Thanks Obelixx.. unfortunately only Huskies and variations of Husky in our refuges. Even Évreux could only offer me Pit Bull types! Just sowed Kohlrabi/Beetroot/Cucumbers and Courgettes this morning in Polytunnel. Making Hawthorn Flower Jelly this afternoon. Loads of blossom on Melrose Apple and Crab Apple has finished flowering. Little Mulberry doing well as is new Quince with loads of blossom.Lilac out today in hedgerow. New Project..as gravel surrounds house and O/H spent all his time weedkilling, I have decided to turn all the back of the house area into a Gravel Bed with Rosemary/Lavender and Alpines. I shall put up another Thread for help and ideas as never done anything like this before. Area about 17square metres. All ideas 🤗 welcome. Gravel is direct on Hoggin base so no subsoil. Can one grow direct in gravel? Weeds thriving!!! Oh good.. stopped raining I can get outside again! Bought some lovely Pelargoniums this morning to put in pots and need to get Honeysuckle in .
Hi Everyone..wonderful Garden Fair at Évreux and I have come home armed with info and plants for my new Gravel Garden. Also bought a Lévrier puppy and adopted a Galgo (Spanish Greyhound). Could not make my mind up so had both!! Arriving in July so plenty of time to occupy myself in the garden beforehand.🌞 Delighted to find Courgettes & Cucumbers sprouted in my absence together with Kohlrabi and Beetroot. Cleared patches for French and Runner Beans and now weeding and pruning shrubbery. No wonder O/H could not keep on top of it when I was in hospital last May/June..the garden is rampant. Difficult to remember what it looks like in Winter so lots of notes to make. Eg..where do I need to plant more Spring Bulbs. I put sticks in where tulips are so I don't dig them up again when planting others. I also make a note of colours and varieties that will match or contrast in gaps. 19/20/21st May are Earth and Root Days with the Moon in front of Taurus ♉🐂 sow Radish & Red Beetroot. Sow Parsnips (soak seeds for a couple of hours first) & Carrots . If you have soil with a tendency to dry out quickly, soak ground before sowing. ..this will encourage roots to settle deeper. 22/23rd May are Air & Flower Days .Sow Sunflowers around your Potager choosing varieties that set seed for the birds in Autumn (You can cut the heads and pop them in the bird feeders as you need them if stored in a dark place throughout the Winter) If you have Courgette flowers already, remove some of the males towards midday for tasty fritters or for stuffing. 24/25th May are Water .Stem and Leaf Days with the Moon in front of Cancer. Divide Chives. Sow Lettuce choosing varieties that are resistant to bolting in hot weather (Choosing a shady damp patch will help them through heatwaves) Sow direct where you wish to crop all Brassicas/Spinach/Leeks/Parsley & Chervil. Sow last of Green Manures in bare patches. Off to mow the lawn. I have decided to keep a section about a metre wide where I have Daffodils and Dutch Iris alongside one hedge wild, cutting out only brambles and errant hazel . Must top some Nettles today for Nettle & Ginger Jelly before they run to seed, plus pick last batch of Hawthorn Flowers for Jelly leaving plenty to turn into Berries. The Elderflowers are just beginning to come out. Looking forward to making Cordial again. Happy Gardening.
I managed to miss your post of the 6th @biofreak. Hope all goes well when the pups arrive and your gravel garden works out.
Off to London on Sunday, stopping off in Calais on the way there and Boulogne on the way back as it's too far to drive in one go on my own. Chelsea FS on Wednesday and Wisley on Thursday.
Yesterday I planted out my chillies in the polytunnel and the remaining tomatoes outside as PT beds full now. Today I'm potting on all remaining seedlings in the hope they'll survive OH's idea of watering if they have extra root room and fresh compost and I have spring onion seedlings to go into a window box for the kitchen.
How do you make nettle and ginger jelly?
