A Garden Day

[jacey]

The weather was so wet last year that we never dug out or planted the raised beds at all. The only thing in the kitchen garden was a bed full of strawberries planted the previous autumn, and either the rain ruined them or the slugs and snails got to them before we did. Also, disappointingly, we had not one piece of fruit on three apple trees a plum and a pear.

But today we managed to have a garden day and four out of the five raised beds are back in business. I had to seriously clean out the strawberry beds and found that there were masses of runners that had set themselves, so we now have two beds of strawberries and, thanks to a neighbour's greenhouse-grown plant-lets, a bed of brassicas (broccoli and two types of cabbage). BB has put up frames and the butterfly nets will go over them SOON because the year before we lost the whole crop to cabbage white caterpillars. BB dug out another bed and it's ready for peas and beans. If it seems a little late in the season, you have to remember that we are 1000 ft above sea level and we have a short growing season at the best of times.

Found many huge, brown-shelled snails inside the raised beds. Note to self: consider charging snails for flying lessons next time.

Just one raised bed to dig out now., though I'm a bit unsure about planting root vegetables until we can cage the beds from the local cats. We have about ten cats in the neighbourhood that think our raised beds are giant litter trays and cat crap amongst root veg is not particularly inviting. BB has bought wood and wire netting, but we need to make it as secure as Alcatraz to keep the tenacious b**tards out. Neighbours please note: If I wanted cat crap in my vegetables I'd keep a cat myself.

I've also got half a dozen sturdy tomato plants in the porch, two of them with the first truss already in flower and since the neighbour also gave me half a dozen well grown lettuces I've potted them and intend to grow them on a windowsill. They're almost ready to eat now! Another couple of weeks should do the trick. It's not worth giving the slugs the opportunity for a feed.

But the fruit trees are barely budding yet. There are a few leaves on the Bramley apple, but the other two apples, the pear and the plum think it's still February.

Tomorrow, if my back will still bend and my feet hold me up, I'm going to shove the bedding plants (mostly pansies and violas) I bought a couple of weeks ago into the pots in the front garden. My winter hanging basket has done very well. As soon as the snow melted the pansies revived and are still blooming happily. I may not need to replace it for summer at this rate.

Comments

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

Half a dozen tomato plants? Won't they take over your garden? And your house? And possibly your street?

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Ah, maybe tomato plants behave differently in sunny California.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Cats hate citrus, in case that helps. Some years ago a tomcat kept spraying the wall around the outside of our conservatory, resulting in the intensive smell of au de chat permeating the room. I counter-sprayed with a strong solution of lemon scented bleach and he soon gave up.

Regarding the fencing, if you make it too tall to jump over and too wobbly to climb, that might work.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Lemon scented bleach? Thanks, that's certainly worth a try. Maybe we'll spray it on the wall top as a keep out sign for starters - and then spray it on the outside of the raised beds.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

It certainly can't do any harm -- as long as you don't spray onto plants, of course! And it might help. The advantage of lemon scent over something like tiger poo is that humans like it. :)

[charlieallery.livejournal.com]

Well done. I need to do something soon. Plan this year is really for indoor conservatory-window sill veg, so starting late isn't so much of an issue.

Our main apples have already lost their blossom (cox's, russet, howgate wonder) but the crab apple is in full bloom. Sadly the mulberry, which is really on its last legs, is just at the budding stage.

Thank you. I've been putting off getting seeds, thinking of a trip to a garden centre for actual plants, but think I'd better just order seeds before it's too late. :)

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

This morning I planted beans (runner and French) and peas in a plug-plant planter. 49 of them in total, which will be plenty for us. I've used seeds that I bought for last year and the year before despite the best before date being 2011 and 2012. I figure most of them will germinate. I have some broad beans to plant as well, BB's favourite, but I may plant then out direct once the new bed he dug yesterday is raked.