[Tuppence2]

Nice to have signs of spring!

Penny

[Tuppence2]

Friday morning and I was up early for some reason - now I'm retired I usually get up later - so I decided to plant out a few plants I have in pots, into the front garden, a poppy and the globe artichoke. There are seedlings of all sorts that have appeared in pots standing around in the garden and I'll plant those out in a couple of weeks.

I have the urge to dig the vegetable garden! So I've been rooting in the shed attached to the house, to find my spade and fork and will start that, probably over the weekend if it doesn't rain. I've still some stable manure to dig in.

All the deciduous bonsai are in bud, along with the normal sized trees I have and the roses are growing fast. I planted a passion flower and a climbing rose to climbe the aplple tree, and I see they have shot up and are well into the tree.

Going to look on-line for the carrots that like clays soil.

Good gardening, everyone.

[franca]

Originally Posted by Tuppence2

Friday morning and I was up early for some reason - now I'm retired I usually get up later - so I decided to plant out a few plants I have in pots, into the front garden, a popy and the globe artichoke. There are seedlings of all sorts that have appeared in pots standing around in the garden and I'll plant those out in a couple of weeks.

I have the urge to dig the vegetable garden! So I've been rooting in the shed attached to the house, to find my spade and fork and will start that, probably over the weekend if it doesn't rain. I've still some stable manure to dig in.

All the deciduous bonsai are in bud, along with the normal sized trees I have and the roses are growing fast. I planted a passion flower and a climbing rose to climbe the aplple tree, and I see they have shot up and are well into the tree.

Going to look on-line for the carrots that like clays soil.



Good gardening, everyone.

Penny!....slow down !!!!!!!! wait for me, we haven't even started yet...........

[Tuppence2]

What a laugh, Frank! About time you got on with it...... Any idea when you'll be able to start?

I did start on tidying the shed. Then I planted out the globe artichoke and a poppy. Someone on the bonsai site I visit has sent me two packets of poppy seeds, "Californian Superb Mix" and "Papaver rhoeas Picotee Mix". I think I'll take them to Palmer Gardens and sow them in trays and grow them on in on of the big polytunnels.

I used my bus pass and took a free ride to a garden centre outside Chippenham. A big place. Had a cup of tea and then looked round. Bought a little bottle of orchid food for my Cymbidium. Looked at all the vegetable and flower seeds, and the dahlia corms. It was a lovely sunny spring-like day. I then walked the dogs to meet Graham, to hand over Cecil for the weekend, enjoying the plants and trees. Hope you enjoy the football tomorrow - I'll be watching the rugby.

[eggplant43]

Winter in th UK:


http://www.physorg.com/news121701511.html

[Tuppence2]

Yes, Eggy. Our modern version of Winter! It's a beautiful, sunny morning, but cold. and we had a frost hard enough in the night to freeze the water in the bird bath. My camelia will suffer - I noticed it yellowing the other day after a cold night. The sun is streaming in the window, though, and it's going to be a lovely day.

I've put out fresh water for the birds and their seed. If I have the energy, after using it all up yesterday, I'll make a start on clearing a pile of twigs and branches I cut down last year. They go in the garden refuse bin and the Council take them away to make into compost, which is then sold at the Recycling Centre.

[telecom69]

Hi all, we too have that great weather up this way loads of sunshine and pleasantly mild from mid morning onwards ...even managed to mow the lawn again today,which I was pleased about ...I even erected my portable grow house and put all the plants etc in it that were in pots and containers since they are all showing signs of wakening from their winter slumbers ....Im not being lulled into thinking that winter is over for some time yet but since they are all budding would hate to see them cut back by any more frosts we will probably get ....

We too have the wheely bin service for garden waste the council collect it and work in conjunction with a garden centre where it is sold as a soil conditioner for £1.99 a bag ...they suspend collections over winter though till the end of February (understandable) and my bin is full .....still some weeks to go of course before we can start again in earnest,but its been nice to be able to get outside again in the garden ....next two days promises more of the same weather,hope the forecast is right ....more soon ...happy gardening to anyone able too

[Tuppence2]

Good that you are able to get some gardening started, Tom. Have I beaten you to digging? It was a very nice, sunny day after a cold night, with frozen water again, outside.

It's just become dark and I've come in from the garden. I turned over the bed where I planted potatoes last year - got the fork out and started on it. I also filled a wheelie-bin with twigs and branches that I had in a pile from last year. A lot more of that to clear. I spread the contents of some grow-bags on a hard dry patch of soil - with gravel in it - and I might plant some poppies there, at the side of the back garden path. It's a messy area and badly needs something to brighten it up. Just been along to shut in my neighbour's chickens for the night, as they're away.

Our wheelie bin collection alternates, the household rubbish one week and the garden the next. Your portable greenhouse sounds good. I was looking at them in the garden centre the other day, and the polytunnels.

