Trowel and Error

[absley]

That sounds wonderful, Goat - both seeing everything really get going, plus all the chat and finding out what's going on! :))

I dug up one of my potato plants yesterday and the other two which are also leftover from last year are flowering. Otherwise all my veggies feel so far off. However, the peas are loving their new jute net which I've wrapped around the pyramid of canes, thank you so much. I've also got my tomato plants in their final planters so let's see if I have better luck than last year when they all got blight. The only challenge is that the pigeons keep going into the greenhouse (no doubt lured by my tiny cavolo nero plants :ella: ) then panic and flap around knocking the canes etc. I'm perma worried I'll find a dead one, speared on a cane!

The strulch is doing well and I've made a couple of batches of strawberry jam, plus am beginning to pick raspberries. My gooseberry bushes have collapsed though, not sure if that's because I didn't prune them or another cold spring issue.

[Mountain Goat]

Ah, I wonder if blight is what is going on with some of my greenhouse tomatoes which have odd looking leaves suddenly. I have not been careful to keep the leaves dry as I'm watering them within their tiny glass cupboard as they're growing up string attached to the top shelf of the greenhouse and so I'm carelessly splashing everywhere. Lesson learnt. I have two indoor tomato plants, 4 greenhouse and 4 outdoor so there are others.

I had more chat last night while out staking my sunflowers, honestly I have never been so much like my mother. :lol:

Glad the jute is working for you! And your peas. Are peas ever more than a gardeners snack for anyone? (unless they grow them in vast rows like my dad did). I love them but there's never more than 2 or 3 pods ready at a time. And your lovely strawberries and raspberries, congratulations on beating the slugs and birds to them.

I'm now wondering why on earth my pigeons have not bothered my cavolo nero or broccoli. I have about 10 plants that are hardened off and waiting for space in the netted section of the raised bed and just sitting next to the greenhouse unprotected, as I didn't think about it. The pigeons are always around that area as it also tends to have stray sunflower seeds, but no apparent damage to my baby brassicas? They've been out there for weeks too, not a recent thing. I am both foolhardy and lucky.

My very first rose is opening. I mean the first ever in my life, for some reason (of my own). It's just one loose bud but I can smell it as soon as I open the back door. That plant only has the one bud on it (planted as a sickly bare roots plant/pile of sticks), the other is covered in buds (also new but wasn't sickly) so I am hopeful for that one, though neither will do very much till next year.

We had a massive spanokopita esque pie last night and used up the last of the chard (except the bit I'm letting go to seed) plus some of the broccoli greens and the mad sorrel/lovage. That was with a salad using lettuce, nasturtium and chives from the garden. It's very satisfying.

[Disco]

I love picking things from the garden and making a meal out of it. Bugger I thought my bolted chard might taste funny so I green binned the lot. I really want green leafiness to eat tonight.

Yours sounds so abundant. My garden is only producing lots of strawberries and the usual herbs.

I have been weeding like crazy though and put out several tomato plants.

The gooseberry bush has been stripped bare from some worm thing. One day it was full of foliage then next days bare thorns and branches are all that remain.

[Mountain Goat]

I am sure bolted chard is supposed to be bitter so I think you're right. I tasted mine in a small amount the other day and it seemed fine, maybe it has to be further along the bolting schedule?

It's more a mass of mad foliage than efficiently abundant at the mo, and you need a machete to get past the lovage to the baby cauliflower. It's on the verge of chaos. But also still loads of gappy bits in the flower beds and the front bit of garden looks straggly and adolescent still.

I've seen so many things on Instagram of gardens that have pretty much all been eaten (not by humans) and belonging to people who are experienced/semi professional. It's a very weird year.

[kiwi]

I don't belong on this thread at all, but I would like to report that the (organic) blue slug pellets M has been putting out around my herbs and bedding plants are all being eaten by the stupid doves. My garden is now full of blue bird poo.

[Hazey_Jane]

I don’t belong either kiwi but :lol:

[Mountain Goat]

:lol:

The Feed and Protect stuff I linked to somewhere or other appears to be working for me, slugs aren't touching my dahlias now. Unless it's a coincidence.

[absley]

Kiwi! :lol:

I'm sorry to hear about your gooseberries though Disco, what a shame. Is it a one off thing or might it cause future issues as well, do you know? I wish I could share my crop with you, I've just done the first pick and have had gooseberry cake for breakfast most of this week! :))

How are your roses, Goat? And the brassicas still okay? Good to read your tip about not splashing tomato leaves, I didn't realise that was a thing. My neighbour mentioned that I should be watering my pink fir potatoes as they'll be forming their tubers atm, just as we hit a dry spell, so that's now on my list. The peas are v thirsty, I've noticed, so am keeping an eye on them. I don't know what the crop will be like, it's my first time growing them. Flowers are starting though, same with my (teeny) tomatillos.

