Entries Tagged 'Compost' ↓

These were an attempt to grow tomatoes in a tropical climate by the sea. Not a success with this variety, but after a bit of advice they have been growing them successfully now.

Eeek! I have just found a mouse in the composter. It scared the life out of me when I opened the lid. It ran off across the garden though and not up my leg!

It seems we have them at this time of year and the composter is their favourite haunt.

As long as they stay outside they are fine.

Another view of the ashes.

I spent some time late last year getting rid of leaves and using the ash for compost.

Well, this weekend I have been doing the compost. Every year I empty out the composter and sift through it to get the big lumps out and then use it for my planting and as a soil improver.

My garden is not the best soil, as it seems to have a hard base one spit down. So I try to improve the surface with my own compost.

I have also been fighting the ant as they have been trying to consume my Peony Roses. I think I have got on top of the ants before they ruined them, but it was a close run thing and now I am fighting a running battle all around the garden because as soon as I move them on from one of my plants they are trying to set up home in another one. Ant powder is my friend at the moment and I am using a lot of it.

On another note, I now have bees setting up home in the garden. That?s always good as it shows they like the garden for its flowers and they have decided to be near where they feed. I will keep an eye on them and see what they get up to over the summer.

Welcome to 2011. I know it’s early this year, but I have decided to focus on my garden a little more this year so need to get things in the grow house early.

So, I’ve begun the gardening year today with the sowing of my sweet peas. They are a free-flowering variety so should give lots of lovely blooms and as I have sown them early, they should start to flower early as well.

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I have had some time off today so I went to the plot and dug it up. I also dug up some of the strawberries as they were taking over the corner of the plot and the holder next to me was frowning at them a lot last week.

This is me planting out the peas last week. As you can see they are the Kelvedon Wonder variety. They should be coming up in the next week or two and I will show you then how they look.

I have gone and done it and planted peas this year. I am not trusting them to the soil as mice ate them last year. I have a cunning plan this year……..

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The comfry is coming on nicely. It’s another plant that bees like, so I am hopeful of attracting them to my plot. Last year the allotment association chopped it down thinking it was a weed when they were tidying up the paths between plots. I mean, you’d think they would know it is great green manure and bees love it.

I’ve set the cauliflower yesterday and have put them somewhere warm until they can go out. I don’t like leaving anything out in this weather to be honest. It’s just not summer yet and too cold/windy for them.

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