Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 20/11/2015(UTC) Posts: 6,400 Location: Central Southern England
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Here we go round again! 5 crocuses flowering, two snowdrop clumps showing bloom, and the early-planted garlics have-to my surprise- put up two tender hope-shoots (from many more planted). |
Bertie, Itchen Valley. Remember Finlake! |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 20/11/2015(UTC) Posts: 6,400 Location: Central Southern England
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5 snowdrop clumps, hellebores, crocuses and a dozen or more garlic shoots. The blossom on the local mirabelles is out. |
Bertie, Itchen Valley. Remember Finlake! |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 17/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 1,362 Location: Tonbridge, Kent
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As there's not much of interest going on with regard to the weather, my thoughts have returned to gardening. The winter-flowering jasmine has put on a good show this year, as we've hardly had any frosts which tend to kill off the flowers. The begonias that I planted last spring are still alive, though the tops of the old flower heads got nipped by the frost when we had some last year. There's a chance they might survive to next spring, though there's always the possibility of a late frost to do them in. A couple of weeks ago I got out and tied up my loganberry canes because the buds were starting to burst (two months early) and if I'd left it any longer there was the possibility of damaging them as I moved the canes around. Apart from that there's not much I can do as the ground is so sodden it isn't even possible to do any weeding. |
Angus; one of the Kent crew on TWO. 40m (131ft) asl |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 28,079  Location: Peasedown St John. N.E. Sommerset
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Cyclamen -Snowdrops - Geraniums and a Hellebourous Niger (Praecox) are in flower. Tete a tete Dafs ar well in the bud and showing color. Apricot trees are in leaf buds. Herbs have lasted out. Mint in the growing room. Parsley and Rosemary have been used a lot in the slow cooker. |
Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet. I Just Blow my horn
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 23/11/2008(UTC) Posts: 4,353  Location: Lincolnshire
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A beautiful sunny day has allowed me to do the first mow of the lawn, sweep up the last of the leaves and generally tidy up the garden. Green bin is full, so needed to use a "garden bag" - which is nearly full! Feeling very satisfied. Beer fridge is full so I can keep up my fluids as needed! Managed to bake 2 loaves of bread too! Roger 
Edited by user 13 March 2020 17:18:38(UTC)
| Reason: + bold |
RogerP West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire No county (Lincolnshire) has better churches and worse houses. The poorer sort of people wash their clothes with hog's dung, and burn dried cow's dung for want of better fuel; whence comes the Lincolnshire proverb: "Where the hogs shite soap and the cows shite fire". Curiosities of Great Britain (c.1780) |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 28,079  Location: Peasedown St John. N.E. Sommerset
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Apricot bush has buds and flowers opening out. First in 3 years. Wild strawberries are also in flower. They are planted in a large pot. |
Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet. I Just Blow my horn
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2012(UTC) Posts: 28,079  Location: Peasedown St John. N.E. Sommerset
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Newly arrived patio cherry tree ' Stella ' has arrived. Plenty of buds on it so need the frost to stay away. I have a good sheltered spot for it. |
Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet. I Just Blow my horn
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 09/08/2019(UTC) Posts: 1,165   Location: Ryarsh, kent
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On my front lawn I got tulips and daffodils but last two years they don't seem to flower. The leaves grow but no flowers. Perhaps time to let them go. Also the grass needs cutting but the ground is so spongy the the mower will probably just rip it up. Me shrubs are starting to sprout leaves. Really need to sort my garden the winter has trashed it. |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 16/08/2010(UTC) Posts: 5,939 Location: Leeds W Yorks
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What a beautiful day it is here today. Although I've been doing bits and bobs in the garden for a while this feels like the first real day of gardening for me. With preparations for a lockdown in mind I've sown a number of pots of herbs to grow indoors (should've done it sooner but never mind). I've also sown spinach, chard and lettuce. The garlic and leeks are coming along nicely and we still have plenty of chard and kale that has lasted over winter - although it is now starting to go to seed. Bumble bees are around, the sun is shining and the birds are singing, it's been a real tonic to get out.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 17/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 1,362 Location: Tonbridge, Kent
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My activities in the garden are all about dealing with the weeds at the moment. I've got loads of ragwort seedlings growing, a small variant of rosebay willowherb which is sprouting everywhere, the cuckoo pint has sprouted yet again (I'm having a determined campaign against it right now), dock seedlings, and I've just discovered creeping sow thistle. The bindweed and mares tail will be up soon, so thank goodness for weedkillers (glyphosate, and for the real tough ones SBK Brushwood Killer). |
Angus; one of the Kent crew on TWO. 40m (131ft) asl |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 20/11/2015(UTC) Posts: 6,400 Location: Central Southern England
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Originally Posted by: ktaylor  On my front lawn I got tulips and daffodils but last two years they don't seem to flower. The leaves grow but no flowers. Perhaps time to let them go. Also the grass needs cutting but the ground is so spongy the the mower will probably just rip it up. Me shrubs are starting to sprout leaves. Really need to sort my garden the winter has trashed it. You could try lifting and moving the bulbs. Also, a well-drained spot is better than a muddy lawn for many spring bulbs- not fritillaria of course. |
Bertie, Itchen Valley. Remember Finlake! |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 16/08/2010(UTC) Posts: 5,939 Location: Leeds W Yorks
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Originally Posted by: AJ*  My activities in the garden are all about dealing with the weeds at the moment. I've got loads of ragwort seedlings growing, a small variant of rosebay willowherb which is sprouting everywhere, the cuckoo pint has sprouted yet again (I'm having a determined campaign against it right now), dock seedlings, and I've just discovered creeping sow thistle. The bindweed and mares tail will be up soon, so thank goodness for weedkillers (glyphosate, and for the real tough ones SBK Brushwood Killer). not a fan of weed killers at all. Try leaving a few in, they are easy to manage without chemicals and fantastic for wildlife which needs all the help it can get at the moment.
