No T Words mentioned at all - a fresh start

[Deleted User]

SM - have found the paperwork that came with the goosgogs and yes the thornless ones we have which are 'Pax' are self fertile. I think it must just be the weather this year with ours, and perhaps it was expecting just too much to have them fruit in the first year of planting. Cheers Lyn xxx.

scottishminnie

Thanks MrsLW - I'll have a look for a PAX thornless gooseberry. I'll also pick up another blueberry bush to take up the remaining spaces.

The fruit trees arrived today and I was hoping to plant tonight however hubby is off on a mercy mission to help a friend who's chimney collapsed earlier today - apparently it's a bit of a mess so I think his need is greater than mine.

At last things seem to be taking shape:)

scottishminnie

well, the fruit trees are in - at last:j. They've also been well watered naturally since and we had howling wind yesterday so the stakes were tested too. Now all I have to do is rake the area around them and lift the hundreds of stones before we can sow grass seed. This is the bit I'm really not looking forward to, I spent many hours as a teenager lifting stones on the farm once fields had been harrowed and it wasn't fun then so it will be even less fun now!

We are having a barbeque this weekend, come hell or high water - we may have to sit in the garage with our jackets on but we are going ahead anyway. I'm still wondering what I can do with the frozen filo pastry I found in the freezer. I think I'll go off and see what Delia has to say about Filo pastry.

I'm still on the hunt for PAX gooseberry but the extra blueberry is in now so the fruit bed is looking good. I need to work out what I could put in the raised veggie beds over the winter which would be gone by springtime. I'll check my gardening books once I've visited Delia.

Speak to you all soon....

valk_scot

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

SM - have found the paperwork that came with the goosgogs and yes the thornless ones we have which are 'Pax' are self fertile. I think it must just be the weather this year with ours, and perhaps it was expecting just too much to have them fruit in the first year of planting. Cheers Lyn xxx.

I have a Pax gooseberry and it's definately self fertile. But I've only had about three gooseberries off it this year despite it being a mature bush, it really has been one of the worst years ever for soft fruit up here. (I'm over by Edinburgh.)

I've been reading about all your plantings btw and am most envious. You must have an absolutely huge garden or do you have a smallholding or allotment?

themull1

When you home school, how do you do the exams ie GCSE's etc?

boultdj

scottishminnie wrote: »

well, the fruit trees are in - at last:j. They've also been well watered naturally since and we had howling wind yesterday so the stakes were tested too. Now all I have to do is rake the area around them and lift the hundreds of stones before we can sow grass seed.

The fruit expert book I'v got say's keep grass at least 1foot away from the trunk of fruit tree's, but when I'v been to National Trust propertie's with orchard's the grass has alway's gone right up to the tree's, so me being a nosy begger and wanting to get tree's at the time,asked one of the gardener's and she told me to keep the grass away for the first year because it's so easy to go to close to the tree and damage the trunk when you mow or strim the grass.

p.s: good luck with your new tree's:)

scottishminnie

valk-scot - I'm lucky enough to have as much garden as I want. Our house is surrounded by my parents farm land so we recently extended the garden to make an orchard area and some raised vegetable beds. It's not quite finished but even now it's hard to imagine that 4 months ago it was just a piece of field.


Boultdj - I'm hoping to get some kind of "collar" which I can put round the bottom of the trees. We spend a lot of time in the US and Canada and the trees there always seem to have a nice circular area underneath with bark or chippings. That's what I'm after - I'm a bit of a demon with the strimmer so it would be safer. I may go online later and look for tree collars - that will be interesting as I'm sure that's not what you call them!

[Deleted User]

Hi VAL - we have about 180' of garden at the back of the house, 80' at the front and a full allotment just behind the bungalows over the road. So we're really lucky to have enough space for all our hobbies. The polytunnel has made such a huge difference this year though and the crops have been impressive , which is just as well as the garden stuff is only just beginning to take off. I've been picking french beans from both the poly and the garden, the courgette in the poly is doing really well and has been for ages, the tomatoes in the poly are ready for picking, those in the greenhouse getting there and the ones in the garden are still in flower!!!!! We have a couple of pumpkins set in the garden, the butternut on the allotment aren't doing anything at all and the courgettes down there are slow. It is a very odd year. We might get some apples from the front garden tree but they are going to be small and are dropping at an alarming rate. The best thing in the garden at the moment is the thornless blackberries and I've just been up and picked another full colander this evening, there are masses still to come, we'll be glad of them this winter.

We had another apple juicing session this afternoon courtesy of a couple of friends windfalls and have another demi-john of cider on the go.

Very exciting day today DD1 had just completed on her first house and hopes to move in on Wednesday next week. We're so pleased for her, she has been in rented for the past 13 years, apart from a few years when she was a boarding house mistress at the school she was at them. She now has a lovely garden which has 2 sheds and a greenhouse and 3 ready made vegetable beds and in the fullness of time she can get her dog, something she has always wanted. So happy she has worked so hard for this and hasn't slept for the last few days with the stress of it all - bet she will tonight though!!!!!

Hope you have all had a nice day Cheers Lyn xxx.

boultdj

scottishminnie wrote: »

Boultdj - I'm hoping to get some kind of "collar" which I can put round the bottom of the trees. We spend a lot of time in the US and Canada and the trees there always seem to have a nice circular area underneath with bark or chippings. That's what I'm after - I'm a bit of a demon with the strimmer so it would be safer. I may go online later and look for tree collars - that will be interesting as I'm sure that's not what you call them!

:DI wonder if that is the reason the council put wire meshing round tree's when they plant them, 'cause the only other thing I can think of to keep 'em safe from strimmer's is getting some thick plastic pipeing[sp?] and cutting down the side and opening it up to slide around the trunk.

flowertotmum

Morning all...hope your all well..
Well my polytunnel is here..typical it gives very hot weather and we want to put it up..not going to sweat to death doing it...will sort the flooring out and then put it up when its cooler...

Me and the girls are doing very well...Fern can now hold a very small conversation in french..very basic but good...iris is tagging along as well...
Hubby passed his managers exams last week so thats good...
I have been baking a cake for tea everyday..girls help as i have kinda turned it into a math lesson for ferny and iris...they can measure it all out and get it right so thats good...
Had a surprise at a*sda this week..they had jars of robertsons mincemeat for 20p..so i had a £1 worth..put them away for the C word..
Went to the local CS...glad i did..they had a half price sale on..got lots of lovely look like new cardigans for the girls and myself..also some lovely little glasses with flowers on them..they look very nice whe filled with orange..lol..sad aren't i..didn't cost too much either..so will be going back next wk to have another look..
My apple trees are laden with fruit..my strawberries are delicious..have a job stopping girls eating them as we pick them..
Have been drying my lavender out..so we had a bag full and i let the girls loose on my sewing machine..we made 3 lavender bags..and popped them in their pants drawers..very nice..and they did well too...
Right i have to go..
have a lovely day and keep them purses shut..
ftm