My Garden

Idle chat

Last post 21-11-2009 11:19 PM by richardpeeej. 4419 replies.

• 21/02/2009 12:20 PM

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1,104

  Reply | Contact Hi all, Well done Miranda in getting so much done. Enjoy your eggs - they are just SOOOO much better than shop bought ones. Yes I feed them layers pellets and also some corn, I think Baldrick prefers the corn! I also give them porridge on cold days made with milk. They love most left overs too, even mince and mash! The funniest one is to watch them eating left over spagetthi - they go mad for it, I think that they think they're worms Thats a lovely idea Foxn' to plant something in remembrance of Hutch - I'm sure Sue1002 will come up with a good idea for planting in shade. The seeds I planted were the ones I got from the RHS seed distributions scheme, (20 packets), I went for mainly tall perenials, Delphiniums, Eremus Lily, Digitalis, and loads which just have the latin names and I'm useless at remembering them, I had to google image them all before I ordered, just to see what they were!! All in all a very tall, very colourful selection, just hope they germinate!

• 21/02/2009 04:02 PM

  Anemone Location: County Down, Northern Ireland Joined on: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 575

  Reply | Contact Hi everyone.  It's been busy on here again and I've been too busy with work this week to get much time.  Sorry for your loss Foxnfirefly, what about spring bulbs for Hutch's memorial?  They would cope well with the shade under a tree and whatever's in flower now should be in flower at this time every year. We have a dry but dull day - I'm feeling virtuous as I cleaned windows this morning - something I absolutely hate doing but they were in dire need.  Had hoped to cut the grass this afternoon but I have an electric start mower and the charge has run down over the winter so it's charging in the garage now - hopefully I'll get that done tomorrow. I only use multi-purpose compost too Sue1002 so I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one.  I just pick it over and remove any large lumps when sowing seeds.  Those fresh eggs sound wonderful Susiq and Miranda - if vegetables straight from the garden taste 100 times better than the supermarket ones then I'm sure it's the same for eggs too.    Anemone

• 21/02/2009 04:58 PM
  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1,104	Reply | Contact Ha ha very virtuous indeed Anenome, well done! I don't mind cleaning windows, its cleaning the oven I absolutely detest with a vengeance The ground is still far too wet here to even contemplate cutting the grass! Its been cold and windy here, but I have managed to plant some more seeds this afternoon, including the Tigeralla toms and lemon grass sent by Sue1002 (thanx!)

• 22/02/2009 09:58 AM

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200

  Reply | Contact The ground is too wet here too to even contemplate any grass cutting, and needs a while longer to dry out. It was glorious weather here yesterday and I got out in the garden and pruned the clems that needed doing and cut down some perennials where all the seeds have been eaten by the birds, it was surprising how much different the place looks just by cutting down a few plants.  Lots of spring bulbs are sending up their leaves and the crocus's are in flower. I made the lemon cheesecake yesterday Anemone, it was very nice and we will finish it off today.  Have you ever used the same recipe with different flavours of jelly and maybe mixed some fruit in it?  we thought it might be worth a try. Well done for getting some more seeds sown Susiq, when I checked the greenhouse yesterday, one out of the four of the tom varieties I sowed on Monday were just starting to germinate. sue1002

• 22/02/2009 12:59 PM

  Anemone Location: County Down, Northern Ireland Joined on: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 575

  Reply | Contact Glad you liked the cheesecake Sue1002.  I've never made it in different flavours, I love lemon too much, though I think it would work just as well.  When you've tried it let me know. Isn't it lovely getting out into the garden, drinking in the smells?  I've just finished the grass and it wasn't bone dry but it was by no means wet either.  The garden looks so tidy afterwards too.  I'd forgotten about the bulbs I put in at the bottom of the garden last autumn.  My aunt cleared the borders in her front garden - she's 70 this year - and decided to grass them over and just concentrate on the back garden.  I went down to help her uproot some of the bigger shrubs and was given hundreds of bulbs that were dug out at the same time.  There are cyclamen, snowdrops, crocuses, daffodills and lots more green shoots that I can't yet identify.  I'm hoping some of them are bluebells. Susiq, I don't like cleaning the oven either, I keep intending to do it more often so it's less of a chore but like all good intentions...   You two are putting me to shame with your seed sowing.  I'm going to put the sweet peas into the cold frame this week and that will free me up some room to sow more.  I was thinking sweet peppers as the books suggest they need a long growing time if they're to fruit and I know I'll get away with doing the tomatoes later. Anemone

• 22/02/2009 07:05 PM

  Foxnfirefly Location: Virginia,USA Joined on: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 165

  Reply | Contact Hi, everyone, yesterday was bright and sunny and warmer than all week.  I went to seed swap and had a great time.  Dragged home so many seeds than what I can actually do with.  But it will be fun starting them off and see where  they go.   I'm like you, Susiq--Latin-deficit.  I cannt remember how to pronounce them, spell them, or remember complete names.  There are so many funky names with -ii, --aecae, or -iana, etc. that it is tricky on recall.  I even was going to sign up for Latin classes just so I could handle a Botany class.  You sure got a bunch of new plants coming up. Spring bulbs for Hutch may be what I should do, Anemone.  Right now, only snowdrops and crocus are around.  I think Hellabores, too, though I don't have any.  I was also thinking of  "Jack in the Pulpit", which would bloom most of the summer.  Hutch really liked to sunbathe in sunspots, so something yellow comes to mind.  I saw some yellow arums in an English garden magazine recently, but have never seen them available here.  Don't know if they're the smelly kind. I was hoping to do yard work today but it was drizzling all morning and the ground is too wet.  Sigh*  I guess it can wait.  I got some more tomato seeds I will start.  "Wild Cherry" and "Black Russian" and "Wisconsin."  They are supposed to have a lot of flavor.

