Anyone for Gardening?

applerose

I went for lunch today to my DIL's parents and took some blackberries and the first few tomatoes for them as I won't get to eat them now. There are plenty more that will be ready for when I get back.

You must let us know what your cucumber's like, Toni.

frogmorton

Christine

That was kind of you - as you said you won't eat them while you are away.

Happy holidays

Harvested some carrots for tea - YUM

Promise to take a piccie of the 'miracle' cucumbers

love

Toni xxx

Airwave!

All the ooopmh seems to have gone out of my gardening, I could do with some nice cold frosty days to get out and do something to the garden. Just about to harvest the lavender heads for OH.

applerose

Thank you Toni. I did have a lovely time, mostly running around after my grandkids but that was fun.

Looking forward to seeing your cucumbers.

Airwave, I think I left my oomph in Spain. I was looking forward to coming home and doing the last of the tidying up. I had the chance this afternoon but didn't take advantage and it's forecast to rain for the next few days.

Just been out and picked 1 strawberry, half a dozen yellow raspberries, 3 runner beans and 2 tiny courgettes and a huuuuge one. Ooh, and 3 tomatoes. Still lots of tomatoes on the stems but not sure they'll turn red now. Might just bring a few in each day over the next week and leave them on the windowsill.

frogmorton

Christine

Your tomatoes might still turn red - mine have been over the last week

I made sure all the shade paint was off the greenhouse trimmed back all leaves and they are ripening. Did someone once say to stick a banana in with them???

If the worst comes to the worst we will have to make some green tomato chutney?

I think we all need some Ooomph. Airwave and Christine mine has gone too. Back and knees are seeing to it really Grrr!! I need to get the damsons and apples down....

I promise to take some piccies soon

We are eating cucumbers now

daffy2

Tomatoes can be ripened off the plants without needing a windowsill/sunlight, and so reduce the need to find ways of using unripe ones. Put the single fruits or bunches(depending on stage of development) in a single layer in a box - cardboard veg trays from the supermarket are good - lined with newspaper if necessary, and put somewhere cool. My mother used to put them under the bed in a spare room and in my previous house I had a lean to cum utility room which was kept frostfree and they did well in there. Depending on the variety and whether there is any damage it is perfectly possible to be eating ripe toms on Xmas day. The Italians have varieties of tom bred especially for pulling the whole plant to hang up in store, using as they ripen.I grew some last year but the foul weather and blight put paid to that experiment.
Bananas are used to speed up ripening as they give off ethylene gas.

frogmorton

daffy2 wrote:

Bananas are used to speed up ripening as they give off ethylene gas.

Thank you Daffy2 for that explanation - I always wondered

Imagine our own tomatoes for Christmas day

I have taken some piccies today so will try to upload them tomorrow

Love

Toni xxx

Airwave!

Phew! A busy day, sun came out and I got loads done, I'm halfway through harvesting the lavender, grass cut, small part of the hedge tidied and pulled some ivy off the greenhouse, then sprayed the weeds up the drive.

The area under the trees that I took down has started to grow, a positive result . We picked some apples and pears today they went down well with custard. The beans weren't so interesting but still tasty.

I am absolutely knackered and sore, I can now rest for a week or three!

frogmorton

Well DONE Airwave!!

You did loads and great news about the area where the trees were

I need to harvest the damsons and apples still....when will I get the time....or the energy.....???

Love

Toni xxx

Airwave!

Toni, gardening seems to come in dollops at present, perhaps we need to plan our week more to preserve our energy levels?

Anyone got suggestions for preserving apples, eaters not cookers (not freezing!)?

applerose

Toni, great. You're eating your cucumbers. Hope your back and knees are feeling better. I usually get a few cooking apples from my boss's tree. I can't reach so wait till they fall off.

Daffy, someone I know puts a banana in a paper bag with her unripe tomatoes. I like the idea of having some tomatoes for Xmas.

Airwave, you have been a busy bee. I think a rest is definitely in order. it would be easier to plan our gardening, I guess. I'm not very good at planning anything. Just do it when I feel like it.

Airwave!

Christine, I am the same, my heart rules my day, how perverse that the activity that keeps out soft tissue conditioned is the one that upsets our joints.

We were looking at the elderberries and wondered about mixing with some apples to make jam? Just as well we like apples, the little'uns were wolfing them down today, a bumper year after letting in all that light. Our garden is continuing to evolve with lots more ideas to throw about during the cooler months before we start all over again next spring.

frogmorton

Hi both

I have made jam with my apples (in the past and will probably have to again this year) - well apple-sauce really Airwave and also damson 'cheese' jam really. One way of preserving. You could cook applepies and freeze them? Or store them in boxes with straw in a cool dark place and hope for the best

I think I am like you Christine gardening as I fancy it Then overdoing it :oops:

Cucumber plants are drooping. but we have had loads to eat so I am happy enough and almost all remaining toms are ripening easily with the sun we've had this week

Back and knees are not so bad thank you for asking

I hope you 'acquired' some of bosses cookers?


love

Toni xxx

applerose

Airwave, a bumper crop of apples. I didn't get a single one. Lots of blossom but no apples. You'll have to keep us up to date with your ideas.

