Be Excellent To Each Other
https://www.beexcellenttoeachother.com/forum/

Gardening Corner
https://www.beexcellenttoeachother.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5662
Page 6 of 13

Author:  Mimi [ Wed May 26, 2021 16:17 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Ooh, how exciting. What have you put in them? I spot some tomatoes I think. What else have you got growing?

Author:  KovacsC [ Wed May 26, 2021 16:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

I have, some spuds, toms, mint, radish, onions and carrots

Author:  Mimi [ Wed May 26, 2021 16:25 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Mind to contain the mint otherwise you’ll have an entire mint garden by this time next year.

It sounds like you have Sunday dinner sorted, plus a nice soup starter.

Author:  Mimi [ Thu May 27, 2021 13:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

I stopped trying to ignore it and mowed the lawn yesterday. I didn’t edge it as it started to come over dark and I thought it was about to pour with rain. I need to work on my first doing skills, anyway.

I’ve been trying to construct some kind of tomato frame today but I need another pair of hands and a brain that’s had some sleep. My tomatoes are just standing out on the path whilst I work out what I’m supposed to be doing with them. I’ve got nine in February garden and two in the craft room window. I grew them all from seed, and I love them, but they’re getting too big and need evicting.

Author:  Mimi [ Thu May 27, 2021 13:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

I potted on and put out all of the different herbs that I sowed with the seeds I got for Mother’s Day. I gave up hoping I’d get the number of terracotta pots I’d ordered but I at least have a load of terracotta pottery bits for drainage now.

Author:  Zardoz [ Thu May 27, 2021 13:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Skills Mimi! Looking very green in your MASSIVE garden, great stuff.

Author:  Mimi [ Thu May 27, 2021 13:40 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Broccoli is absolutely huge, especially the ones I sowed in the front window (which are the ones at the back of the bed). It’s a true gender stem green variety so I hope to be able to harvest from this through winter.

Parsnips are getting big now. I did thin out a couple and was so happy to see a teeny tiny but perfect rly formed parsnip as I thinned.

Onions are coming up. I’ve been making showings in succession with the spring onions behind, so that I can get a sort of constant supply.

Peas are getting a bit healthier. I hope they will flower in the next few weeks.

Author:  Mimi [ Thu May 27, 2021 13:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Zardoz wrote:
Skills Mimi! Looking very green in your MASSIVE garden, great stuff.


Thank you, Z. I asked a friend of Russell’s from our old NCT group for advice and he said I couldn’t start a vegetable garden so late as I needed to start three months earlier. I’m so glad that I tried anyway. It’s really joyful.

Last few pics...

God only knows why I sowed so many lettuces, but they look so lush and green.

Unmistakable carrot tops are all looking frilly. I’m looking forwards to seeing what comes of these.

I’ve earthed you the potatoes, and they’ll need topping up a few more times. They got caught by frost earlier but it just nipped the leaves, and the plants were fine.

I’ve sown a load of flowers that are all looking good and healthy, and I’m waiting for the sunny weeks ahead to see those in bloom also.

Anyway, that’s what I’ve managed so far. I’m already excited for next year.

I’ve got some strawberry plants, braid beans and a few other bits around the place too, and we’ve planted a cherry tree and a pear tree :) :luv:

Author:  Jem [ Thu May 27, 2021 14:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Amazing scenes Mimi, and I still have garden envy - sooo big.

I've achieved sod all in the garden this year, but the rhubarb and my fruit trees are doing well all by themselves. Think they're enjoying the rain.

Author:  KovacsC [ Thu May 27, 2021 14:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Mimi wrote:
Mind to contain the mint otherwise you’ll have an entire mint garden by this time next year.

It sounds like you have Sunday dinner sorted, plus a nice soup starter.



How do you contain mint? Electric fences!!

Author:  KovacsC [ Thu May 27, 2021 14:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

You garden is lovely Mimi. and wow on the veg..