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Hello everybody , back from a holiday cruising in the Baltic , most enjoyable & great weather When I got back home couldn’t believe the growth on everything , can’t remember seeing so much Hawthorn blossom Lots in the greenhouse need planting out in garden/allotment , so going to be very busy
Bio , pleased you got your dogs I’m sure they will settle in well I have seen a gravel garden but can’t remember where , I’m sure it will be amazing , I use gravel as a Mulch at home which works well
Oberlix , enjoy Chelsea & Wisley , not been to either for a long time Will watch Chelsea on TV
Glad you had a good holiday GWRS and have a lovely time at Chelsea etc Obelixx. NETTLE & GINGER JELLY Pick 350g Nettle tops. Cover with 500ml tap water. Juice of 1 Lemon . 1tablespoon fresh ginger (I put whole chunk in as oppposed to grating then you get a clear not cloudy jelly) 2lbs of White sugar. Bring to bois and simmer gently for 10mins. Leave to infuse overnight. Pass through Muslin and then bring back up to the boil adding.2 sachets of Pectin (I use Agar Agar. . )Recipe found on www.jam-making.com. Bought some plants for Gravel Garden this morning and am going to pot on Tomatoes/Cucumbers after I've mown lawn. Its all go, Found some White onion sets at Nurseries so shall pop these in for more Spring Onions. Happy Gardening
Lévrier covers all types of greyhound. Not dissimilar to categorising Poodles. Blue was the italien so smallest then you have the Whippet. Then the greyhound as we know it in UK then Irish wolfhound or Levrier Irlandais. Lévriers in France also encompass Afghan and Borzois. My Rescue Small Galgo is undergoing Cat Test at the moment. Similar set up to Battersea. They will not let her go unless she is Ok with cats. Blue our Italien Greyhound would chase rabbits but would not touch cats as they let him know who was boss when he was a puppy. The Whippet Breeder has four cats and they all sleep in the kitchen with the Whippets. Will be interesting watching Chelsea this week re wild & sustainable gardens. Missed preview. Lovely to get up at 6am again and potter round garden with first cup of tea. Love this time of year. You can feel the garden 💗 growing!
Very true you can certainly feel the garden growing I can’t remember seeing so much Blossom Just been on a walk this morning to check the route we are leading next week , overcast but the sun is now coming out
Posts
19/20/21st May are Earth and Root Days with the Moon in front of Taurus ♉🐂 sow Radish & Red Beetroot. Sow Parsnips (soak seeds for a couple of hours first) & Carrots . If you have soil with a tendency to dry out quickly, soak ground before sowing. ..this will encourage roots to settle deeper.
22/23rd May are Air & Flower Days .Sow Sunflowers around your Potager choosing varieties that set seed for the birds in Autumn (You can cut the heads and pop them in the bird feeders as you need them if stored in a dark place throughout the Winter) If you have Courgette flowers already, remove some of the males towards midday for tasty fritters or for stuffing.
24/25th May are Water .Stem and Leaf Days with the Moon in front of Cancer. Divide Chives. Sow Lettuce choosing varieties that are resistant to bolting in hot weather (Choosing a shady damp patch will help them through heatwaves) Sow direct where you wish to crop all Brassicas/Spinach/Leeks/Parsley & Chervil. Sow last of Green Manures in bare patches.
Off to mow the lawn. I have decided to keep a section about a metre wide where I have Daffodils and Dutch Iris alongside one hedge wild, cutting out only brambles and errant hazel . Must top some Nettles today for Nettle & Ginger Jelly before they run to seed, plus pick last batch of Hawthorn Flowers for Jelly leaving plenty to turn into Berries. The Elderflowers are just beginning to come out. Looking forward to making Cordial again.
Happy Gardening.
Off to London on Sunday, stopping off in Calais on the way there and Boulogne on the way back as it's too far to drive in one go on my own. Chelsea FS on Wednesday and Wisley on Thursday.
Yesterday I planted out my chillies in the polytunnel and the remaining tomatoes outside as PT beds full now. Today I'm potting on all remaining seedlings in the hope they'll survive OH's idea of watering if they have extra root room and fresh compost and I have spring onion seedlings to go into a window box for the kitchen.
How do you make nettle and ginger jelly?
When I got back home couldn’t believe the growth on everything , can’t remember seeing so much Hawthorn blossom
Lots in the greenhouse need planting out in garden/allotment , so going to be very busy
Bio , pleased you got your dogs I’m sure they will settle in well
I have seen a gravel garden but can’t remember where , I’m sure it will be amazing , I use gravel as a Mulch at home which works well
Oberlix , enjoy Chelsea & Wisley , not been to either for a long time
Will watch Chelsea on TV
Pick 350g Nettle tops. Cover with 500ml tap water. Juice of 1 Lemon . 1tablespoon fresh ginger (I put whole chunk in as oppposed to grating then you get a clear not cloudy jelly) 2lbs of White sugar. Bring to bois and simmer gently for 10mins. Leave to infuse overnight. Pass through Muslin and then bring back up to the boil adding.2 sachets of Pectin (I use Agar Agar. . )Recipe found on www.jam-making.com.
Bought some plants for Gravel Garden this morning and am going to pot on Tomatoes/Cucumbers after I've mown lawn. Its all go, Found some White onion sets at Nurseries so shall pop these in for more Spring Onions. Happy Gardening
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
I can’t remember seeing so much Blossom
Just been on a walk this morning to check the route we are leading next week , overcast but the sun is now coming out