What I did today 2012-2014

[Marcher]

Cleared up sycamore leaves and planted some oriental greens (pak choi, rocket, mizuna, etc) seeds. I got a packet of those seeds off the council for free for some reason, they're not what I'd usually grow but I might as well - hopefully they'll be good on sandwiches, if not the rabbits can eat them.
The sycamore leaves I'm leaving in a pile and hoping they'll turn to compost by next spring. I doubt it, but I might as well try.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Took receipt of one red grape vine, one white grape vine. mama h got very excited about them.

[stella]

Planted garlic, shallots and onions on the lotty. Weeded the saffron bed and mulched it. Mr VVG did some path weeding and wood chipping. Mulched the rhubarb bed. Pegged a wineberry branch down in order to try and make another one. Fingers crossed.

Just wanted to ask do you get much saffron?

[Snadger]

Started constructing a new raised bed for carrot growing next year. I am using pantiles as I am sick of falling over them and it will use them up.
Problem is, its on my old sitting out area at the allotment so I am having to hack through crazy paving to construct it.
After construction I'll need to create a growing medium and construct a frame around it to take some enviromesh as without it the carrots won't stand a chance.

[VirginVegGrower]

Just wanted to ask do you get much saffron?

Started constructing a new raised bed for carrot growing next year. I am using pantiles as I am sick of falling over them and it will use them up.
Problem is, its on my old sitting out area at the allotment so I am having to hack through crazy paving to construct it.
After construction I'll need to create a growing medium and construct a frame around it to take some enviromesh as without it the carrots won't stand a chance.

I got some saffron last year, enough to give me a few strands in a vial. I netted them as birds like them and you have to pick early morning. This year I have double the bulbs so am ever hopeful for lots more.

Snadger - I read that as panties

[Marcher]

Took receipt of one red grape vine, one white grape vine. mama h got very excited about them.

What varieties? I have a Muller Thurgau (white Swiss variety) outdoors. I have thought about getting a seedless hybrid variety to go with it, but I'm sticking with the one vine for now.
They're very easy to grow and grow very fast as well. Mine didn't produce grapes this year, probably because of the poor weather and how young the vine is. There were some small bunches, but they only began to develop in September and it was too late by then. The pot it is in is a bit small, it was only ever meant to be temporary. I'm going to get half a barrel in winter to put it in.

Anyway, you can see here just how fast they grow:

May (when I bought it):







June:

I put it on a trellis, but it soon outgrew it.

[Marcher]

July:

By now I had put up string for it to outgrow the trellis.


Those are 'Fragoo' strawberries in the bottom. Crap tasting, misshapen fruit, but nice flowers.

August:

[Marcher]

October:



Now it's losing its leaves and going dormant. I need to prune it in winter, I'm going to go with spur training.

A grape vine would suit a pergola very well. Very very nice plants but training them can be a pain. Once I've pruned it and put it in half a barrel in winter I think I'll train it along a few lines of wire or nail some mesh to the wall and to it to that.

[Feral007]

That grape vine looks good! Mine are still playing dead.

This morning I let the rooster out for his first day free ranging with the girls. Lets hope he behaves himself.

Then two hours of mowing - man it's hot out there! Forecast says 19.9C but it feels much much hotter! Not quite half done, will go out again when it's starts to cool off. Tis only a week since I did the same but it's shot up already. Need to get some of it under garden so there's less mowing!

[Snadger]

...................

Snadger - I read that as panties

As you did last time I mentioned them.............................

[Two_Sheds]

- forked out lots of couch and docks from school's wildlife garden (not so much horsetail this year, the docks shaded them out)
- cleared a bed ready for raspberries to go in on Tuesday
- dug the catananche out of my home garden, to go in the Wildlife garden
- gathered 6 black sacks of leaves from the bike lane, they're early this year
- sowed some hollyhocks in the cold gh
- and oats & wheat for the guinea pigs over winter

[horticultural_hobbit]

sunk narcissi minnow, lucky strike tulips, ruby crocus thingies, as well lots of red white and blue spring bulbs.

Planted out boskoop glory and Madeleine something grape vines on the plot. May have broken the madeleine one.

[Tripmeup]

Sowed my Garlic... Vayo, Early Purple Wight,Jolimont, Sprint and Iberian Wight..

[veggiechicken]

Weeded my Thyme bank and pegged down some of the outlying shoots. Never been able to grow it before so I'm really chuffed that these mixed thymes are thriving and spreading - 3 years along the line.
They must love the stony, thin soil here.

[VirginVegGrower]

As you did last time I mentioned them.............................

What can I say? Frilly beds

Mr VVG planted Scilla bulbs and Minnow daffs around the bases of both trees. 150 in all. We raked leaves again...I did a lot of sitting down inbetween. We mulched the remaining three fruit trees, cutting out wider circles. We sat watching the farmers ploughing and sowing seed. Then the birds descended. Moving last year's leafmold cage has unearthed beautiful soil underneath. Am thinking raised beds and extra growing area at home...yeay!