the start of the garden

I planted some tomato plants a couple of weeks ago and they are just poking through. These are a bush variety which need less attention (i.e. no staking or picking out side shoots) so fingers crossed they will be more successful than in previous years........

The kids and I have also planted lots of flower seeds this year. I thought we'd start some off inside and then plant some more outside when it's a bit warmer. We've got Stock, Cosmos, Lavatera, Nigella and Snapdragon. The garden should look very pretty if we manage to plant all those.

in the garden

We have been having lots of rainy and fairly cold weather here in the UK for the last few weeks, so things aren't growing very fast. However next week looks like it might be hot and sunny (hurrah) so I'm hoping for a growth spurt.

I've planted out the tomatoes here in the sunniest part of the border (now known as TomatoWorld - I think I should get the kids to paint me a sign). They seem to have survived the journey from warmer mini-greenhouse to cold soil, but are not yet thriving. Hopefully next weeks sunshine will help them.

I also planted out my courgettes (I think I had about 4) but the slugs seem to think they are the best thing ever and only one (the one in the raised up bed) has survived. The slugs seem to take particular pleasure in biting (do slugs bite?) the leaves off and then devouring the stalks - grrrrrrrrrr.

Here we have some beans (climbing and broad) at the back, and a cabbage nestled in amongst some flowers (I'm hoping the slugs won't find it......)

The jerusalem artichoke is growing nicely. I'm pleased to have found something that seems to like growing in this dry, shady space under a tree. There are some flowers starting to grow around it. The kids sprinkled a wild flower seed packet here a few weeks ago and I'd forgotten about it until I saw nasturtiums appearing. Not sure how well the flowers will do here but it'll be nice if we get something.

I also planted (one - I'm running out of space!) sweetcorn seed last week, and some rocket. I've got some more beans to plant out, I think they'll have to go in pots, and I'm going to plant some courgette seeds outside and try to protect them from the slugs.

My parents were here for a few days and put some seed potatoes and soil in my giant pot (and scoured the side of the road for more leaf mould and soil to put in once the potatoes appear), so I'm hoping for a good potato harvest.

in the garden

I took these photos last Saturday, after we arrived back from a week away, and in pretty much the last bit of sunshine before a week of rain when I have hardly been out in the garden at all !

Flowers are blooming. The tulips out the front are doing great this year. There seem to be about three times as many as last year and I didn't do anything with them at all. Forget-me-nots are looking pretty too.

 All my plants survived the week. I had them inside by our patio doors in washing up bowls about half full of water. I think they looked healthier when I got back than when I left. I have far too many tomato and cabbage plants for my small garden - time to start giving them away.

I put an ad on freegle for large pots and hanging baskets and got loads of offers, including this enormous pot which used to have a tree in it, and which will be used for potatoes just as soon as I get hold of some more soil from somewhere.

 The mint and oregano are doing well. The oregano just grows happily at the edge of the lawn.

Poking through the ground we have Jerusalem artichoke and a broad bean. I have some other broad beans in pots waiting to be planted out.

 And I rediscovered some rhubarb. I knew I had planted three crowns last year, but had only found one and couldn't remember where the others were. I think one of them may have been lost for good when I dumped a load of compost on part of the border. Or maybe it'll come through and surprise me next year,

And just as soon as this rain stops I have plans for transplanting cabbages, tomatoes in hanging baskets, more lettuce and carrots and getting the potatoes started......Monday might just be sunny according to the weather forecast - fingers crossed !

in the garden

Things are growing.

These are cabbage seedlings which have been in our mini-greenhouse.

All available inside windowsills have been put to work. Here we have tomato and bean seedlings. I've moved the beans to the greenhouse as they were getting too tall, but there isn't anywhere inside with more light. Looking at the sunny weather forecast for the next week, they should be ok I hope.

Cornflowers and lettuce have also started to emerge, and I also have a couple more trays of tomato seedlings. I am wondering where I am going to put all these tomatoes when I pot them into bigger pots. Some will just have to go and take their chances in the greenhouse. No sign of the peas or courgettes yet.

I found one of the rhubarb crowns hiding under some dead leaves, and I've covered it with this black pot in the hope of forcing some rhubarb in the next few weeks. I did have two other crowns somewhere but they havent' surfaced yet.

I have planted radishes and lettuce in the black pots, and carrots and spinach beet in the small sections of bed.

We have some lovely primroses brightening up the shady parts of the garden.

I have plans for a few sack gardens, hanging baskets for tomatoes and planters that I can attach over the wall...........

in the garden

Our garden is really rather small (though the rental agency assures us it is medium). Also most of it is lawn and as we are renting we can't dig any of it up. And the border along one side is in the shade and has lots of prickly bushes planted in it. So I have grand garden dreams that have to be pared down to fit to the real garden size. However, as there is nothing I can change about this,  I like to approach it as a challenge to fit as many edible plants in as possible.

This is the sunny border. There are various shrubs in it that I can't dig up so last year I planted stuff in pots. This year I've been adding compost around the shrubs (the garden soil is pretty bad) and am going to plant directly in to that.

These are my two teeny weeny beds. Hannah has planted a pea next to one of the sticks ! I have planted spring onions at the end of the green bed.

Here's a small amount of garlic. Not sure why we didn't plant more, I think perhaps we only had a few cloves left and just stuck them in to see if anything would happen. I've planted some more spring onions in here.

Planted so far:
Feb 29 tomatoes inside on windowsills and beans in the shed with fleece on top.
March 3 spring onions