Living in the South - what are you up to?

Hippychick

Seeing as there are threads for people in Yorkshire and the Midlands I'd quite like to join in on one for us Southerners, so what's going on in your gardens?

I'm in Hampshire and so far am trying to create my own 'appotment' on the patio with cut & come again salad, herbs, toms, onions, potatoes, beetroot, spinach, rocket, peppers, carrots and I want to try some cucumbers too.

I am also growing a few pots of flowers to attract some bees and butterflies.

I also own a plum tree, blueberry bush and thornless blackberry.

I need a whole load more containers and have only just sown some of my seeds so am a wee bit behind a lot of people, this is my first real attempt at growing stuff in the garden, if I manage it successfully then hopefully hubby will build me a raised bed next year, lol.

So what are you doing at the mo?

BB1984

I'm on the Dorset coast and so far I have:

Built one raised bed and in there I've got a few strawberry plants (bought as plugs - started to flower but I read that any flowers that appear in the first 6 weeks should be pulled off...), some garlic (14 cloves from a bulb given to me by my Nan - planted a week ago and one inch high so far), seven cut-and-come-again salad leaves (bought as plugs, planted Easter Monday and already had two portions off them), and some rocket (bought as a small plant).

In my (unheated) conservatory I've sown some courgettes - did this 3 weeks ago and they haven't germinated yet, I think it might be too cold in there. At the weekend I also sowed some bush marrow (whatever they might be - free!) seeds, and some "baby bear" squash (also free). I also bought a couple of little tomato plants, one "Gardener's Delight" and one "Tumbler", as I left it a bit late to sow tomato seeds this year, might try next year. Intending to keep my tomatoes in the conservatory, but having said that I might put the Tumbler in a hanging basket outside...

Yesterday I sowed some of my free Dig-In carrot seeds in a large pot, and that's out in the garden - hopefully it's not too cold?

I've also got some chives in a pot, that I pinched from my Nan's garden, and a couple of other strawberry plants.

In another bed I've got 8 small Autumn raspberry plants (also from Nan - good old Nan!) which are rapidly bursting into life, and elsewhere around the garden I've got rhubarb (going crazy, can't keep up with it!), a loganberry, redcurrants, a blackcurrant, and a blackberry.

I'm not sure about the blackberry - I've planted it in complete shade, and am thinking that might have been a mistake... Anyone know if it's possible to train blackberries along a low fence - like step-over espalier type things...?! I'm running out of sunny spots in my garden!

This is my first year too, so lots to learn. My garden is like a bomb-site (renovating), so trying not to let my poor little veggies get buried in piles of rubble etc!!

BB

mum1plus1

Hi there

Just found your thread. I am in Hampshire too. In the garden at the mo have got pototoes growing really well, same for my onions and my herbs on window sill. Have started courgette and runner beans from seed on window sill today as well.

However my carrot seeds were a non starter and so where my tomato seeds (in greenhouse). Both my tomato plants have died one got as far as flowers but then went very brown. Dont know what im doing wrong there!! Any advice appreciated!

Hoping to start off more carrots with free dig in seeds and move salads into garden weather so good at the moment!:)

Farway

I'm south of Petersfield

So far carrots in trough are growing well, but no where near large enough to harvest, same with beetroot in container

Runner beans, sown in loo rolls, are going out this weekend into a large patio pot, forecast is southerly warm winds, but will keep fleece on "standby" just in case

Broad beans have flower buds, sown indoors and planted out on porch about a month back, more sown & sprouted, to be planted out sometime soon

Toms, all up and raring to go, currently being hardened off on conservatory

Courgettes, cucs, acorn squash & French beans sown last week indoors, not yet up

One apricot on new tree has set, fig I think will be first harvest this year, just starting to swell, apple blossom nearly bursting, as is the new Sunburst cherry blossom

Bumble bees doing the job on the Lidl Goosegogs from last year, looks like gooseberry fools are go this year, rhubarb up & nearly first crumble time

Frogs plopping in the pond, suns out, cider in hand, what a great time of year this is

PS, Autumn raspberries rushing away, this is the second year, so hopefully will be a larger crop than last years dozen or so

The mange tout sown indoors and planted out about 3 weeks back are now starting to twine up the twigs I provided

Jalepeno peppers and mini chillies sown indoors mid Feb are up and raring to go, but night temperature not yet ready for move to conservatory

BB1984 Blackberries are very vigorous, I suspect you will struggle to keep it in bounds on low fence

kazire

hi there i am also in hampshire, this is my first time growing my own i have a small garden which the soil is very clayey so i dont think anything will grow in it so i am planning to grow things in containers/pots. I tried to grow some tomatos but nothing has shown:( so have planted some more today. i also have planted from seed sweetcorn, cucumber, aubergine, courgetes, peppers, onions, spring onions,potatos, beetroot, carrots and lettces. i went to the garden centre yesterday and treated myself to some pea plants and a melon plant:) so hopefully these will take and grow well so what is everyone else growing?

Farway

kazire, good luck with the melon and aubergine, they are not the easiest in our climate and are best under glass, and even then it is a struggle

freightexec2009

Hey all,

Im in Kent and first time for me too growing my own bits, I too had the free dig in seeds!...

So courgettes, chillies ( tonnes of ), french beans ( BIG slug problem! but maybe out too soon ), tomatoes, garlic, peppers, salad ( doing extremely well ) strawberry plants are doing well too!.. think the frost did them good.

I also have: fig tree ( starting to bud ) rosemary bush, bay leaf, plum tree, grape vine ( also starting to bud ) gooseberry ( also starting ), apple tree ( starting up )

Happy growing people xx

kazire

thanks faraway, i see you are near by as im in petersfield, was gunna put my non growing toms down to the weather but cant really if yours are going great! I have half a coke bottle over the melon, hopefully it will work but its worth a go. you are right bout the aubergines as none have shown also peppers are no showers.

Farway

kazire wrote: »

thanks faraway, i see you are near by as im in petersfield, was gunna put my non growing toms down to the weather but cant really if yours are going great! I have half a coke bottle over the melon, hopefully it will work but its worth a go. you are right bout the aubergines as none have shown also peppers are no showers.

My toms were sown & grown indoors, hope yours weren't outside?

kazire

No comment! - my new ones will be:p

TCB1

Does Watford count????

I have cut and come again lettace, a couple of lots of carrots and spring onions, potatoes all outside.

Inside I have peppers and chillis, tomatos, cucmbers all growing nicely. Not yet up are french beans and courgettes.

I have some sweetcorn outside (fingers crossed they survive) and some still inside.

I have killed one lot of broccoli that I sowed inside so I am going to sow it straight out either this weekend or next.

I just hope to get something to eat out of this, my biggest worry is that I will have put all this hardwork in and then nothing will survive!