Making space for Tomato Plants - Greenhouse

 Yesterday update - Spent all afternoon and evening in the greenhouse trying to make space for my tomato , cucumber and sweet pepper plants .

As you can see from the slimy trails on the window , the slugs and snails are waking up big time .

I apologise for the dark pictures but the sun was just beginning to go down .

My task was to move all the cacti up to the far end of the greenhouse , so that I can grow the Tomatoes nearer the door so that I can reach to pick them without doing myself an injury from the cacti . Last year I grew them too far up into the corner and I just couldn't reach !

I had to make space under the bench too . The plants will be growing in the same grow pot/bags that I used last year . I found I could squish in more plants than if I'd used rigid plastic pots or tubs . These will be set on long plastic trays to catch water .

The sweet peppers will be on top of the bench fighting for space and light in amongst the tomatoes and cucumbers . It's a tough life , but there you go !  

I will pot these into their final bag/pots today . The pot/bags will only be partially filled with compost and I will top them up as the plants grow . The plants will put out more roots along their stems , thus making stronger plants . I also have to fix up the strings , from floor to the rafters of the greenhouse roof to wind the tomato and cucumber vines around as they grow . 

Oh ..and I also quickly planted out the first wave of Dwarf French Beans into my husband's veg trug for him . A bit early I know . Taking a risk I know . Sometimes this pays off ! Fingers crossed . The spinach , coriander, dill, spring onions and lettuces and a couple of strawberries all doing fine . The Flashy Trout Lettuces have turned bright red in the recent wild gales ....the ones in the shed are bigger and more green with speckled red leaves . We have already had two pickings from these and along with some fresh mint leaves from elsewhere in the garden , we enjoyed delicious salads and sandwiches .

I am going to sow more French Beans and lettuces in the shed today , to keep 'm coming !

                                  Wishing you all a beautiful , beautiful weekend  !  xxx

Musa Ensete "Maurelii" - planning where to put them this year 🌿

 Beautiful sunny morning , blue sky , freezing cold Easterly breeze ! brrrr !

So a quick walk around the garden . Apple blossom now appearing .

Peony lutea that I grew from the lovely shiny black seeds my brother gave me  .

                           Enjoyed the heavenly honey fragrance of my Azara tree .

                                    The Gunneras  are also waking up .

I wonder who will be nesting in the birdhouse this year ? 

The cold wind was blowing too hard to get a good picture of the lovely red Acer .

                                         Out with the spade and dig a big hole .

I am trying to decide where to plant the Banana plants this year . I want it to look fab from several different angles . I put the post in there so I can walk away and get a better idea of it . 

The Azaleas and Rhododendrons will all be putting on their show any day now . The rose at the front needs to be cut hard back because I want it to flower later and I will need to cut off that Holly bough .

This area is on a slope , so I really have to be sure to plant things higher up the slope than I at first think . If you don't have a sloping garden, then you probably won't  understand what I mean .

There is a strange tendency to plant things too far forward .  I get a better idea from the upstairs windows of our cottage  . It needs to look good for me from my bedroom window .

The Bananas are still in their shelter zone and look dreadful at the moment due to the man not coming back to fix the new woodshed roof .

Anyway..... Musa Ensete "Maurelii" The gorgeous red leaved bananas .

 I am waking them up gently , watering them just a little bit every now and then and they are beginning to respond . I will be planting them out in about three weeks time . I like to get the hole dug while the earth is soft . 

And now I've had enough of this freezing cold breeze . I'm going in . I'm lighting the fire and am going to enjoy a nice cuppa tea and do some stitching .

                                           

     Little schooner embroidery update -Flower of the Fal - See over on my Cornish Needlework Blog .

                                                    Have a beautiful day !  🌞🦋💚 x

The Awakening

 

                                                     I am in love !

