Gardening, Growing and Green-ing Adventures

Fingers crossed for you that they flourish

 

Thank you... my gardening skills are more miss than hit at present

 

Absolutely loving all of the frugal gardening tips!!! Thank you, @"M" and @Irmemac

I think investing in some small cutting scissors may be a wise idea - there are so many plants you walk past on your travels and think "ooooooh that looks nice!"

I went to a colleague's house for a BBQ and ended up getting some cuttings of his Rosemary bush. A year and a bit later, they are in the ground, growing a bit, and seemingly doing OK!

 

Nice one, Toppington! Rosemary is handy in the kitchen, and smells lovely too.

Yes, a little pair of scissors (on a chain round the neck?!) might be just the idea. My pilfered potentilla was a little tricky to snap off.

I wonder if you can take cuttings from ceanothus? There's a beauty near me....

 

It's always worth a go, @Irmemac

The last updatey thing on here was a bit about the "start" of the garden a couple of years back, so wanted to put a bit more of an update on here!

I tried a few spring bulbs in the first year, and had some weird mistakes - with a very tiny daffodil which was advertised as giant, but the flower was smaller than a fingernail... but also didn't buy enough bulbs, so I planned to try and sort that out the next year.

I dug up all the first spring's bulbs, dried them out over summer (when other things went in the ground!) and re-planted along with some new bulbs - trying some hyacinths, a random selection of tulips, alliums, daffodils and crocuses. For some reason, crocuses don't seem to do too well with me, but the tulips were great! They were meant to be either white, red and yellow, purple, or very deep purple-black. This one appeared to be a mix of all the colours but the most pretty thing in the world! Pinky edges, splotty blue in the middle with blue anthers, and yellow stigma! If anyone knows what this kind of tulip is called, I would love to know, to get some more! (it wasn't advertised as the right kind on the bulb packet!)



The spring started by looking at the Wilko sale and seeing they had lots on offer along with free delivery for buying things online! Excellent.. I picked up a small blowaway greenhouse for £5 and various other cheap planters for a few pounds, along with some discounted seeds!

We had some hideous weather in the next couple of weeks, the fence which is owned by the neighbour blew down, and because all of the garden was "on view" and also being trampled by their dog, I didn't get much done around this time! I put the blow-away greenhouse together though, although...

It blew away after I took the photo!!!!

Half the spring bulbs had been ruined due to the fence falling down (it fell in towards me, but the collected panels above were leaning on the neighbour's plot!). This made me a bit sad too!

I decided to have a go at germinating some seed. I signed up for the Heinz free Tomato seeds last year, so put them in - and also sprouted some more chamomile (from a tea bag again!) and took some lavender cuttings from a very well-doing bush in the local area

The weather warmed up a bit, the cuttings, chamomile, tomatoes and seeds grew, until there was another ferocious wind and the blimming blow away blew away, again!!

I managed to salvage and re-pot the tomatoes, but lost one in the process. (still quite amazed that they survived the falling and de-potting, but by this stage I was so happy as they smelled amazingly like tomatoes!!) Sadly lots of other things got too damaged and had to be chucked! :( :( :(


The weather got hot. The tomatoes got re-potted and left in the blow-away.... where it got so hot that one day they completely shrivelled up and I thought they had died!!

After coming on here for some advice, I fed them, soaked them with warm water and planted them out in the garden so not to get too scorchio again and they survived!! Thank you for all of your excellent garden knowledge, lovely GC gang - you helped save my plants!

Right, time for more tea, will update this again at some point in the future with more up to date pictures!

 

That's a very interesting read - please post more! I really admire your persistence, I think that is a key feature of a good gardener . It must have been so frustrating when the fence kept blowing over and spoiling your good work, and then the issues with your greenhouse . Your pleasure in your successes really comes across, well done with the tomatoes! How are your lavender cuttings doing now? I love lavender and have a couple of small shrubs in the garden, but they are becoming woody so I took a few cuttings a couple of weeks ago and popped them in a pot. I'm thinking of repotting so they have room to grow, and overwintering in the greenhouse ( but really don't know what I am doing!).

Please keep your adventures coming!

 

Aw, thank you for the comment, @Irmemac - that is very kind of you!

It is very frustrating having setbacks, but that happens to everyone! I tend to learn more trom trying something and failing, at least you remember not to do it that way next time!

