Kitchen Garden Forum

Yes, they've been out for a week or so now....it's been so sunny. It looks weird, though, to still have bluebells and roses out together.

I have yet to read all the posts on this thread, I just picked-up that my raised beds covering technique may be useful up north.
It's not as cold here Tiger, it's the salty wind that does the damage.

In the photo you can see I used enviromesh, this slows the wind down a lot and keeps the bugs away. Same technique can be used to build a polytunnel over your beds, these are four foot wide which make a nice radius for the blue pipe and the blue fits over 15mm copper tube. When you drill the timber be sure to dribble preserver in the holes.

Just had a potter round the greenhouse

I might get some strawberries soon too

It all looks very tidy Tiger, I'm hoping to get my lettuce and dwarf French beans in the border today. I wish I'd brought some strawberry plants in, that keen frost blackened quite a few of the flowers.

We've just had a sprinkle of rain but not enough to wet anything.

My strawberry plants are in flower which surprises me because whilst we had the odd warm day the classic spring east wind has been bitter and not a lot of protection for the strawberry plants. I will move them to a bed that I can cover with polythene for next year.

I hadn't realised that strawberry plants are hardy perennial, maybe half-hardy ? Mine survived winter though as I keep saying, "It's the cold, it's the wind coming off the sea that kills plants. "

I've always treated my strawbs as hardy, but then this the first time I've grown these French varieties.

Strawberry plants are completely hardy (normal varieties anyway) in fact the usual advice is that they need a period of cold to flower properly (not sure if I am as sceptical about that as the garlic advice), the flowers are not and can easily be damaged by frost.
It is my wife's birthday do next weekend and she is planning to include our strawberries.



There was mention in one post, I forget where, of over Winter Shenshyu Yellow Onion sets. I usually grow them from seed but last year I had poor germination of old seed so I bought sets. There were a lot in the packet so I tried some in the polytunnel that look like a good experiment.



The lovely weather has brought things on, we'll be eating Mangetout Delikett before long, probably dips next weekend.

Looking good Geoff! (But these lovely pics has bought on my polytunnel envy)!

Geoff, great photos and such advanced cultivation! Beware - I have found that set-grown Senshyu onions do not keep very well, nothing like as long as spring grown onions, especially grown from seed.

By the way, we are still using beautifully firm shallots (Jermor and Yellow Moon) from last year, no sign of sprouting yet.

Poly tunnel envy here too !

Ditto - poly tunnel envy.

Amazing looking plants and crops so early in the season.

Pawty

Something is bound to go wrong....

Oh-yes, Geoff's gardening is to be aspired too though overtime someone posts photos I go into aspiring-mode. Sad isn't it, I have lot's of skills, lots of work and fixing but just need to sit down a lot after my initial two to fours hour (Max) activity.

First the neglect.

And this is what I managed so-far.

These three photos illustrate at least one reason I didn't yet get to tidying the weed growth and last years growing. I planted (I can't remember the exact number) 110 mixed hedging plants that will hopefully take the place of those dreadful fencing posts that support the stock fence that keeps the sheep out and Beti in.