Beginners, what lessons have you learnt?

arkonite_babe

Make more space in the garden and extend the greenhouse

SEE

arkonite_babe wrote: »

Make more space in the garden and extend the greenhouse

I've put a chair in mine. It was great in the winter with the parafin heater on, a cup of tea, and just watching the world outside:D I got two ID charts for butterflies and birds, and blue-tacked them to the glass. It was great watching the bright orange bullfinches:o

tylersbabe

SEE wrote: »

I've put a chair in mine. It was great in the winter with the parafin heater on, a cup of tea, and just watching the world outside:D I got two ID charts for butterflies and birds, and blue-tacked them to the glass. It was great watching the bright orange bullfinches:o

I learned to love bees (frightened of them before ) and boy do they love my flowers.
I learned I love sitting and watching the bees

Scary thing is I thought I would hate this gardening lark and I am now the proud owner of an overgrown allotment

katiel

I have just learned that what looks like a great place for pots of potatoes in April may not be once stuff has grown up around them, and they're no longer getting enough water or light.

emmilou

katiel wrote: »

I have just learned that what looks like a great place for pots of potatoes in April may not be once stuff has grown up around them, and they're no longer getting enough water or light.

I totally agree! Thats what I have learnt...give things more space, as well as the spuds (10 compost bags of them) over shadowing the radishes and my garden path which is slowly disappearing, my peppers are suffering at the expense of a growing courgette plant which is taking over the greenhouse :rolleyes:

I was so desperate to grow all these things I didn't realise how big they get

Larumbelle

Natty68 wrote: »

But I have learnt that growing the lunar way (i.e. by the moon!) totally works and is not as loopy as it sounds.

Gosh, Natty, I saw the biodynamic garden at Ryton and there's an article about it in their magazine this month, but I never really bothered to try it myself. It sounds a bit... well, you know how it sounds but it can't hurt, right?! I might try it next year, in secret, so that OH doesn't take the piddle out of me.

teedy23

tomsolomon wrote: »

I dunno m8, I'm tighter than a Scot's man when it comes to compost:rotfl:
Maybe I need more :rolleyes:

:cool: OI! MATE! I,m a Scot, and let me tell you when it comes to dishing the dirt we're up there with the rest of you.:p

frugalsar

I've learnt that greenfly are the devil!!! also that squirrels are sons of the devil and don't even get me started on the birds = I definatly need a greenhouse!!!

Kaz2904

I've learnt to plant earlier and that when I look after my tray of baby courgette plants and shove them all in as they've all grown I will have no plants left!
I also learned about propagator trays and heat- too much is bad- full sun and a day out wiped out all of my spinach and sprouts.
The courgettes thankfully were planted in single cell trays but I had no lid for them so used carrier bags tented up around them and brought them inside when it was cold at night.
I also learned that they don't need much water at all when they are seedlings.
I learnt a new way of getting parsnips going and that the slugs got into the pots to eat my carrots.

RebekahR

Do not assume having a cloche on the patio by the house means all seedlings planted 2 weeks previously are protected from things that eat them ... all I am left with is 3 sweetcorn and 1 tomatoe plant I brought from the farmers market and 1 corgette whose flower has opened today.