Garry lager – what’s Wrong with the rhubarb? It looks fine to me.

Not sure, it doesn’t appear to be growing much – the leaves are almost on the soil. Though they were meant to grow upwards more – I guess there is still time for it to fill out later in the year.

Too much soil on show There Garry! Get some broad and runner beans in, and a dose of herb seeds.

I have absolutely no interest in gardening but am very pleased at having installed the sedum roof on our extension yesterday. Hoping it rains all weekend now 😀

Open Gardens in our village this weekend, so everything’s been bullied into shape, and the kids made a scarecrow for a laugh.

The tricky corner for us is under a NE facing hedge (next doors lelandii), so dry, fairly shady, and all the goodness sucked out of the soil by the hedge. Aside from the obvious (deeper border, manure, etc) thoughts on suitable planting welcomed.

I think the wife has been reading about Kim Kardashian, said why can’t you treat me to a large expensive rock?

1.5 tonne of Westmoreland, got to be a VS2.

That rock reminds me. Need to research on the growing of Moss.

Does anyone know how much growth you can expect from a climbing plant in a pot? I want to set a Virginia creeper to grow over my house wall – it’s a v large expanse and, crucially, I don’t have any soil at the base, so it would sit in a pot. Would this be futile, or can they grow to a decent size from a big plant pot?

Would this be futile, or can they grow to a decent size from a big plant pot?

It would have to be a very large pot, with the right soil, out of direct sunlight and need to be kept damp and well fed all year round…..so its not impossible, but tricky!

It’s taken over 7 years and now our bee (other insects too) friendly garden is really showing signs of so much activity.
Bees are everywhere. I’ve even left the purple sprouting broccoli flowers to continue blooming, as they are swarming around this plant.

Will try and put some photos up at some point.

Bees are everywhere

😯 SWARMMMMMM!!!!

Ive got a lot of tropical plants including cordylines which flowered this year. At times I had over 30 bees on each plant.

We’ve got a lot of green strawberries, but I’m thinking we’ll be on holiday just as they’re ripe. Anyone know how long strawberries take to ripen?

Garry_L have you tried

Forcing
You can get a head start on established rhubarb plants, and encourage them to grow faster by doing something known as ‘forcing’. At the start of the year in late winter / early spring, you simply isolate the new growth from the light by placing a large container up-side-down over the plant. This will cause them to grow fast and tall. Leave the cover on for about 4-6 weeks and you will be able to start harvesting shortly afterwards. This should not be done in the first year with new plants, only established ones.

http://www.container-gardening-for-food.com/growing-rhubarb.html

My brother does this with his and it seems to work

berries on the Rowan this year are a disaster 🙁 we had a storm blow through and it decimated the rowans blossom ! Terrible timing for it.

Turf time this weekend. Before and after.
[/url]Before by sandwicheater, on Flickr[/img]

[/url]after by sandwicheater, on Flickr[/img]

Started on the new (extremely unloved and overgrown) allotment

Sat 08:00, get petrol strimmer
08:20 – go mental, as discover bricks, glass, plastic, netting, wire, buliding site fence holders – massive picking up/moving session
09:20 – start strimming, rake, discover lots more bricks, more strimming, raking, discover more bricks and paving slabs, more strimming
11:47 – finished, return strimmer best £14.97 I’ve spent for a long time

Sun 08:00 first dump trip – Berlingo totally full
08:30 – lots more raking, digging up platic, mesh, bricks, slabs, catalogues, hedge trimming – bagging it all up
11:00 site cleared, now vaguely level
lay weed membrane
another totally full berlingo to dump

need more weed mesh to cover and need to start looking for manure – perversley satisfactory

The strawberries have gone mad. I’ve probably picked a small punnets worth every evening.

Does anyone know why my cucumbers are prickly? (still taste delicious though).

Some varities just are hairy/prickly Bunnyhop. Sugar snaps cropping like mad here, artichoke on the way, climbing French beans are still a disappointment but runners are ok. Parsnips seem to have failed (last years seed packet) and carrots are variable

Slowly getting there on the Garden front:

18 months ago

[url=https://flic.kr/p/dAwpHj]Workshop front[/url] by brf, on Flickr

Now-ish (a few more shrubs and roses in the beds since this photo):

[url=https://flic.kr/p/nUBUo9]More paving[/url] by brf, on Flickr

Was supposed to be finishing it this WE with new turf for the lawn, but my skip was cancelled by the council, so I’ve no where to dump soil when levelling it all off….