Monday Photos #8

After another busy weekend in the garden, everything looks neat and tidy. If only it would stay that way! We re-grouted the patio (mum's idea and halfway through she decided maybe it was too big a job. but as i said to her if it was left yet another year it would only be even harder to do next year!) Lots of plants planted out now too and most of the direct sowings are starting to germinate.

The only depressing bit is the fight with the cabbage root flies and the fact the taller bottle cloches were too tall and the plants a a bit unsteady. But the collar issue is now sorted so the flies can't crawl underneath (as i watched them do!!) and i have cut down the bottles ready for the next lot to be planted out because the shorter bottle really seemed to get them stronger.

So here are this weeks photos.....

Top row is Chard (bright lights), bottom row is Beetroot (boltardy)

Courgettes planted out.

Having cut back the Pyracantha i was able to get the raspberries and construct a frame to support all the new canes that have sprouted all around the originals, which i will moved in early winter.

In the cold frame are the Beef steak Tomatoes, parsnips in toilet rolls, white and red cabbages and some dwarf beans from a swap partner in the USA.

The top row of the greenhouse is normal tomato plants - the packet just said "tomato"

On the second shelf are Cherry Tomatoes for hanging baskets and some of the onions from seed which i pricked out yesterday.

On the 3rd shelf are the rest of the onions and a few odd brassicas and mum's bay tree cutting.

The bottom shelf has the last of the brassicas still to be planted out, curly kale (which i think i will cut as young leaves for salad) and the rest of the oriental salad mix which didn't get planted out.

This is my 3 tier strawberry hanging basket, which has 12 plants in it. the bracket seems to be taking the weight well although i hold my breath each time i water it!

a pot of mixed radishes.

Sugar snap peas are looking well, with a few radishes to fill the middle space.

I earthed up the fennel slightly and moved them to the patio.

So here is the nice clean patio, with cleaned and reorganised (by me) water feature, with the pots of radishes, sugar snaps, fennel and also a mini spikey (painful) palm tree, bay, rosemary, thyme, chives, mint, parsley, coriander and a strawberry planter.

In the bottom left are the french beans, oriental salad mix (mizua, mibuna, rocket and others i can't remember right now) around the front. brassicas in front of the fence and the squash plants, one per square (apart from one square which has 2) are now planted out.

I spent a lot of yesterday weeding this bit and although you can't tell from this photo it looks a lot neater! the onion sets are all doing well. the carrots (yellowstone) will need quite a bit of thinning and the parsnips are starting to germinate. the runner beans are germinating and looking well. the Kale is growing slowly (i forgot to take a photo of the kale out the front, there's more there too). Mum spinach sowing needs a bit of thinning! and in the bottom left is more salad leaves. the parsnips planted under the bean run haven't germinated yet but thats no worry as they were sown a couple of weeks after the initial lot with the onions.

so as you can see extremely busy, but looking promising. Today i'm waiting in for the wormery stuff to be delivered, so will cut the front grass while i wait!