The temperature has certainly dropped over the past few days. No frost here as yet so there is that to be thankful for. And there is more positive  goings on in the garden.

The scourge of white fly seems to be coming under control. I've given it a couple of sprays with the solution of  washing up liquid and I can see the difference. Whereas before, just one touch would disturb a whole host of white fly and sending them crazy. They had spread to the cavolo nero as well. Now there are hardly any, and the kale may possibly be saved. Will do another treatment or two and keep an eye.

After what is probably just a few weeks, the onions are producing green shoots. Having not grown onions before, I'm hoping things are all as they should be. The netting and shelf from the grow house seemed to have worked in keeping the squirrels at bay.



I've also planted up more garlic and another 2 elephant garlic cloves.

I do go on about my grow houses, I have a couple now and they are useful for gardening on a small scale but I had caught sight of a small lean to wooden greenhouse which seemed like a good price

http://www.greenfingers.com/superstore/product.asp?dept_id=200672&pf_id=OS0002D

I've bought a few things from them now and have been pleased with the quality.

It took me just under an hour to put together even with very basic instructions. I think one of the selling points of this is that, unlike the pvc grow houses, this is flush on the ground and so the snails can't get in.

I've grown on some plug plants perennials for some friends and I'm hanging onto them until the spring and there's still room for some of my cuttings.

And I look forward to filling it with a new seasons seeds come the Spring.

This is the hope that gets us through the coming months.

x

The Autumn blues

It's been a while since my last post. I haven't actually been out in the garden, I've been suffering with "policeman's heel" for a while but after a busy few days of almost constantly being on my feet lead me to having my worst ever bout. Have been shuffling around like someone twice my age. Thankfully it's improved no end over the past day or two.

Today I braved the dank weather and grey skies and had a mooch around the garden.

I am beginning to wonder if the squirrels know something we don't and are preparing for a really harsh winter. Either way, they have trashed the garden even digging massive ditches in the hanging baskets. I'll say no more on the matter.

Time to celebrate the great colours in the garden.



The blueberry bush's Autumn blush.





Pink lemonade blueberry, from Thompson Morgan, a new addition to the garden. Just need a trip to the garden centre as it needs ericacious soil.



Jalapeno. both plants that I've bought in doors have fruits ripening. As with chillis, I hear you treat them mean so I water  only when it looks sorry for itself. We shall see if it lasts to the Spring. I'd like it to.



This cosmos has done nothing all Summer long, no flowers or buds, until now! Can't complain really, it's lovely though it probably has no business to be doing so well at this time of year.

While my back has been turned and my feet have been up, the wildlife has been feasting on my garden.

I was feeling charitable to this one and left him be.

Whereas there were so many of these little guys (this was just a small patch, there were loads!) that I just chopped off the leaf and slung it in the compost bag.



The kale has huge patches overrun with white fly, these have moved onto the sprouting broccoli. I've had a look and I'm going to trying spraying with water with a few squirts of washing up liquid. I doubt I can get rid of them fully but I'd settle for being able to control the spread.

I'm thinking of making a couple of cages for next year, something to keep me busy over the coming months.

Growing in the tomato grow house are some broad beans, and boy are they growing! Not bad for a freebie seed packet from a gardening magazine.

Nice to end on a positive note.

Really hoping for some sunny days.

x



When everything conspires against you....

blogging is not easy.

The weather has been wet, the computer has been uncooperative and I'm trying not to succumb to a cold..

Thankfully, we had a some good weather over the weekend and so I spent several hours in the garden.

I finally managed to empty the last of the pots from the tomatoes and aubergine. It was very satisfying to finally get that done and see the garden looking far tidier than it has in a good month or so.

I pulled up the last of the radishes which we had with the juice of half a lemon, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Not something I've tried before but it was really lovely.

I ordered some "Tornado" onions and "Wight cristo" garlic from Thompson Morgan and they finally came through last week.

I've not grown onions before so this is a first for me.



Onions



Garlic



I planted up with a good amount of fertiliser and some squirrel protection. These will not appreciate being dug up by my little furry friends.

The Cavolo nero is coming along well, in fact we had some on Sunday cooked with pancetta and cream. Yum!

This is my most successful looking chard so far and I love the colours. I had some others that were coming along nicely until the bed was ransacked, hence the netting.

I've planted 3 garlic in this bed but I'm sure I could have filled this bed a bit more. I also lost 2 Cavolo nero to caterpillars and I think I just didn't plan ahead very well.

And finally, some success.

I tried a couple of times to grow on cuttings from my bay tree but to no avail.

When it was featured on Gardener's World, I watched closely (and twice).

Off to the garden centre went I to invest in some organic rooting powder and some seed and cutting compost. I wasn't particularly hopeful that I could make anything happen but dipped my cuttings in the rooting powder and bagged up the pot like Monty Don did with fingers crossed.

Lo and behold, over a month later and it looks like the cuttings have taken.

Rooting powder is my new best friend, I had to pot on some plug plants and one or two looked a bit tragic but the rooting powder has made a real difference.

x