I need some more potting compost - and some growbags - everything is going wild in the greenhouse and starting to look a bit root bound.
So off I head to the garden centre.
Boy these bags are heavy! I buy one of compost and then one growbag because that's all I can lift. Mind you a rather fit bloke helps me to get them into my car.
Sadly he's not there when I get home so I'm going to have to do this on my own. Somehow I've got to get them down to the greenhouse at the bottom of the garden.
Easy solution - I'll use the wheelbarrow....
... or not :-(
The wheelbarrow is full of broken panes of greenhouse glass. I know a couple got broken when we assembled the greenhouse and hubby had to nip out to the glazier to pick up some more - but I thought he'd got rid of them ages ago.
There are also some bits of rusty metal, some decomposing weeds, and the whole thing is half full of stagnant water.
There's nothing else for it - and I'm certainly not waiting for hubby to get home and help - so I half carry, half drag the bags down the garden.
Excellent - done it.
Except now I'm too knackered to do any gardening - I need a cup of tea!
Showing posts with label greenhouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greenhouse. Show all posts
Friday, 14 May 2010
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
May Update
Here's what my patch of dirt looks like this month.
On the left you can see my legumes - broad beans, peas and runner beans, all coming on nicely. Behind them the potatoes are breaking the surface. You can't really see them but trust me - the carrots and parsnips are germinating, as are the onions. The sweet corn and squash will soon be ready to go in and in the greenhouse I'll be growing melons, peppers and plum tomatoes.
I feel hungry already. :-)
Monday, 22 March 2010
A Watched Seed...
….never grows!
It’s exciting having a greenhouse – with lots of little trays of seeds sitting there, waiting to grow …. and waiting….and waiting.
Every day when I get back from work I scurry down there to see if anything has happened – will there be any little shoots poking their way into the sunlight?
And then at last….a melon started to germinate – tiny and green…only to shrivel and die two days later. Oh dear.
But all is not lost. I’ve bought a tray of broad beans from the local hardware store and those will be able to go in soon, along with the peas and the potatoes that are chitting nicely.
And now, at last, something else has started to grow – the first of the runner beans are sprouting, and the cauliflowers too.
So all is not lost – I will have some plants to grow in my plot.
It’s exciting having a greenhouse – with lots of little trays of seeds sitting there, waiting to grow …. and waiting….and waiting.
Every day when I get back from work I scurry down there to see if anything has happened – will there be any little shoots poking their way into the sunlight?
And then at last….a melon started to germinate – tiny and green…only to shrivel and die two days later. Oh dear.
But all is not lost. I’ve bought a tray of broad beans from the local hardware store and those will be able to go in soon, along with the peas and the potatoes that are chitting nicely.
And now, at last, something else has started to grow – the first of the runner beans are sprouting, and the cauliflowers too.
So all is not lost – I will have some plants to grow in my plot.
Monday, 8 March 2010
Sow by Dates
So how set in stone are these sow by dates on packets of seeds? They always seem to contain far more seeds than I actually need, and I do so hate waste - but with only a small patch like mine I'm hardy going to be growing 300+ parsnips, am I.
Anyway, I have several packets of different varieties of winter squash left over from various failed attempts to grow these in previous years, so I thought I might as well give them a go.
So, now that I have glass in my greenhouse I've been planting:
Pumpkin (no idea how old these seeds are)
Trombone squash, (last year's seed)
ordinary courgette (last year's seed)
Italian round courgette (new seed)
Another sort of squash but I can't remember what it's called. (last year's seed)
Some very old spaghetti squash seeds (don't hold out much hope for these)
And melon (new seed)
I've also started off some cauliflowers and brussel sprouts (Why on earth did I plant the devil's vegetable? Everyone in the family hates them. Oh well.)
And finally - runner beans. Oh, but I've had a right muddle with these. You see I bought a load of loose seeds, in a brown paper bag. When I got home I found that mice had been at one of my old packets of runner bean seeds from last year and they had spilled all over the place. So I picked them up and put them in another brown paper bag.
Yes, you've guessed it - when I went to plant the runner beans I had no idea which were last year's seeds and which were this year's seeds. Great! Well I suppose if nothing grows then I'll know I planted the wrong ones!
Anyway I'll let you know what comes up.
Anyway, I have several packets of different varieties of winter squash left over from various failed attempts to grow these in previous years, so I thought I might as well give them a go.