Toni, glad you got plenty of cucumbers. I've picked 3 tomatoes. The plants aren't looking very healthy now but still lots of green tomatoes.

I picked my 3 runner beans and had them for tea yesterday. They were all mottled with different colours on the plant, just as on the picture, but when I cooked them, they turned all green. I cut the grass just a few days ago thinking it would be the last cut but, today, the grass is a good few inches longer.

applerose

Picked a strawberry and a courgette today.

Here's a picture of a courgette flower. Worth growing just for the flowers.

frogmorton

Now isn't that a sight to brighten the day with

Thanks for that Christine. I have some piccies to upload when I get the energy :?

Slugs/snails usually eat ours so we gave up sadly

Bet the strawberry was sweet enough though?

Time to get the greenhouse cleared out really so I can bring the geraniums in for the winter, but I so hate clearing up :oops:

Airwave!

Probably about time to clear the veg patch, I doubt if the the last beans will do much now, it will be cooler weather next week.

Mind you the pear trees are still waiting to be picked, still a little hard yet, I hope they'll soften up in the next week or so? The conference pears are getting really big.

kathbee

Hi Gardeners Supreme

I am here again with another question.

We have a small lawn area to rear with conifer edging at the bottom and various large shrubs either side.
My last question on here was to ask if anyone knew if our totally butchered tree would grow foliage, and yes it did thankfully.

Hubby recently widened the borders containing said conifers and shrubs and it does look much better and has a neat lawn edge, and am wondering if anyone can suggest small evergreen shrubs/plants or flowers that dont need much attention. They need to remain fairly small in height so as not to clash with the other mature stuff.

I had hostas is mind as the plot is in a lot of shade, but other than that thought, my mind goes blank, and a bit of colour would look nice.
As I am a novice, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Kath

frogmorton

Hi Kath

Hostas are good yes - my graden I reckon the slugs/snails would have them though

What about adding some

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/searchbynameresults?nm=Bergenia+&op=0

bergenia too with pink flowers??

or some hellibores (sp)

http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/helleborus-orientalis/672.html

Should give you some colour and don't mind shade either

Airwave you are right - I've been clearing veggie beds sadly

Thinking of popping some onions in to overwinter??

Love

Toni xxx

kathbee

Hey Toni

Thank so much for the ideas
I looked at the links and they seem the perfect ones for me and the garden. Noted the names down and shall look for these asap.

Wow, how impressed am I, wish I had learned more about gardening years ago.

Thanks again
Kath x

Airwave!

We have cleared the veg patch, well a couple of courgettes are trying to grow so we left them. Mostly clearing after I'd cut three levels of grass, I took one of the tips down the bottom, I sometimes shred everything into a big heap and clear it when the level goes down.

It was so peaceful and quiet I spent half an hour just sitting and watching the birds on the rowan, gobbling up all the berries, there were a few tits, blackbirds, thrush and a wren still hanging around looking for food. We are sheltered from northerlies and the sun was warm on my face, an enchanting few mins, I had cooled down after a while so a well earned beer and a hot bath to quell the aches and pains was well earnt.

frogmorton

Well DONE Airwave

Enjoy your beer!!

Did I say one of my beds now has green manure panted and another onions for overwintering the third is a mess of odd bits and pieces still hanging on in there - the sweet-corn a few spring onions and some poorly cabbages :?

Kath I am so pleased you like them - we'll need some piccies next year now

love

Toni xxx

applerose

Hmmm, where did my last post go? I said that I thought helebores were pretty and I think I suggested geraniums and anemoninies, anemonin anenom anemonies. I can never say that right first time. :?

Well done Airwave. You've been very busy again. How lovely to sit and watch the birds. You seem to have quite a few varieties.

Toni I was thinking of planting green manure. Haven't got round to it yet.

I've still got courgettes growing and have picked another half dozen red tomatoes. Didn't think they would turn red now.

Airwave!

I spent today doing the rest of the grass and tidying up. I was feeling sore so I sat down and took the harvested lavender off of the stalks, I smell loverly!!!!!! Its now in a cardboard box to finish drying next to a radiator. Just to finish me off I started a stew, its bubbling away, had to buy the veg from Morrisons!

Was that the last grass cut of 2013????

daffy2

Applerose, in our family they were called Annie-Moans!