Agave salmiana var.ferox

 

                                                     Agave salmiana var.ferox 

I have so many things that I should have been doing today in the garden ,  like potting on my courgette and tomato seedlings  , but I had one thing on my mind and that was a nasty bramble that was coming up through the bottom of my gorgeous Agave .Can you see it ?  Ugh ...it was going to be a horrible tortuous job ! 

I got  down on my kneeler and pulled away the slabs of rock and slate that I have arranged around it's base which direct the rain away from it's roots . Delighted to find a couple of offshoots 😃 !

                  I pulled away the old rotten leaves .....ouch ...ouch...ouch !

                      .....and squeals of delight , found even more pups !

                      All of a sudden it is not such a horrible job after all  .

                 Now feeling very pleased with myself  and I got that bramble out !

                                        Whoo hoo !  Very ,very happy me !

Off up to the shed .  They all had a couple of roots and the pale ones will soon green up .

I got them all potted up .

                                      .............and one in a hanging basket !

Agave salmiana var.ferox .......in my opinion the best one !

                            The sexy, shiny dark green one ....with shark teeth .

                                " ferox "Latin translation to English is "fierce "

                                                Wow ! I love it !

Going to need some first aid , TCP and some serious hand pampering before I do any embroidery this evening ! 

                                             🌿   Very happy me though  !   🌿

Easter Sunday in the Garden

 

All my seeds are germinating up in the shed and it really is a joy to see .  Soon they will need to be planted out and Oh  my goodness , I need to get these beds , harvested and cleared to make room for everything !

I only have five small vegetable beds , four of which are chock-a-block full of leeks onions , garlic , kale and Purple Sprouting Broccoli  . The fifth bed being the Keyhole bed for the Butternut Squashes and maybe one Pumpkin ....note to self - I need to get in there and pull out flaming bindweed !

I grew the "Large American Flag " variety of Leek last year . I am a little bit disappointed  with them , as you can see , they are on the small side . The parsnips didn't do very well either . I think this was partly due to the very hot weather that we experienced last summer . 

We have had tons of Purple Sprouting Broccoli , Cavolo Nero Kale , Rossignol Kale  and the garlic is looking sensational .

The Autumn planted red onion sets  , got nibbled by the rabbits and I'm not sure they will recover . I'm not going to bother with planting Spring sets . I am growing little bunches of Spring onions and will make sure to cover them from my bunnies  .This year I will grow even more leeks , but just the good ol' reliable varieties .

We have been delighted to see Stoats running about the garden . At first I thought they were squirrels until one stopped right in front of me on the lawn where I sat relaxing with my embroidery .  I said " Hello , who are you ? " and away he scooted . 

Oh my goodness they are SO cute !  

And I am told ..they eat rabbits !  eek !  So , along with the Buzzards and Red Kites and the beautiful Fox , they might just help reduce the bunny population ..ew..I don't like to think of that , but I guess that's just nature .   I love them all really ! I live in harmony with them .

So I gathered everything I could for the fridge and freezer .

In the shed the lettuces are almost ready to harvest . I'm already picking Coriander from a tub by the kitchen door and salad days will soon be here again . I hope the weather won't be so extreme .

Tomato plants almost ready to re-pot again and enough spare plants for a couple of my neighbours , if they would like them .

Hopefully there will be spare Courgette plants and some other things if all goes well . 

                     Cleared away the remaining stalks .

                                                This bed will be cleared next . 

The warm weather we,ve been having has made the kale bolt  We have been eating most of these very tasty leaves through the winter .

                 Now I have to think about what will be going in next .

                                Rhubarb ....yum !

I weeded around the base of the Phoenix canariensis  and put down some woodchip to smarten it up a bit .

                           I love to see these little ferns growing in the leaf base pockets .

                                       Even a couple of Foxgloves have moved in .

I haven't got the heart to split up this big mat of Primroses , as my daughter suggested . Maybe I will do that after they finish flowering . 

                                        Lovely Borage . Borage for courage !

Hope you are having a relaxing weekend . And if you celebrate it ...a very Happy Easter .