Preparing for Winter V

suki1964

Eeny, whens that on?

Nargleblast

Laura_Elsewhere. Thanks for posting your elderberry syrup recipe, I hadn't thought of dripping it through a jelly bag - that's how I make crab apple jelly.
If you pick elderberries and chuck them in the freezer until you have enough for syrup, you will find the frozen berries fall off the stems a lot easier.

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE when you've met a few of your fellow allotmentiers ask for advice on not only what types of veg will actually grow well in the allotments up the hill but also find out which specific varieties do best as well. There are hundreds of different types of cabbage but it might be that only savoys do well on your soil type and the same holds true for anything else you'd like to grow. People who have been growing there for a while will know what you get the best yields from and will be happy to share the information.

Lucy5781

Raining on and off and blowing a pretty strong wind here all day, had to put socks, boots and a jacket on to take the little one out to soft play (I don't drive, it's a walk with a buggy containing a 22lb 11 month old, great work out!).

mardatha

Fuds that cost me a fortune in the early years of my gardening... plant anything on the date it says in the gardening mags and you'll never see it again up here. I'm a full month behind Edinburgh, nevermind the south of England - but that's because of the height and exposure as wellas latitude.

fuddle

Eenymeeny wrote: »

This is where 'Beechgrove' comes in handy, they're always at least a couple of weeks ahead of Gardener's World...;)

Oh, I've never heard of Beechgrove. Off to go investigate Edit: A Scottish Gardener's World. I can access it online. Thank you, this will be really useful.

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

FUDDLE when you've met a few of your fellow allotmentiers ask for advice on not only what types of veg will actually grow well in the allotments up the hill but also find out which specific varieties do best as well. There are hundreds of different types of cabbage but it might be that only savoys do well on your soil type and the same holds true for anything else you'd like to grow. People who have been growing there for a while will know what you get the best yields from and will be happy to share the information.

They will, definitely. I problem I am going to have is the vast majority on the plots are polytunnel show gardeners. I'm following a girl on utube who is quite knowledgeable (via her granddad I think) but just starting out allotmenteering on our local soils without a polytunnel like me. What she does I'm gunna do for now but yeah, the folk here are already helping me out so I can see their going to be useful.

mardatha wrote: »

Fuds that cost me a fortune in the early years of my gardening... plant anything on the date it says in the gardening mags and you'll never see it again up here. I'm a full month behind Edinburgh, nevermind the south of England - but that's because of the height and exposure as wellas latitude.

I always knew what I had learned in my short time in the South wasn't going to work at home but the difference is going to be quite stark. I do think it would be useful to follow the Scottish growing almanac

Nargleblast

I noticed when we moved up to County Durham 15 years ago (from the Fens) that the air was fresher and the seasons started and finished a little later than in the south.

fuddle

Woah nargle... Do we share the same soil?

Eenymeeny

Beechgrove Garden: If you sign up for the weekly email you can also access their weekly factsheet as well as a link to the Iplayer. Might be useful?
I've copied this from today's email: This week's programme is on tonight 2nd August at 7:00pm with a repeat on Saturday 5th August at 5:20pm on!BBC2 Scotland,!which is Sky Channel 102 (in Scotland) and Sky Channel 970 (rest of the UK).
Also on BBC2 network on Sunday 6th August at 8:05am, which is Sky Channel 115 (HD Scot/Wales/NI) and Sky Channel 102 (HD Eng)
Hope that helps, Suki

SilverFrost

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Lots of usefulness in autumn Mar, fruit, nuts and berries for the gathering thereof and making nice things to ease the winter blues. Dead wood and fallen wood to gather and process to keep you warm, frosty mornings to sweeten the sprouts and parsnips, bonfires small bright ones for the garden bits and big roaring ones on the allotment that can stay in for the whole weekend too for the end of season clearing of the plot. Evenings drawing in and lighting the log stove, candles to enchant, casseroles and stews instead of the summer salads and cold cuts, afternoon tea after a dog walk in the chilly outside, hot water bottles to warm your toes when the bedroom is less than warm and that lovely feeling of pulling on an extra blanket as it gets cooler. Snuggly winter dressing gowns and sheepskin slippers, bed socks, pyjamas, hot chocolate, frosty mornings where you get 'dragon breath' when you open the back door and sunrises to gladden your spirits.....not all greyness and drizzle pet

Wow....one of the loveliest things I've read :T