(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to herbs, kitchen garden on 2008-02-08, 00:30:00

I over slept yesterday and had to go to work so Thursday was postless!
My Herbs from Suttons came yesterday but I only opened the box this morning.
They are sat on the computer desk now.i will do some seed sowing on Saturday after my nights have finished.
There are Oregano, Sage, Thyme, Mint, Coriander, and lastly Borage. I have three pots with Basil growing in the kitchen. Three Parsley plants in the right hand border, and three further pots of germinating seeds. They were soaked in boiling water and it seems to have speeded up the germination.
The right hand border has the new green edging keeping the soil in, and waiting for more compost to raise the soil level. It will help the drainage and make for healthier plants.
I have a few weeks before the Veg seeds can be sown. The cold frame cabbages have germinated, and even a few baby carrot seeds have grown.
I'm still waiting for the seed potatoes with grow bags, and large Vegetable grow bags which had sold out when i ordered. They were advertised in Gardeners World magazine. Must be an organic vegetable growing year, as lots of people had ordered them.
The African Bag gardens still need constructing, then decorating. My planting plan has named each veg garden by colour. There will be four. Purple, Blue, Yellow, and Orange. I will decorate each of the container gardens to reflect their colour!
The seed potatoes can be started indoors then moved outside when its warmer. I hope the kitchen garden can be productive and I can actually start the 100 foot challenge!

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to herb garden, house mouse, kitchen garden, lavender, strawberrys on 2008-02-04, 10:59:00

The house mouse today grabbing some birdseed.I was stood outside today and he still ran backwards and forwards. Under the Stone paver three smooth grooves showed his favourite routes onto the border. He is a Yorkshire mining mouse emerging from clay soil under the slabs.
I went shopping today thinking of log roll for the right hand border to raise the soil level and keep it in the border, and not on the pavers.
I could not believe how expensive it would have been to buy 22.5 feet of logroll!
I left Focus with two lavender plants for £5....
Next stop was Wilkos. I bought a rolled up green lawn edging, because it was nine metres long, more than enough for the 22.5 feet I needed to edge the border. I thought it could be hammered into the soil. I bought a cute garden sign, and three packets of Strawberry plants.
I spent late afternoon putting in the green edging around the right hand border now like a backwards C shape. I planted the newly started Herb garden with the Lavender, Rosemary, and three heirloom (as they were here before) Parsley plants. I ordered more seeds last night for growing a variety of Kitchen herbs for cooking.
I lastly planted eight Strawberry plants into pots temporarily. One packet only had two plants not three. I have five pots of Strawberry Elsanta, and three of Strawberry Honeoye (Wilkos spelled it Honeyoye). They are chilling in the cold frame. Where to grow them is my next question? The Victorian Chimney pot I looked at online has 32 spaces! I only have Eight Plants at the moment so its too big for me.
The green Edging was not as easy to go into the ground as I thought, because it was quite pliable material. I dug mini trenches but it still needs further pushing down I think or the Soil raising more!
The mouse will have to find a new way into the right border though as his access now has green edging to it.
It is so bright compared to the muddy tiles that were there before. I want plants to grow tall so they overlook the new border edging. I still have some white wire fencing but I dont know where to put that yet so its in the outhouse.
I hope I will get used to my Green edging in time, and with luck the mouse will find a new way (under the fence which is full of holes at the base) to get the seeds!
The Kitchen Garden is beginning to take shape slowly.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to apple tree, bag garden, fruit bushes, herbs, kitchen garden, vegetable growing on 2007-12-18, 07:30:00

I could not sleep last night for some reason.So
I planned the Kitchen garden side of the garden.
Some herbs are growing already, ready to be grown on in the cold frame, and some on the kitchen windowsill. Basil,Coriander, and Parsley.
I saw fruit bushes for sale at home base, and went back today to buy two. Photographed are my new plants: Blackberry Waldo, and Raspberry Tullamen.
In the spring I will get some Strawberry plants. I am thinking of the old fashioned Victorian strawberry planter with the plants growing from the many holes in the terracotta pot!
I have some Alpine Strawberry seeds too in the matchstick books that are impregnated with seeds. The wild Strawberrys. Has anybody grown them and do they taste like our normal Wimbledon type strawberrys?
I have just now ordered two African bag gardens, that can be used to grow the Vegetables. One comes with Beetroot, Mustard leaves, and Dwarf beans. The other comes with Rocket, Chillis, and Spring onions.
http://www.sendacow.org.uk/schools.asp?active_page_id=271
From the Charity Send A Cow, she was amused that I was ordering them for myself and not for a school!
The other thing I ordered online was a Patio Apple tree in a container, for outside the kitchen door. It is a self fertile one.
Three Herbs, two Fruit bushes, one apple tree ordered, and a selection of Six Vegetables are a good start to the kitchen garden. My Chilli plants are also growing on in the kitchen windowsill. Its not quite the Good Life but its a start. Small steps towards a functional and edible Kitchen Garden.
I need to plan the Flower beds, and Containers yet. Three hanging baskets, and a water garden are in my mind also in the Spring. The joys of imagination during the Winter garden phase of the year..