Pear Blossom and the Fruit Loop

At the weekend we drove out to see the Pear blossom in an area called the Fruit Loop near here. It’s where all the fruit farms are. There is mile after mile of fields that look like this. I was in heaven! It’s so interesting to see how gnarled the trees are and also how […]

Sunburst Pattern – Lettuces & Kale

The sunburst pattern bed is coming along nicely. The onion sets have all sprouted despite each one being pulled out by birds several times. I have planted out Lettuce (Little Gem) and Kales that I seeded in my greenhouse. And along the back fence I sowed some Calendula to provide a backdrop to the planting. […]

Mini ‘Corn Salad’ Lettuces

At this time of year I like to cut my Corn Salad as mini-Lettuces and eat them whole. They are an excellent size for one. I’ve been eating them leaf by leaf for the last few months but now I need the space for something else and so I’m clearing them and eating them one […]

Garden Diary – First 2 Weeks of April

Wow! It’s been a busy two weeks in the greenhouse. Do you ever find yourself running from place to place because you haven’t got time to walk? That’s been me over the last weeks. So, so busy! 1st April 2014 In Greenhouse – sowed Bell Pepper (California Orange) – sowed Bell Pepper (Canary) – sowed […]

My Zig-Zag Tulip Garden

This year I decided to plant up a zig-zag Tulip garden in one of the kitchen garden beds. My plan is to use this bed for early cutting flowers and then once the bulbs are lifted this will become the Tomato bed. I planted the bulbs back in November and they started to pop through […]

Planting Summer Cabbage

These Summer Cabbage (Parel) are almost ready to go out. They have spent a few nights in the coldframe and will likely go into the ground tomorrow. They will form part of the sunburst pattern that I’m planning for the large bed on the side of the kitchen garden. Cabbages are great for this as […]

Planting School Peas

A couple of weeks ago I took some potting soil and some Peas (Oregon Trail) and I helped the kids in Jackson’s kindergarden class sow some Peas for the school garden. Each of them wrote their name on a tag (no mean feat for a 5 year old!) and popped some Peas into a nodule, […]

Garden Diary – Last Week of March

18th March 2014 In Greenhouse – sowed Lettuce (Garnet Rose) – sowed Lettuce (Rouge D’Hiver) – sowed Lettuce (Tom Thumb) – sowed Poppy (Lauren’s Grape) – sowed Salvia (Inky Blue) – potted on Cabbage (Parel) In Garden – planted Onion Sets (White Onion) away for Spring Break 29th March 2014 In Greenhouse – potted on […]

Replacing Box Edging – Already!

I knew it was a risk when I planted it but the Box hedging has started to succumb to Box Blight already. I’ve replaced two of the bushes because they were displaying the tell-tale orange hue. I thought I would nip it in the bud early and see if I can stop the spread. Also […]