Juncus Effusus Spiralis - Corkscrew Rush (marginal)
Primula Denticulata - Drumstick Primula (pondside)
Scirpus Isolepsis - bristle Club Rush (shallow / oxygenating)
Iris Kaempferi / Ensata (pondside)
Ranunculus Lingua Grandiflora - Great Spearwort (marginal)
Also:
Blackcurrant - Ben Tirran
Mid season, heavy crop, good flavour
Prune out 25% of stems yearly
Monday, 19 October 2009
Monday, 27 July 2009
Weekend
Visited Blooms & World of Water
Pond:
Ranunculus Lingua Grandiflora - Great Spearwort
Juncus Effusus Spiralis - Corkscrew Rush
Iris Kaempferi/Ensata - Japanese Clematis Flowered Iris
- planted in a curved basket on the shelf with the other curved baskets
Scirpus Isolepsis - Bristle Club Rush
- at the shallow end
plus something free-floating with bladders
Primula Denticulata - Drumstick Primula
- above the waterfall, between the Fennel and Lily
Added some Green Away algae treatment - can be repeated after 5 days if necessary.
Ran filter cleaning cycle - made pump run MUCH better - do this every week as far as is possible.
Garden:
General maintenance.
Blackcurrant Ben Tirran
- planted in a large pot in the middle of the raised beds
Sowed mixed salad leaves and Raab in left-hand bed
Cut rhubarb - 670g
Emptied another potato tub - 1.5kg in this one
Picked first runner beans - 220g
The growing tip has broken off the pumpkin :-(
That's probably the end of it, but leave it awhile and see what happens.
Pond:
Ranunculus Lingua Grandiflora - Great Spearwort
Juncus Effusus Spiralis - Corkscrew Rush
Iris Kaempferi/Ensata - Japanese Clematis Flowered Iris
- planted in a curved basket on the shelf with the other curved baskets
Scirpus Isolepsis - Bristle Club Rush
- at the shallow end
plus something free-floating with bladders
Primula Denticulata - Drumstick Primula
- above the waterfall, between the Fennel and Lily
Added some Green Away algae treatment - can be repeated after 5 days if necessary.
Ran filter cleaning cycle - made pump run MUCH better - do this every week as far as is possible.
Garden:
General maintenance.
Blackcurrant Ben Tirran
- planted in a large pot in the middle of the raised beds
Sowed mixed salad leaves and Raab in left-hand bed
Cut rhubarb - 670g
Emptied another potato tub - 1.5kg in this one
Picked first runner beans - 220g
The growing tip has broken off the pumpkin :-(
That's probably the end of it, but leave it awhile and see what happens.
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Turnips
Picked the rest of the turnips - another 500g.
When prepared for freezing with what is left of the others, there's 700g.
More rhubarb needs cutting.
Outdoor tomatoes are coming along - being picked in dribs & drabs so not being weighed...
When prepared for freezing with what is left of the others, there's 700g.
More rhubarb needs cutting.
Outdoor tomatoes are coming along - being picked in dribs & drabs so not being weighed...
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Photos
Before-and-after photos of the pond, taken from almost the same angle:
And an almost-aerial overview of the garden as a whole:
And an almost-aerial overview of the garden as a whole:
Harvesting
Picked 500g of turnips and around 240g of gooseberries.
That's all the gooseberries, but there are still some turnips in the ground.
Picked almost the last of the tayberries. Check the total weight picked when they are all done.
That's all the gooseberries, but there are still some turnips in the ground.
Picked almost the last of the tayberries. Check the total weight picked when they are all done.
Pond - day 6
Removed bucket and plants, leaving all fish behind.
4 goldfish which survive of the original 10, plus 5 smaller green/brown ones which we definitely didn't put in there.
Washed and added gravel.
Planted a few of the saved plants in 2 curved baskets and positioned them along the ledge at the right-front corner. There is room for another one there.
Placed a large slate rock at the shallow left side, as a wildlife escape route.
Weeded all round, and added more nice stones.
Carted all the rubbish to the tip, and tidied up.
Done!
4 goldfish which survive of the original 10, plus 5 smaller green/brown ones which we definitely didn't put in there.
Washed and added gravel.
Planted a few of the saved plants in 2 curved baskets and positioned them along the ledge at the right-front corner. There is room for another one there.
