legumes
planting for the winter
I’m trying to make sure that we have
vegetables this winter and so I’ve been planting up swiss chard
(Fordhook Giant), lettuce (winter crop) and spinach (giant winter).
I’ve also planted a row of mixed salads, including rocket.
We’ve just eaten the last of the broad beans, I’ll definitely sow some more late this autumn for next year.
This year July is wet but sunny and hot when not raining.
We’ve just eaten the last of the broad beans, I’ll definitely sow some more late this autumn for next year.
This year July is wet but sunny and hot when not raining.
holiday
26/08/08 17:33 Categaoriesbroad
bean | peas | sweet
pepper | green beans | cabbage | cauliflower | potatoes
My plants survived a holiday. Mind
you, it was rainy here. I put the peppers outside in a big tray of
water. All but one (which has been a bit eaten) lasted well. I
picked the last of this year's peas and broad beans. I used the
peas and froze two bags of green beans. I think that I could have
got more peas, but I suspect that Gill and Esther have been eating
them. The green beans look about done, but I picked a whole load
before we went on holiday and froze them. The old variety potatoes
are not cropping that well, but they're ok.
The cabbages and cauliflower are being somewhat eaten by whitefly, but I've been spraying and watering them (and picking off caterpillars). I'm wondering what to plant as we slide into autumn.
The cabbages and cauliflower are being somewhat eaten by whitefly, but I've been spraying and watering them (and picking off caterpillars). I'm wondering what to plant as we slide into autumn.
eating the blues
27/07/08 07:56 Categaoriespotatoes | green
beans
We ate the first of the Edzell Blues. They look very attractive, but if you boil them in their skins, all the colour goes (it turns the water an odd blue). Mashed they are somewhat floury. Taste wise, they're (I'm sad to report) nothing special. We also had a big portion of the green beans (Rocquencourt, I think). Actually, they're a lovely pale yellow. I steamed them for about 10 minutes and then added a bit of butter.
green beans
13/07/08 20:23 Categaoriesgreen
beans
The first of the green beans, these are a mixture of white and green.
First peas
13/07/08 20:20 Categaoriespeas
Here's Gill and Esther picking the peas. They taste lovely and we should have them for many weeks to come.
broad beans in flower
01/06/08 17:23 Categaoriesbroad
bean
Like most other things, the broad beans are growing nicely and are now in flower.
too much happening
20/05/08 08:10 Categaoriestomatoes | potatoes | peas | green
beans | turnip | asparagus | sweet
pepper | beetroot | onion | carrots | broad
bean | parsnip
It's all happening in the garden. Clockwise from top left:
tomato
potatoes
green beans, peas, turnip
asparagus
turnip
strawberries
peppers
beetroot, shallots, parsnips, broad beans, carrot, onions
In the middle is garlic, onion, spinach and swede
it's kicking off
Started sowing outside. I sowed turnip
(Purple Top Milan), Parsnip (Avonresistor), broad bean (??) and
cress (American Land). Inside I sowed some round courgette (Tondo
di pienza).
sowing more seeds (successional planting)
I have spent weeks meaning to create a
planting diary showing me when to plant successional plants. This
weekend I failed (again) and decided to sow some new seeds of stuff
that I want anyway but ran out of time. So, tonight as Gill made
supper, I went out and pottered in the greenhouse. The result was a
row each of green beans (Sonesta), rocket (Suffolk Herbs salad
rocket), beetroot (Detroit 2), parsnip and broad bean.
Having lost a lot of green beans, I first put the soil in, damped it off, planted the seeds and then sprinkled a thin layer of soil over the top. The tray is under a lid in the greenhouse, but not in the propagator. I'll see how it goes.
Having lost a lot of green beans, I first put the soil in, damped it off, planted the seeds and then sprinkled a thin layer of soil over the top. The tray is under a lid in the greenhouse, but not in the propagator. I'll see how it goes.
greenhouse raised seeds doing well (mostly)
20/04/08 17:42 Categaoriestomatoes | green
beans
These are my dwarf green beans. They're coming along but I have a high failure rate. The problem seems to be that I'm waterlogging them and they end up rotting. Still these are being hardened off ready to go out next weekend.
The tomatoes are looking good too. Again, I'm hardening these off. The tallest one is Red Pear, the rest are Gardener's Delight.