So, now that I have glass in my greenhouse I've been planting:
Pumpkin (no idea how old these seeds are)
Trombone squash, (last year's seed)
ordinary courgette (last year's seed)
Italian round courgette (new seed)
Another sort of squash but I can't remember what it's called. (last year's seed)
Some very old spaghetti squash seeds (don't hold out much hope for these)
And melon (new seed)
I've also started off some cauliflowers and brussel sprouts (Why on earth did I plant the devil's vegetable? Everyone in the family hates them. Oh well.)
And finally - runner beans. Oh, but I've had a right muddle with these. You see I bought a load of loose seeds, in a brown paper bag. When I got home I found that mice had been at one of my old packets of runner bean seeds from last year and they had spilled all over the place. So I picked them up and put them in another brown paper bag.
Yes, you've guessed it - when I went to plant the runner beans I had no idea which were last year's seeds and which were this year's seeds. Great! Well I suppose if nothing grows then I'll know I planted the wrong ones!
Anyway I'll let you know what comes up.
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Deliveries
Excellent.
The bloke has just delivered the slabs that are going to form the base of my new greenhouse – whenever it warms up enough for me to start shifting earth around.
Small problem though – he’s dumped them in the middle of the drive. Now how am I going to get the car out? Maybe I should have gone out and told him where to put them, but it was a bit cold.
And there’s something on top of them.
I nip out and take a look.
Oh dear, he’s left his glasses.
Maybe it’s a good thing I can’t get the car out – not with a blind delivery driver loose on the roads!!
The bloke has just delivered the slabs that are going to form the base of my new greenhouse – whenever it warms up enough for me to start shifting earth around.
Small problem though – he’s dumped them in the middle of the drive. Now how am I going to get the car out? Maybe I should have gone out and told him where to put them, but it was a bit cold.
And there’s something on top of them.
I nip out and take a look.
Oh dear, he’s left his glasses.
Maybe it’s a good thing I can’t get the car out – not with a blind delivery driver loose on the roads!!
Thursday, 7 January 2010
The Greenhouse
If I’m going to do this veg plot thing properly I’m going to need somewhere to bring on my seedlings, and that means I need a greenhouse – the kitchen windowsill just isn’t going to be big enough!
So off I trek to B&Q, The forecast says something about snow, but it looks okay, so I’ll ignore that.
And there they are, lots of lovely greenhouses to chose from. They don’t have any glass in stock, but hey, who needs glass!! The frame will do to be getting on with. So, with my new purchases I head back into the car park. It’s starting to snow now, but it won’t stick – will it?
No. I’ve got a far bigger problem to worry about. I drive a fiesta and…err… the greenhouse doesn’t fit!! Rats and bother!! Maybe I should have measured up before buying.
So I try to fit it in at all sorts of different angles. Nothing doing. People are beginning to stare at me and the snow is coming down heavier. I’m starting to feel like a right bimbo – I should be wearing high heels and a short skirt – then I’d look the part too!!
Then the phone rings. “Mum, they’ve shut the school. Come and get me.”
Whaat!!! Oh yes. The snow’s starting to lie quite thick now. I’m stuck in a car park trying to fit a too large object into a too small car and my fingers and toes are starting to freeze.
There’s nothing for it. I have to phone the hubby, drag him out from work to rescue me, and suffer the ritual humiliation of his teasing for the next few months.
Oh well, at least I got my greenhouse. (frame)
So off I trek to B&Q, The forecast says something about snow, but it looks okay, so I’ll ignore that.
And there they are, lots of lovely greenhouses to chose from. They don’t have any glass in stock, but hey, who needs glass!! The frame will do to be getting on with. So, with my new purchases I head back into the car park. It’s starting to snow now, but it won’t stick – will it?
No. I’ve got a far bigger problem to worry about. I drive a fiesta and…err… the greenhouse doesn’t fit!! Rats and bother!! Maybe I should have measured up before buying.
So I try to fit it in at all sorts of different angles. Nothing doing. People are beginning to stare at me and the snow is coming down heavier. I’m starting to feel like a right bimbo – I should be wearing high heels and a short skirt – then I’d look the part too!!
Then the phone rings. “Mum, they’ve shut the school. Come and get me.”
Whaat!!! Oh yes. The snow’s starting to lie quite thick now. I’m stuck in a car park trying to fit a too large object into a too small car and my fingers and toes are starting to freeze.
There’s nothing for it. I have to phone the hubby, drag him out from work to rescue me, and suffer the ritual humiliation of his teasing for the next few months.
Oh well, at least I got my greenhouse. (frame)
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