Placed a large slate rock at the shallow left side, as a wildlife escape route.
Weeded all round, and added more nice stones.
Carted all the rubbish to the tip, and tidied up.
Done!
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Pond - day 5
Homebase - got extra required brick and another half-price bag of nice stones
Trimmed right-hand edge of liner
Edged with slate pieces
Cemented nice stones along bricks
All fish have survived
Still to do:
Planting
Remove bucket
Gravel bottom
Trimmed right-hand edge of liner
Edged with slate pieces
Cemented nice stones along bricks
All fish have survived
Still to do:
Planting
Remove bucket
Gravel bottom
Pond - day 3 and 4
Thursday:
Pump, filter and waterfall cleaned
Digging finished
Smoothed with sand
Matting and liner in place
Filled with water
Pump started and running OK
Lowest point of liner is along back edge.
Extend liner up behind edging here (nailed to sleeper through a thin batten) so it can be filled right up to this level.
Friday:
Homebase -
10 slabs for front edging
6 rustic bricks, bag of stones, batten for back edging
Cement
World of Water -
3 bags of gravel
2 curved baskets and liners
Bag of aquatic soil
Laid front edging
Arranged bricks along back, levelled surface with sand (1 more brick needed - damn)
Nailed batten in place above bricks, lightly holding them down
Lowered bucket with fish and plants into deepest part - not ideal but they looked as if they were becoming oxygen-starved.
Pump, filter and waterfall cleaned
Digging finished
Smoothed with sand
Matting and liner in place
Filled with water
Pump started and running OK
Lowest point of liner is along back edge.
Extend liner up behind edging here (nailed to sleeper through a thin batten) so it can be filled right up to this level.
Friday:
Homebase -
10 slabs for front edging
6 rustic bricks, bag of stones, batten for back edging
Cement
World of Water -
3 bags of gravel
2 curved baskets and liners
Bag of aquatic soil
Laid front edging
Arranged bricks along back, levelled surface with sand (1 more brick needed - damn)
Nailed batten in place above bricks, lightly holding them down
Lowered bucket with fish and plants into deepest part - not ideal but they looked as if they were becoming oxygen-starved.
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Pond - day 2
Digging.
And digging.
And frog-herding.
And a tip run.
And digging.
Liner and matting removed, without squishing any frogs.
Almost dug out now.
Twice as deep in centre of old part, with a shelf at original depth for plants.
New part starts at 6" deep and slopes gradually.
Today:
Another tip run.
Clean waterfall, pump and filter thoroughly.
Finish digging.
Get liner in place.
Hopefully get water in and fish back in.
And digging.
And frog-herding.
And a tip run.
And digging.
Liner and matting removed, without squishing any frogs.
Almost dug out now.
Twice as deep in centre of old part, with a shelf at original depth for plants.
New part starts at 6" deep and slopes gradually.
Today:
Another tip run.
Clean waterfall, pump and filter thoroughly.
Finish digging.
Get liner in place.
Hopefully get water in and fish back in.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Pond - day 1
Got:
3 x 4.5 m liner
10 sq.m matting
5 bags sand
Big tub for fish
Pulled out all plants, incl. huge masses of root system
Caught fish - 4 big goldfish, 4 small not-goldfish, 1 teeny-tiny baby
Annoyed a number of frogs
Scooped out gravel, slate chips and lots of sludge
Emptied most of water onto gardem
Lifted surrounding slabs
Fish and a few plants safely in tub
No frogs stranded in empty pond
Tomorrow:
Scoop out last of water/sludge
Remove liner
Start digging
3 x 4.5 m liner
10 sq.m matting
5 bags sand
Big tub for fish
Pulled out all plants, incl. huge masses of root system
Caught fish - 4 big goldfish, 4 small not-goldfish, 1 teeny-tiny baby
Annoyed a number of frogs
Scooped out gravel, slate chips and lots of sludge
Emptied most of water onto gardem
Lifted surrounding slabs
Fish and a few plants safely in tub
No frogs stranded in empty pond
Tomorrow:
Scoop out last of water/sludge
Remove liner
Start digging
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Post-holiday update
Everything seems to be OK, thanks to Muriel, except for one basket tomato.
This was looking very sad, but we've watered it well and it seems to be perking up.
Trimmed and tied up greenhouse plants.
