Kitchen Garden Forum

I was up real early yesterday as i was off fishing ice all over the car i was 10 miniutes trying to clear it ,on monday one of my friends down the plot offered me some runner beans which i declined as we are not keen on them ,she texted me yesterday she has lost the lot overnight to the frost even though they where in her greenhouse, it is still early in the growing season to cold at night for most plants

I've now got three nice rows of black leaved potatoes...

I am expecting ours to look the same OH

Dear Retropants, there is a bonus to this, they won't all be ready at the same time.

I am thankful that a few of my early tomatoes planted out under individual large water bottle cloches have survived but they may yet have a fit of the sulks. Just shows it never pays to plant out all your your seedlings etc at the same time and to hold a few back.

Frost forecast for tonight again! Be prepared!
Last Sunday's minus 4C even nipped the leaves of our broad beans - the first time it's ever done that.

First continuous heavy rain for weeks. Looks like a greenhouse day.

It should get the peas off to a good start that I sowed yesterday and it should have brought the worms up too for the birds to feed their young.

Very wet here, rain is steady drizzle at the moment. Shed and greenhouse day I reckon.

Had a nice day out yesterday, a friend had given me tickets to the Sony Photography Competition's exhibition at Somerset House, so we went up to London. Hadn't been to Somerset House before, its big! Impressive sequenced and walk in, multi jet fountain in the courtyard. Also visited Covent Garden and Leicester Square, ate in Chinatown.

Sounds as if you had a pleasant day, Peter.

Been in the greenhouse sowing, sunflowers, cosmos, lettuce. cabbage and more french beans. just going back out to pot on a hundred geraniums.

Good Morning people

The rain forecast for yesterday didn't arrive and it was a brilliant day.
Our plot is pretty much up to date so gave a hand on a neighbouring plot.

Had rain overnight, now grey overcast but not raining. Just off to garden centre for a browse.
Nothing in mind to purchase other than some compost to top up the raised beds.

It's chucking it down with rain here. So glad I got stuff done in the garden at home yesterday, while husband went to the allotment. Despite digging and wearing a jumper, I was quite chilly all afternoon.

Sods law that it should be raining today when we have friends from out of town coming through. We were planning on going to Fort Paull to the WW2 Extravaganza but I'm not sure about that now! See what our pals say when they arrive.

Tylical wet bank holiday weather here. Considering we have three bank holidays in quick succession in spring I can't understand why we don't move one of them to the summer months when the weather might be more reliable. I'm sure many working people might appreciate having their breaks more evely spaced ,
Mind you, we need the rain here. This is the dryest spring I can remember for a while. I'm hoping this is not going to mean another dreaded hosepipe ban later in the year .

Bright sun, blue sky and white cloud. 17 degrees on plot with westerly wind. Fair breeze but it's not to chill.

Lovely.

Might go back and sow some carrots

Took until about 10am for the rain to clear down here but turned out perfect afterwards. Managed to clear the nettles around the compost - & Yep got stung! Got the last main crop potatoes in, earthed up the others, played seek the parsnip seedling (couldn't find them & as 3 weeks now since I sowed them I sowed some more), moved onto hunt the beans but once again the mice have beaten me but it is mice 2: Westi 1 as they have left the peas alone - but it is my 3rd sowing! Highlight of the day was putting up the bug hotel (Lidl & only £3 something), finding little embryo plums on Plum Beauty & harvesting some more beautiful Asparagus!

Westi
PS: The blossom is fantastic this year - fingers crossed for a great fruit harvest!

I played that traditional game today "Stick the Peas" - thought my two rows of Greenshaft looked quite well.