JCC The JCC Gardening Club

Have been rather shocked/alarmed at how quickly my Fathers Runner Beans have grew, bearing in mind I only put the seeds into pots two weeks today!

I'll have to get them planted within the next week I think.

 

Squirrels would have a field day with those. I think my runner beans were a bit higher when they got eaten. If you're putting them outside you might want to look into some kind of covering if you have squirrel problems.

 

wanted to do gardening this weekend, but supposed to get cold Sat night. Good enough excuse for doing nothing instead.

 

I did some cleaning up this week but haven't put anything new in. My lilac bush is blooming and it smells lovely though!

 

planted some starts into my little garden space on friday - 2 watermelon, 2 strawberry, and an accidental eggplant - mother nature has been watering them since yesterday... yay teamwork

 

It's great with Mother Nature works with us and not against us isn't it?

At the moment "she's" not doing me any favours... Nights still quite chilly which means I can't plant out my runner bean and sweetcorn plants.

Should be able to get them out later in the week though.

 

Two rows of runner beans have been planted out with canes for support;







Sweetcorn planted out with a few summer/autumn cabbages and cauliflowers (just trying these out)







So far so good (sweetcorn looks a bit cold/wet though lol)

 

Nice work!
What's the wiring in the background for? Are you starting a vineyard?

 

I'm going to do some planting this weekend I think and put in the rabbit fence. You and I are at odds Watts. I'm trying to keep them out and keep them from being well fed, and you're trying to pen them in and fatten them up.

 

That's string that I put up for the Buckby Peas. String is important for Peas when they are young as it gives them something to climb to and also keeps pigeons from being able to get at them...

Now the peas are bigger and have branch/twig support to climb up I could take the string away but I figure it's probably best to leave well alone and just let the peas grow through the string. Best not to disturb things at this stage...

We don't really have the climate for growing grapes outside where I live (I think you can on the south coast and down towards Cornwall) but my father did grow grapes in his greenhouse and his vines are doing well actually...

Funnily enough last year (his final growing year) was his best ever grape crop... If he'd done his own wine I think it would have been a vintage, lol.

 

Hey don't look at me, I just do the ladies' bidding

 

Planting out time is always exciting... It's important to plant out at the right time though. I'm too early with the runner beans and sweetcorn really... Next year I'll know to set the runner bean seeds into pots around now and the sweetcorn around the start of May, so they will both be ready for planting out in early June.

I'm hoping that even though I'm two weeks early the "weather gods" will be kind and I'll get away with it lol.

 

I too live for the thrill of risky planting dates.

 

You know your middle aged when the thrill of risky planting dates is as exciting as life gets!

 

It was a very busy weekend, but I got the garden planted. Two varieties of tomato, seven pepper types, including my first ever ghost pepper (in photo). Hopefully I can add these to my 2016 "Hello Napalm" branded hot pepper sauce.

 

Mmm, would love to try that! I got some ghost pepper seeds awhile back but my workmates were too scared to plant them. (We have schoolkids at the farm every day in the summer, brings a bit of unpredictability to things).

In other news, today I planted 500+ tomatoes, 400-some potatoes, and a bunch of other stuff. Tomorrow's the cucurbits. We waited till after the risky planting dates, but now everything has to go in. AT ONCE.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 

Hey I planted a tomato plant on Saturday as well!

And a white rose, in the area where the cats piss. That's going to be exciting.

 

Cat's are a nightmare round here. There seems to be an endless number of them wandering through my garden, trampling over the plants, using the grass as a toilet and generally being a nuisance...


I've just got to get Brussels and Sprouting Broccoli planted out at the weekend and then I think I'm done... Will just be a case of waiting for it all to grow (or maybe not )

 

G-FETT, thanks for inspiring me this spring. I really was feeling lazy about the garden, but you prodded me into action.

 

Nice pictures folks. Still have rather chilly nights here in Maine, but I'll try to get some photos in the next couple weeks.

 

Thanks. It's really good to get out into the garden I think. I've actually been enjoying it far more than I thought I would... I think there's something kind of "primordial" about "living off the land" and it's by far the healthiest and most environmentally friendly way of feeding yourself. It's just finding the time and having the garden to do it.

Look forward to seeing your pics.

 

I got some ferns last year because they are said to do well in soil that's a little acidic. Ferns: now that's primordial!

 

You could try some blueberries, too. Or elderberries, if you have enough space. Both look great and make tasty fruit!

 

Okay.

 

Unseasonably warm weather and an endless parade of thunder storms seems to be very good for my pepper plants. Still a long way away from needing to stake the tomatoes.