Cucumber, red pepper and all three tomatoes are forming fruit.
Yellow pepper is flowering well.
Outside, beans are flowering, radishes and turnips are ready to eat.
Cabbages, broccoli and sprouts are growing well.
Still little if any evidence of slug damage.
Set up a climbing post (3 6ft canes tied together) for the pumpkin, and started to train it up to the shed roof. Nipped off all flowers, continue to do so until it's actually on the roof.
Cut 550g rhubarb, frozen again.
Picked another batch of tayberries. These are nearly all done now.
Emptied 1 potato container, yield 1kg potatoes, ranging in size from pea to normal new potato. Had some of those for dinner, and very good they were too.
This was looking very sad, but we've watered it well and it seems to be perking up.
Trimmed and tied up greenhouse plants.
Cucumber, red pepper and all three tomatoes are forming fruit.
Yellow pepper is flowering well.
Outside, beans are flowering, radishes and turnips are ready to eat.
Cabbages, broccoli and sprouts are growing well.
Still little if any evidence of slug damage.
Set up a climbing post (3 6ft canes tied together) for the pumpkin, and started to train it up to the shed roof. Nipped off all flowers, continue to do so until it's actually on the roof.
Cut 550g rhubarb, frozen again.
Picked another batch of tayberries. These are nearly all done now.
Emptied 1 potato container, yield 1kg potatoes, ranging in size from pea to normal new potato. Had some of those for dinner, and very good they were too.
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Gathering rhubarb...
350g, to be precise, added to the 300g cut last week (frozen), and the 400g cut a few weeks ago (used in soup).
Also picked the first of the tayberries. Didn't weigh them, but probably about 50g. In a box in the freezer.
Other stuff done over the last month hasn't been recorded...
Highlights:
Bed 1 has leeks (seed tapes) and turnips.
Bed 2 also has radishes.
Red cabbages planted out in right-hand and back beds.
Pumpkin in back bed, to be trained up onto shed roof...
Climbing courgette seeds (5) planted in loo rolls in greenhouse, but all failed to germinate.
Everything seems to be doing well. Very little in the way of slug / snail damage.
Also picked the first of the tayberries. Didn't weigh them, but probably about 50g. In a box in the freezer.
Other stuff done over the last month hasn't been recorded...
Highlights:
Bed 1 has leeks (seed tapes) and turnips.
Bed 2 also has radishes.
Red cabbages planted out in right-hand and back beds.
Pumpkin in back bed, to be trained up onto shed roof...
Climbing courgette seeds (5) planted in loo rolls in greenhouse, but all failed to germinate.
Everything seems to be doing well. Very little in the way of slug / snail damage.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Sunday 9th May
Garden centre visit
http://www.whitehallgardencentre.co.uk/
lots of lovely stuff, really big place with a good range of plants, definitely need to go back and buy more.
One stand of spinach harvested and frozen
Runner bean wigwam erected and beans planted out complete with toilet roll tubes.
Trough planted with red and green salad bowl lettuce seeds
bought/planted
Gooseberry-Whinhams industry:dark red fruit, June eat fresh or cook. Planted in low maintenance bed.
Brussel spouts- planted bed 2
Purple sprouting broccoli - planted bed 2
beans/broccoli/sprouts all treated with slug stoppa
general treatment of bare areas with slug pellets
http://www.whitehallgardencentre.co.uk/
lots of lovely stuff, really big place with a good range of plants, definitely need to go back and buy more.
One stand of spinach harvested and frozen
Runner bean wigwam erected and beans planted out complete with toilet roll tubes.
Trough planted with red and green salad bowl lettuce seeds
bought/planted
Gooseberry-Whinhams industry:dark red fruit, June eat fresh or cook. Planted in low maintenance bed.
Brussel spouts- planted bed 2
Purple sprouting broccoli - planted bed 2
beans/broccoli/sprouts all treated with slug stoppa
general treatment of bare areas with slug pellets
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Digging up the lawn - final phase
Yesterday:
All remaining turf dug out, stripped of excess soil, and stacked
Today:
Paths sanded and gravelled
Turf in rear beds covered with thin layer of soil
Compost added to front beds, and raked in
New bit of left-hand bed dug over and de-stoned
Left-hand bed weeded and fresh bark added
Weeding of strip to left of patio in progress. This is a narrow, shallow strip of soil which never gets any sun. What to do with it? Possibly try growing ferns, failing that dig out the soil and fill it with rocks.
