The "Grow Your Own" Thread

[Wolf Hunting]

Sowed them all I'm afraid mate. Happy to try and save you some of the seed heads though.

If you don't want to save them for yourself next year, that would be very kind of you.
As long as I don't have to pay import duty on them....

 

[b3h]

Got 3 full propagtor trays on the rip. No lobelia or phlox and weirdly pansy or petunia have come through yet. Will be 2 weeks Saturday. Might leave them all another another week, then pot on anything that's sprouted and re-do another 3 full trays. Should be just enough time to grow I think, was about same timing last year.

 

[lemonjelly]

In the weekend of 22/23, sowed sprouts, cauliflower and some more thyme, but eased back owing to night time temps falling. still have more seeds to sow.

 

[lemonjelly]

I have sown various pots with chamomile
At the end of April I moved the various pots out of the greenhouse to harden off those plants (such as the balloon plants). Coronation weekend I also moved the dahlias outside too.
In April I popped more marigold seeds in. I also had some leftover plants from last year – no idea what they are, but popped them into the first of the years hanging baskets to see what happens. I also put up some solar lights at the same time.
I planted out the sweet peas that I sowed late in autumn in the hope they grow up a trellis.
The clematis from last year are, in the main looking good. The wisteria is looking like it is settled after planting out and near tragedy last year.
I spotted the first dragonfly of the year on 1 May.
Sowed some sunflower seeds, beans, butter beans, and peas, plus more marigolds.
Spotted the marigolds are sprouting, and planted out the blackcurrant cuttings from last year to develop. Also put some fritillary bulbs from pots into the ground, as we know they’ll cope.
The first Iris bloom is flowering and looks wonderful, and many more are on their way.
Bluebells are out everywhere. We always feel they are lost in the grass for the start of the year, but when they finally arrive they look lovely.
Following the coronation weekend and the lighter evenings I have potted up the Lavatera, and most of the rudbeckia. The remaining rudbeckia went into a new planter (from last years birthday) with some marigold seeds.
I have sown a new lot of spring onion (the first lot isn’t doing much, yet, though they do usually take a bit). Again I have sown more marigolds (the slugs target them in the greenhouse, but I don’t mind if it keeps the veg seedlings safe!)
I started pruning a few small shrubs that were getting a bit out of hand. The compost bins are full once again.
The blueberry, blackcurrant and raspberry bushes are full of flowers all of a sudden.
The blackcurrant cuttings I took last year have now found a home in a place in the garden, and at the same time I planted out some fritillary bulbs, as we know they’re hardy, and it also frees up 3 decent sized pots.

 

[b3h]

Feel like I need a garden pic! Or have you posted one before?

 

[lemonjelly]

Every time I try pics I get a message that the file is too large to upload.
Probably user error tho.

 

[Kenny]

Easily sorted...upload a smaller file

 

[lemonjelly]

Pretend you're talking with paddy about technology. With less profanity.

 

[Sniffer]

Every time I try pics I get a message that the file is too large to upload.
Probably user error tho.

E-mail the picture to yourself, open it, right click on it and then click on resize image. Save and then should be good to upload on here.

 

[Tredman]

There's an option to resize on upload

 

[lemonjelly]

tbf have only really tried doing it from my phone, and hadn't seen the resize option via the mobile. will try again on another day.

 

[Wolf Hunting]

Or, depending on what you're taking the photo, select a lower quality, that's if you have it set in 'High' or 'Best'. That setting eats pixels!
A low quality setting wouldn't be noticed on here.

 

[lemonjelly]

Mid-late may has involved potting up snapdragons, sowing more marigolds. I have been watching the rhododendron bursting into flower (it was in full flower when we moved into the house, so is always a nice memory).
I potted up the cucumbers and sowed more lettuce. I also have finally been able to get the dahlias outside now. Been interesting watching them develop growth over the past few weeks.
I potted up some verbenas, and then sowed another bunch of marigolds. I spent a week just watering a lot, and moving things around. It does feel that there is a significant lack of rain in my view.
The first lot of lettuce is ready for eating, and we have been harvesting spring onions.
Loads of Iris flowers are popping out, and they look absolutely lovely. Some are a beautiful deep blue, others yellow, spotted one odd white one.
Monty Don said to change the compost in the fuscias in their pots, so I did that. Apparently you have to change the compost every 2 years.
I now have 3 compost bins full. I have one spare/empty, but haven’t worked out where to locate it yet, so all stuff to go into a composter is in a big tub at the moment, until I can decide.
I have just potted up the first lot of thyme for Christmas dinner, and also the first lot of sunflowers, grown from seeds from the sunflowers I grew last year. Oddly, they have propagated more quickly than the seeds bought from a shop.

Anyone else thinking the lack of rainfall is an issue? Dunno if it is just me, but jan and feb were extremely dry. across part of march/early april there was rain, but it has disappeared again. My water butts are emptying quickly.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

You should try it here…

 

[leedswolf]

Until it floods...

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Yes…

 

[b3h]

Didn't realise lupins come back each year. Hadn't noticed it in the border. Now has nice big heads turning purple (fnarr). They are kinda like a neater, less flimsy foxglove, really like them.

Even though bellflower (campanula) is considered an invasive pest, its one of my favs so am lobbing a load in and it can have at it. Rather that than weeds.

 

[Loki]

No rain predicted for the foreseeable. Looks like saving the washing up water to prop up the water butts.

 

[lemonjelly]

woke up this morning to suggestions there had been a tiny amount of rainfall overnight or early morning. Nowhere near enough, but given the sun isn't as harsh at the mo, it was definitely welcome. Definitely need more of it though.

The bank holiday weekend enabled a fair bit of gardening, as the jobs build up at this time of year, and I suspect that doing one job usually creates 2 others! I potted on the cucumbers, and also the sunset boulevard flowers that have germinated. I also potted on most of the tomatoes into individual pots.
I got out some planters, and have planted out sweet peas with some supports for them to grow up. Marigolds and Rudbeckia filled in gaps in the planters.
I also potted up a carnation we were given a couple of years ago into a bigger pot, as it was suddenly covered in flower buds. I was surprised at how big the root ball was, it definitely needed potting on, and there is another that probably also needs it, but I don’t have a bigger pot right now.
I got another planter that I filled with the lavatera that I sowed. They’re supposed to have some nice pink flowers.
I have also put the snapdragons into some pots and other places to grow on.
I planted the beans and peas out into the ground and have set up the canes.
I have emptied one composter and started filling it again. I have a couple of others that are full at the moment, so leaving them to work, and will empty at least one of them next year.
The dahlias are at various stages of sprouting. At the end of the year I may empty a few of them from their pots and replant them with fresh compost, as most of them have been in the same pots for a few years.
The lilies are doing a great show at the moment – looking lovely.

Dug up some old roots from dead bushes, and done a LOT of weeding!

 

[Hereford Wolf]

We don’t do too much. Just a little bit of pottering which we really enjoy.