Elaine rickett's Blog (289)

A bit of sunshine, a bit of rain and a lot of grey skies this week.  Sunday was glorious and I managed to catch up on a lot of gardening jobs.  There is so much to do at this time of year that it is hard to  know where to start.  A lot of things are ready to be planted out - I have already planted some brassicas - cabbage, broccoli - and yesterday the runner beans went out at the plot, covered with fleece and liberally sprinkled with slug pellets, just in case.…

The spell of really lovely weather we have been having has worked wonders in the garden.  I have more purple sprouting broc than I know what to do with, the broad beans are flourishing, the potatoes have pushed through and the seeds of parsnip and carrot have germinated.  Yay!



The raised beds in the Rosebank garden are filling out nicely, the large pots are waiting for courgettes and squash, the smaller black bottomless pots have parsnips and carrots in and I still have spring…

Seedlings, seedlings, seedlings.  I climb into to bed,  rest my head against the pillow, close my eyes, and all I see is a vast sea of seedlings.  Yes, seedlings have become my life these past few days.

   Essential work of course at this time of year if you are growing your own veg.  I find it quite soothing…

The trouble with only posting once a week at this time of year is that things are happening fast as there is so much to show and talk about - so where to begin?



The improvement in the weather has meant getting off my backside, pulling my finger out and really getting down to the nitty gritty of seed sowing, transplanting and planting out.  All time consuming jobs - and that is on top of trying to get the Rosebank garden into shape, keep the home running smoothly and finding the time…

April - possibly the busiest month in the gardening calendar.   Sunshine plus warmth equals germination - seedlings are pushing through in the greenhouse eager to face the warmer weather - and who can blame them.  I think it affects us all the same way.  Working outdoors minus coats and scarves and freezing fingers is a joy - if only the wind would drop it would be perfect.…

have been lying on the bed practically comatose after a severe bout of digging at the plot.  My poor old body just isn't used to such strenuous activity.  And to add insult to injury I shifted a whole compost bin full of horse manure to spread round the fruit bushes.  No wonder I feel like a zombie.  But the sunshine was just too good to miss and I knew I couldn't waste the day, when according to the weather forecast, rain is on the horizon.



I have been sowing lots of seed too like…

It's time to think about sowing peas.  I sowed some early ones a couple of months ago but germination has been pretty poor so I will have to start over.



Every year since I have been growing my own vegetables I have always sown a row of peas on the plot.  I just love picking and eating fresh garden peas straight from the plant.  Mixing two or three different varieties together gives you a long harvesting season.  But one year when germination wasn't very good I sowed an extra lot in…

Every summer, about the end of July/beginning of August  I sow the seeds of Spring Cabbage or Spring Greens, as they are more commonly called.  If you want to be able to harvest something from the veg plot in early  spring, when there is very little else to eat, then growing spring greens is a good plan.

This year I am on an economy drive - trying to be as frugal as I can in all aspects of my life - and this includes the vegetable garden.  The fact is that I usually get a bit carried away with spending money on the garden and growing veg is supposed to help save money. continued at A Woman of the Soil

Spent most of the day outdoors in the lovely sunshine - getting things done - preparing the soil, emptying the compost bin - sitting staring and planning - cup of tea in hand - what more could a gardener want.

The sun has got his hat on - hip hip hip hooray.  Well, for today anyway.  It probably won't last - but I'm hoping that a little warmth will help the broad beans and peas that I have sown in the greenhouse to start thinking about  growing.  There's no sign if it yet, but since I sowed them it has been pretty darn cold in there.  Still, there's no rush - the bed where I am going to plant them is in no fit state to plant anything - all will come to those who wait.…

Hello, my name is Savoy and I am the last cabbage in the patch.

  I have had a hard life.

 Instead of enjoying the summer putting on plenty of growth in the sunshine I was rained on for weeks on end, then as autumn came I was frosted to a crisp and if that wasn't enough I found myself under a few inches of snow several times - it is tough being a cabbage.

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I can't believe it - I spent all day in the garden - tidying, squaring things away, weeding, sowing broad beans and peas - being able to be outside in the fresh air doing what I love most - now I'm pooped - but it is a good feeling.

Last week I sowed the first of my tomato seeds - a difficult choice at this time of year when it is still so cold and inhospitable outside. 

Here they are a week later, stirred into life in a warm propagator.  When I transplant them I will put them into their pots a little deeper so that roots can…

Check out Seed Parad's gardening blog - for a comprehensive look at potato growing…

After reading Charles Dowding's excellent book 'How to Grow Winter Vegetables' I decided to follow his advice and cover up my winter vegetables before the start of winter to ensure their survival if the snow decided to fall and the temperatures drop.

Using everything I could find, fleece, plastic sheeting, netting and cloches I then covered the  winter plants to ensure their survival till the weather gets warmer.  My reasoning being, if the weather gets harsh, which it is…