Herbs and Hyacinths

November

Hello everyone.

I haven't posted for ages and have done nothing in the garden for ages either! It has been too wet and cold for me to get motivated to do anything. The grass needs cutting and the borders weeding and I would like to prune the laurel tree and the over-hanging eucalyptus from next door. The vegetable patch needs forking over too before the ground gets too hard and I have read somewhere that you can plant garlic now for next year so may do that soon also. Anyone know of anything else that I should be or could be planting now ready for next year?

The hyacinths are doing well in the shed - I must look at them tomorrow and check they don't need water.

The windowsill in the kitchen looks a little livelier since I planted some herbs for the winter indoors - basil, chives and parsley. Will try and remember to take some pictures tomorrow.

Winter Pots

Love the ornamental cabbages.
 

Colourful Heathers

Pink. Blue. Green. 

Autumn

Spent a few hours this last week just tidying up the garden and getting it ready for winter. I have planted out some colourful heathers in a trough and replanted both the hanging baskets with more heathers, pansies, ivy, and cyclamen as last year. I have a few plants left over so will probably plant up another pot with something.

I also planted some forced Christmas Hyacinths which I am keeping in the shed. I have not tried growing these before and hope they are successful to bring in for around Christmas. I have planted two colours: white and purple - three of each.

Two more pots have been filled with tulips and daffodils for the spring next year.

I cleaned up the end of the garden a little where the vegetables were and just beyond the fence where the sunflowers were. I have simply cut them down for the time being to let the insects get at the flower seeds. I did cut a few remaining flowers to keep and have put them in some water in a vase for the table...

Tomatoes

Tomatoes from the garden which eventually ripened to the end of last month. They were delicious to eat - very sweet and bursting with juice. I will definitely try to get another seedling form the seed fair in Conwy next year: another plant that doesn't need picking out. I might even get two! 

Aloe Vera

This is an Aloe Vera plant that I had for my birthday in August from my parents. It has already grown quite a bit and strikes a very good image with it's spikes and curved succulent stems or leaves. 

Sunflower

The sunflowers have grown very tall with one of them being over six foot. The varieties there is lovely too. This one to the left is unusual I think and has a soft furry texure to it rather like a cuddly toy!

I wish I had staked a few more of them as a lot have been blown over and ended up growing up from the ground. I will know for next year! 

Vegetables

Sweetcorn and carrots from the garden.

We have had many courgettes and tomatoes and a couple of cucumbers too which has been nice.

It was a shame that we were away last week and the pepper and aubergine plants have practically shrivelled up and died. 

Garden Video

Watering

At last I have got a hose pipe! Gone are the many trips back and forth to the tap to water the vegetables and plants. I have my Dad to thank for the yellow hose which seems very tough and just the right length. I have got three attachments for it. One is a simple nozzle, another is a sprinkler (shown) and the other is a gun with eight functions. One of these functions is a spray which mixes in an amount of air and makes a nice soft stream ideal for watering all the pots so as not to damage the plants or force soil out of the pot. 

Sunflower 3

Close up of one of the sunflower flowers. 

Outside Candle

Candle holder which was a present from my Nanna last year which has finally made it into the garden after parts of it were left in Suffolk. It has a fresh lemon scent and repels the insects. Only had it lit twice though so far! 

Fuschia Flowers

Close up of the Fuschia flowers in the hanging basket. 

Sunflowers 2

An update picture of the sunflowers. There may be more as the flowers come out. Lovely colours. 

Shed Shelves

I put some shelves in my shed to help with storage a few weeks ago. I know that it isn't strictly to do with gardening but a shed is very important for storing tools and other handy things useful in the garden. It was my first ever attempt at using a drill I received from my parents last year for my birthday. It was easier than I thought. The most difficult aspect of the task was measuring and marking out the place of the supports and shelves. Anyway, two weeks later and they are still hanging! I also put some hooks on the opposite wall for things like the hand fork and trowel. It has made the shed so much tidier and allows much more space for keeping our recycling items like bottles, newspapers and magazines and our bulk bought Ecover products. 

Sunflowers

The sunflower plants have done extremely well in the small patch of ground just beyond the fence at the bottom of the garden. It has the sun practically all day and most of them are ready to flower. I can't wait to see them. I am sure there will be many an insect attracted to them! 

What Kind Of Flower Are You Quiz

Came across this lovely site today with this brilliant quiz to find out what kind of flower you are. check it out!

Vegetables

The vegetables are doing well with the rain we have been having on and off recently and the sun inbetween.



The cucumber plant, which is now out of the green house as it became too big, is producing about three cucumbers at the moment and will soon require a larger cane to support it.




The tomato plant, which is also out of the green house now, has flowered and fruits are appearing to grow. It looks quite "dry" looking but I remember the tomato looking similar last year so am not too worried.




Overall, the vegetable patch has done well. The sweetcorn are getting very tall now and I don't think it will be long before it flowers and bears fruit.
The courgette and broad bean plants are also doing well as you can see. I will pick some broad beans when I next have the opportunity. 

Lavender

This lavender plant has seemed to be the best I have ever seen it for some reason this year. It must be something to do with the weather we have had so far. It appears really purple and vibrant. It has been in the same pot now for about three years and I am really surpised at it's gorwth this year. 

Spearmint

I have been very busy the last couple of weeks with different things hence the lack of postings here. To catch up here is a picture of the Spearmint which I planted out only a week ago and look how much it has grown. Compare it to the plant in the glass jar in the previous post! 

Mentha spicata

It will be lovely to have another Mint to add to my collection. This Spearmint plant will get well used I am sure in the future. It smells so refreshing.
I shall plant in into a pot soon for the garden and position along with the other herbs. I have all my herbs planted in pots due to the vigorous and invasive nature of their growth.

Clematis Flower

This is the clematis flower (Clematis Piilu) that I was so pleased to see when returning from the weekend away. It looks like there will be plenty of other flowers in the future as there are many buds growing. Considering the plant is in such a shaded place it has done very well.

Away from home

Yesterday, I returned home after a few days away and one of the first things I love to do now is go into the garden and see what, if anything, has happened. Any big amounts of growth are usually more noticeable when you have been away from the garden for a while.

Well, I had a lovely suprise: the clematis has flowered! I noticed it first from the back window and then went practically running out into the garden to see it close up. I will take a picture of it today.

I returned from away with a new plant for the garden too. A spearmint cutting from friends that we visited. It has a lovely refreshing smell and I can't wait to pot it up and add to the herb collection.

Acer update

It's about time for an 'acer update' and here is the plant that I thought was dead! It had budded and then some leaves have grown - lovely colours, but it still looks a little stunted and one branch has not seen any life - that I can tell.

Considering I thought it had died I am very pleased and can't wait until later in the year when it may grow some more... watch this space for the next 'acer update'... 

Vegetable Patch June 2006

The vegetables are coming along well. The sweetcorn aren't growing as quickly as I expected them to but they are getting bigger. The broad beans you can see have also done well. The courgette plant is flowering and the butternut squash is slowly following. The onions, leeks, and carrots are still quite small seedlings really and the second attempt at lettuce has proven a disappointment as nothing appears to have grown at all this time. Whether slugs or birds or some insect is eating them as they grow I don't know! Have I got time to try another row?