Kitchen Garden Forum

I always feel it a shame that owners of trees like apple trees never permanently identify their trees when they plant them. I've lost count of people I know who moved into a house with a fruit tree, but especially apple trees and when asked what variety it is they invariably have to answer "Oh I don,t know, it was here when we moved in. For some people I suppose it doesn,t matter and "apples are just apples" but it,s always nice to know exactly what you're eating especially if it,s something you really like and want to buy more of, or indeed replace, if your tree ever dies or you move hiuse and want another or the same variety.

A good thought Primrose.

The other thought I had was that it would be nice for gardeners to hand over photos of their gardens at different seasons of the year when selling a hiuse. If you buy your property in winter you perhaps have little idea what existing plants and bulbs may be lurking beneath the bare soil in borders and may have to wait 12 months to see a garden through it's full cycle before you can start planning what to do. For some people this may be a pleasant wait of anticipation but for others it might be nice to know what bulbs, etc are planted where, so that you don,t go out and spend money, on items, or find that in spring the bare soil or barren looking area is transformed into a mass of colour or structural interest.

Our current housee was a new build so we didntr have this problem and had to plan from scratch. I suppose it all depends on how keen a gardener you are but passing information on about soil type, acidity etc can sometimes save people from making expensive mistakes, especially if moving from one area to the country to another where conditions are very different.

Greenhouse cleared & washed down. I was prepped with the handy hand thing, no gaps between trouser hems & sock, & gloves over the sleeves & bobble hat. I'm sure the neighbours were confused as I did the spider dance in anticipation of everything I picked up & threw out the door but only 1 garden spider in there & little diddy ones, even in the accumulated stuff Mr Westi was to take to the dump, which is now gone as well. Lovely to have the extra space back but short-lived excitement as 3 of the cats decided it would be a fine place to spend the winter - after all why would I stack the mushroom crates in there???

Your cats Westi? I can not see how any cat, which are notoriously warmth loving animals, would choose a greenhouse over a proper indoors.

I've had to put a dish of water in my greenhouse as my cat climbs in through the automatic vent and can't get out again. He's ok in summer when I leave the door open but on sunny cold days he's trapped. It doesn't seem to worry him but I have to warn pet sitters to check if he's in there when I'm away.

Hi Stephen!

Cat logic? Maybe proper sunbathing can't be achieved indoors & they need the vitamin D or something? They stay indoors if it is raining, the greenhouse is for sunny days.

PLUMPUDDING wrote:I've had to put a dish of water in my greenhouse as my cat climbs in through the automatic vent and can't get out again. He's ok in summer when I leave the door open but on sunny cold days he's trapped. It doesn't seem to worry him but I have to warn pet sitters to check if he's in there when I'm away.

I think cats get bored and often like to have a link to the outdoors to keep an eye on their territory. . We used to have a cat who would habitually climb into a neighbour's car for a kip as he was in the habit of leaving his car windows open in summer. The guy used to work shifts and one evening about 5 pm was attacked by this howling banshee leaping on him from behind when he was halfway down the road driving off to work!

Gave the greenhouse glass a good wash and disinfect, will need a wipe to get in the small corners to finish it, outside can wait until the spring. Already what will grow where next year.

Taken in my local forest recently

LOvely pic. Make a good entry for the BBC's Countryfile calendar?

In awe of your pic tiger

Yesterday I chopped off all the frosted stems of dahlias, fushias and cosmos so there's very little colour in the garden now apart from the winter pansies and a few brave osteospermum flowers. Its going to feel a long long haul until the spring bulbs start flowering !

And our injured wood pigeon who comes to the patio door every day at mealtimes like clockwork to be fed hasn,t appeared for a week now so we fear her time may have come. She'd been coming for several years and have no idea what the average life of a wood pigeon is but it seems very strange no seeing her turn up for breakfast every morning.

I have to agree.....the bark on the tree, is absolutely stunning....

Lawns just cut again. Grass still growing strongly. Seems the days are gone when the mower would have been put into retirement for the winter before now. A by product of global warming ?