What are we doing in the garden 2024

240 modules of this years veg garden sown: shallots, onions, spring onions, broccoli, cauliflower, kohl rabi, cabbage, 8 varieties of lettuce, coriander, parsley, dill, epazote. Still to do some peas for shoots and a few other things

 

I start mine in the autumn and plant out in late November/early December. I find these are less bothered by black fly than spring sown crops and are ready earlier filling a gap in my vegetable production. I do pinch out the top couple of inches of growth, at the first sign of black fly, and this also helps.
Like a lot of legumes they like plenty of water, when there has been an early dry spell and I've not watered then crops are less.
The variety I've normally used is Aquadulce Claudia.

 

I have never tried overwintering them mostly because of hard winters and soggy ground in the past.
Bit milder down your way Nigel and Aquadulce does seem to be the variety suggested for overwintering, a white seeded variety I believe, I'm trying a green seeded one this year masterpiece green long pod..
Last year I grew red epicure.

 

For tea ?

 

I used to do the same when I lived in Essex and I only lost one lot and that was a particularly chilly damp winter.
Yes they are a white seeded variety.

 

I took a picture yesterday, from the side, to try & give a better prospective so you will be able to see how our balcony juts out about a foot or so from the balconies above ours. I just have to get it off the phone & on to the computer before posting it!

 

I also sympathized with your problems when I read about them! Yours was much greater than mine as well!

In a flat??? Well we did used to have a couple of budgies - but a falcon? A bit over the top I think! Will a pack or two of birdseed be enough for it do you think??

 

@Retired I sympathize with your wife as well! I had a fall just yesterday afternoon, no harm done really, except for my pride! I put a foot on the side of the bed to boost me up a little to have a look on top of a cupboard in search of a certain jigsaw our granddaughter asked me for. My foot slipped & I took a tumble, hitting my head on the door handle of my bedside cupboard. Other than a small bruise & scraping a tiny patch of skin off the very top of my head I was alright.
.

 

I bought some Primroses in Sainsburys yesterday paying for them with some of my Nectar points. I want to pot them up tomorrow. Can't post any pictures today as they are still on my phone & I need to transfer them to my computer first.

 

I try broad beans over winter most years, but they rarely succeed, this year I planted 36 aquadulce and 5 look like they will make it. I also sowed masterpiece green longpod earlier this month to replace the casualties, I liked it last year and it did well from a January sowing then in the greenhouse in small pots. I've not got bad blackfly before, I pinch the tops off when they are in full flower though before I even see any.

I might try field beans next year, I think there's some varieties that are decently edible and they are supposed to be a bit hardier again

Mainly for cooking Mexican dishes. Could try some for tea too though I doubt I'll get enough!

 

Hi,

A kestrel is nicely coloured and with imagination would make a nice replacement for two fat budgies; bird seed not required; rig up a nice nesting box on your balcony and there is plenty of pigeons for it's food.

Years ago we had a very rare golden pheasant in our rear garden; I believe it was eventually caught and taken to a bird sanctuary for safety. Now the oak tree has been disposed of the pigeons are no longer the problem they were.

I hope you're fully recovered @Balc after your fall yesterday; it sure shakes you up doesn't it?

The rain finally quit today and as usual the patio and gardens will just start to drain then after a couple of days heavy rain will be with us again; it's a vicious cycle living here on the exposed valley side but better rain than snow.

Kind regards, Colin.