Eh up - shine those shoes and lets be having you

By 'eck - we've been tweeted. And by Alys Fowler no less.

 So a hearty welcome to those new readers, I hope I can sustain your interest - for now though I can offer you some lovely blossom taken at Ryton Gardens 2 weeks ago in the herb garden [did you know that half the herb garden is now a brand spanking new composting garden and due to open soon - you didn't? Well, perhaps a visit this spring is in order to check it out]. For now, enjoy the blossom...

And an update on this weekend's work. I am hosting a CPD training session at Ryton soon so I was preparing lots of seedlings ready for the propagation workshop, and for the Seed ID quiz...I sowed some more mustard in the Gertrude Franck beds, and planted out some lettuce that had been sat round the greenhouse - it probably got frosted this morning but hey ho, that's life. 

And a rose for my mum whose birthday was yesterday. Happy Birthday mum.

Potatoes all in - St Patrick's Day 2012

Usually, all my spuds go in on or as near to St Patrick's day as possible. We were due to go away this weekend, so last Sunday I put in the Charlotte, the Mr Little's Yetholm Gypsy, and the Amorosa potatoes - and today it was the turn of the Kestrel as we didn't go away after all.

With the Charlotte and Mr L's - I put half in with Mycrorhyzal Fungi [I'll work that spelling out later], and the other half with a good slosh of seaweed feed. The Amorosa and Kestrel just had a little potato fertiliser added.

I also weeded the onion bed, took out the Wilko shallots that had done nothing since they went in; and loosened the soil around the shallots and onions, gave them a sprinkle of root veg fertiliser and watered that in with seaweed feed. Then covered up again with enviromesh. I'll probably not weed again for another 8 weeks.

Madeira Maroon Climbing French Beans

Madeira Maroon Climbing French Beans were sown yesterday - at the school I do gardening in. I told them about the circle, how the seeds came to be, how the circle works and that I was documenting what happens to all the seeds as and when it happens.

They were mightily impressed and chuffed that they were then part of 'the bigger picture'.

We have sown a selection of climbers in order to compare the growth habits, the flowers, the leaves etc - and we will save all the seeds at the end and see what occurs.

PER - TAT - OOS

We went to the plot today and put in:
Charlotte
Mr Little's Yetholm Gypsy
Amorosa

Still to go in are the Kestrel but we ran out of time as we had to get back because Mark's brother was coming round as he is over here from the States for a week.

I've constructed this year's Wall of Squash. Now all we need, is the squash. I've sown some just in case it is warm enough to put some out in a month or so. You never know...it's worth a seed to take a chance.

Here's a photo of a Maskotka tomato - this one was a few weeks ago so it's grown since then.

Egyptian Walking Onions and Babington Leeks

The first babies have been shared!

I gave my friend some Egyptian Walking Onions and some Babington Leeks - so hopeefully she in turn will save from them and pass those onto other people.

Sharing is good. The circle widens.

Here's a photo I took at Ryton last week.

Today

Just a few photos from today

Sowing and planting out

Yesterday - I sowed Eli tomato and the Pink lettuce.

And today I planted out the Sorrel Belleville. It's gone into a spare space next to the Black Salsify in the newly dug bed at the lottie. Well, it fills a gap so I'll use it in salads soon.

New iPad and sowing more seeds

Mark bought us an iPad yesterday - so hence I am just setting it up  -will make it easier to post on here certainly! Esp when it's photos that we really need.

So, I'm off to take some more.

So, now that's sorted - what have I sown today. Well, the list follows:

Swede Bjursas

Marigold Kilimanjaro

French Quince

White Borage

Leek Lyon 2

White Serpent Squash [just the one]

Tomato Aranyulama [will check that spelling later]

Bangladeshi Cucumber 

Mangetout Bijou

Gherkin Cornichan de Paris

Celeriac Monarch

Pepper Curry

Onion Besancon

Red Iceberg Lettuce 

 

And finally an Instagram of my seedlings - well, some of them