Applications and Strawberries

I have put this blog down on my CV! Under “other interests.” Hopefully they will see the clear link between being an editorial assistant and gardening. And if not, then Marg and I are going to have to start up our dream of a smallholding with a goat and an Airedale terrier. (Marg’s choice) Well, I think this is more my fantasy than “our dream” but hopefully Marg will be won over by what an awesome thing it would be to aim for when we visit the Gardener’s World Show on Friday 13^th at the NEC! (No comment on the date) We’re going to track down Monty Don and buy some amazing gadgets for the garden (not to mention the plants!) Both of us are getting the train so we will be restricted by what we can physically carry back. Although trips to Morrisons in final year at University never stopped us!

I just want a job that I enjoy. To be my own boss would be the best. I have entered the Bridport novel competition with my YA novel and a short story. I’ll write, Marg can work on her sewing/crotchet and we can grow vegetables- the dream will be lived! Tom and Barbara Good had the right idea. Vegetable producers of the future- watch out! This could be the beginning. And in the film version of this story Carey Mulligan would play me and Marg wants to be played by Karen Gillan. So casting is sorted and I just have to remember to water my strawberries…

(Any suggestions on a name for our vegetable business? Or what to call the goat? Pop in the comments!) 

“About bloody time” said the tomato plants.

Happy strawberries with new, well drained soil.

Skills.

The tale of a girl who left her radishes alone for too long

A healthy bit of neglect? Yes. Complete neglect? No. Not only have I not been keeping up with this blog, I forgot about my radishes. They started growing wildly out of control, blocking the cucumbers from the sun! So today, before work I have decided to be more productive. Ripping up the radishes (of which there was more stalk than vegetable) and finding only three was a bit disappointing but I swearI heard the cucumber plants sigh with relief and stretch.  I have replanted the courgettes and cucumber plants, but we have a new problem. I have got the plants mixed up. I’m not very good with straight lines therefore we will have to play a guessing game when they come up! At least they got on, finger’s crossed! 

Overgrown radishes!

Not sure what happened...

Good enough!

The broad beans are doing well!

Guess which one is which! Because I can’t.

The spring onions and carrots are doing just fine; they’ve been spaced out now so they’re getting along a lot better! The cats (finger’s crossed) have stopped going into the raised bed now that the onions are coming up but that doesn’t stop them from standing on the edge of the planter, as if to taunt me! Dorothy has managed to sleep on the fern in the pot so much that the fern has started to grow sideways. The kale has started to take off on its own accord, so that is being left for a while. I have had to raise the tomatoes off the ground because they were starting to look miserable and waterlogged. Hopefully the crop will forgive me for leaving them so long!  

Spring onions and carrots- happy plants.

Kale!

Good cat!

Happy tomato plants!

Poor fern! 

Dalek compost bin.

I have been enjoying this great weather to get out there. I am running a little experiement with my rhubarb. On my way to work is an allotment and I must admit I am very jelly over peoples' rhubarb. It is HUGE! I have decided that the reason for this is good soil and plenty of nutrients. Now I have problem with the first of these things so I grow a lot of things in planters. However, my rhubarb grows a bit scragly so I decided to try it in the ground. I opened up a hole in the soil (more clay tbh), put a half a bag of manure in and the other half soil and then popped the rhubarb in the trench. It does look a bit sorry for itself but I will keep you updated on the progress.

Gardeners are a lovely bunch of folk. I have a new next door neighbor and when I was digging away at something she popped her head over the fence and asked if I had a compost bin. I said I didn't at present so she passed one over the fence (snails included) and said I could have one of hers cause she didn't need it any longer. Its brill but I feel I'm going to have to start taking compo-stable material from work to fill it. I'm tempted to paint it like a Dalek but it fits in really well in the garden.


 I must get some more bark chip when I'm next out to get a better layer for weed suppression. I have also planted the margerita seeds that my friend Amy got me from Paris which will add a bit of colour and food for the wildlife. Not much to report at the min so hopefully my plants will kick in and start getting into the swing of things really soon :)

Carrots and Spring Onions set the the world to right.

Happy looking strawberries! 

I am so excited for Marge’s blueberries! The gooseberry bush has been knobbled again by small caterpillars that are smarter than I had suspected. They seem to have laid their eggs within the thorns and gone great guns when they have hatched. No gooseberries for us at the moment! Hopefully Ms. Blueberry will make up this.