All remaining turf dug out, stripped of excess soil, and stacked
Today:
Paths sanded and gravelled
Turf in rear beds covered with thin layer of soil
Compost added to front beds, and raked in
New bit of left-hand bed dug over and de-stoned
Left-hand bed weeded and fresh bark added
Weeding of strip to left of patio in progress. This is a narrow, shallow strip of soil which never gets any sun. What to do with it? Possibly try growing ferns, failing that dig out the soil and fill it with rocks.
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Digging up the lawn - 3
Final two beds in place.
Almost all turf stripped of loose soil and stacked.
Tomorrow:
Get sand, weed-proof membrane and gravel from B&Q.
Dig out remaining turf and lay gravel paths.
Set a slab levelled on 2 bricks at crossroads.
Almost all turf stripped of loose soil and stacked.
Tomorrow:
Get sand, weed-proof membrane and gravel from B&Q.
Dig out remaining turf and lay gravel paths.
Set a slab levelled on 2 bricks at crossroads.
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Digging up the lawn - 2
Monday:
Made 3 90x150cm beds
Determined 4th one should be 90x75cm
Painted outsides
Tuesday:
Made 4th bed
Finished painting all of them
Still to do - line with plastic sheeting
Today:
Dug out turf and installed 2 beds - Left front and back
Front beds to be filled with soil/compost and planted this year
Back beds to be filled with turf to rot down, check these next year
Started to stack cut turf in rear bed, removing excess soil into front bed
Made 3 90x150cm beds
Determined 4th one should be 90x75cm
Painted outsides
Tuesday:
Made 4th bed
Finished painting all of them
Still to do - line with plastic sheeting
Today:
Dug out turf and installed 2 beds - Left front and back
Front beds to be filled with soil/compost and planted this year
Back beds to be filled with turf to rot down, check these next year
Started to stack cut turf in rear bed, removing excess soil into front bed
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Digging up the lawn
Plan:
Replace last rectangle of lawn with four raised beds with gravelled access paths in between.
Requires a rethink of clothes-drying facilities otherwise we won't be able to grow tall things.
Last week:
Bought timber for raised beds:
16 x 240cm decking planks
4 x 180x5x5cm posts
1 tub decking screws
Bought wall-mounted clothes airer and new pressure washer.
Ordered growbag-pots from Lakeland.
Yesterday:
Rearranged corner of patio behind garage.
Fitted wall-mounted clothes dryer to back of garage.
Pressure-washed patio.
Weeded top bed and around waterfall.
Today:
Bought plastic sheeting to line beds, growbags, grit, weedkiller and red watering can (for weedkiller).
Cut posts into 45cm stakes forvampirescorner posts.
Cut 12 of 16 planks into 90 & 150cm lengths.
Weedkiller'd gravel out front.
Potted tomatoes, peppers, cucumber in growbags / growpots.
Planted tumbler tomatoes in hanging baskets.
Replace last rectangle of lawn with four raised beds with gravelled access paths in between.
Requires a rethink of clothes-drying facilities otherwise we won't be able to grow tall things.
Last week:
Bought timber for raised beds:
16 x 240cm decking planks
4 x 180x5x5cm posts
1 tub decking screws
Bought wall-mounted clothes airer and new pressure washer.
Ordered growbag-pots from Lakeland.
Yesterday:
Rearranged corner of patio behind garage.
Fitted wall-mounted clothes dryer to back of garage.
Pressure-washed patio.
Weeded top bed and around waterfall.
Today:
Bought plastic sheeting to line beds, growbags, grit, weedkiller and red watering can (for weedkiller).
Cut posts into 45cm stakes for
Cut 12 of 16 planks into 90 & 150cm lengths.
Weedkiller'd gravel out front.
Potted tomatoes, peppers, cucumber in growbags / growpots.
Planted tumbler tomatoes in hanging baskets.
Monday, 27 April 2009
Weekend report-25/26 April
Bought for garden:
Wall mounted clothes airer
Pressure washer
Red cabbage seedlings have germinated.
Potatoes starting to sprout.
Runner beans looking strong and healthy starting to harden them off now, ready to plant out next weekend.
