That’s interesting reading your post Meg. It seems there isn’t a lot of difference in your crops to mine. I always say that there’s about two weeks difference in progress between here and Derbyshire but add a few days where you live.
My tomatoes this year are extremely good for lush growth but I think that’s my fault, to much nitrogen and not enough potash.
The runner beans were started in the poly tunnel and were planted out about a week earlier than I would have normally done because no frost was forecast. They are about 24 ins high and doing well.
Red and green cabbage doing well. Potatoes doing well. French beans late set and started in the tunnel doing well and will be planted out tomorrow.
My beans are very slow as well Meg, guess it’s just not been warm enough, although they seem to be moving a little now but only up to around 18"…:shock:
That is still much better that mine Barry though I got off to a slow start this year not wanting to plant my beans inside to coincide with my being away on holiday in case they dried out .
I already have a new strategy in mind for next year…
I may even have to move to Scotland
My fruit garden is looking really good and I think it’s going to be a bumper year for some things. I have been pulling rhubarb for around four weeks, and the gooseberries now look ready for picking…methinks I may need a bigger freezer…
Hi Barry, veggie in my garden is looking better than it has looked for many years. The runner beans are about 6ft tall and have flowers on, the brassicas are growing like crazy and looking very healthy. Not many apples or pears after a heavy crop last year but raspberries, gooseberries and plums are all looking good. I too will need a bigger freezer !
Two years ago while browsing my local garden centre I came across a Tree Lupin ( Lupinus Arboreus). I had never seen one or even heard of them. It was about 12 inches tall and looking very sorry for itself. I took it home and soaked it for about four hours then popped it in a large container where it quickly grew in size. Spring of last year I had to break the container to remove the plant as the rootball had really grown. It was then planted in my garden where it bloomed profusely all through the summer and attracted comments from my neighbours. This year it has doubled in size again 5ft x 4ft and is covered in the most beautiful blue flowers. This morning I bought a yellow tree lupin and a white tree lupin…cant wait for the summer of 2015!
Lovely plants and flowers Gordan but too thuggish for my garden, I cram plants in and won’t allow my biggest shrubs to get wider than 3ft. Good luck with the new purchases.
Lovely gooseberries Barry, I have about half your amount.
I’m extremely jealous of your runner beans Alan. Mine are just sending off the first runner to catch the cane.
After the last couple of days rain and warmth, everything is looking fresh and green.
Barry you lucky thing I love gooseberries. I haven’t seen any gooseberry sawflies on my one bush this year thank goodness . I won’t have many fruit though because I pruned it back hard last year and it is looking much better for it :-).
My rhubarb has disappeared without a trace :shock: I think maybe because it was in a cold dark corner of the garden…
Well Meg, we got so fed up waiting for the beans that we’ve put in some peas between the rows! (now watch them compete for space )
I have a ‘salad box’ (3’x3’) and the ‘cut and come again’ lettuce are doing very well - and one cucumber in the greenhouse is about 10" but still too skinny to pick
Hello Gwyn I am a novice gardener too and don’t have a greenhouse just 2 raised beds and tubs mainly .
It’s amazing what can be grown in them …
This will be my first year of strawberries, I had masses last year but they all went moldy…
80 is a respectable number Gwyn, don’t the grandkids just love the garden… My strawberries are just starting to ripen and I’ve netted them over against the birds. Like you though Meg they all rotted last year because of the cold and wet, as did all my summer raspberries, but this is certainly a much more of a normal growing season and all we need now is a little more sun to ripen the fruit off…so fingers crossed everyone eh…
I give my strawberries an occasional feed with liquid tomato feed Meg when the fruits are swelling, but my biggest problem this year are the b****y blackbirds, I have the plants netted over and reflective tapes strung across them but still they are getting attacked by them…
I’ve been picking gooseberries again today, 7lbs just thinning out four bushes to encourage some of the smaller fruits to expand a bit more, but my fingers and arms are scratched to hell with the enormous thorns…:shock:, so if anyone hears of a thornless gooseberry variety then let me know, and I’ll buy half a dozen…
Thanks Barry I started the tomato feed the other day having seen it on the Gardeners World page , every 10 days it says.
You are lucky with the Gooseberries I will have enough for a serving on my one pruned bush but they are not quite ready yet.
My raspberries were looking great but now some of the leaves have turned yellow I am not sure if it is a virus or my fault, too much watering or feeding maybe.
though I got off to a slow start this year not wanting to plant my beans inside to coincide with my being away on holiday in case they dried out .
)
