What I did today - 2015

[Snow]

I went outside, looked at the potatoes I planted in containers on the 6th April, and noticed that three of them have already breached the surface with their leaves. These are ones where I will 'earth up' so they haven't reached the top of the container yet, but even so, pretty remarkable growth, I think. It's the hot weather.

[datz]

Planted out our early potatoes, "Belle de Fontenay". Planting out the maincrop next week.

[busman43]

Well the sun is shining so a day in the garden for me.

[Lumpy]

Admired my growing weed collection then went home. Good news is I have sent OH back to lottie to do a timed speedy weedy session (and I will check when I get there tomorrow). He had to be bribed with his favourite tea and 4 cans of Newkey Brown.

[Snadger]

Pulled up a bed of Golden Ball turnips which are running to seed. Chooks enjoyed them.

Transplanted two standard gooseberry plants after creating an area to put them. Dug over a bed ready for some spuds a bit later.
Noticed my tomato plants which were moved from the window sill have survived to quite cold nights in the greenhouse.

[Martin H]

Had a greenhouse tidy-up; moved a lot of hardy stuff out to the cold frame to start hardening off.
But now I've noticed the weather forecast for tonight, 1C ... tempted to move it all back into the greenhouse again.

[Penellype]

We are forecast the dreaded zero tonight, so my original plan of rearranging stuff has had to wait. Instead I spent the morning at my friend's, digging up some bolting spinach beet and removing perennial weeds (thistles, docks and horsetail) that survived last year's blitz. It started off cold and windy but soon turned to blazing sun and I noticed some of the plants in the greenhouse were looking a bit wilty despite having water. Got some greenhouse shading put up - and the sun promptly went in and stayed there.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Bought 20 plug geraniums from Dobbies for 64p less 20% and took them home and potted them up. Also bought some single plugs of fuschias, begonias and surfinia petunias all at 64p Less 20%. happy puppy

[greenishfing]

Today I was a total wimp. Went to the allotment, watered some pots, had a natter with a neighbour and decided it was TOO COLD.

[Greenleaves]

Really missing this digging lark, tried hoeing left handed but could not get it right. Decided to empty the old herb pots in the garden and discovered 31 wine weevil larvae, resisted the urge to squish them........fed them to the blue tits instead. Win, win I would say!

[Coopers]

Had great day today:
- Built arch and planted sweet pea and grapes in the hope to grow around arch.
- Planted toms and cue in greenhouse
- used some old decking to finish last sections wooden surround
- used remaining decking wood to make small decking area in front of greenhouse (very small 6ft x 2ft, more a fancy step)

All in all lovely weather, fresh air, good job done.

Happy with myself.

Though did stay 2 hours longer than supposed to. Hungry wife and daughter when I got home

[Jonny.D]

Bit of weeding, potted up some sweet williams and cut up a load if green waste for the compost

[Plot28 A&B]

Planted peas out under netting to stop the doves and pigeons from eating the young shoots. Prepared the carrot bed with 3 sacks of sharp sand and a good sieve. Noticed the beetroot and kale had germinated in the outdoor seedbed. Then got cold so went in greenhouse and potted on cucumber, chillies and another tray of marigolds for companion planting. Planted out strongest two melon plants into final growing place.

Came home and cooked roaast lamb before having to log on an wodrk for a couple of hours whilst I watched the motor racing. Finally at 7 deciided on a spur of the moment stroll around the narure reserve down the road.

Now getting ready for two days in London......oh joy!f

[Hazel at the Hill]

Today was the day for the annual seed sowing-fest. I sow hardly anything directly at the Hill (parsnips and carrots excepted) - so most things go in pots towards the end of April, germinates whilst I'm on my jollies, then gets hardened off mid-may and planted out end of May.



I started off:
brassicas - brokali endeavour*, cabbage savoy serpentine*, kale nero de toscana
Tomatoes - corazon*, fenda*, red choice, piccolo, roma, sungold
Squash - courgette griller mix*, knucklehead*, sweetmax*
peas - harold idle, ne plus ultra
beans (climbing) - runners, a self saved barlotti type, hunter, cosse violette
beans (dwarf) - emperor of russia, triomph de farcy

*new variety cultivar seeds supplied free of charge by M@rshalls for trial purposes



I realise that I have no sweetcorn seeds, so must get some from wilko in the next few days.

[Bren In Pots]

Planted my Charlotte potatoes in recycling boxes then sown two types of Kale.