Gardening

[plaques]

An Islamic plot?

That crossed my mind too. But I thought Daffodils originated in Holland so if we follow a typical Christian Church east- west layout with the alter at the east end they could be Catholic daffodils. I'll keep an eye on the tulips. They tend to stand straight upwards. Perhaps they have a hot line to heaven.

[Stanley]

Calvinists?

[Wendyf]

It must have been very cold last night, it even got inside the poly-tunnel. I lost 2 courgette seedlings and the tops of the early potatoes that had just poked through the soil. I keep most of the young plants inside a cloche within the poly-tunnel and 3 tomato plants have turned to mush in there.

[Sue]

Oh heck. I hope my plants are ok outside, here in France. Mind you 4 degrees is about the coldest it gets at night.

[Stanley]

It was perhaps the coldest late April night on record Sue. It doesn't surprise me that Wendy noted a few losses. The few plants in my garden are hardy and looking good but nothing is stirring apart from slow growth on the established plants. One particularly hardy mint shoot is growing vigorously! The leaves and shoots on the Lilac bush make steady progress.

[Stanley]

Despite the cold weather I note that the hardy plants in the front garden are moving, albeit slowly. The Lilac is thickening it's leaves and shoots and the hardy mint that has survived since the original planting is growing strongly. Only seen two perennial weeds... rooted out immediately!

[Sue]

In the 10 days we have been in France we have cut the lawn twice, that is tried to till it started raining three days ago. But we have seen bare fruit trees change from bare branches to full flower to full leaf. Amazing !

[Stanley]

During my wagon driving days I often noted that Barlick has one of the latest advents of Spring in the country beaten only by Deerplay above Burnley! It will be the end of May before things start to move properly. I feel sorry for the people buying and planting annual bedding plants, waste of time yet.....

[Sue]

Driving up the country yesterday there was a noticeable change around Coventry. Beautiful leafy trees until then, leafy twigs from then to home.

[Stanley]

Front garden is moving slowly and lilac is leafing up well but you are right Sue, June is our springtime! But we are moving slowly in the right direction....

[Wendyf]

Time for an update on gardening progress. The polytunnel is coming on nicely. Here is the view from the door (Bruce loves helping in the warm polytunnel).



First bed has broad beans in flower, a row of early peas, runner beans just planted out but a few didn't germinate so I've just planted a few more direct into the gaps. There are a few dwarf french beans, but germination was poor so more have been planted.



Second bed has garlic, a few onions, blocks of early carrot, turnip and beetroot, then early potatoes growing well despite being hit by that nasty frost. There are a few florence fennel seeds which have just germinated....I love growing fennel.



Third bed is for salad crops. We are eating the overwintered lettuce at the far end, there is more lettuce of various varieties, a block of spinach, radishes and some pak choi but my spring onions have failed to germinate so a new packet has been bought this morning ready to try again. A single courgette at the near end, the only one to survive the frost, but I have been promised another by my neighbours. I push plant pots into the soil beside the courgettes to assist with watering later on.



Bed four is brassicas, at least until it gets overwhelmed with caterpillars. Some nice spring cabbages just starting to heart up and a few cauliflowers. I have to lime the brassica bed heavily as our water is very acidic. The leaves quickly turn yellow without lime.



Tomatoes down one side in pots...what remains of my frost hit seedlings and gifts from generous friends! Cucumbers, melons and strawberries down the other. It's all so full of promise just now!

The little garden has been tidied up, dug over and some new fruit bushes, strawberries & rhubarb planted. You can't see much in this picture but it does look much tidier than it did! The hens have been finding a way in, and have dug up some herb plants and a couple of strawberries but I think I have foiled them now with a bit of extra fencing.




The outdoor beds are all dug over and manured, but apart from potatoes, onions and a short row each of broad beans and peas I haven't bothered with anything else yet....it has been much to cold and windy. I've sown various brassicas in plugs to plant out later, leeks & masses of peas in three inch pots, all waiting for the weather to warm up a bit.
Got to get the grass cut this afternoon.....

[Tizer]

"..all waiting for the weather to warm up a bit."
It was 26C in the shade this afternoon in our corner of Somerset! This Spring has been amazing as far as plant growth is concerned. Everything is growing like mad and producing much more leaf and blossom than usual. About 18 years ago I planted a mixed species hedge, both native and ornamentals, and it's taken a long time to get up to speed but this year it's excelled itself and become a wall of green leaves. I don't know what has stimulated the plants so much - our winters are mild most years now but we did have a lot of rain.

[Stanley]

Lovely sight Wendy. Amazing what you are doing up there considering the height.
Tiz, we are as far behind in Barlick as anywhere in the country with the possible exception of Deerplay on the road between Burnley and Bacup. Our Spring starts second week in June! Front garden is moving slowly......

[Stanley]

The state of play in the front garden this morning. No weeds, the little green shoots you can see are mint plants fighting for the light.



Here's an interesting contrast. This was taken on the 23rd of May last year. If I had been guessing I'd have said that we are later than last year but the picture doesn't lie. Of course it has the benefit of the heavy top dressing of high class well rotted horse muck and that might explain why it is so much further forward. Note the Lilac in this picture, that was earlier and we had a wonderful show. This year the blossom is just starting to open and there is nowhere near as much but we have a lot more foliage this year.

[Marilyn]

Love your garden, Wendy. Makes me want to have a little dig about.

[Wendyf]

Get yourself another allotment Maz!

[Sue]

Wow Wendy, looks good

[Stanley]

And don't forget the altitude she is working at. It makes a big difference.

[Marilyn]

I'm having enough trouble with the allotment I have, Wendy.
We have these wild birds around here, that look like giant chickens...have huge feet with Jurassic looking claws...and boy can they run! I've never seen them fly.
They can walk through the railings of our fence and are constantly in the garden, AND in my herb/veg garden ( cast iron bathtub).
They amuse me greatly because I can't get a picture of them without chasing them...they go through the fence and I climb over it. Pictures taken through the window never come out any good. This morning I decided I'd scale the fence and get a picture..
I can have up to a dozen of these birds in the backyard at any time. (so we have their poo too).
I don't mind them mooching about on the lawn, but wish they would leave my herbs/veg alone.

[Stanley]

[Marilyn]

Thanks for posting my pic, Stanley.
See how big their claws are? At first I thought they were wading birds, but their feet aren't webbed.

[Stanley]

They could still be water birds Maz. If I remember rightly the Moorhens on the dam at Bancroft didn't have webbed feet but they spent their lives on the water when they weren't on their nests.....

[LizG]

They are purple hens (purple swamphen) Maz and yes they are water birds.

[Stanley]

The gardens are looking good at the moment but getting a bot dry. Some nice warm rain would be nice......

[Marilyn]

There is a lake nearby, and also a river, so guess that is why the birds are here...