OneGuyFromBarlick

This year I am going to have a serious attempt at growing celeriac...it says on the packet that it's easy to grow but I have failed on two occasions. Yesterday i sowed some of the tiny seeds (so small you just sprinkle them on the surface of the compost) and put the tray in a propagator on the bedroom windowsill. They need a temperature between 20C & 25C to germinate, so fingers crossed. I've made an earlier than usual start with aubergine seeds as well, I normally get nice plants but they fruit too late in the season to grow into anything worth eating.
When it gets fit to venture out again I'll plant some broad beans and a few onion sets in the poly tunnel, it's too early in the season to do much in there.

Had a lovely day in Coventry with the grandchildren and family of course. Had a beautiful drive across Derbyshire rather than the motorway. The rain hit at Buxton!

They reminded me to plant my veggie seeds they bought me for my birthday

Veggie seeds are all germinating beautifully. Some are nearly ready to pot on to bigger pots and trays.

I have a couple of hostas I need to plant in the garden today.

It is so nice to see colour in the garden - we have 2 camellia bushes - one red & one pink which are full of bloom, and our rhodedendrons are full of bud.

As I say every year, the growing season isn't fully under way in Barlick until after the last frost and that is always around the second week in June. However, here's a pic of the front garden today. There are signs of life! The lilac is coming into leaf, the chives have started moving and young mint shoots are appearing all over the plot. The Ladslove, as usual, looks dead as a Dodo but it is always late and I think we'll soon see signs of life.
We may perhaps have wintered yet again!

Every dandilyon is blooming, which the hoverflies like. The wild strawberrys that are growing in the cracks in the paving have bloomed as well today. The garden rear only gets irregular sun , I didnt cut the lawn much last year, and ended up with too many heavy duty buttercups, so am going to aim for a more frequent mowing apart from a small patch of clover for the bees. The tall privet I am also reducing, birds like it, but there are not too many around owing to cats and a lack of food sources in the house gardens compared to the woods by the motorway.

The mint is making a brave show, things are starting to move. All we need to do now is get over this cold spell!

Stanley wrote: ↑16 Apr 2017, 07:54 The mint is making a brave show, things are starting to move.

I'm worried now. I split mine up and put it in a couple of pots last year, and there's no sign of it yet, whilst up in the frozen North yours is booming.

Mint is probably the hardest plant to kill, I shouldn't worry David. Mind you, mine is well established now and very vigorous!.

My mint is only just appearing, I have several types and on or two still look like dead twigs. However the garden seems greener by the day and my veggie plants have all germinated and are growing well in the greenhouse

Over the years one particular strain of mint appears to have ousted all the others, I think it's Apple Mint. It appears to be very tough and well suited to Barlick weather!
I think my Chives are overdue for splitting! The Ladslove is well established now and while it always looks dead at this time of the year it will return!

A month's worth of progress in the garden. Spring is coming on nicely, I shall use the first mint in my cooking today. The Ladslove is starting to grow as well!

Now is a good time to spot treat weeds in the garden or on paths with glyphosate. Very effective and not as damaging as some would have us believe. It saves a lot of time later in the year!

At last I have veggie plants big enough for their summer adventure in France. They weren't big enough to go last trip, except my runner beans, which once planted were seen off by the freak frost. My replacements have positively failed to germinate which means I won't have my favourite veg this year. I love runner beans but the French only sell an imported variety of flat bean. Rather tasteless and a bit stringy. You can't buy plants or seeds out there. I have tried all our local garden centres round Rochdale and not one has runner bean seedlings. I can have any number of French bean plants which are not worth growing as they are' cheap as chips' in France

I grow runner beans in the poly tunnel, but only half have germinated this year. They have only just come through and look weak and spindly. I'm going to try again, never too late!

The front garden at the end of May.



This is how it looked on the same day in 2016. I think we can say that Spring growth is further forward!

This years rhododendron flowers. View over to Colne. The Town Hall in the distance centre left a fraction above the trees.

I think we have wintered!

This years peonies have weathered much better than last years. Pity that you only get one flower per season. The back lawn has almost fully recovered from the de-mossing that I gave it earlier this year. Some weeding now required.

My monthly pic of the front garden. As you can see everything is flourishing and the mint smothers most weeds that try to grow. Minimal gardening. My neighbours have got used to the fact that I don't mind them picking the mint and it is well patronised......

Gardens look good.
Gold Medal to Plaques of course. Do you enter any competitions Plaques?

Marilyn, We don't do anything fancy like competitions or open days far too much work. Mrs P is the expert on plants I'am just the JCB (digger). You know the sort of thing. "dig a hole here and put the green bit to the top". I know my place. The main thing it gets me out of the house without having to travel too far. All very boring to some but each to his own.

Well, between the two of you, it looks wonderful.
My husband commented the other day that I am not doing the amount of gardening I used to do in our previous homes. I replied that there was a reason for that - I have worked my guts out creating gardens...then when they are looking beautiful we end up selling the house and moving! ( Ain't gonna happen again!)
I'm worried already that our current garden is starting to look OK with my minimal effort...I can't resist trimming and shaping things. I shall have to stop.

You can't Maz. It's in your genes and far better some evidence of care than a neglected plot!My mono-culture may be lazy but at least I have a garden that is alive and thriving.

Our tiny front plot is committed to fruit and veg, a bit more in the back yard sun trap but a lot of pots in there with lots of colour going on.