My cucumbers are coming along fine, the tomatoes have outgrown their containers and the kale looks like cress. Not sure whether this is a good thing at the moment. I have planted my strawberry plants in a hanging basket on Marge’s advice. Apparently they get stressed if they don’t have enough drainage, so problem hopefully solved! They seem happy away from the other plants, anti-social berries! 

After a terrible week of disappointment and frustration over future jobs and current work, I came home and found small green things sprouting in my homemade planter. I looked away for a moment and I swear the green things grew a few more centimetres. I’m final able to distinguish between the spring onions and carrots now! And thanks to their arrival the cats seem to have stopped sleeping under the wire I put down in a botched attempt to deter them. Now I just smack on the window like a crazy person yelling, “get off my onions!” Then, continuing to feel a little bit like God in the creation of onions and carrots, I pushed back the tops of my radishes and found beautiful rounds of red pocking out of the soil! And the bluebells are out, so peace has been restored.

Carrots and spring onions!

Radish- just turn your head to the right

Future gardener. 

Tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers looking awesome in the sun!

 

Ms Blueberry moves in.

My garden is coming on in leaps and bounds! The good weather has definitely helped. So last time I posted a pic of the painted raised bed and here it is on the ground. I chose a sunny spot for Ms Blueberry to help her along. I made the bed fairly level before lining with weed suppressing material. After filling it with the ericaceous compost the big moment had arrived.  

Here she is in her new home! It looks like a big patch for a single plant but in time she will fill it out and there is plenty of room for the shallow roots. The label advised to soak for a couple of hours so she has even been for a swim (life of luxury). Unbeknown to the unsuspecting visitor there is a banana peel in there. I even had to stop what I was doing and run back to the house to eat said banana for the peel. I had information from a good source that you should always plant a blueberry bush on a banana skin. Only time will tell....if it starts wilting I suspect why.

 After all that excitement I decided to plant some seeds. I have planted carrots, beetroot, onion and cucumber. I will keep you updated on the progress of the nippers. I feel very maternal towards my plants.I moved the cucumber into my bedroom for germination as its a bit more constant in temperature than the greenhouse.

Tomorrow I'm off to buy marigolds for the carrots (the french variety) to hopefully distract the carrot fly. Wish me luck!

The tomato plants went on their holidays!

I (like the lunatic I am) decided to take my tomato plants on holiday with me because my Aunty kills everything she touches. They seemed to enjoy the change from hard water to soft, so we will see what happens. I have planted my courgette plants, kale seeds and cucumber seeds. I have re-potted my mum’s gooseberry bush in a pot and he seems like a happy chappy. She has planted wildflower seeds in that space. I finished the planter but the white paint is just coming off in lumps now, everytime I brush up against it! (but don’t tell Marge) Here are some photos to be going on with, I’ve got more to update later! 

The soon to be repainted planter!

Planter in its entirety.

Baby broad beans

Radishes!

One happy gooseberry bush!

Courgettes 

Cucumbers

Happy germinating in the sun!

Tomato plants missing the south of England.

It is germinating now!

And after a hard days work...

Sowing and growing

It has been a while since I have posted on here, time flies when your having fun! I'm a tad behind Kathy on the growing front but I am slowly catching up.

I have planted out my sweet peas so I don't have to worry as much about watering them. I have found in the past that they are quite happy in containers as long as they have support to grow against. My simple method is using plastic netting and three bamboo canes. You can be as imaginative as you like though. I cant wait until they start growing a bit taller!


I know Kathy is going to acquire some strawberry plants so here are mine. I had left the old leaves on over the winter months to protect them from frost (learned from past experience....) so I gave them a good bit of TLC with some plant food thrown in for good measure. I also discovered where all the snails were hiding in the process haha
I grow mine in containers for better soil quality but also when the strawbs are growing they tend to go over the side and they don't touch the soil and rot. These are about 2-3 years old so I'm going to probably get a new set of plants in next year.

With all the sunshine about I have nearly finished my planter for my blueberry bush. I have picked a sunny spot and removed the weeds so when the paint has dried I will pop Ms Blueberry into her new home where she will be really happy and produce lots of yummy berries :)
Good bit of work with the left over wood I had if I do say so myself!

 

Phew I have been busy! I love it though so I'm always planning what to do next. Next jobs are to get the seeds started and get the blueberry bush outside. Off to water the plants :)