[Tuppence2]

Hello Bob.

Yes, still working in the garden. I spread all the "Murphy's" potting compost on the raised beds yesterday afternoon and now await the arrival of the stable manure. Thanks very much for the link to the perpetual beet, I've ordered some and also some "White Lisbon"spring onions, which can be planted now to over-winter. I'll get a cloche from the garden centre to use to start them off. I'll also get some lime and put it on the potato bed. I dug potatoes the other day to give to a friend and must remember to do that.

Do you grow any vegetables over the winter?

We had a showery damp day yesterday, good for the pumpkin and courgettes. It's a dry and clear start to the morning, today.

I took more photos of the vegetable garden and will post some later.

[Tuppence2]

Wet here today. I planted my Japanese onions under a netting cloche yesterday. I have some clumping spring onions and spinach beet seeds that could go in now to over-winter, but I might wait until the spring next year to plant those.

I visited Bristol University Botanical Gardens and here's a link to a slideshow of the photos. The Gardens are still in the process of being built and money has run out for staging in the greenhouses, that's why a lot of the plants are still on the ground, and outside in pots.

A section of the beds are laid out as a time-line of evolution of plants, starting with algae in pools, through to a form of magnolia, which was the first flowering plant. Then from the magnolias onwards. Another lot of beds was planted according to which insect or animal polinates them, and you might spot willow scultures of bees, etc. in amongst the plants.

Hope you enjoy the visit.

http://good-times.webshots.com/slide...66477064ZoXlOT

Penny

[telecom69]

Hi Penny,its wet here too its put paid to a lot of things in the garden now all the summer bedding is ruined, the Dahlias look a sorry sight and the hanging baskets are now finished too,so Im resigned to the fact that most of the gardening is now over for another year, I have so many Tomatos just sitting there doing nothing because of the lack of sun, just hoping that they do ripen eventually,instead of getting some sort of fungus,through all this dampness ...I am bringing them inside slowly to ripen but its not quite the same as having them ripen on the plant somehow ...however the Beans have loved all this rain and there is still more to pick weather permitting of course it never stopped raining all day again yesterday,playing havoc with the cricket,especially the womens,England womens team are the best in the world ...

You asked if I grow anything over the Winter ? well not nowadays Im afraid,struggle a bit healthwise over the winters so apart from keeping the pond going etc most of it is spent indoors boring season for me Im afraid .....

Ive just spent some time looking at your Bristol photos thank you for sharing those, the look like they have just about everything there,bet you never got round to seeing it all did you ? their greenhouses are something special,hope they get the money to get the staging they badly need ...

Was intrigued by the chimney stacks on the buildings,never seen any like those before, take care Penny and if we get any weather happy gardening



Planting now in September for the United Kingdom - temperate/cool zone
Lettuce Direct or seedlings. Harvest from December.
Mustard greens Sow direct. Harvesting from November - December
Radish Sow direct. Harvest from November.
Rocket
(also Arugula/Rucola) Sow direct. Harvesting from October - November
Spinach
(also English spinach) Sow direct. Harvesting from November - December

[Tuppence2]

I'm pleased you enjoyed the slideshow, Bob. Yes, we got to see everything. We had a guided tour which took nearly two hours. I really liked the water plants and saw, for the first time, a lotus, in flower. The water lettuce was fascinating, along with the tall plants that grew in the water.

I might grow some spinach in the greenhouse, in a Gro-bag, and keep the rest of the seeds for the spring if I don't get a plastic cloche. I could grow some of the onions in a bucket in the greenhouse as well.

I didn't go to Palmer Gardens on Friday for voluntary work as it was so wet. Want to watch the Grand Prix qualifying today and I'm taking the labrador to the vet this morning for a check up.

Must check the little onions I planted the other day and then have a cup of tea for breakfast.

[john1]

Hi Tuppence,

Breakfast ?
You better have a couple of chocolate biscuits with that.
Slideshow Bob ? where have i heard that before ...

John

[Tuppence2]

Hello John. Hello, everyone.

I think I had some biscuits with that cup of tea. Chockie biscuites sound a very good idea.

Raining this evening after a fairly dry day. I had a "Gro-Bag" delivered yesterday to use in the greenhouse. I'm going to grow clumping spring onions (isn't that a nice name!) - presumably they form little clumps of onions. Also have some horse manure to put on the vegetable beds. I spread lime on the potato patch and watered it in, then dug it over.

I've planted Japanese onions under a netting cloche to grow through the winter. I also planted 15 daffodil bulbs in a bed next to the path in the vegetable garden and look forward to a nice flowering in the spring.

[telecom69]

Hi to anyone out there Penny, these clumping onions are something Ive never heard of and can find nothing about doing a search,so tell me more,are they seeds or sets ? to me they sound something like Chives? the clumping part of the name suggests that they will be coming up a bit like Shallots perhaps ? anyway I wish you well with them and dont forget to keep us informed on their progress...the incessant rain of the last two weeks in these parts has just about ended the season now,we have just had the odd day that has been dry,and I have been able to keep the lawn mowed, the Dahlias are still flowering,but they dont like being wet,so Im deadheading constantly,however they will go through till the frosts,all the rest of Summer flowering plants are just about past it now,even the Gerraniums (Pelargoniums) have succumbed to the rain the only thing struggling on are the bedding Begonias,they too will go through till the first frost then collapse dramatically ....

Veg wise I have just now picked what I think will be the last Runner Beans,they have had a great Season,and for a 50p packet from Alan Romans they have repaid a hundred times ...I shall leave about 20 or so pods on the plants to produce seed for next season ....The Tomatoes have done well too,but the absence of sun has slowed down the ripening considerably,Im just picking them off a few at a time and bringing them indoors to finish off .....

