2017 Calendar

[Jungle Jane]

August in the Garden
The first photo is taken above some maincrop potatoes on the patio,with tomatoes,peppers,cape gooseberry,peach tree,carrots under the table,petunias & marigolds. The second photo shows some tomatoes,spring onions,peas,first & second earlies waiting for harvest in potato bags & I just sowed some rocket & radish in those empty looking tubs. The third photo you can see the courgette & runner beans i'm trying in the north facing border for the first time so its a bit shadier,ive had some courgettes so its good,theres beans growing too Fourth photo is beans,tomatoes with cucumbers,lettuce & nasturtium,rhubarb,grapevine & some late planted onions. The fifth photo shows the melons 'emir' growing in buckets in front of the runner beans white lady & celebration,all next to ovation sweetcorn & cape gooseberry in the orange bucket,sunflowers & white geraniums,behind all that is my brussels sprouts that are quite small with holes all over them,nicely out of view

[Penellype]

September

The house end



One huuge Ferline tomato plant and 2 sickly looking ones, plus some not very happy Crimson Crush. Leeks are growing ok. This photo was taken at about 10am and shows how quickly the shade from the garage encroaches on this part of the garden.

Near the apple tree



Apples are ripening. Various tomatoes (Balconi in pots, Sungold and Mountain Magic in the corner) with some ripe fruit but very disappointed with yields of Sungold and Mountain Magic this year. Some of the flowers on the fence have been replaced by pink flowered perpetual strawberries (Just Add Cream) to give them more sun - this seems to be working as they are ripening better than the ones behind the fruit cage.

Behind the garage



Various tomatoes (Shirley and Balconi) doing rather better than the ones in the soil. The lettuces that survived the slugs are growing well in the saladgrow planter. Brassicas and carrots under the nets and strawberries on the shelf. The blackcurrant bush at the back doesn't look at all happy.

Behind the fruit cage



Strawberries on the shelving are starting to look very tatty, but there are still a few fruit (these are perpetuals and wild strawberries). Parsnips behind the net on the right and broccoli at the far end. The canes and string were holding back the potato foliage, but when I went out to take the photos I discovered what looked suspiciously like blight so I chopped them down.

The veg garden



Onions are nearly ready to lift (some are already drying in the garage). Runner beans climbing the archway, dwarf french and runner beans, fennel and beetroot in pots, spinach, pak choi and more beetroot under nets. The courgettes have mildew but are still producing small courgettes and the cucumbers are on their last legs.

[Guest]

Well I am gonna have a busy winter at this rate

[Jungle Jane]

End of September
On the patio is a few tomato & pepper plants waiting to ripen,cape gooseberry & some rocket & a couple of bags of potatoes that i need to lift. The netting in the second photos protecting a few radish. Geraniums,french marigolds,calendula,petunias,nemesia & dahlias all flowering around the patio. The fourth photo is just one cucumber growing & a couple of drying beans,peas & broad beans will be sowed there soon when the beds free. The fifth photo on the left are my brussels sprouts plants,if you could see them closely,there's nearly nothing left of the leaves because of caterpillars. Runner beans are still flowering,they've done well this year.

[Penellype]

A very soggy October garden

The house end



The Ferline tomato is still going strong, with loads of fruit which is slowly turning red. The other 5 plants that were against the fence are now gone, having done very poorly indeed. Leeks are growing but the odd one is bolting.

Near the apple tree



The apples have now all been picked. Sungold tomatoes are struggling on and have produced a remarkable amount of fruit for such weedy plants, although nothing like as much as the equivalent plants did last year. The Mountain Magic in the pot in the corner has not done well. The pots hanging on the fence above the tomatoes contain perpetual strawberries which are still producing the odd ripe fruit.

Behind the garage



Sunshine disappears from this area at this time of year, so some of the tomato plants have been moved to (slightly) sunnier places. Plenty of fruit on the plants in the growhouse and on the little balconi plant this side of it, ripening slowly. Brassicas and carrots under the big net, mizuna and namenia under the net near the garage door. Some of the lettuces in the saladgrow are starting to bolt now. Spinach in the netted bucket and corn salad in the bucket in front of the strawberry shelf. The net has been taken off the fruit cage in anticipation of gales tomorrow.

Behind the fruit cage



Still the odd fruit on the wild strawberries, which will be replaced with new plants next year. Blueberries in the fruit cage are rapidly losing their leaves. Brassicas under the nets with parsnips in between and carrots under the net on the left. The flowers behind the parsnips are a trough of dianthus and violas hung on the raised bed edge, waiting to go on the front garden fence when other plants die down.

