The Potting Shed - come on in, the kettle's on!

Primrose

I do agree. Once you start sowing things, it begins to feel that winter's on the wane, even if we have a way to go yet. I will start sowing my chillis & pepper seeds next week and until they germinate & need the light, I'll keep them in a warm place indoors somewhere. Once they peep through they can go onto a windowsill, but be removed at night so they're not trapped between the cold-air corridor of drawn curtains and cold windows.

Hopeinhell

Just found this thread. Hubby and I are a couple of old crumblies who have an allotment and I for one am totally addicted. Last year was terrific for tomatoes (don't like supermarket ones). We have a falling down old greenhouse up there which houses our precious store. I made sauces - pasta and ketchup, soup, we ate them fresh and I made chutney. Health isn't brilliant in either of us but lottie keeps us sane. Also good for company.

Have got baby chilli and pepper plants growing on windowsill and planted broadbean seeds (dwarf) 2 days ago in pots because the moon was right. Anybody else trying this?

katholicos

@ hopeinhell, i know exactly what you mean about having poor health but growing stuff keeping one sane. I am in the same situation. I have veggie seeds germinating in my bedroom window and seed pots chitting in the spare bedroom. It gives me a bit of a thrill to see them all coming to life!

Hopeinhell

Katholicos, Loving your work. :beer:

greenanne

hi there,
i have just found this thread,i was looking for something completly different but as is sometimes the case with this site you just find little gems along the way.
thriftkitten i love the idea of the birds and insects passing on the message about good pickings in your garden.i to have been disappointed.i get loads of sparrows and black birds,don't get me wrong i love to see them but the blue tits and robins all seem to go elsewhere.any hints on things to tempt them in would be great.also any home made treats that would save me buying so much seed and peanuts.
i am going to get myself organised for setting some seeds now.you've all inspired me.:)

loucroft

Hi everyone

It's great to read everything - old, young, poorly or healthy we all share the same interest which is lovely.

One thing that some other allotment owners may not share is your love for wildlife - we have around 1/6 of ours seeded with flowers, bulbs and repeats so that we attract wildlife - however whether they tell you or not, there are lots of owners that use chemicals (including the old chemicals no longer legal) to get rid of insects/bugs/wildlife.

But I still like to try, so we sow wild flower in beds that we are not using, but I can't tell you if robins can be attracted so easily unless they are nesting nearby. I garden for lots of customers who have mature gardens, mine is surrounded by small and large trees and every time I go out digging he/she is there - a gorgeous little plump thing! But no robins at the allotment, I think its too scarce - ours, for sure, has next to no trees or hedges that small birds need as the old boys have ripped them all up in favour for vegetables. They snub their noses (some, not all) even at having flowers so its a battle!

Good luck to everyone this year, I've just taken enjoyment from planting bulbs and can't wait to get some veg in!

nannygladys

Hi everyone
Just found this thread and very excited about it, you seem my type of people,wildlife and gardening:)

I havent a very big garden and most of it is now gravel as I cant get around like I used to, but like others I am trying to attract birds to it, my DD1 bought me a feeding station for Xmas and although I have seem blue tits on it once and a blackbird and robin hopping about underneath once, I havent seen any birds for a few weeks, perhaps they dont like the food:rotfl:Im going to try and make some HM fat balls and have bought the lard and fruit, just need to buy some seeds and nuts and I will see how that goes. They do visit the birdbath though.

On the garden front, I grew some pots in bags last year and am very interested in trying some fruit bushes in large tubs as well, I have a very small raised veg plot that I made last year and the courgettes did very well and I only had three plants!!:rotfl:I bought one of those small plastic greenhouse last year as well but didnt really achieve much from it and it has now all got ripped, but will try again this year, I am getting all excited with the talk about planting and will have to get my trusty Geoff Hamilton book out to have a look at the veg pages. I want to to make another raised bed, but this time in the front garden as its warmer there, my back garden is very shady (it must face nearly north) and as I live on a hill it doesnt seem to get all that warm even in summer!!!! any advice for what to grow would be appreciated.

Right off to get my book out
Jxx

greenanne

morning all and isn't it a lovely day.everything just looks so pretty when it's been snowing.mind you that is helpped by the fact that i didn't have to get up early and go to work in it this morning.:rotfl:
i went out and got my seed potatoes yesterday which are chitting on the windowsill as i'm writting.i also got some onion sets which will have to wait a while to go in.seed wise i got spinach as i get through loads making soup,and nasturtiums as i love them and always try to have loads.thats pretty much all i need seed wise as i have loads left from last year and someone very kindly gave me some.
as things are pretty much snowed over in my garden i've left two tubs of water out for the birds and a big container with dried fruit,apple and bread.they don't seem to have noticed it's there though and are sticking to the feeding station.i have to keep an eye on my dog to make sure he doesn't eat all the bread when he goes out there.
have a lovely day everyone.:)

Horace

After ages of living in a flat I may soon have a garden - hopefully I will be moving into a small two bedroomed house with garden front and back. I know that this house is destined to be mine as it has already been mentally furnished with my furniture and the garden has been planned out because there is ample space for a vegetable patch so that I can grow more than just salads like I do now.

I picked up a copy of the Sainsbury's mag yesterday (I dont normally bother) and inside they are offering free to all readers some seed potatoes, a large bag to grow them in and 5 packets of vegetable seeds worht £15.99 but all the readers would need to pay is £4.90 P&P - I must admit that I am sorely tempted.

kara7758

Good morning all. Well of for a wlak in a little while as part of my getting healthier plan. Very pleased as dared to venture in the compost bin I set up last year and its half filled with compost all lovely and broken down! Will seive it later me thinks. Wishing you all a mellow Sunday.