I've got a lovely photo of a ragwort I left at the edge of a fence last year with three Gatekeeper butterflies on it.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 09/08/2019(UTC) Posts: 1,165   Location: Ryarsh, kent
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Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle  You could try lifting and moving the bulbs. Also, a well-drained spot is better than a muddy lawn for many spring bulbs- not fritillaria of course. Ok shall try that see how we get on. Didnt think of moving them. |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,705  Location: South Dorset
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 14,703  Location: Chichester 12m. asl
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Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle  You could try lifting and moving the bulbs. Also, a well-drained spot is better than a muddy lawn for many spring bulbs- not fritillaria of course. And divide the bulbs at the same time, overcrowding can lead to loss of flowering. But if you;ve got any spare cash this autumn, I'd say buy in new bulbs and pick varieties billed as suitable for naturalising, some hybrids lose their vigour after a while. |
It has been observed that less snow falls here than any other place of equal extent in the kingdom, occasioned by the shelter of the hills and the warmth of the sea breezes - Alexander Hay, Guide to Chichester, 1805 |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 02/05/2006(UTC) Posts: 23,042 Location: Northeast Hampshire
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Maybe a bit early but my courgette plants were taking over the windowsill so I planted two of them out yesterday. Hopefully we won't see a repeat of the frosts we had at the start of the week but I'll be keeping an eye on the forecast and get some fleece over them if it looks like turning cold again. I've also got tomatoes and butternut squash seedlings in pots inside, and carrots, lettuce and peas sown in the raised beds. It's nice having enough time at home to do all this stuff! |
Yateley, NE Hampshire, 73m asl. |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 4,579  
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Originally Posted by: NMA  
That's a nice piece. Hard work turning grassland to a vegetable patch! |
Lionel Hutz
Nr.Waterford , S E Ireland 68m ASL
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 16/08/2010(UTC) Posts: 5,939 Location: Leeds W Yorks
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Originally Posted by: Rob K  Maybe a bit early but my courgette plants were taking over the windowsill so I planted two of them out yesterday. Hopefully we won't see a repeat of the frosts we had at the start of the week but I'll be keeping an eye on the forecast and get some fleece over them if it looks like turning cold again. I've also got tomatoes and butternut squash seedlings in pots inside, and carrots, lettuce and peas sown in the raised beds. It's nice having enough time at home to do all this stuff![/quote ] Oof! A bit risky that . I know exactly what you mean though, every window in my house is covered with trays and pots! One of the positives of lockdown is the amount of gardening I've been able to get done and because most garden centres are closed we've grown a lot from seed this year. I'm going to wait a bit with my courgettes - especially up here in the frozen north - but I'm thinking it might have been better to sow them a little later as they are taking up a fair bit of room. Edited by user 17 April 2020 11:51:54(UTC)
| Reason: Dunno why it's put my reply into your post but never mind.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,705  Location: South Dorset
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For what it's worth and to avoid the hassle of sowing seed, it's probably easier to buy for 45p or so, those pots of parsley you often find in supermarkets. Far far cheaper than most garden centre offerings. They are often a bit floppy but if you cut them back by a third and repot into a decent compost or even plant them in open ground they soon produce fresh growth. Otherwise parsley from seed can take an age and a half to germinate. However for dill and basil, both are very easy to grow from seed yourself if you can find seeds nowadays. Thyme is easy from cuttings once you have a decent plant but you must keep it well trimmed so it produces fresh leaves.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 28/10/2008(UTC) Posts: 21,071  Location: Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire, East Midlands
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Originally Posted by: Rob K  Maybe a bit early but my courgette plants were taking over the windowsill so I planted two of them out yesterday. Hopefully we won't see a repeat of the frosts we had at the start of the week but I'll be keeping an eye on the forecast and get some fleece over them if it looks like turning cold again.
I've also got tomatoes and butternut squash seedlings in pots inside, and carrots, lettuce and peas sown in the raised beds. It's nice having enough time at home to do all this stuff! Same here Rob! Our daughter did most of the seed sowing and I now have three varieties of tomatoes, courgette, runner beans, French beans and chilies. All are pricked out into pots and hardening off in the garden by day and on our veranda by night. I’ve also sown a trough of cut and come again salad leaf. It’s taking longer each day to carry them all back and forth and they really need planting out. I’m going to risk it with all but the chilies, keep an eye on the forecast for frost and fleece them if necessary. |
Market Warsop, North Nottinghamshire. Join the fun and banter of the monthly CET competition. Discuss monthly temperatures and records.
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