The veg garden



Brassicas, beetroot and spinach under nets. Strawberries in the cold frame on the path. The cucumbers at the back look dreadful but are still producing cucumbers very slowly. Loads of mildew on the courgettes, but still producing fruit. Buckets in front of them contain more beetroot, florence fennel and beans. Runner beans climbing the arch are doing well. The tomato plant near the arch is the one that was near the saladgrow of lettuces last month - fruit is starting to ripen. Edging has been put round the nearer end and later I will add some well rotted manure and soil to make a raised bed in the hope of getting better crops from this area. The trees on the right tend to pinch nutrients and water, so it will probably be spring before I fill this up, but I have put the edging round to test whether it leaves me enough room to walk without tripping me up.

[Guest]

Some progress, would have liked more but it has for some reason been a bit slow and tedious. Just have to keep plodding on.

[Jungle Jane]

End of October in the Garden

Photos from today,on the patio there's sweet peppers & cape gooseberry ripening & radish growing under the netting in a black tub. The geraniums, nemesia, marigolds, nasturtium, dahlias & petunias are all still flowering. In the fourth photo there's red onions electric in the raised bed with strawberries & their runners are growing out of the bed so I've left them there for a nice spread,I sowed meteor peas around them see if they make good companions,they've just germinated & all's ok so far. In the fifth photo there's a few runner beans nearly ready to pick & my brussels sprouts plants nearly all eaten up by caterpillars. I need to plant out those pots of lavender but I don't know where yet

[Penellype]

November photos

The house end



The huge Ferline tomato succumbed to blight and has been removed. A lot more autumn colour now. About half of the leeks have now bolted.

Near the apple tree



The Sungold tomatoes have gone and been replaced by a bucket of broad beans (with the net over) and one of florence fennel. There is more fennel under the plastic cover - it was planted out this morning. I have never grow fennel this late before so I have no idea how it will do.
If you look very carefully you will see that there are a couple of strawberries turning red on the fence - astonishing for November.

Behind the garage



Tomatoes have been replaced by beetroot and spinach in the growhouse. The net has been removed from the mizuna and namenia in the saladgrow planter as the snails were using it as a ladder. Lettuces nearly finished, corn salad growing well. Swede, brokali, kale and carrots under the big net and strawberries on the shelving.

Behind the fruit cage



The blueberries have lost their leaves and the strawberrries on the shelving have been rearranged, otherwise much the same as last month. The wild strawberries are on the floor, waiting to be thrown away, and the black trough just visible behind the parsnip foliage contains the stumps of some summer cabbage (Hispi), which have sprouted new leaves. These have been completely neglected since they were harvested in July, and have been hiding under the potato foliage with no netting for protection. I may get a few greens off them at some point so they are staying put for now.

The veg garden



Runner beans, tomatoes and courgettes have gone. The buckets of beetroot and spinach that were under the net on the path have been moved to a marginally sunnier area and the beetroot covered with a plastic cloche in the hope that it will get a bit bigger. Herbs are now on the path. The lid has been put on the cold frame and the strawberries and framberries replaced with begonias from the front fence, which I will try to keep alive over winter. There are still 2 tiny cucumbers on the plants in the duogrow planter. Spring cabbage and kohlrabi under the net are growing. Other buckets contain french beans (probably finished) and mooli.

[Penellype]

Wintery looking December photos after several heavy snow showers yesterday and over night.

The house end



The nasturtiums have gone, as have most of the other flowers. The leeks are looking rather bedraggled and sad, and most have bolted.

Near the apple tree



The fence has been painted (not by me!) and the strawberries have migrated to the cold frame. No sign of any growth in the bucket of broad beans (netted) - as I haven't grown these before I don't really know what to expect. Florence fennel in the other bucket and under the plastic cloche is growing slowly. Remaining bedding plants need to come out, but the lawn has been too wet to walk on recently.

Behind the garage



The net has been removed from the big cage to save the joints breaking under the weight of snow. Swede, brokali, carrots and calabrese (under the net) in there. Lettuce is finished in the saladgrow that's covered in snow - I've removed the water tray so it doesn't split if it freezes. The tray under the mizuna nearby has 2 tennis balls in it to hopefully prevent it splitting. Corn salad is almost buried under snow. Mizuna and komatsuna have joined the spinach in the growhouse and there is more calabrese under the net on the raised bed at the back.

Behind the fruit cage



Water trays under the strawberries have been replaced with capillary matting. The net has been taken off the broccoli near the fence and the carrots that were under the strawberries are now in the garage. Otherwise little change from November here.

The veg garden



Spring cabbage and mooli under the net, kohlrabi , spinach and beetroot under the cloches. Herbs on the path and strawberries in the cold frame. Behind the blueberry bush are 3 buckets of kale.

[Guest]

Not as far as I would like as usual but a lot is in and done so I don't feel too bad.

3 x (5mx1.2m beds) planted with biennals
3 x (5mx1.2m beds) sown with hardy annuals
1 x (3mx1.2m beds) planted with tulips, narcissi and alliums
25m x .6m planted with perennials