Sunny Day

Well, I have spent the last two days in the garden and what a lot I've done. The weather has been amazing and it has been nice to simply plod on with bits and bobs.

I've planted up the vegetable patch with carrots, gem and red lettuce, beetroot, garlic, red onions, and 3 Brussel's sprout plants. I've made sure to give it a good sprinkling of the cat repellent after watering as the cats tend to dig up bits of it and mess up all the lines! No doubt there will be evidence of cats tomorrow.

I've planted out three tomato plants into one grow bag and two courgette plants into another. I've set them up with the watering systems so they are ready for when we are away.

Digging over the bottom of the garden took a while as it always gets overgrown with the bindweed. I have planted some mint along the border there in the hope that it will grow vigorously and out compete the bindweed. I have tried a number of different plants along there and none of them survive. I planted a horseradish a few weeks back which look a little worse for wear but may survive now I've cleared around it.

The potatoes are doing well in their bag. Not sure how long I have to leave them before picking them. I think it was about august last year.

Green Tomatoes

10092008382, originally uploaded by richiesoft.

I'm going away on Saturday and would hate to see all the effort I have put into the tomatoes go to waste so am wondering if I should pick them before I go and let them ripen off the plants. Anyone know or have any suggestions?

Tomatoes

Here you can see the tomato plants that I planted out on Sunday. There are three varieties which I will look up soon and I planted two of each in the grow bags and then some more in pots. You can also see the green pots that I have sowed some parsley, basil and coriander in.

Sowing

You can just about see some of the lettuce growing in the vegetable patch. There is also some carrots growing and I think another variety of lettuce poking through the soil. I have planted the beetroot between the carrots and lettuce as I think there will be space. I wasn't going to try beetroot again after my disappointing crop last year when almost nothing grew larger than a seedling but I am hoping that in this location where they will get more sun and probably a little more attention from me they will thrive. We shall see.

I notice that the courgettes, butternut squash, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are doing well in the green house. I will plant them out soon. I hope to grow the butternut squash and cauliflower in pots and the Brussels in the vegetable patch. Will attempt to grown the tomatoes and courgettes in a grow bag as I did last year. Anyone any experience of growing cauliflowers and butternut squash in pots? The potatoes seem to be doing well in a pot!

Tomatoes

The tomatoes have done well this year so far. I've four plants that are producing fruits. One of which I have already picked tomatoes from which were delicious!
Above you can see the new watering system which I brought from Ferndale Lodge. They are sold in packs of three and save you worrying everyday, dripping water into the soil on a regular basis.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes from the garden. Have had to leave them on the window sill for about a week to redden up. Can't wait to eat one - I love tomatoes!!

Tomatoes

I have green tomatoes growing which I hope will soon start to turn red. This plant has done much better that the other tomato plants I have grown this year for some reason. I think it is a different variety but unfortunately I haven't recorded anywhere what variety. I must remember to this next year as obviously some types prefer the environment in my garden and othere don't as much. This particular plant was planted outside quite early when we had all that nice weather earlier in the year - was it late March? Anyway, it looks like I might have at least five or six tomatoes this year!

Growing

After a wet morning the afternoon really brightened up so I have made the most of it and been out in the garden doing some jobs. Firstly I weeded all the borders and the vegetable patch and then I mowed the lawn. I have then treated the lawn with a weed killer/ feeder that I know is not very organic but I hope will get rid of some of the weeds in the lawn.

The top picture shows where I have planted out three of the courgette plants that I have grown. Two into the peat free grow bag and the other I thought I would try in a pot - see what happens anyway - I just hate throwing the other plants away! I have still got about five tomato, five pepper, four butternut squash, four chilli, and three cucumber plants to find space for. I think I am going to need another grow bag!

The lettuce you can see in the second picture are doing quite well and I am still waiting for two other lines I have sowed to grow. That reminds me - I must put some more slug pellets down tonight....

Grow Bag

Aubergine on the left with the biggest of my tomato plants on the right. Space left in the middle for either a cucumber, chili, or pepper plant - whichever seedlings grow the largest the quickest!