What I did today 2012-2014

(Yesterday) ordered some willow for windbreaks, and moved some rose and fuchsia bushes.

Stood and contemplated whether or not the onion and garlic sets are going to survive. They are re sprouting following loosing a good many of their green sprouts in the high winds. We have had a lot of rain over the last couple of weeks and there is a danger they may be rotting in the ground. The spring cabbage appear to be growing some more green sprouts too. However, we've lost the kale (put in a late as we moved house in June). Ah well.

Harvested a big lump of ginger that was soooooo easy to grow. Now I dont know what to do with it.
Does it freeze?

Not actually today, but yesterday (31/12) - went to the lottie to plant a couple of garlic bulbs (as cloves of course). Digging over the patch for them, found about a kilo of carrots that had got forgotten about. Fab.
Today: Reading the above and wondering how easy ginger would be to try growing.....!

Very easy. I bought a small bit of ginger from the corner shop for 10p that had a nobble in the corner, sort of growing lump, had to choose the right bit to buy. Put it in a pot left it for 4 months in the house watered when I remembered. It put out a shoot and then a couple of leaves. Couple of days ago I noticed that the leaves had gone yellow so went to throw it away when I emptied the pot there was a large lump of ginger in it filling the whole pot!!!!

Oh, I wish I hadn't spotted this. Now I'm going to have another pot to look after aren't I? Did you have this in the greenhouse or on a windowsill? I'm guessing it wouldn't be outside.

Off to check out the bit of ginger in the fridge left over from making chutney.

On a small table in the front room as the leaves were nice and green. I really didnt give it as much care as my Christmas catcus. The lump you plant must have a nobble on the side which looks as if it will grow.

Set 106 sweet pea seeds in the wife's heated propagator first thing planted this year,must do some veggies tomorrow

Sorted saved lupin seeds to use as green manure next year (I'm sure I read about this somewhere on the vine). Mr Peppermint put up hooks etc. to hang the garden tools on. Now we are able to get across the floor of the shed :-)

Had a good session weeding and generally tidying up the plot!

Braved the snow to go out and start tidying the shed.

Mice got my seeds so am now completely out of peas and sweetcorn.

Cleared the bench and washed a few pots but the cold got the better of me so went back inside and threw a couple more logs in the stove.

Pruned & tidied inside the fruit cage

Itching to get back in my seed box so today I sowed some Aubergines, Lemon grass, a few onions and a few leeks, in a heated propagator that'll sit in the windowsill of my south facing porch.

Its my first January sowing stuff (as only really started last March) so might be a bit early but I think it's the only way I'll learn.

Autumn sown sweet peas in greenhouse think it's Spring already so reduced to 3 or 4 pairs of leaves or they'll be in a right tangle before I can plant them out... (this mild weather here in the East in this garden has one tree in full blossom, fruit trees budding and one sheltered rose thinking it's still Autumn... - all in for a shock I suspect....). Harvested 7lbs pink firs from 3 potato bags that I found in a corner and had forgotten about - no hard frosts yet so they were fine, had some for tea! Dug three trenches for runner beans and sweet peas that will get filled with kitchen waste and shredded paper over the next month. Some general weeding and tidying. Full sun all day, fantastic....

Finally got round to ordering seeds and seed potatos. Also checked over the lovely flamethrower I got for Christmas! Everything there except the paraffin.

For the seeds I went to The Real Seed Catelogue for the first time which should be really interesting for their open pollenated (mostly) heritage varieties. Great Vegetable Seeds from The Real Seed Catalogue

White Beetroot; Sprouting Brocoli Early Purple and Late Purple Sprouting Brocoli; Cima di Rapa San Marzano; Carrot Giant Red; Perpetual Spinage; Lettuces Grandpa Admire's, Australian Yellowleaf, Winter Marvel; Spring Onion Feast; Parsnip Tender & True; (tall) Peas Telephone and Champion of England; Salad Endive Bianca Riccia da Swede Joan. Most of these are new expreiments for me and many will be grown in comparison with my current favourites or to try to get success for a change (especially carrots and swede).

All seed potatos (except Lady Christl - sold out) came from Alan Romans. You have to support someone as devoted to potatoes (aka mad) as he is; and he has a massive selection at perfectly reasonable prices: Alan Romans - Potatoes

Arran Pilot, Maris Piper, Red Duke of York, Sharpe's Express. Sharpes Express is new for me.


Then Tuckers for a very wide range at very fair prices and they are the only people who stock my favourite dwarf french bean cultivar Allergria: Vegetable Seeds from Tucker Seeds

Potato LADY CHRISTL (FE) SEED POTATO Broad bean WITKIEM MANITA; French bean ALLEGRIA Savoy CabbageTARVOY F1 Red Cabbage RED DRUMHEAD; Carrot JAMES SCARLET INTERMEDIATE and AUTUMN KING VITA LONGA ; CORN SALAD VIT Cucumber BURPLESS TASTY GREEN F1; Leek MUSSELBURGH Turnip PURPLE TOP MILAN

Again some old, some new.

Lastly, for a couple of cultivars I really like but not obviously available or sold out elsewhere, Thompson and Morgan. Really expensive, but I do love the catalogue.

Courgette 'Defender' F1 and 'Soleil' F1 ; Squash 'Harrier' F1; Tomatos 'Glacier' , 'Stupice', 'Tamina' and 'Sungold' F1 ; Lettuce mixed, Yugoslav Red and Patella Red. And I treated myself to a few sweet peas as well.