Category: Garden

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APRIL – Weather

8th April and bright and sunny but still cold in the mornings. Hanging baskets going up tomorrow – plants have been potted and hardened on patio table so should be ok. I am leaving the heater on in the greenhouse until hight temperatures are above 10C – seeds have germinated (well some!) so I hope to be able to plant them up into their pots in 5 or 6 weeks. Chillies looking good, but not sure about the basil plants I bought – they are on kitchen window sill so getting sunlight and water. Green wheelie bin filled again – one more time should put me on top of things for a while! Although I will need to cut back various plants around the greenhouse and raspberries.

Weather forecast is to get wet and windy again for a bit and then maybe high pressure again with warm days.

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MINTS

Some new mints bought, cunaniti, lime, orange, white pepper. I will look later to which ones have survived the winter.

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SPRING SEEDS

Pots primed for seeds, but I decided to make sure I had done the labels first – Itried last year, but still ended up with random plants! So planting seeds tomorrow – daylight is now 50-50 so hopefully we will see all systems go. Tomato seeds are Garden Pearl (cherry), Marmande, San Marzano (plum), Golden Sunrise, Red Cherry, Tigrella. All in today. I will keep 2 of each in the greenhouse and maybe sell some at the shop? But probably give them away (if they all sprout!). 30 small pots with 2/3 seeds each – we will see. Basil on kitchen window sill? Chillies in conservatory.

Filling the tomato pots with water ready for transplant later. Plant rest of seeds tomorrow – temperatures should remain above 5C at night from now on – heater if necessary.

Garden needs tidying over next week – green wheelie to fill. And cut back around raspberries and greenhouse.

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GARDEN AND COOKING

Long range forecast is looking a bit chilly so no rush to plant tomatoes, last year was 3 March but I think wait and see what the weather is like then. Just toms, cucumbers and chillies and maybe red peppers this year? I might move my avocado plants to the greenhouse once it gets warmer and see if we can get just one!

Cooking – I think a Cornish Saffron Cake and a Simnel Cake for Easter?

Before that is pancake day! Can I get beyond brown sugar and lemon juice – probably not, yet again I will not even try!

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SATURDAY 28 JAN 23

Rather chilly again – but no frost, but grey. O made some more baguettes and all have gone already. I will make more tomorrow. I am still unsure about the dough being so wet, but they are turning out good despite not following the recipe!

Apple tree largely done, but need another go at it next week and the fuchsia next to it. Then onto tidying up the raspberries and around the greenhouse. It should be warmer next week, maybe 10C by Friday! With possibly some rain tomorrow and Tuesday (both 50% chance). I might have a go at a lemon drizzle cake tomorrow, or a new recipe for a lemon surprise cake.

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APPLE TREE

I have taken out the main branches in the middle and will cut the long thin ones rising to the stars later. I also need to cut back the bush near to it. I do not kniw how that will affect the harvest though – we will see. I may get another apricot tree to replace the one which has died (now a bird feeder support).

The greenhouse needs final clearing and cleaning so I can start planting in March.

I also need a haircut but that will have to wait until it has warmed up! Very cold this morning, fingers were numb and then tingling as they warmed up. I might have to reorder some mints that have not made it through the winter, and possibly lemon verbena?

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WEATHER

Wet again with persistent rain for a couple of hours. No flood warnings so far near here.

Wintery with temperatures in single figures. I have moved mist of the mints in pots to places by the house to reduce exposure to cold/wind. I will put rest by the garage – then strip the front garden when dry!

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GARDEN 4 AUGUST

Evening primrose and one type of Californian poppy have finished. 2 flowers I thought were orchids are ID’d by google lens as Elephants Head (although I am not sure they are correct)- pendicularis groenlandica, montbretia in magnificent flower. Mints recovering from gastropod attack – boiling up some garlic spray for future use. 100g tomatoes every day and a 5th cucumber on the way.

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GARDEN

Just planted some lettuce, pan choi and rocket in the greenhouse. It looks like I will get 5 or 6 red peppers and quite a lot of chillies. Maybe another cucumber? Tomatoes are about 100g a day. I just made a nut loaf with some. A couple of nasturtium flowers with a salad were nice.