May...or June?

This weather is crazy. It's been so warm and, especially, dry that everything is at least a month in advance. The kniphofia - Red Hot Poker - is already coming out and I have this feeling that all the flowers are going to be over and done with in a month. This is also bad news for the veg. I'm struggling to keep up with watering. One of the cucumber is really not looking happy. However, the germination of the lemon cucumbers was a bit hit-and-miss so there may be an underlying problem anyway. I also bought a ridge cucumber in the local shop today to see how that will do.


However, the gamble with the tomatoes and patty pan squash last month paid off. They are not that big yet but then again it's still early days. I spotted the first flower buds on one of the tomatoes today. I managed to mix them all up and didn't label them so it'll be a surprise when they ripen.



The herbs love this weather! The fennel, thyme, oregano and purple sage are nearly taking over!

The rest are also making progress. Kale (lost one to the snails), pole beans, and my rows of beetroot, carrots and salad mix are doing quite well. And just in case you are wondering - the bamboo BBQ sticks are cat defences.





So... all in all not bad but I wish it would rain now and again - overnight and then stop in the morning ;)

Glorious spring and early planting

I'm chancing it this year by planting out my tender plants early - a bit risky before "Cold Sophie" (May 15th) - but the weather has been really clement and they may actually do better in the ground than in pots. I still have some cloches on standby should it really get cold (and also to keep the snails at bay).

So I have six different kinds of tomatoes:


Two different kinds of patty pan squash:


And cucumbers:


I also have some kale starting up, another cucumber and some chilli plants:


I have also direct-sowed white beetroot, carrots and mixed salad leaves. The pole beans "Panthenon" have also been planted. Not bad going for Easter weekend!

First seedlings

All tomatoes and the patty pan squashes germinated nicely, although the seeds were a couple of years old at least. They are growing way too fast in the propagator so today I potted them on and they will be living in my mini-greenhouse from now on. It's going to be warm enough in there and much better light than on my windowsill. One of the cucumber seeds which is still in the propagator is already peeking through but potting them up will have to wait until next weekend.


I'm almost tempted to start sowing the carrots, rocket, beetroot, etc directly outside but previous years have taught me that I am a bit too overenthusiastic and they like it a touch warmer than I think it is. Even though we've had smashing spring weather recently, it still drops quite low overnight. (Just spotted a soil/compost thermometer on sale at Amazon for £2.85... may have to invest in that). The pelargoniums which overwintered inside have now moved outside for the summer (still have to watch for frost but they should be ok).

In preparation for the tomatoes this summer, I also investigated better canes. The tall bamboo canes are ok as a tripod for beans and cucumbers but they don't really work that well for holding up tomatoes. I saw some spirally metal ones in Germany some years ago but never spotted them here, until two weeks ago through Amazon. I ordered different sizes, two 1.8m ones, and four 1.2m. The beauty is that you can wind the tomatoes around as they grow and you shouldn't need any twine (in theory). Also, they are galvanised steel so should be able to prop up even a plant fully-laden with fruit (a major drawback of the bamboo which regularly bent over and snapped). And I think they look pretty, in a modern-industrial way :)

Keeping the bay tree at bay

Years and years ago I planted a cute little bay, barely knee-high. Since then it has grown into a colossus. Two years ago I lopped off the top so it was about my height. Recently I looked at it again and I estimated it to be about 2.5 metres! I don't want to get rid of it, just tall enough to supply me with its leaves and not take over valuable growing space. Making the most of the weather today I trimmed it down to probably about 1 metre and cut back some of the side branches. Instantly, there seemed more room, more light...and more clippings than I knew what to do with. The bigger branches now form a sort of barrier against the back wall, rest went onto a heap by the side of the compost. Keeping with the clear-up I also trimmed some ornamental bushes, swept the deck and hunted down rogue seedlings from surrounding sycamores and ivy that is trying to invade my garden from next door. And then I had a nap, followed by coffee and cake :)

More sowing

After last week's mega-sowing of tomatoes (Tomatoes 'Red Pear',‘Tigerella’, 'San Marzano', 'Costoluto','Orangeberry' and 'Ildi'), this week is was the turn of cucumbers ('Lemon'). For the tomatoes I used up some Suttons peat pellets whereas for the cucumbers I ordered some coir pellets. Let's see which does better but the peat pellets gave me some pretty good results last year. The handy windowsill propagator that the pellets go into keeps them warm enough and it's also pretty damn impossible to overwater them which usually encourages damping off. So hopefully really soon I should see the first signs of seedlings!

Seed list 2011

Just had a quick look through my box of seeds, gearing up for the new season. I still have loads of seeds left from last year which should still be good enough (germination rate won't be as good but then again it's worth a try).

So here is this year's list of contenders:

(Note to self: I will not over-sow. I will NOT over-sow).

• Patty Pan Squash 'Pattison Orange'
• Patty Pan Squash Mixed
• Cucumber Crystal lemon
• Tomato 'Red Pear'
• Tomato ‘Tigerella’
• Tomato 'San Marzano'
• Tomato 'Costoluto'
• Tomato 'Orangeberry'
• Tomato 'Ildi'
• Rocket Oakley (mixed with Mixed Leaves from the BBC Dig In project)
  
• Carrot Chantenay Red (also from the BBC)
  
• Climbing Bean Panthenon
• Squash Turks Turban
• Beetroot 'White'

I also have Kale Dwarf Green Curled on order, along with peat pellets which gave me very good results last year. I may also try and steal some seeds from the green-skinned pumpkin from the Turkish supermarket down the road ;) Now I just have to find a slightly bigger garden...

Seeds and fruit

Today I did a big clear-up of the garden, making the most of the break in the weather - plenty of weeding, cutting back and general tidying up which made the compost pile grow to enormous proportions. I also harvested some green beans which I left on for seeds and reached over the fence to retrieve a winter squash which had rambled over (the neighbours don't really do anything with their garden so I felt entirely justified).


I already have saved some Turk's Turban winter squash seeds but unfortunately the seeds of the other pumpkin went moldy. I should have spread them out more but I completely forgot about them and I obviously didn't take enough of the flesh off. Never mind, I came face-to-face with the kind of pumpkin it was in the Turkish supermarket round the corner the other day - that's where I must have got the seeds from in the first place. I'll have another go with the seeds from the one above, even though it grew into a slightly strange shape. The beans should be fine, hopefully.

The raspberries are still producing fruit and I am getting slightly worried about them, much like you would with a workaholic friend. You admire them in a way but also you are hoping they'll take a break soon before they wear themselves out. At this rate I will have fresh raspberries for Thanksgiving but I hope they don't decide to give up the ghost next year!

Talking of seeds and fruit, I should really get stuck into the catalogues...it's that time of year.