks more like the Tardis!

A month on....

Well.......there was still some digging to be done! At 8.75 for the year, though, it's alot cheaper than a year's membership at the gym and we'll hopefully get something to eat from all the hard work too!! (If the rabbits and the slugs and the birds and the deer don't eat it all first!)
It's been like Fort Knox up here over the past month. All the "pros" have been busy fencing and netting........not me! Mmmmmm, may regret that later in the year, but hey, this is my first year....live and learn!
So after much planning and reading I started digging out the beds. Laying the paths raised a few eyebrows....I think "they" thought I was wasting some valuable growing space, but it should stop the beds becoming compacted as I trample all over them and hopefully save me some back-breaking digging in the autumn. They have also proven to be a big hit with my two girls who find it great fun to run along them as fast as they can.....better than them trampling the veg!

Bless 'em!!!