The all new good, bad and ugly of growing your own in 2020

zafiro1984

Phew, Everything is still standing on the veg plot after Ciara. However, we have had about 7 trees down, one just missed the house with its trunk although some of the branches landed on the roof, we can't see any damage. DH will have to use his chain saw.. An early present of wood for the woodburner next winter.
Just plodding along with the veggies, potatoes chitting slowly, I've still some work to do in the tunnel including making it vermin proof. Do toads hibernate, and if so where? I've not seen mine for ages.

Suffolk_lass

silverwhistle said:

Back from my skiing holiday in Italy but as I picked up some translation work from there I'm busy today rather than sowing seeds in my new heated propogator.

The garden centre recommended where I was staying still didn't have their seed stocks in but Lidl did! Borlotti Lingua di Fuoco, Peperoni Corno Rosso, Cime di Rapa all at 55 cents a packet. Spinach and Swiss Chard only 29 cents a packet! Parsley and carrots on seed tape were expensive at €1.49. I think they'll all cope with sunny 'Ampshire near the sea..

Have you tried Cuor die bue tomatoes from Italy? the supermarkets seem to sell them in the Dolomites and they are the ones you see in fields and gardens there. I have grown them for 2-3 years but they are not as large as they grow in Italy. Brilliant for making your own passatta.

silverwhistle

Suffolk_lass said:

Have you tried Cuor die bue tomatoes from Italy?

I know and have eaten the variety but never grown them. You've just reminded me that when I was there I meant to price up passapomodori for making passata but didn't bother in the end. I did buy an oven thermometer and simple white melamine tray for windowsill pots though! Plus 50 bottles of wine, olive oil, cheese....

I've Amish Paste from Real Seeds which I hope will be good for passatta. I wanted some Tromboncini d'Albenga, a long, long courgette, but not the sort of thing Lidl would stock, but no complaints at their prices.

Translation sent, finish this cuppa and then a bit of indoor sowing.:-)

Suffolk_lass

Popped into the local Harrods (pound store) to pick up some potted tete-a-tete narcissi to cheer up my windowsill (and be planted out when they have finished, ready for next year - which guarantees they are what it says they are :eek: unlike some previous bulbs I have bought. I digress). Anyway, I spotted some of the Sungold F1 Hybrid tomato seeds (my favourite good-cropping cherry tomato) and some Black Russian Beefsteak so bought these to go along with what I already have. Happy days. Just need to plant them. Along with the garlic that has green tips from my kitchen pot!

unrecordings

I'll try writing this one again - Not much happening here, greenhouse is barricaded with two bungees & three bricks. Can't wait for Dennis to !!!!!! off, I really need to get outdoors. Bought a couple of heathers last week, will hopefully get some more next week. Last year I left it too late and couldn't find any that weren't either very expensive or manky or both. Morrisons had some nice ones at the start of the week. Meanwhile I'm taking the time to adjust my gardening wardrobe. Changes in my mobility, dexterity & energy means that what worked last year isn't quite cutting it this time round. My favourite gloves are Town & Country, but I can't get them on anymore, so I cut the fingertips off one hand which seems to improve things. Also got ex RAF coveralls on the way as an experiment - stylish, cheap & lots of pockets...

Dizzy_Ditzy

Morning all. 

I’m afraid to say that I’m not getting on terribly well with the new MSE I can only get on with my phone and my phone doesn’t like holding it’s charge! 

My brother died last weekend so although I’ve been to the plot to sort the chickens out, I haven’t stayed there for very long and it’s been too wet and windy to do anything anyway. Fortunately the plots haven’t sustained any real damage from the storms, which is more than I can say for my garden fences! 

My potatoes are sat in the fridge ready for me to get off my butt and set them out in egg boxes. I’d managed to get my garlic and shallots out on the newest plot but that’s as far as I’ve got. Part of me is itching to get started but realistically I know everything will catch up when I’m ready 

Jazee

Dizzy, sorry to hear your brother has died.  Be kind to yourself.

with regard to the garden, all I have done over the last week is cut back the autumn raspberries and also two hydrangeas.  Need to tidy up all the rubbish that has blown around in the gales, includes fallen roof tiles.

Still no seeds planted but it will get done soon.

DiggerUK

I haven't been on this thread since early January, before the change. Just had two cups of coffee and caught up.
Like everybody here I have a long list. One item off, two items on. So I have made my new year resolution at last.........no more lists. Instead I will continue writing in the garden journal about what has been done.

The big item that has made me thankful of putting all the effort in over tIme is the results with the snowdrops on what we call "the bank". We have been splitting and spreading the clumps for a number of years. Today is stinky, damp, chilly, overcast and chucking it down.

But the snowdrops are a show to die for..._ 

unrecordings

I'm not really getting on with the new forum either, especially quoting, so I'm dialling it back a bit (old stylers & CFOs might have noticed my lack of posts). I'm going to stick with it here, the old garden keeps me going - even just looking at it from a comfy chair. We've had a fairly good display of snowdrops & crocuses. Over the last few years we've built up a small wild area for used indoor bulbs ( mainly daffs). Due to health, didn't get to top it up last year, so will be interested to see what pops up. As for lists, I was always a big list fan, but these days tend to use them on a day by day basis to prioritise the (say) three things I"ll be able to manage or that need to be considered before other stuff - armour plate the compost bin with spare 1mm steel panels or mulch the wild garlic..?

euronorris

Not a big fan of the new forum either. 

Nothing to report here. Weather to awful to really do anything, and not much needs doing at this point. DD is really keen to plant the potatoes, bless her. They are chitting nicely on our bedroom windowsill, but are not ready yet.

Have been fortunate in our neck of the woods, that the storm wasn't as bad as predicted. We must've been sheltered by the hills or something as lots of places near us copped it far worse!