Author:  Mimi [ Thu May 27, 2021 14:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

KovacsC wrote:
Mimi wrote:
Mind to contain the mint otherwise you’ll have an entire mint garden by this time next year.

It sounds like you have Sunday dinner sorted, plus a nice soup starter.



How do you contain mint? Electric fences!!
:DD

Put it in a pot by itself and remove any flowers that form to stop it going to seed, and self seeding all over your garden.

Author:  Mimi [ Thu May 27, 2021 14:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Jem wrote:
Amazing scenes Mimi, and I still have garden envy - sooo big.

I've achieved sod all in the garden this year, but the rhubarb and my fruit trees are doing well all by themselves. Think they're enjoying the rain.

I think it’s been a bit of a tough start, to be honest. No rain at all and then only rain for a month with no sun, but maybe starting in a tough year is a good thing? It’s certainly forcing me to learn quickly. What fruit trees do you have? I’ve never tasted rhubarb.

Author:  KovacsC [ Thu May 27, 2021 14:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Mimi wrote:
KovacsC wrote:
Mimi wrote:
Mind to contain the mint otherwise you’ll have an entire mint garden by this time next year.

It sounds like you have Sunday dinner sorted, plus a nice soup starter.



How do you contain mint? Electric fences!!
:DD

Put it in a pot by itself and remove any flowers that form to stop it going to seed, and self seeding all over your garden.


I will get a pot.. Thanks

Author:  Jem [ Thu May 27, 2021 16:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Mimi wrote:
Jem wrote:
Amazing scenes Mimi, and I still have garden envy - sooo big.

I've achieved sod all in the garden this year, but the rhubarb and my fruit trees are doing well all by themselves. Think they're enjoying the rain.

I think it’s been a bit of a tough start, to be honest. No rain at all and then only rain for a month with no sun, but maybe starting in a tough year is a good thing? It’s certainly forcing me to learn quickly. What fruit trees do you have? I’ve never tasted rhubarb.


Damson, plum, cherry, apple x2 and pear. They're all patio-size, because I don't have a big enough garden for a full orchard :DD Last year, the aphids decimated the cherry before it even got started and I only got 2 apples off one tree :S Cherry is laden with underripe green fruit at the moment, so assuming the birds stay off long enough that's a win right there.

The rhubarb is a hardy bugger. It was here when we moved in, and I dug it all out and threw it into an ikea bag to be taken to the tip with the garden rubbish, and 2 months later it was STILL growing within the bag despite having been mangled by a spade and deprived of soil and light! Figured anything that determined to live should be put back in the ground. Only problem is nobody here eats it except me, so I still have rhubarb jam left over from last year to get through, let alone this years fruit 8)

Author:  Mimi [ Thu May 27, 2021 16:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Isn’t that how you force rhubarb? By depriving it of light (ok, not usually in an IKEA bag :) )

Have you ever heard yours growing? I don’t know if it works so well growing in the ground, but in rhubarb tunnels you can hear it creaking as the stalks release the friction and slide past each other as they grow from the crown.

Author:  KovacsC [ Thu May 27, 2021 19:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

I like rhubarb :P

Author:  MaliA [ Thu May 27, 2021 19:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Just started making some rhubarb wine

Author:  Goddess Jasmine [ Thu May 27, 2021 21:42 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

KovacsC wrote:
I like rhubarb :P

Me too! Especially in a crumble.

Author:  DavPaz [ Thu May 27, 2021 21:59 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Oh man, I don't think I've had rhubarb crumble since school. Bloody loved it with nice thick school custard

Author:  Mimi [ Thu May 27, 2021 22:01 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Sounds like Jem has enough rhubarb for a crumble for all of you!

Author:  Jem [ Fri May 28, 2021 9:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Mimi wrote:
Isn’t that how you force rhubarb? By depriving it of light (ok, not usually in an IKEA bag :) )

Yep, although I've never bothered. Sounds a lot like effort :DD

If we have some sort of bbq or cottage based gathering this year, I'll bring rhubarb crumble.

