Harlow Carr

[Catherine]

We've been to Harlow Carr today. We did not know it but today was a Grow your own veggies day. Very interesting. It was bitterly cold when the sun went in but it was lovely. The azaleas where out and the trees were coming into leaf and the colours were amazing. In the veggie garden they had broad beans at various stages. But curiously they had planted their other beds across at an angle instead of side to side which made the rows of seedlings longer. I was quite impressed. But I do think their plants in the nursery are expensive. Altogether a very nice day with our granddaughter. Shame but my husband's new camera decided to stop working half way round!! When we came home I went out to water the new plants in our back garden and have been hammered with the midges. What has everyone else been getting up to today? (We still have not had any significant rain just a little shower yesterday) We worked on the lottie yesterday so decided to take the day off today.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Catherine, glad you all had a good day at Harlow Carr.

As for the rows running at angles, i'm wondering if they had done this so the rows run from North to South, as to get equal amounts of sun either side of the row.

I've been busy potting plants up nearly all day today and eating lots of course.

[Catherine]

Thank you OH I was wondering if that was the reason for the rows but some were in waves and some were in semi-circles. I suppose if they are at an angle you would get more in the row in a small box. What kind of plants have you been potting up? I have brought the butternut squash plants which I planted in 12" pots and put out last week back in the PT as they seem to have been going backwards. SO I will wait another week and try again. Have been wondering what you have been eating while you were potting plants?

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Catherine, i've been potting on toms, cues, courgettes and marrows, but also been potting on huge amounts of bedding plants and perrenials.

I have been most civilized today and actually stopped for meals, had a nice roast dinner tonight with more of my new potatoes.

[Catherine]

I really enjoy potting on plants and seeing them progess. I find it very relaxing. I used to do loads of roasts but my family have grown away and now there are only two of us and we hardly do them any more. Tonight we have had home made spag bol which I made this morning (with loads of fresh herbs) at 5.30am when my OH and granddaughter were still in bed. I went for a walk at 6.15 it was absolutely lovely.

[oldherbaceous]

I just love early mornings.

Although i'm very concerned, the shed roof is white this morning, so i don't know if the frost has caught much. These things happen so i'm not to upset.
Part and parcel of life really.

[Catherine]

I too love early mornings. I had a cracking walk yesterday morning while everyone else was fast asleep. I've just noticed my roof is also white I hope my butternuts are okay I planted them out last week. And my dwarf beans.

[alan refail]

OH

I hope everything survived the cold morning. Touch of grass frost even here this morning, but generally well above 40F. You sound refreshingly philosophical

[oldherbaceous]

Just been and had a look, the frost has caught the Runner Beans a little, but i think they will grow out of it.

If the Lord gives us another frost, i'm not going to wind the Church clock for a week.

Thanks for your concern Alan.

[PLUMPUDDING]

We had a very keen frost last night, I noticed it was rather chilly when I called the cat in and decided to go and put fleece on the potatoes. I checked the greenhouse and it was only 5C and falling, so I covered everything in there in fleece and put the soil warming cables on and the heater.

I'm glad I did as it had gone down to minus 3C by morning in the unheated end of the greenhouse. A couple of the tomatoes look a bit blue, but everything else in the greenhouse seems to be OK. Outside a potato I missed looks a bit black round the edges of its leaves but should recover. I'm very glad I didn't plant the beans out as I was very tempted to with the warm weather last week. I can remember Dad being caught out the last couple of weeks in May and having to re-sow, so I decided to be cautious.

Hope everyone else's plants are OK

[Monika]

There was a keen frost here this morning too. Luckily we had everything slightly tender well covered with fleece and anything that could be carried went into the greenhouse. Even there, the thermometer went down to 1 degree. The forecast for tonight is for lower temperatures still, but then it's warming up again, they say..

We really do need some rain now, though. Our last measurable rainfall was on 1 May (10mm) and nothing since then. We've been watering as much as we can but can't really plant anything else out until the ground gets softened a little!

Maybe we'll get a sodden June, it often works that way, doesn't it?