Wall mounted clothes airer
Pressure washer
Red cabbage seedlings have germinated.
Potatoes starting to sprout.
Runner beans looking strong and healthy starting to harden them off now, ready to plant out next weekend.
Monday 13th April
planted
Red Cabbage seeds
Potatoes- Carlingford, 10 seed potaoes planted in a total of three containers
Red Cabbage seeds
Potatoes- Carlingford, 10 seed potaoes planted in a total of three containers
Sunday, 12 April 2009
Path!
New path up LH side of lawn.
Buff riven-textured slabs to match existing patio / paths.
Sadly not same size - 40cm vs 45cm.
Dug out trench.
Smoothed base with sand.
Layer of ready-mix slab base mortar.
Slabs x 10 - last 2 cut to fit around existing transverse path.
Left-hand scrap of lawn to be de-turfed and dug over for bedding.
Central rectangle to become 4 raised beds with gravelled walks between.
Buff riven-textured slabs to match existing patio / paths.
Sadly not same size - 40cm vs 45cm.
Dug out trench.
Smoothed base with sand.
Layer of ready-mix slab base mortar.
Slabs x 10 - last 2 cut to fit around existing transverse path.
Left-hand scrap of lawn to be de-turfed and dug over for bedding.
Central rectangle to become 4 raised beds with gravelled walks between.
Easter weekend
Rosemary dug out and gone
Lawn edged and paths deweeded
Hebe hard pruned
Choisya lightly pruned to better shape
Started weeding around pond
Lawn edged and paths deweeded
Hebe hard pruned
Choisya lightly pruned to better shape
Started weeding around pond
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Garden Centre
Visited Garden Centre:
For hanging baskets:
2 Tumbler tomatoes
Liners
For greenhouse:
1 Alicante tomato
1 Italian Plum tomato
1 Orange Pixie tomato
1 Red Bell Boy pepper
1 Yellow D'Asti Giallo pepper
1 Lemon Apple cucumber
3 vegetable planters
Seed potatoes -
1 Asparagus crown
----------
Dug over right-hand bed
Weeded
Added compost
Plants in greenhouse to grow on
For hanging baskets:
2 Tumbler tomatoes
Liners
For greenhouse:
1 Alicante tomato
1 Italian Plum tomato
1 Orange Pixie tomato
1 Red Bell Boy pepper
1 Yellow D'Asti Giallo pepper
1 Lemon Apple cucumber
3 vegetable planters
Seed potatoes -
1 Asparagus crown
----------
Dug over right-hand bed
Weeded
Added compost
Plants in greenhouse to grow on
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Today
Cut grass, first time this year.
Finished digging over top bed. Dug in some compost.
Watched fish and tadpoles.
There seems to be at least one and probably two young fish, in addition to the four big ones.
Finished digging over top bed. Dug in some compost.
Watched fish and tadpoles.
There seems to be at least one and probably two young fish, in addition to the four big ones.
Monday, 23 March 2009
Weekend
Saturday: Visited Bulldog. Replaced 2 fence panels. Broke up old ones.
Note: Per 6ft panel: 3 x 240cm crosspieces, 2 x 180cm uprights, 18 x 165cm boards.
Frame - 6" upright at bottom, crosspiece, 21" upright, crosspiece, 21" upright, crosspiece.
Note 2: Have uprights for 2 more panels, due to error on Bulldog's part. Probably then have enough scrap pieces for a further 2.
Sunday: Took old fence panels to tip. Painted new panels (Cuprinol Timbercare, Woodland Green).
Poked compost bin. Scooped crap from pond. Started to dig over top bed.
Planted 8 runner beans, in toilet roll inners, in greenhouse.
Note: Per 6ft panel: 3 x 240cm crosspieces, 2 x 180cm uprights, 18 x 165cm boards.
Frame - 6" upright at bottom, crosspiece, 21" upright, crosspiece, 21" upright, crosspiece.
Note 2: Have uprights for 2 more panels, due to error on Bulldog's part. Probably then have enough scrap pieces for a further 2.
Sunday: Took old fence panels to tip. Painted new panels (Cuprinol Timbercare, Woodland Green).
Poked compost bin. Scooped crap from pond. Started to dig over top bed.
Planted 8 runner beans, in toilet roll inners, in greenhouse.
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