SPRINGTIME COLOUR

It has been a very colourful Springtime this year and not bad considering it was quite late.

The Tulips have really done well this year and the Violas and Bellis Daisies too.

The chilly mornings have probably helped them all last a bit longer and April was quite a dry month with no windy days to knock them about. I was very busy in my greenhouse again, transplanting seedlings into trays (Photo above) and there's now a shortage of space!

As this year I took on an allotment, so the extra trays needed, were for the Vegetables grown from seed, mainly into peat pots, to save disturbing the root systems. It also helps against "Club Root" too, having them start in pots first. So i'll soon be planting out my Broccoli, Sprouts, Cauliflowers and Cabbages over on that Allotment nearby. Its added an extra interest this year doing that, but it also means less free time!. The Allotment was in a very neglected state, as the previous tenent did'nt dig much of it for around 5 years!! So you can imagine the weeds & grass that had taken over. I still have some to dig over and hopefully be finished by the end of May.

Getting Started Again! - March 2010

Well, despite a very slow start to the gardening season this year, I've begun in my greenhouse by sowing my summer flower seeds and also preparing for me allotment planting too, by putting my Seed Potato's in trays for chitting. When the shoots are about an inch long, then I can plant the Potatos out on the allotment. But I've still got to prepare the soil there.

The weather remains very chilly here and so the soil will be too cold yet for sowing & planting out. I guess it will all catch up though during April. The crocus's & primroses are just appearing on my garden (photo above) but the Daffodils are still not in flower. So a very late springtime here in the UK this year. I've also potted up my Geranium plug plants into 3 Inch pots (Photo above) which I had delivered from a gardening mail order company, which seems a better idea, as they can be hard to germinate from seeds. There is also a photo of my new Raspberry canes, that were planted around Christmas time, but should fruit this coming Summer, being a variety that fruits on the existing canes. After fruiting they will of course be cut down to almost ground level and this years growth, will be trained up and that will fruit next year.

New Season

Well, another Gardening Season beckons and a bit delayed so far this year outdoors, due to the continued Winter weather. Today on Febuary 21st, we had more Snow.

So my activities are still In the Greenhouse, where I'm sowing a few bedding plant seeds in trays and awaiting the weather to Improve soon.

I've also been allocated an Allotment this year which is close by.

Its half the size of a "Full" allotment, as I simply do not require a full length one.

But i'll still be able to grow things like Potatoes, Broccoli, Spouts, Swedes, etc....

As I added a few Fruit bushes & Trees on my garden last Autumn, It will be great to expand my Vegetable growing this year.

The Hens look very Healthy still and look very good fully feathered now.

Soon they will begin more regular Egg laying after slowing down on that during Winter.

Also they will enjoy eating more greenery soon, as crops are limited at the moment.

So plenty to do outside very soon!.

The Hens : Five Months later...

I've made this Video of my Ex-Battery Hens, Five months later, to compare how they look since I adopted them in June 2009. They hardly had any feathers when I collected them from the rescue centre In Coventry. So now they look much Improved feather wise. One thing with Hens, is that they do have a nasty habit of pecking at each others Feathers, so I hope that ceases. Otherwise the eggs are certainly much better than shop bought ones. The Hens also eat most kitchen scraps and eventually their manure will be recycled on my garden, after a few months in the compost bins. You cannot use it straight away, otherwise it can burn roots of your plants being fresh manure. I avoided having a Cockerell, due to environmental issues!. I also did'nt want waking up at 5am in a morning. The hens are fine though without one.

To View more of my Gardening Blog, Click on "Older Posts"......

MORE SUMMER PHOTOS 2009

Here's a few more photo's taken In August 2009 In my garden.

they also feature my Hens, now looking much better since their arrival on June 13th.

Their feathers are almost returned and I add a tonic to their water bottle, which promotes health in the Hens themselves. They are still laying daily too.

With all the recent rain the garden is still looking very colourful and hopefully will last into late September this year.

AUGUST 2009

Another very colourful Garden this Summer, despite it being a very wet Summer in the UK.

I did not enter the Garden Competition this year, which I'm pleased about, as it would have been a struggle getting it right for the judging. But as it is I'm pleased with the Flower beds this year again. The fruit bushes and Apple tree have produced a fair amount of fruit and the mini vegetable area has also done well. Though not much success with the grow bags. I think the restricted root area affects Vegetables too much and they seem to die off too early.

The Dahlias have been the best flowers on the front garden, but then they prefer a lot of watering....and no problems there with our weather conditions!.

Hopefully the remainder of August will see warmer & sunnier weather here, so I can sit out and enjoy my garden more, rather than admire it from the window Indoors!!

Soon need to think about ordering my Autumn plug plants, such as Primroses, for the Spring.

JUNE 2009

In June my garden was looking good, with my Vegetables & Fruit looking very healthy and the gooseberry bushes were loaded too. The Broad Beans (above) next to the greenhouse are tall and seem to be suited there. This year I also did some Peas, Carrots & Beetroot (Above) which will be ready in July onwards. So quite a mixed planting this year, with not just Flowers on my rear garden. I'm trying to have more Fruit on my garden I guess.

In the Autumn I Intend planting either a Cherry tree or a Plum tree....or both!

I will try to find a suitable area to put them. I have tidied up my Compost area, by buying two compost bins, from the Council's recycling dept. So gone is my large compost heap....to be replaced by Two large black composting bins. These should allow the waste to decompose more rapidly. Being warmer in the bins with a lid on them. Now that I also have my Hens, I will get nice manure from these. The Hens continue to lay well and are a nice addition to my Garden.