Author:  Mimi [ Fri May 28, 2021 9:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

I’m sure I’ve seen/been in a rhubarb tunnel on a trip somewhere as a kid. I’ve definitely been in mushroom tunnels, and I think I’ve been to a couple of National Trust places. They’re brilliant.

Are Rhubarb & custard sweets at all accurate to the taste of actual rhubarb?

Author:  Jem [ Fri May 28, 2021 9:48 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Mimi wrote:
Are Rhubarb & custard sweets at all accurate to the taste of actual rhubarb?

Not massively, they're very sweet and rhubarb is quite tart.

Author:  Zardoz [ Fri May 28, 2021 10:04 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

I'll have rhubarb crumble and custard too please.

Author:  DavPaz [ Fri May 28, 2021 10:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Jem wrote:
If we have some sort of bbq or cottage based gathering this year, I'll bring rhubarb crumble.


In

Author:  BikNorton [ Mon May 31, 2021 18:14 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

We bought a greenhouse in black Fridays sales 2 (um. Maybe 3?) years ago and have never put it up because the place it was going slopes steeply so I needed to learn how to build a wall.

Eventually we've decided to put it somewhere else where at one corner we can get away with just stacking breeze blocks 2 high on their stable sides.

Lots of cutting a small hedge out, digging and getting root out to lower the ground enough to achieve that "just 2 blocks". May not achieve greenhouse over the next two days (that we are on holiday for) but if the base is in place that'd be good.

Old place behind, new place in front.

Author:  Mimi [ Mon May 31, 2021 19:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

I would love a greenhouse one day but reading that makes me worry about the logistics of it. I’m looking forwards to seeing yours, though. What are you going to use it for?

I found my first pea pods growing today, so I am super excited about that. Also a neighbour one house over from next door was filling in his pond and asked if we wanted to adopt some tadpoles. I was expecting teeny tiny things, but they were about 3cm long, and there was a whole bucket full! I was a bit shocked later as I was standing in the garden and he appeared about 59cm from me and scared the life out of me, he just decided to come through my next door neighbour’s garden :/

Anyway, whilst we were just ensuring the pond was ready for hundreds of new tadpoles, we found some newts swimming about.

Author:  BikNorton [ Mon May 31, 2021 23:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Your garden is doing super well, especially given you've only just started it up! It looks nice and flat which makes putting greenhouses up much easier.

Not that it's easy, until you've moved them between houses as much as we have, but we have this added problem that our house is just below the top of a hill so everything is downhill! Between where I was standing and the back corner of the matting in the distance is probably a five foot elevation change.

This is actually our third greenhouse to go with one we brought with (that has cherry tomatoes and mini cucumbers every year) and the old conservatory the previous owners moved down when they replaced it (which is a staging area plus grape vine, salad leaves and forced strawberries).

We bought it for chillies but I deliberately stopped growing them because of my anxiety and depression, there's so much else we need to do I can't stress about growing and preserving chillies as well!

So I don't know what will go in it. But importantly it won't be taking up half the garage floor anymore.

Author:  Mimi [ Tue Jun 01, 2021 10:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Wow. Would love to see pictures of your garden as a whole. It sounds incredible! Our garden does slope, though maybe not to the same degree (literally) as yours. There’s a steady incline the further you move from the house, so it’d take at least a little levelling, I think. Ive been waiting about a month for Russell to level a table, so I doubt we’d ever make it to levelling for a greenhouse.

I’ve just taken my chillies (and sweet and bell) peppers outside. Checked in the tadpoles. One looks like he didn’t make it but there are plenty of others swimming around. Also, looking more closely our pond is FULL of newts. I just counted about eight, and that’s with a LOT of pond plants.

Found these babies in the last few hours, too. First tomatoes and first pea pods.