• 23/02/2009 06:41 AM
  filippo lippi Location: Nottingham Joined on: 25 Feb 2005 Posts: 297	Reply | Contact *Pokes head out of pile of leaves and blinks away the sleep in the late winter sunshine* Hello again. I trust all are well.  Trying to raise entusiasm levels after all hope* was dashed last autumn.        *over-dramatic way of saying our allotment plan was defeated.   ------------------- Ow! My most of me!

• 23/02/2009 09:19 AM

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200

  Reply | Contact  I might try an orange cheesecake next Anemone using oj instead of lemon juice as I know my son would definitely eat it, I know for a fact if I used any fresh fruit in it, he wouldn't touch it (fussy beggar). Hellebores do well in a shaded spot Foxnfirefly, I think you can get some that have a yellow/creamy centre. Nice to see you about again Filippo, sorry to hear the allotment plan went down the pan. sue1002

• 23/02/2009 09:24 AM
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 3,347	Reply | Contact Everytime I look at this thread someone is discussing a yummy recipe! I must do some cooking this week ... I've seen 'yellow' hellebores. There are usually a creamy colour. Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 23/02/2009 11:18 AM

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1,104

  Reply | Contact Hello again Filippo, sorry to hear about your lottie plans. Anenome and Foxn' sounds like both of you have done really, really well with the bulbs and seeds! I bet you can't wait to get planting. Those toms germinated really quickly Sue1002, I'm going to plant those 'naughty' chilli seeds today and see what else veggie wise can be sown in the greenhouse now. The main hassle I have is carting all the water up there each day, now that there is so much to water! I've got a hose up there but its attached to the water butts, no good for the seeds and seedlings, so I'll just have to persevere........

• 23/02/2009 12:52 PM

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200

  Reply | Contact Glad the seeds germinated ok Susiq, all my toms are up now too.  I sowed all the chilli seeds on the same day as the toms and none of those have come up yet as they take a bit longer. I've been in the greenhouse this morning sowing seeds of savoy cabbage, some broad beans which will fill in the gaps of those that didn't germinate in the ground, dwarf beans which will stay in the greenhouse for cropping in April, Cleome, hollyhocks, lemon grass, Nicandra physalodes, Eccremocarpus scaber and Bidens 'Golden Eye'. I was going to do the sweet peas but as I forgot to soak those last night, I'll put them in soak tonight and sow tomorrow.  I was also going to sow trailing Lobelia but I can't find the packet and have come to the conclusion that I must have forgot to buy those ones when I was doing my seed order last year so I'll pick up a packet on Thursday when I'm in town. sue1002

• 23/02/2009 12:57 PM

  Anemone Location: County Down, Northern Ireland Joined on: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 575

  Reply | Contact Hi everyone. Yes, Filippo - sorry about the allotment plans.  Hopefully it's a matter of "not just now" rather than "never", fingers crossed. Sue1002, I look forward to hearing about the orange version.  It's a pain when the kids limit themselves like that.  I cooked swede for the first time in years recently and served it mashed with bacon.  One boy turned without even trying it while the other one ate all of his and the other boy's.  Susiq - Snap! I found my "naughty" chilli seeds this morning after hunting all afternoon yesterday.  They were in my coat pocket.  Thankfully I have room for 1 more tray in the propogator so I'll sow them tonight.  Just thinking - have you checked your coat pocket for your missing trays? Phot's remember to tell us what you're cooking so we can salivate too Foxnfirefly, I'm sure you will know the right plant when you see it and there's no rule it should be just one. Anemone

• 23/02/2009 01:43 PM

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1,104

  Reply | Contact Sorry Sue1002, that was my fault not explaining properly, I meant YOUR  tom seeds seemed to have germinated quickly mine were only planted the other day. Did you cover them with cling film/glass or just left them to get on with it? I've covered the chillies with cling film but not the toms - do you think I should? I've got the heater on in there. Well done Anenome on finding the seeds - and er no I've not found the trays yet, I will get round to checking the summerhouse, but its so full of OH's junk, its like an obsticle course in there! Yes Phot's keep us posted on the cooking front! Foxn' there's an article in March edition of Gardener's World magazine for planting in the shade I doubt you get the mag in the US? Unfortunately the recommendations are all in the dreaded 'latin' speak! If you want to know them, I'll pm them to you - don't want to fill an idle chat post with 'em!

• 23/02/2009 02:03 PM

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200

  Reply | Contact  Glad to hear you found your chilli seeds Anemone, it will be interesting to find out from those of us growing the 'naughty' ones how many chillies actually form the required shape compared to those that don't I cook quite a lot with swede, we like it mashed with carrot and quite often make shepherds pie with half the topping of potato and the other half in the carrot and swede mix. Sorry Susiq, I thought you meant it was the tom seeds that I'd sent you that had germinated.  I always use the plastic propagator lids (69p each in Wilkos) for most seed sowing, the lids help keep the moisture in the trays and very rarely need watering again until the seeds have germinate.  I bought loads of lids one year and after I'd finished with them, I stacked them inside each other and left them in a corner of the greenhouse - never again as they all melted together in the heat and now I store them in the shed. sue1002

• 23/02/2009 02:24 PM

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 1,104

  Reply | Contact Thanx for that Sue1002 - am now dashing off with a roll of cling film under my arm - no lids I'm afraid!! Now there's a thing - up north, we call turnips what the people down south call swedes! i.e. the large yellow ones are turnips - I'd never seen a 'turnip - southern speak' (the little white ones) till I moved to London in the late 70's! Yes, I do the same Sue1002 and mix them together, I also serve 'swede' and carrots mashed together as a side veg!