The great, good and not so good bits about growing your own dinner 2017

Pyxis

This looks like a useful piece of equipment.....

It's the new "Google Gnome" home assistant for the garden.
It's an outdoor version of their indoor Google Home thing, and is an artificial intelligence assistant designed for outdoor usage.

Apparently, it can tell the wind speed, perform gardening tasks, and play music on request.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNOllWX-2aE

Kantankrus_Mare

Fruittea wrote: »

Everyone seems to be doing well. I've missed out this week due to a very heavy cold. I stayed in bed for 4 days! So I missed the potato planting - never mind it will just have to get done next week. I have a couple of earlies in tub so I should be alright. Managed to pot up the tomato seedlings as I could do it sitting in the kitchen. I have way to many but I'll sell them at the front door later. Cucumbers are looking a bit leggy but I'll take a chance that they fill out. Everything in the green house is coming on - so I should have plenty of veg. No veg box ordered this week as I want to use up the freezer veg now.
I have a beautiful crop of rocket in the cold frame - so I'll just be buying tomatoes this week.
Happy growing.

Hope you're feeling better Fruittea? Think I have had the same thing as you though I tend to get it on my chest. Been kept awake coughing for the last three nights and am shattered. Only had the same thing just before Christmas so a bit peeved at getting it again. Just saps your energy doesnt it?

Fruittea

Thank you Kantankrus. I don't usually get many colds but this was one with a fever - so best rest through it. Sorry to hear you've had more than your fair share. Take it a bit easy.
I used the time to go through some of my gardening books and do a bit more planning. Also signed up on a short course about soil and why it's so important.
https://www.futurelearn.com/sign-in
I love this site - all free and you can dip in and out of things. I've done things like nutrition, dementia and arts. Might be of interest to someone. It's part of the OU.
Spent this morning potting on the basil - I'm growing them on as a single stem in each pot. Last year they grew very well like that both in pots and in the front garden. And also sown a few other herbs - so caught up with everything here.
All the best

determined_new_ms

sorry to hear you've not been well Fruittea. I have struggled with getting colds one after another this year and was told this week that this year's cold strain is one that goes further into your system, and keeps repeating. which makes so much sense. I'm usually in good health with a good immune system but this year has been wretched!

Had a good day today. got to the lottie for a couple of hours. took 6 of the patio slabs I had been given down there. Managed to dig over a bit of what's left - really not much left now - did some hoeing of the beds without anything in at the moment, covered the no dig bed, put a meter high layer of cling film around where the carrots are sown, planted 20 strawberry plants! My dd has given me a ton! I have planted 20 and it hasn't even made a dent!

got in the greenhouse this afternoon and sowed more cucumber, some dwarf beans, 1 courgette & 1 patty pan (sadly only have 2 each of these seeds so am hoping they'll both germinate and then I can do the other two at the end of the sowing period to extend the season)

marigolds, sweetpeas, comfrey, cucumbers and more tomatoes are germinating now

zafiro1984

Lovely day here today, managed to get the patch I'm going to use for potatoes turned over and levelled off. I need to get them planted asap as they are sprouting well. There are some Red Duke of York, Mayan Gold and Sarpo Mira to go in. I've already got my Swift and Lady Christi in under cover and they are up.

My birthday present from last year - a fruit cage - is going up. I've got some blueberries in pots, raspberries and gooseberries ready to be planted out. I haven't enough raspberries so I'll have to try and find some, just hope I'm not too late this year.

Weeded my garlic and onions today, they're OK, finished moving all the strawberries under cover, which means I have an area 12 x 12' which I can plant with asparagus once it's been turned over and compost added - job for the mini digger not my back.

Picked loads of purple Sprouting Broccoli, nearly two Kg, had some with tea, very tasty, I found that the dog also liked it - strange creature!!
The kale has bolted so that went to the chickens but I've had a fair crop from it over the past two months. I'll probably pick the last of the leeks tomorrow and freeze what I don't need over the next few days.

I need to spend more time tidying up before it gets away from me. The seeds in the house have all germinated and need potting on - aubergines, tomatoes, lettuce, beetroot, chillies, sweet peppers, fennel, dwarf french beans, and pea sprouts. I'll have to spend time in the next few days doing that. I usually try and do it when it is raining but none is forecast so maybe I'll do it in the evening when it's dark.

Very busy time of the year:)

Fruittea

Wow it looks as thought you are all really sorted - so many things being planted this year and nice and early too.
Thanks for the well wishes Determined - yes it seems like a nasty strain of cold this year some of my neighbours have been really bad.
Looks like it's going to be a really nice day everywhere. I've put the tomatoes outside today (with a bit of protection) as I thought the light would do them a bit of good.
Amazing lots of them have survived and are in individual pots now. As mentioned there are far to many for me.
Tigerella 11
Megabite 6
Marmonde 8
Essex Wonder 3
Aunt Ruby 6
Sunrise cherry 8
And Rapture from supermarket tomatos 6 - someone on the thread recommended the flavour of Rapture - so I thought I give them a go and see what turns out. I should only really keep 2 of any of them but I'll see. The neighbours usually ask for some as they know I grow too many.
Off to get some breakfast and then out in the garden. Have a good day.

CAFCGirl

Good Morning to all,

Hope everyone managed some productivity on the plot/in the garden this weekend

I only made it up to mine on Saturday as yesterday was a million and one other tasks.
Today my plan is to head up there mid morning and get my pallet collars painted with DS, do some weeding and take a few more photos so that when I'm home I can draw out my plan without relying on my sketchy memory

westcoastscot

Thanks for the link to the seed shop :-) Reading along, have a tiny garden nowadays but used to be fairly self sufficient. Tiny is much more challenging!

Niv

Feeling a little better today.


Over the weekend I managed to get the garlic and onions in. Sowed some salad seeds outside and started some seeds off in the greenhouse; squash, tomato's, basil, cayenne, kale. Hoping its not too late to get some benefit from them all!


need to start thinking about peas and French beans too! Its never ending at this time of yea and the garden in our new house was abandoned for around 10years so just finding the ground is a job and a half!

determined_new_ms

hello am hoping this works!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/347718678691358/permalink/1025777137552172/

I made a strawberry tower. Planting up 20 plants using black flower tubs (given to me by our local coop), a hole saw and some soil. Cost to me about £1