Interest is waning a bit now gardenwise because everything is hibernating for the Winter,leaves have begun to change colour and fall,so its just general maintainence to keep everything going as long as they will ....

Overall its not been too bad a season, I just wish this rain hadnt come recently so much, its shortened the season by a good few weeks,but all over the world it seems to have been the same this year and we have come off lightly I suppose when you read about all the flooding etc,anyway to anyone who is still battling on lets hear from you and happy gardening

[Tuppence2]

Hello Bob.

I think "clumping" might be a local name for them - they're labelled as White Winter Bunching on the packet. Says they have an extra long harvesting period. I got them from Thompson and Morgan, on-line. I planted them yesterday and will keep you informed as to their progress. I will get a small tray of winter cabbages from the garden centre when I go past today.

Nice to have some dahlias flowering. I didn't plant any this year. Meant to. Might start some off in the greenhouse next year.

Some horse manure arrived and I've spread it on the big potato patch that's empty - I added lime to the ground the other day. I have a smaller patch of potatoes and will dig some today for a meal.

I have roses in flower - their second flush. It's misty out at 8.21 a.m. and looks as though it might be sunny later.

[Tuppence2]

I found out today that my pumpkin is, in fact, a squash. Could be a buttercup squash. Apparently, they taste very nice. Will leave it to grow a bit bigger. It's about the size of a small basket ball at present.

I dug potatoes earlier, cleared fallen Bramleys and cut the small area of grass I have left, using the push mower. Need a cup of tea and a cake now!

[telecom69]

Good luck with the Squash Penny and the clumping onions,I finally found them on the Thompson and Morgan site, I see now how they work,apparently they dont bulb up as they grow,just staying similar to Spring Onions if you like,might well try some next years since it says they crop in 60 days ......

Now that the rain has done its damage the weather has decided to perk up,its been quite pleasant the last few days,and whats still growing is showing its appreciation,the plants look so much better all of a sudden (or is it just me thinking that ?) ....

I finally gave up on the push mower recently,after using one for all my life,and swearing by them for the better look to the lawn it gave, it just got a bit too much with my breathing problems to push it around so I got an electric cylinder mower instead,(just dont like the hover types) it makes the job so much easier ....

Ive never seen so many caterpillars for many years,that we have been invaded by lately,they devastated my Nasturtiums right down to the veins of the leaves and also the perenial Geraniums as well but it doesnt matter so much now that the season is almost over,just left wondering why there were so many this year ?

I have just one solitary flower on a Clematis thart has gone rampant in recent weeks,maybe it likes the rain it looks so lonely,and I also found one Antirrihum,a small one that I havent grown in years,in full flower hiding behind the perenial geraniums,that was a pleasant surprise ...take care and happy gardening


PS Did you get the Alan Romans newsletter ? if not I will post it to you ....

[Tuppence2]

Hello Don't know why you've been infested with caterpillars this year, but it could possibly be a second hatching, or a very late one - our strange weather has messed around a lot of things this year. Very lucky that it is so late in the season.

Nice to find plants you'd didn't know you had.

I planted a red goosberry today, "Martlet", and a blackcurrant, "Ben Connan, in a new bed I dug and manured. I've pruned them, so hope I've not done the wrong thing.

I've just going next door but one for supper and a game of Scrabble. My neighbours are using one of the recipes from a book I got them when I visited the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust shop in Devizes. Looking forward to that. They're great gardeners and grow as much of their own vegetables as possible. So will be eating some they've grown, I'm sure.

I trimmed box hedging in pots at Palmer Gardens today, tidied and weeded the fruit bushes in pots and then brushed dead leaves from under some of the benches.

It's been nice weather here, too, the past few days.

[Sooky 47]

Hi Penny, Hi Bob!

[Tuppence2]

Hello Lu. What a nice surprise to see you in the Potting Shed. Hope you are doing well.

A lovely sunny day, today. I've been at Palmer Gardens labelling the new intake of cyclamen plants, have cycled home to let the dogs out for an hour and will go back to finish the labelling.

I watered my new fruit bushes this morning.

Hope to see you here again soon. Woofs from The Gang.

[ymfoster]

Hi Penny, Bob & Lu,

I see you've been very busy in your gardens getting things ready for the cooler weather,

I've just about finished weeding all the front & back gardens over the last month a bit at a time when the days haven't been too cold, can only do about an hour then need to wait a few days.

Now I need to feed & mulch things & start repotting the potplants, another big job as I've neglected some for a year or two.

My Pride of Madeira, Tulips, Dutch Irises & Japonica are making a colourful display at present & the Japanese Maples, Gleditsia & Chinese Pistachio are bursting into leaf.

The Rainbow Lorikeets & Rosellas are visiting the neighbour's during the day & making a fuss as they feed.

The Magpies, Mudlarks & Butcher Birds are all nesting & coming for extra treats to take back to the nest.

Spring is a great time of year, but not looking forward to the hot weather & even stricter water restrictions than last year.

Here's a few pics,

[Bush Lady]

Everything in the garden is just about cleaned up, except for the carrots. I have a bad habit of leaving the carrots until it is so cold that your hands freeze. Maybe I should start taking them out a little earlier this year.

My tomatoes are all in the basement. I am trying to ripen them. They are rotting, because we had real heavy rain this summer. It damaged the tomatoes. That is why they are now rotting. I left a lot of them in the garden. And a lot of them are rotting in the basement.

Every year I always had extra tomatoes, but this year I will not have much.

Hopefully next year the folks in Florida, and Texas will not get so many tornadoes, so we will not get all that heavy rain again next summer.