Sewing, stitching, baking, cooking, gardening, shopping and general homemaking.

Monday 30 May 2016

Vegetable Progress So Far

Feeling a bit fed up that the weather is still cold, today there is a cold wind from the north.  I have started to put some things outside...


The peas and courgettes are doing well.  I'm leaving the peas without any supports, they are in a deep tub so I'm hoping they'll hang over the sides as they get bigger.  The courgettes like it in this spot at the (outside) end of the greenhouse, very pleased with how they are doing, there have been some male flowers on them already.

The salad leaves have been doing great.  I did have to move them to a partly shaded area, too much sun and they wilted.  This mix is chervil, mizuna, parcel and pak choi.  I recognise the chervil and pak choi but not sure of the other two, it all tastes nice though and I've had loads off them.

Tuesday 10 May 2016

Rain on Rhubarb

There's a nice, gentle, rain today, just what the garden needs.  Still nothing in my Veg Trug and I'd spent the last few days watering it anyway, it dries out very quickly, so this rain is doing a nice job of moistening the compost.

Here's a picture of my rhubarb...

It's really massive this year.  None of it is harvested yet, I have to rely on my husband to do this for me (due to not being able to bend down because of my bad back).  I stewed quite a bit of it last year and froze it, it came in very useful for pies, often I added some other fruit to the pies for a bit of variety.

Talking of bad backs, I'm recording on this blog this year how I get on not doing any bending or leaning over in my veg growing.  This means I have to rely on help from my husband, so far he's doing a good job and seems to have more enthusiasm for veg growing than he normally does, he's more of a flower garden person.

Monday 9 May 2016

Peas in a Tub


I took this picture on Saturday immediately after transplanting these peas into a big tub. Today, Monday, they have grown quite a bit already.  I've not grown peas in a tub before. This tub had a scruffy looking perennial in it that wasn't adding anything to the look of my garden.  So, took it out and left the original soil in the bottom of the tub and topped it up with new compost.  We'll see how it goes.  I should be able to manage these pea plants much better than the ones I usually put in the ground.

Noticed this morning that my carrot seeds are sprouting, really pleased about that.  I will be using the thinnings in my new Veg Trug.  Nothing in the Veg Trug yet, still deciding what else to put in there, a strawberry plant probably.  Maybe some radishes, they'll grow quickly while I wait for some of my seedlings to be big enough for planting out.