I still have green tomatoes (arrgh!) but keep moving them around so they get the sun - they're in pots! Lavender cuttings and rosemary cuttings are both doing OK... the Rosemary ones are nearly two years old now and are starting to bush out a bit - they love being in the ground! Your idea sounds like an excellent one, good luck with that! Have you got your own "gardening adventures" sort of a thread?

 

It is updatey time again!

I've not realised until recently just how much of a wind-trap the garden is. There is a prevailing wind which blows all the way down it, and because there is no structure or large planting allowed I am not sure I will be able to make things sheltered? All it means is that tall things do not like growing there - my alliums earlier in the year were bent and broken due to higher winds, and I have grown some other plants which have done the same. Maybe smaller things are better!

The serrano chilli plants I grew from seed are coming on and doing nicely! Here are some happy fruits, grown on a windowsill, drying in the sun. they will make a nice addition being crumbled into some curries in the winter! I am impressed at how ludicrously bright red they are!

I tried the first red one last week - it was very fruity but with the addition of the seeds and pith, very spicy!

The tomatoes are coming on but still very green. These are the most "ready" ones so far, but not sure there is enough sun left in the summer to make them ripen! I keep moving them about to try and let them get the most sun. We shall see. I can't wait to see if they actually amount to anything or not!



The newly bought lavender (not a cutting) is flowering and attracting happy bees! This English Lavender looks a lot more hardy than the French one I tried earlier.



And.... I registered my interest in applying for an allotment around a year ago. I've just heard in the past week that I'm now first on the list, and they are confident a patch will be available in the next two months!! Very exciting times! Would welcome any tips from anyone at all - it all seems a bit daunting at the moment!

 

How exciting, Toppington! Bet you can't wait to get your new allotment and get started! I can understand you feeling a bit apprehensive too, but with your attitude you think you will have a lot of fun!

Your chilliest look spectacular, well done! I hope you have some luck reddening your tomatoes. A spot of sunny weather would help, so be glad you don't live where I do! Glad the bees are still enjoying your lavender. Not seen many up here recently (bees, that is!) so I think it is getting too cold for them now. I still have my lavender cuttings, but the ones from my preferred plant are starting to get yellow leaves near the base. Not sure why that is happening

Really enjoy reading your adventures, so it will be great to hear what you are going to do when you get your allotment!

 

Seems like your really keen! Brilliant stuff here's a link to a post I replied to advising what you should look for on your allotment. Hope it helps a bit and good luck hope you get it soon!

Had an offer

 

Oh you luverly GC'ers you are killing me with this brilliant thread - defo saved it for whenever i need a hearty belly chuckle @Irmemac and @toppington the thought of us all carrying little snippy scissors on a chain as a necklace for covert cuttings operations _ INGENIUOS - needs patenting methinks - Im larfing soooo much I've had to stop reading the posts - dont know when i'll compose myself Be back soon, when ive made meself a chamomile tea BTW another INGENious idea Topps ...gonna have to try that - so coming up 1 teabag for me and 1 for the seed tray

 

Well, would love to patent, but Chanel beat me to it!

 

@Irmemac Awwww shucks - Well we know whats going on our xmas list this year to Santa ....















nah its no good i cant wait













just been on Amazon and mines on its way




Think of all the Covert Cuttings Ops i can perform - i'm well ahead of me-self now

 

@toppington could you use some of this as a temporary windbreak for your crops just a thought as its temporary Light Green Windbreak & Shade Netting - Per Metre | Buy Online | William James & Co – Est. 1954 -
Or
7 POLE WINDBREAK with METAL ENDS camping caravan beach motorhome windbreaker | eBay
I've also bought the willow screen extending fence panels from the pound shop and they have helped just buffer the wind and at that price a £1.00 per panel if they only last a couple of years they are easily replaced - they create quite a pretty backdrop too

 

Aw, thanks for thinking of me, @BeeHappy - Don't think this is going to be possible, I can't add anything on to the fence, even though it's already quite tall! The surrounding areas are quite high and the garden is quite low-lying, so it funnels the wind through the garden! Maybe the thing to do is get some grasses and make the best of all the whispering wind!!

I love the teeny tiny snips on a chain! I don't own any snips yet though! I break stuff off with my hands... or scissors! Or the wind does it for me!