In the Garden at last!

It's been a nice day here in Milton Keynes, apart from a "breeze" as they put it - gusting winds most of the day up to 18mph whistling down our alleyway beside the house!

I've managed to start off loads of seeds today, including my Bajaja Tomatoes - little bushes that produce sweet cherry-sized Tomatoes.

I've done my Salad mix plus some Webb's Wonderful, Elisa Cabbages, Swiss Chard and Red Baron Onions, from seeds too this time 'cos I'm fed-up with getting nothing from sets!

The last time I grew onions from seed I grew Bedfordshire Champions and had great success but everyone kept saying sets are best so I kept trying but don't seem to have the luck, probably due to our North-facing garden like everything else we have problems with!

Still got a lot I want to do yet including Swede because the last time I tried them I got nothing but these ones are for poor soil so I'm hoping they might do better.

Beetroots are still to go in too plus spring onions, white carrots and parsnips, which I do every year.

I can recommend the white carrots - for some reason they don't seem to mind being crowded and I had nice 6 - 8" ones growing happily in bunches with no spindly little ones at all.

When they were small the taste was a bit like a cross between a carrot and a swede or parsnip but the carroty taste came through better later but still with a hint of parsnip!

Very sweet too and I've still got some I pulled in December in the shed.

I've got major work to do repairing my raised beds so I'm hoping to get onto that next week but I'm not sure how I'm going to repair them as the wood I made them from has rotted.

They are about 15 years old but I didn't realise how rotted they were and all the anchor posts are gone so it's going to be difficult! stevmk2

Re: In the Garden at last!

Just been out in the garden myself to cut the lawn. Sure was nice to feel the sun on my skin again .

Lawn has gone a bit odd? Seems like there is a thick mossy undergrowth on nearly all of it now? Very spongy underfoot. Oh well, at least the grass has been cut for now.

Re: In the Garden at last!

Mine too. It's been ideal conditions for moss growth over the past few months though while the grass has been more or less dormant for at least half that time.

At work it's even worse as they're on a sandy soil and moss has really taken over in the past few months! stevmk2

Re: In the Garden at last!

Well I really have to do something about my dead plum tree.
I was out there earlier and it's now loose in the ground. As I don't particularly want it falling on to the greenhouse, I shall have to try sawing off the branches and then see if I can push it over.

My grass will have to wait. Getting the lawn mower out of the shed is such a lot of hassle ~ too heavy to lift, sensibly

Re: In the Garden at last!

I have given up on lawnmowers owing to the amount of moss my garden has. I use a strimmer now and that works really well.

Re: In the Garden at last!

Using the strimmer seriously ******* my back

Couldn't manage to saw any branches off the tree but pushed it over a fair bit so it's resting on the conifers and away from the greenhouse

Re: In the Garden at last!

Had me a brainwave this morning .

I have 2 coal bunkers that used to have a wooden roof which was in 2 sections with the lower being hinged. Trouble is the lower sections have become rotten. I could just renew the wood but this seems a short term repair solution as the top will also rot away no-doubt in time. Anyway my brainwave suggested 'tarpaulin ground sheet' . The sheets are incredibly cheap on Ebay with FREE DEL to boot, complete with 'Rust resistant grommets on both sides and corners'.

Ebay
HEAVY DUTY LIGHTWEIGHT TARPAULIN GROUND SHEET POLYETHYLENE WATERPROOF COVER

Bit of measuring and will order .

Re: In the Garden at last!

Before and after pics please Mark

Re: In the Garden at last!

Plum tree reclining safely against the conifers ~ problem sorted for now

Re: In the Garden at last!

Awesome job . Nice big pic too .