hello from the depths of the veg plot...

wayoutwest · hello from the depths of the veg plot...

it's that time of year again, isn't it?
I don't seem to have acheived anything recently that wasn't inside the fenced walls of my veggie plot, but that is at leats looking lovely. It gives me such a thrill to see the neat rows of things popping up, the spuds just showing, the things in the mini tunnels growing on and the peas nearly reaching the nets. It's been bliss not having stong winds, and the ground being dried out - don't know what's hit us, actually, it's like real gardening for once! You turn the fork and the soil crumbles and falls, dark and yummy, unlike previous years of heaping sludge piles on top on one another. I know that the manure and stuff we've added has helped the ground but the weather is a real blessing. I only hope it isn't going to turn on us soon and drench everything, whilst blowing a force ten. still, prepare for the worst...

how goes everyone else's veg sowing and growing?

David

Hi wayoutwest

I can't believe the season either...crumbly dry soil, and actually watering seedlings, in Ireland, in April!? The veggie garden is a pleasure in this weather...add a bit of water and everything grows like crazy...fruit trees in full bloom here and no gales to destroy the flowers...

Everything is going like the clappers, but I can't help but wonder if mother nature is setting us up for a fall...Remember floods last May? Nah, this is it for the spring (born optimist)

D

quarryman

Can't believe how early everything is, especially here in Sligo, we tend to be colder and wetter than the rest of the country. The onions are showing, the spuds are just breaking through, the garlic is just about ready, too many chives again, my main fear is storms and the blossom on the fruit trees. Apart from the veg we have a 3 acre garden that keeps me busy and it is looking fantastic, hands up all those in favor of global warming Wink

I know we don't live in the deep south but the first of the Swallows have just got here so it must be Summer.

GB

Just spent the morning planting veg seeds and potatoes with my kids, I would be done by now but with such fab help its taking a bit longer than anticipated Rolling Eyes

David

swallows here too but no cuckoo yet!

furze flowers on the hill above us are unbelievable this year...can you do anything with furze flowers? flower wine maybe?

D

quarryman

breath in and keel over.

wayoutwest

well, the rain really came, didn't it? Finally everything is taking off out there, the peas are climbing and the weeds are coming up in between the seedlings. the spuds are doing better than we've ever seen them, here, but then they're growing on tons of manure!
We're eating lettuces and raddishes but not much else yet, although the cabbages under the mini tunnels have grown so quickly it's mind blowing. I really want to take the tunnels off, they're completely filling them, but it's just too windy right now. Nice toy have a fresh lettuce every day, and thanks to the original blasting of blue pellets we don't have many slugs, and haven't put a pellet down in a month. I've really got into growing 'salad bowl', I like the crinkly nature of it without being too dry leaved, like the rosso lettuces. I've sown a whole mixture, but that's my favourite of the moment.

inside, the corguettes and squash and cucumber and sunflowers are just about up and growing well. pretty much everything else is out and in the ground, except the chillis of course. I might have the window sills back soon!
The maddest part of the growing season is nearly over for us, and aprt from a bit of weeding, watering and then hopefully harvesting, we can relax a bit. worth it, isn't it? I walk up and down in the evenings, looking at our veg growing, and it gives me such a thrill.

hope everyone's gardens and veg plots are doing well.

quarryman

We were up with Blowin yesterday, got to sample his strawberries, lovely.

tringle

Well, we finally got a veg plot. Not the lovely laid out kutchen garden with walls and walkways I wanted but we definitly have food in the ground.

We have in the open
snap peas
jessy peas
broad beans
dwarf french beans, but not doing very well

tom thumb lettuces, eating on a day and now on third sowing
lollo rosso
mixed salad leaves
radishes, eating aswell and on third sowing
spring onions
rocket

beetroot, how long does this take to grow
spinach
sorrel
horseradish, from freecycle
onions
shallots

for salads
sunflowers
calendula
marigold
nasturtium

strawberries
raspberries
blackcurramts
redcurrants
sweet cherry
cooking cherry
plums, three types

and in mini polytunnels (thanks to LIDL)
butternut squash
jack o lantern pumpkin

in a cold frame and out in a week
tomatoes
courgette
cucumber
more squash
peppers

and finally at the garage window
an aubergine

so, we were just a bit busy

Im not happy with he way the garden looks but it was a race to get topsoil and manure and to rotavate the ground in time to catch the growing season so we then just threw stuff in to get it growing. I think we wont sow any winter veg and will try to get the soil right then, rotavate again and get some raised beds organised and some paths. But considering that the house is so new and we are still moving building rubble I think we did well.

GB

Moving building rubble, you say? Throwing things in the ground? Gee, that sounds familiar Rolling Eyes

Half of my seeds are still in packets as it has been raining non stop for 3 weeks so my soil is once again too wet to work Sad

Always next year Wink

tringle

GB

well, had a break in the weather so......moved into their permanent place 4 currant and 3 goose berry bushes. Didnt notice untill I had them out of the ground that the gooseberries were covered in fruit. Hope moving them doesnt do too much damage.........planted a row of peas.....row of bruselsprouts and row of cabbages with a few beat roots thrown in for good luck. So much still to do but feeling pretty good about getting that lot done as the rain has just started again. And I was wondering when it was going to rain when we had that dry spell Rolling Eyes

GB

Yay, finally got the last of my seeds planted - only 6 weeks late with some of them Rolling Eyes

- and feeling dead chuffed with myself Cool

Bring on the drought Wink

keithrawlins

at last the dream has come true Very Happy

.
our first meal souly from our own plot Laughing

blowin

A meal to remember , then Very Happy

. Nice one ! What did you have ?

keithrawlins

we had spuds from the garden, rainbow chard from the garden ,peas , mogstwo(traded for ranbow card) and beef(traded for (spuds). and it was worth every bit of work

wayland

Nice one. Something that I have been unable to do for far too long. It makes a meal so much more, does it not?

keithrawlins

the sweetest peas i have ever teasted,

has any one else grown rainbow card Question