I'm trying to remember to sit and enjoy the garden more, not just leap into action whenever I see something that needs doing. Helps that the brown bin is always full. :lol:

[Derek Nimmo]

All I do is sit and enjoy Abs, I highly recommend it :))

Look, I have grown* an alien! Also, a gorgeous multi-headed rose from a bush that's really not done much over the last couple of years.i think it's got blackspot but doesn't seem to stop it blooming so hey.

*Or rather, left completely alone and not touched with my fingers of death.

[Mountain Goat]

I need to follow your lead with that, I never just sit. When I'm out there I'm always faffing with something or other rather than enjoying it.

All your gooseberries! I'm not very excited by fruit but I do love a gooseberry (and a bramble). We had loads of them in the garden growing up so it's such a taste of childhood summer.

My roses are a delight. The second one suddenly sprung into life this morning, I went down for breakfast and there were two open flowers, it's had lots of buds for weeks but still looked a long way from opening yesterday, so this was a lovely surprise. My other one still only has the one flower but it's gorgeous. I am going to take photos later, I don't need much encouragement. :))

I didn't know that about tomatoes either until you mentioned blight and I googled! I had a tomato tragedy the other day, I was trimming off the lower leaves to improve air flow, having just read about it, my hand slipped and I chopped off the stem. :lol: Luckily it was only one plant of 10 and wasn't the most active so I will survive.

Also interesting about the potatoes, I haven't been very active in watering them as the plants look so healthy but who knows what's going on under there. I've never been solely responsible for a potato before. :)) By which I mean, they were my "job" as a child so I know the basics but essentially I was following orders rather than making executive decisions. That puts me at the danger point on the Dunning Kruger curve, I feel like I know so I don't research like I would something totally new, but actually I don't know.

I picked a pea pod yesterday and ate it as a snack, they were so delicious. I've had a couple more courgettes too and a beetroot. Lots of lettuce, nasturtiums and herbs (though I will never have a tarragon plant that can keep up with my tarragon needs and the dill lasted about five minutes before bolting - I now understand you need to keep sowing dill, but I didn't know before and bought a small plant rather than seeds). Brassicas are still ok, yes, they've been put to the test in this sunshine though. I'll get them planted out soon I hope. I need the potatoes to be ready as at the moment they'll just be in their shade. I didn't think it all through... Some broad bean and borlotti bean pods are formed now, and I have two tiny cucumbers and one that's a pretty good size and will be ready in a few days probably.

[Mountain Goat]

Ooh! How lovely del. You could do some damage with that cactus (?)

[Derek Nimmo]

I think it's actually a "houseleek" succulent (but I wouldn't take my word for it :)) )

Check out your crops! I too would be concerned about being in loco parentis of potatoes, but I'm sure yours will flourish.

[Mountain Goat]

:lol:

I asked Ken next door for some potato advice (as he was digging his up at the time) and he just shrugged and said "I just put them in the ground and dig them up a bit later" so I may embrace his carefree approach. :))

[Mountain Goat]

Here are my roses.

The Koko Loko

Koko Loko.jpg

The David Austin Desdemona (the one that bloomed this morning)

Desdemona.jpg

And the view of the garden when you come in the back gate

back gate.jpg

( I have left the watering can and some random bamboo canes out for authenticity :lol: )

[Derek Nimmo]

How glorious!

[absley]

It's looking great, Goat. And I love your and Del's roses. Koko loko is such a pretty colour and I love the shape of Desdemona.

I have my first pea pod, so exciting! :))

[Mountain Goat]

Oooh! Will you be checking it daily for fatness? :)) I picked a pod yesterday and added it to dinner (there were already mange tout - from the shop - in there so the one pea pod of peas wasn't as lost as it might have been), it was very exciting (also a courgette).

And thank you, I agree with your rose assessment, I love the colour of the Koko Loko and the pleasing roundness of the Desdemona. The erigeron that shares a planter with the Desdemona is finally starting to come out now, so I'm excited to see how they look together.

[absley]

I've already been back out to check it - and will show D later

[Mountain Goat]

:lol:

I'll be checking my cucumber in about half an hour. :))

[absley]

How's everyone getting on?

Something is eating my baby courgettes - I found one with various bite marks and another seems to have been hollowed out! And the slugs/snails remain abundant, which means most of my second batch of flower seedlings have vanished since planting out. :cry:

The peas are very sparse, but lovely to nibble on when passing. :))