These poor souls are also Red Pear. I nearly killed them by leaving them in the propagator one hot, sunny afternoon. Most of their leaves turned brown and died. I've nursed these back to health, but they're way behind the others.
snow
The weather report said that there might be snow and here it is. I'm glad that I didn't plant out my beetroot and lettuce. Hope the peas are all right and that the little carrot seedlings are surviving under the cloche that I put back yesterday.
captain's log, supplemental
Lots of gardening jobs today:
Built cane supports for the peas (which are now starting to come through)
Planted first early potatoes ("Rocket")
Planted "slenderette" dwarf green beans
potted up Gardener's Delight tomatoes (next stop outside in the garden at the end of April)
Planted more Rocquencourt (here's hoping)
Added more basil, only one plant came up.
Planted chilli pepper ("Anaheim"), these came free with Gardener's World
Outside
Planted spinach seeds in the small bed.Built cane supports for the peas (which are now starting to come through)
Planted first early potatoes ("Rocket")
greenhouse
Planted "slenderette" dwarf green beans
potted up Gardener's Delight tomatoes (next stop outside in the garden at the end of April)
propagator
Planted more Rocquencourt (here's hoping)
Added more basil, only one plant came up.
Planted chilli pepper ("Anaheim"), these came free with Gardener's World
spring?
I've finished the bark chipping path, so now I can walk around the raised beds without getting all muddy (and it looks neater). Outside, after the easter snow, the asparagus is peeping through and the peas have started to sprout. Meanwhile, in the greenhouse, it's all systems go. I'm glad that I bought a propagator.
propagator
21/03/08 20:26 Categaoriestomatoes | green
beans
The tomatoes that planted (Red Pear) have started to come through (no idea what happened to the first lot). Also, both varieties of the green beans are coming through. The gardener's delight (and one Red Pear) are out of the propagator and are doing well.
still waiting for spring
It's been surprisingly dry, I've had
to remove the cloches and water under them this weekend (as I did
last weekend). Still no sign of any outdoor seeds sprouting
(carrot, peas, beetroot). The greenhouse sown seeds are making a
showing, but I'm disappointed in the green beans. Some just
expired. One of the green beans that I sowed last week has sprouted
- I wish the others would be more enthusiastic. I'm not too
worried, I checked last year's blog and I finished the raised beds
at the end of April and planted out bought seedlings at that time.
If all else fails, I can still buy seedlings.
I've used about 2/3 of the soil that I had delivered on Thursday, I think that I over estimated how much I'd need. I've been filling up the raised beds (I didn't quite buy enough soil last year and my compost heaps are not producing enough (yet)). Maybe I'll get some of the paths done this weekend; I bought some weed membrane yesterday.
I've used about 2/3 of the soil that I had delivered on Thursday, I think that I over estimated how much I'd need. I've been filling up the raised beds (I didn't quite buy enough soil last year and my compost heaps are not producing enough (yet)). Maybe I'll get some of the paths done this weekend; I bought some weed membrane yesterday.
dead, jim, dead
01/03/08 13:53 Categaoriesgreen
beans
I think that my other beans are dead. Maybe I'm just being pessimistic. Meanwhile, I've sown some more Rocquencourt and some Sonesta. Mostly these have gone into the propagator, but I've put a few Sonesta into a normal pot just in the greenhouse.
Sonesta
Early maturing, waxy yellow beans on compact plants. Pods are slender, straight and stringless reaching up to 13cm (5 inches) long. Early to mature with a long cropping period. Plants are resistant to Common Bean Mosaic Virus and Anthracnose.
heated propagator
22/02/08 16:35 Categaoriestomatoes | green
beans
My tomatoes and green beans have stubbornly refused to sprout so I've bought myself a heated propagator which I hope will help. Actually, I had a little accident with the green beans and I saw one of them - it is starting to sprout, but hasn't reached the surface yet.
dwarf green beans and rocket
03/02/08 15:54 Categaoriesgreen
beans | rocket
Still optimistic, I planted out dwarf french beans and rocket salad. The dwarf french beans are Rocquencourt. Apparently, a very productve, primrose-yellow podded dwarf French bean. One of the most cold tolerant of all French beans. They're both planted up in nice new compost.