Gardening

we didn't have curtains even in our house , then we got some ....and they had "Tate & Lyle" written on them!!!!!! Lovely garden , ( I'm very green , with envy)

I'll be potting some basil cuttings later today also some spring onion cuttings. It's a bit early for courgettes. Maybe another couple of weeks to plant potatoes.

I'm reliably informed that the shed is really a tea shed. All the 60 or so bushes were chosen for scent and colour. So when partaking of a nice cup of tea in the shed the scent wafts in.

Lolly wrote:I'll be potting some basil cuttings later today also some spring onion cuttings.  It's a bit early for courgettes. Maybe another couple of weeks to plant potatoes.

Any particular variety of potatoes? Earlies, lats or a mix?

Whatever happens to be sprouting in my veg basket I've done this for a few years and I seem to get a decent crop.

My mum gave me a tip about jersey royals for Christmas dinner. She put the potatoes, round about end of june, in a a sweet tin[they are all plastic these days] filled with sand, then buried it in the garden. I've tried it and it does work. Unfortunately it always seem to slip my mind and before I know it the JR season has ended

Green fingers, indeed...

Lolly wrote:

My mum gave me a tip about jersey royals for Christmas dinner.  She put the potatoes, round about end of june, in a a sweet tin[they are all plastic these days] filled with sand, then buried it in the garden.  I've tried it and it does work. Unfortunately it always seem to slip my mind and before I know it the JR season has ended

Thinking about sweet tins that are not plastic. The only ones I've seen for ages are the 3,9kg Quality Street tins. Fun to empty those as well!

I have one of these, I'll have to hurry up and eat it all the panetonne:roll:

I have a recipe somewhere for Panettone...one will be on the table at Easter.

My Italian friend always bought me one for Christmas. Her friend owned the local Italian restaurant and had items sent over

from Italy. Including a lovely Limoncello. When you find the recipe stick it on erm... well.... Recipes.

Lolly wrote:My Italian friend always bought me one for Christmas. Her friend owned the local Italian restaurant and had items sent over

from Italy.  Including a lovely Limoncello. When you find the recipe  stick it on erm... well.... Recipes.

Villa Massalimoncello, I hope!

I'll post the recipe when I find it.

I always buy a Panettone at Christmas and thoroughly enjoy it. I have never made it so look forward to your recipe U.Joe...

No sorry I'm sure it was Limoncetta Di Sorrento. I have a recipe to make some, not a patch on the real thing though

My neighbour gave me some dwarf bean seeds, they look like kidney beans. I've never grown them before

should I soak the seed before planting

We got some Limoncello in Sorrento, it was very sweet. The lemons there are the size of grapefruit.

I have lots of seeds collected from last year so I will use them in a small area for the bees.

I bought my granddaughter these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Butterfly-Attracting-Wildflower-Friendly-Gardening/dp/B08T2GTJ6Y/ref=sr_1_46?adgrpid=1188572968488463&hvadid=74286013928631&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=133014&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=p&hvtargid=kwd-74285949643759%3Aloc-188&hydadcr=5970_2261236&keywords=wild+seed+flowers&qid=1647465049&sr=8-46  last year, she's 8 going on 28 and has shown a keen interest  in gardening and the environment

https://wigan-peers.forumotion.com/t6100-they-ve-turned-up-and-one-tried-to-attack-me#77251

Hope you can se this UJ

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000ry6w/your-garden-made-perfect

How to grow a book?

In a container yes

Lolly wrote:Hope you can se this UJ

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000ry6w/your-garden-made-perfect

Thanks for that lolly. I hadnt seen them, and would have missed them if not for your post.

Cherish your weeds

Missed it

Did you know that National Weed Appreciation Day was on March 28?
Why appreciate weeds, you ask?

It’s because some weeds are actually beneficial for us and our ecosystem. They act as nutritious food and herbs and some of them even have medicinal value. So take this day as an opportunity to go out in your garden and appreciate those weeds for the benefits they provide.

When to plant out

The old gardeners on the allotment would judge the temperature of the soil suitable for planting out, by dropping their trousers and pants and sitting on the soil!! If it felt too cold – too early to sow!!

The preferred option now is use the back of your hand or a soil thermometer, its far more hygienic and has less chance of upsetting the neighbours!

Lolly wrote:Cherish your weeds

Missed it

Did you know that National Weed Appreciation Day was on March 28?
Why appreciate weeds, you ask?

It’s because some weeds are actually beneficial for us and our ecosystem. They act as nutritious food and herbs and some of them even have medicinal value. So take this day as an opportunity to go out in your garden and appreciate those weeds for the benefits they provide.

I was once told that weeds can be a good indicator of the soil conditions in a garden. Even if many will grow anywhere, certain ones have special requirements, such as acidic soil. Others require alkaline soil.

A while ago, I was in a town called Stege. Its on the Danish island of Mön. After having banned chemicals to control weeds, they came up with a good idea. All they did on the spare ground in and around the town was to cut just the areas that were used as short cuts over it. This promoted the survival of insects and so on.In Autumn, they cut what was then long grass, wild flowers, weeds etc.,, left it for a couple of weeks then collected it. By this time, seeds had fallen off everything. These would grow the following year. The cuttings were then used as winter fodder for the wild horses that are on the island.

Just thought I'd let you know lolly..I fixed the leak in the greenhouse with what Cliff used to call Gorilla tape...have kept checking after it's rained..am chuffed to say the least.