Wednesday 10 October 2012

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












7 comments:

  1. Well done you with your bay cuttings, I had great plans during the summer to take some fuchsia cuttings but never got round to it.

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  2. I love the box that you've planted your garlic in - it looks great!

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    1. Thanks. That was a freebie from my sister in law. I just love how it looks. X

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  3. Cavolo nero a new one I must try what is it related too

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    1. I think it's kale David. I've got regular kale too but that has a terrible case of cabbage fly, the cavolo nero hasn't so I might forget the kale next year and just go with the cavolo nero. Has been easy to grow. X

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  4. Blogging may not be easy at times but definitely worthwhile when you you end up with a post like this one.
    For the time of year it's good to read, and see, how well you're doing despite the usual problems. Flighty xx

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    1. Many thanks Flighty. It was worth the 2 hours it took to get it written and photos uploaded, sometimes it seems that technology is not on our side. X

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