I've planted spinach and spring onions seeds in trays and have them in one of the big polytunnels at the nursery.

Schuee's tree in my friend's field is growing and has buds.

[Tuppence2]

I dug over the vegetable patch, yesterday. Had to get a new rake to use on it at a later date. Planted mint in a place where I don't mind if it spreads. It was a lovely, sunny day - not warm, but very pleasant. I worked on the roses at the nursery, while waiting to collect my dog from her operation. She had her spleen removed. Must get the mower out tomorrow or Thursday, if it doesn't rain.

[telecom69]

Hi all, glad to see you have been getting on with the gardening Penny,been great weather hasnt it yes you did beat me to the digging luckily I dont have too much of that nowadays a light forkover and a gentle rake does the job as years of adding spent compost etc has made my soil very light .....looks like the sun is going to take a back seat after today as its going to get progressively cloudier and a bit colder but no rain forecast as far as I can see ....cant remember having the garden prepared so early in the year before than it is now,thanks too this very mild spell we have had

I have a bit more work to do now as the neighbour has told me they intend to renew 5 fence panels shortly,they are 5ft panels on top of gravel boards the problem is they are covered entirely in Clematis Montana and Gold Heart Ivy and I have to get all that down as its mine quite a bit of work involved,dont mind really as it will all have grown again within 12 months ....

Noticed yesterday that my Dahlias in the back bedroom (unused) have started to sprout already,not sure whether to just rub those shoots off as its a bit early for them yet ....only another month to go now and we can get cracking in earnest with the garden,but its going to seem like forever with having everything done so soon

Hope the dog recovers OK from the operation,suppose like humans they can function perfectly normally without one .....more soon ...take care

[Tuppence2]

Yes, Tom. Billy will do all right without her spleen. She had a restless night, moaning and groaning. I think she is in pain so I've given her "Metacam" pain-killer I had for one of the other dogs. She was hungry and I've just given her a meal (6 a.m.) and she's settled down. She doesn't like wearing the "Elizabethan" collar but will have to if I can't watch her as it's a long incision and her taking out the sutures won't be good. I've taken it off while I sit with her.

My soil is still heavy clay as I've not added anything much to it over the years - I'm starting to now, though. I'm adding stable manure and the leaves that fell last year from the magnolia, but it really needs sand adding to it. When Billy's operation is paid off, I'll get some.

I want to plant dahlias and there are lots of corms in the garden centre but, like you, I think it's a little early to plant any yet. I have feverfew in the front garden and want to grow more of it for it's little white daisies, and will look for seeds if I can't split the plants I have.

Good luck with taking down the clematis and ivy - quite a job! Nice to have new fencing going up. I'm still clearing the remains of panels my neighbour took down and left my side of the new fence she put up!

Hope to get the grass cut today or tomorrow - if I don't, I'll try at the weekend.

[telecom69]

I love that Feverfew got a few established plants that reappear every Spring, also lots of tiny seedlings also appear all over the place,I dig them up and pot them on ....they are regarded as weeds by many people but potted and grown in 5 or 6 inch pots they produce a great display of flowers not unlike miniature Chrysanths ....I like the smell of the foliage to if bruised ...they dont like being moved,they tend to droop very quickly but they do recover and they do like water ... you probably know all this already but posting just to let you know that you are not alone in liking Feverfew....not forgetting its medicinal properties of course especially for Migraine

[Tuppence2]

Pleased you'r a "feverfew fan", Tom. I know it's one of the medicinal plants used in the old days. It is pretty. It seeded itself in my garden from one plant - might get more seedlings this year.

Very cold today, without the sunshine of the past few days. I dug a little more of the garden yesterday and put green string on the canes, ready for beans. I'm wondering whether to dig up part of the small pice of lawn I have left to plant potatoes. It would save having to cut the grass! Not quite sure what to do with the turves I would take up, though. The wheelie-bins aren't for soil. I could build a turf seat, I suppose.

[eggplant43]

For clay: We have lots of clay in this region, so I've been dealing with it for years. Here, we call it gumbo, nasty stuff. Besides adding organic matter to the soil, we have two other organic techniques. One is the amendment of the soil with gypsum, which both improves the tilth, it also sweetens the soil. The second amendment is known by different names; soil pep, and pep are two of the names. Basically, it is a very fine bark product, which is quite inexpensive here. As it was explained to me, the particles are small enough to separate the clay particles.

You know you're successful when you no longer have water pooling on the ground after watering, or rainfall.

A discussion:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...295313840.html

[Tuppence2]

Thanks very much, Eggy. I haven't come across the use of gympsum to lighten the clay soil. How much would I use? I don't know the soil pep prepration, either. It's easy enough to get hold of bark chippings, but I don't think they'd be very small. I'll take a look on line at both options.