Author:  BikNorton [ Tue Jun 01, 2021 11:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Our garden is an embarrassing mess :)

Newts will eat tadpoles, though they ones you've been given look like almost-frogs so they might be ok.

Author:  Mimi [ Tue Jun 01, 2021 14:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

They are. The tadpoles all look to be having a decent time and are about twice the size of the newts’ heads, so I hope they’ll not bother them. Eek...

Author:  Kern [ Tue Jun 01, 2021 19:08 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

The combination of a really wet few weeks plus the current heatwave mean that I'm constantly checking my photos to reassure myself that the large, flourishing plants in my octagonal planter of awesome are the same ones I stuck in there a couple months ago. One has even dared to flower!

Author:  KovacsC [ Sun Jun 06, 2021 8:13 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Had the border done. My little garden is getting there.

Quite a few bits are growing in my veg patch.

Still need a new shed but will wait for later in the year.

Author:  Dr Zoidberg [ Sun Jun 06, 2021 17:23 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

It’s getting very colourful. Just a shame my neighbours are trying to have a bonfire/bbq.

I think it’s the latter but hard to tell.

Author:  Mimi [ Sun Jun 06, 2021 18:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

I love your stepping stones and that bright parasol is great.

Author:  Mimi [ Sun Jun 06, 2021 19:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

We were given a garden vacuum and Russell used it today to clear away all of the small bits of wood and bark after he and my ma’s husband chainsaws a huge 80cm diameter tree trunk to lumps yesterday. Anyway, the garden vacuum shreds everything to a fine mulch whilst it’s vacuuming. How cool is that?

It’s very loud though. As in, there are quieter jet planes.

Author:  MaliA [ Sun Jun 06, 2021 20:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

MaliA wrote:
GIANT PUMPKIN KLAXON


https://twitter.com/MaliciousA/status/1 ... 6396959746



Author:  Dr Zoidberg [ Sun Jun 06, 2021 21:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Mimi wrote:
I love your stepping stones and that bright parasol is great.


Thanks. The previous equally bright pink one had faded really badly so Helen treated herself.

Author:  Mimi [ Thu Jun 10, 2021 7:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

I’ve had 18 lovely lettuces grow, which I’ve been harvesting whole when we need them. These are Little Gem lettuces.

Author:  Mr Russell [ Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

And they are delicious. You should be rightly proud.

Author:  Kern [ Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Looks lovely!

So good to hear to your new garden is already a success.

Author:  KovacsC [ Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Those look fab

Author:  Mimi [ Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Thanks! Yep, they’re the first proper crop, though the tomatoes, peas and these Juicy Bois are following close behind.

Author:  BikNorton [ Sat Jun 12, 2021 18:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Turns out the wall needs to be 3 blocks tall in one corner but it was still only a 1 block dig. Really not far off erection time!

Author:  Dr Zoidberg [ Sat Jun 12, 2021 18:04 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

BikNorton wrote:
Really not far off erection time!


Title of the trailer for your sex tape?

Author:  BikNorton [ Sat Jun 12, 2021 18:08 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Here are a couple of photos of less awful bits, since Mimi asked.

Author:  BikNorton [ Sat Jun 12, 2021 18:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Dr Zoidberg wrote:
BikNorton wrote:
Really not far off erection time!


Title of the trailer for your sex tape?

Heh.

I'm probably in the mood to share but those are they bits I can get from where I'm sat relaxing post-building, pre-bbq'ing :D

Author:  Mimi [ Sat Jun 12, 2021 20:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

Looks amazing, Bik. I’ve seen smaller NT gardens! :D

Author:  BikNorton [ Sat Jun 12, 2021 21:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gardening Corner

I'm always embarrassed to say (but I'm drunk and a load of meat is just about cooked so I'm excited), but land was what we wanted when we moved to the Midlands so we focused on it, there's about half an acre.

And it's spent 4 years getting away from us, but we're starting to get there, mostly because Helen's rewilding ideas are turning into plans.

Page 6 of 13 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/