Early Summer Bits and Bobs.

[oldherbaceous]

Lifted my Elephant garlic Friday, and I wasn’t overly impressed with the size….must try harder next year.

[Primrose]

Am sure it's not due to your lack of effort OH. At te end of the day the weather is an overwhelming fierce competitor and it doesn't play by the rules either!

[oldherbaceous]

I’ve tried to do as little watering as possible this year, Primrose and i’m sure this hasn’t helped….

[Primrose]

Have you had many of those life bulblets around th ops OH.
What do you do with them?
Do you replant them in an d apotsomewhere and if thee shoo up thllwing yr, how long so ey take becoming mature bulbs yiu can do some twitch?

I,ve always had limited success with them. They regrow but loo like "pseudo leeks" with no bulb forming.
Does it take longer then one season forthis process to take place? Any garlic experts round here?

[peter]

Lifted my Elephant garlic Friday, and I wasn’t overly impressed with the size….must try harder next year.

Won't be lifting mine for a while, still got good green leaves. Must remember to cane-mark them all, had some volunteers this spring.

[Stephen]

I guess I should thin these apples. I'm delighted with the potential crop as these are only in their second year.

[Monika]

I always envy people who can grow apples - too high up and too windy here.

My daughter and I harvested lots of peas, broad beans and quite a bit of tender stem broccoli this morning. My OH had some for his lunch but my daughter took most of it to share with the family. The shallots are going yellow and tipping over, so should be ripening soon, but the garlic is still green and upright.

[Westi]

Hi Primrose,

The little bulbs on Elephant Garlic take 2 years until they will bulb so a time investment needed. I have started some from my harvested ones just altogether in a pot & if they look like they are rooting I pot on singly & then up the pot size for year 2 ready to plant out in year 3. The reality of this is I will have to move them when next years sowing starts & then I'll forget about them & they won't get the appropriate attention & probably die.

In fact just writing this I am thinking just buy them each year Westi!

[Shallot Man]

Stephen. Nice crop of apples. Reminds me of a programme on the box long time ago. The gardener [in Japan] would remove leaves obscuring the fruit so that the sun could get to them.

[oldherbaceous]

Something to make you smile.

There used to be a farmer down the road, that grew giant Dahlias….he was that good at it, he often used to beat the big boys at the national shows.
So I thought I would grow 10 of them, in 2 varieties, this year….I told my eldest Son all about them and that the blooms would be as big as large dinner plates!
Well have cut my first 2, one the size of a tea plate and one the size of a tea cup….my Son is in absolute stitches…

I’m confident the following flowers will be a lot bigger.

[Westi]

OH I'm sure they will be, my first flowering are small but will get bigger as they grow more. I no longer have a clue of the names of mine, long forgotten so have 'exotic' names for them like the Red Spiky petals, the Yellow Curled petals etc. But one is just called my 'Happy Flower'! It cheers me to see it & other plot holders also comment on it. The first wee flower is just coming out but the following ones will be bigger & abundant!

IMG_6393.JPG (2.51 MiB) Viewed 4094 times

Cute & cheerful isn't it?

[oldherbaceous]

I love your chosen names, Westi and the flowers will brighten up the dullest of days…

[Monika]

I just had to let SOMEbody know: my grandson Chris reached the top of Kilimanjaro at 4am this morning on a five-day charity climb in memory of his younger brother Rob whom we lost in February. He has already raised more than £12,000 for Sarcoma UK.

[oldherbaceous]

Now that is wonderful news, Monika, and a very substantial amount of money too….Chris must have been quite emotional, when he reached the top.

[Primrose]

Wonderful achievement Monika. You must be very proud of his effort and the funds he's raised. Being a non athletic type myself I doubly admire those who have the physical resilience to tackle these feats.