Grow Your Own Magazine

TGI Friday!!! Warmish day, max 13 degrees. The camellia is looking good, green buds on philadelphus, magnolia buds just about to burst. Daffs, primroses, violets in full flower, buds on tulips just starting to show colour. Sweet peas planted in border and covered with wire to deter the CATS!!! More cats*** cleared up. Hoping to get to the lottie tomorrow to plant out the onion sets but the forecast isn't looking good. Coriander has germinated and parsley is just starting to show through...

rustylady

Well, we've had winter, spring, winter, spring, winter and now spring again. Been recording first flowering etc for a few things, and it seems that most stuff is an average of a week earlier than last year. Now have daffs open, tulip buds showing, flowers on the camellia. Snowdrops are finished. Buds just showing on the apple and the plum. The lawn hasn't stopped growing all winter, but the guinea pigs have coped with it so I haven't had to mow. Won't be long though, I think.
Onion...

rustylady

Still didn't manage to get to the lottie. However, I've been busy in the back garden and greenhouse. Edged, weeded and tidied the middle bed. Sowed parsley and coriander in the propagator. Thinned out the summer sprouting PSB to one per cell. Lettuce germinating well, sweet peas nearly ready to go out. Onion and shallot sets likewise. Grape hyacinths and purple crocus open in front border, nearly a week earlier than last year.

rustylady

Well, we had heavy snow last night - started around 7 pm but it was very wet and wasn't settling. Walked up to the Chinese takeaway around 8 and it was blizzarding! Ended up with about an inch settled which froze overnight. Very slippery roads and pavements (and back garden).
Still, the spring flowers are opening - daffodils in the border near the local pub, a couple of hellebores in the back garden, snowdrops doing well in the garden, and tiny cyclamen, primrose and blue iris in the...

rustylady

Went to the lottie today to plant out broad beans (Sutton) which have been sitting in cell trays in the greenhouse. Aquadulce (planted earlier) are looking good, as are the autumn planted onion sets (Radar) and garlic, although the supermarket garlic is looking better than the Solent Wight. Dug 4 leeks for tea tonight (potato and leek gratin) - must plant deeper next year as not much blanched stem. Lovely and tender, though. The rhubarb is just showing buds. Chives are starting to re-sprout,...

rustylady