Pruning the old vine

So.....today we decided to have a go at the vine that grows all through the shrubs and trees at the back of the garden. We do get lots of tiny grapes off it each Autumn, but would like some bigger ones. So we have cut off yards and yards of old wood and cut back the fruiting spurs to two buds. The resulting long vine that we kept is draped all along the fence for about 8 feet. This might be too much to have left to grow but we were scared to chop off any more. Hopefully the vine will be able to cope with swelling the grapes produced this coming year to a decent size.

I spent an age afterwards cutting the vines into 8 inch lengths. This was following Bob Flowerdew's advice that vine prunings make good kindling. The pieces are now stored in the shed ready for fires. We'll leave them to dry out a bit before using them.

I also started clearing shrubs away from the spot where we want to plant the two new vines. Then I got carried away and started on the brambles (thankfully thornless!) which are beginning to take over behind the polytunnel.

Then I walked the dogs before my back finally snapped!

A full day of gardening, at home and at the plot.

I am so stiff I can hardly move! That's because I have gardened with my lazy body all day and now I've stopped it's hurting. But I have got such a lot done that I don't care. It'll be ready to go again in the morning so I'm not bothered.

Firstly I did the greenhouse beds with Jeyes fluid. Then I spread the bagged manure all over them.
Then I sowed my sweet peas, verbena bonariensis (want them for the re-modeled front garden), and started the shallots off in modules. They need a bit of help as they are rather late going in (should have done them in October!). They are the ones I kept from last years crop to start off this year. They are about an inch diameter and I got so fed up with peeling them for pickled shallots (DH's favourite) that I decided to plant them rather than eat them.
I have a few more (about 100!) that are even smaller and there is no way I'm going to peel them. I think I might plant them too just to see whether they grow a bit or whether they will just make hundreds more tiny babies...!
After that I finger weeded two more of the deep beds. The first bed was the one with the onion sets (Radar) planted out last Autumn. They are only about 10% up. I think the others will have rotted. I will get some sets of another variety to augment them later...in March I think. I can't really justify leaving them in the bed as they are so sparsely scattered. I'm tempted to move them all up to one end.
I chose the Radar ones to be cropping just when the last year's main crop of onions run out....looks like we'll be disappointed.

The other bed that got "cleaned was the leek bed. I pulled out all the ones that were going to seed, and the biggest ones for soup tomorrow. I left a few finger sized ones for another day. That bed is now ready for whatever comes next in the rotation....I think it'll be runners.

DH mowed the front lawn and I mulched the strawberry bed, cleaned yesterday and already being used by grateful cats as a latrine, in an attempt to stop the cats' attentions.

This afternoon I went to the plot and hoed a bit more and cleared the bed ready for the spuds. I'll put the first earlies in that bed next week when the moon is waning!!

I also started sieving the compost ready to go on that bed. It is lovely stuff.

And I tidied the shed out. It needed it. I can now lay my hands on whatever I need at a moments notice.

Now I deserve a cuppa and a sit down before it is time to start on dinner.....!

Kitchen garden tidy up

Today I felt a bit too fragile to work on the plot as it catches the cold winds on a breezy day. So I worked in the Kitchen Garden instead. It was long overdue.Firstly a few pics of the state of play before I started. This photo shows the rh beds before the sun got to them. The far right one has brussels and broccoli in. The one one the left has gladioli bulbs just beginning to die back. In front of them some winter radish. Black and very hot!The left front bed has field beans as a green manure. It was heavily mulched with mowings last time we cut the grass....this has all but disappeared!The front right bed has a few salad leaves in it....the rest is bare.
Here are the next 4 beds. The far left one appears in the next photo so I'll mention it later. The far right one has spinach, under cloche to stop the cats "manuring it. I sowed these a while ago and I haven't looked lately to see how they are getting on. There is also a couple of brussels sprout plants....still quite small so they'll possibly follow on from the others. The marigolds at the front of the bed are still strong looking but I don't suppose there will be any more Flowers. In the front garden they flower all winter but the back garden is shaded by the house so is not so warm.The front bed has what's left of my leeks. The rest of the bed now has a deep layer of compost.The one behind, with the green netting on, is completely sown with onion sets. They seem to be coming up.

This is the back bed. The cloches cover some more sets...shallots this time. On their left is the garlic, which looks pretty good. This now has a heavy compost mulch too.Behind the garlic are a few broad bean [plants...the end of a packet, just filling a small square. The main lot of these are at the allotment.Front left is my little bed of salsify. What do I do with them then? I grew them as an experiment. I have no idea if they are ready, or what to do with them if they are...!

The asparagus (started Spring 2006 from seed and in this bed since May I think) was at last turning yellow so I have cut the tops off, weeded the bed, and put a 2 inch layer of compost on the crowns.The strawberries were trimmed back some weeks ago now. I weeded them again today and put a good mulch of compost around these too.

But the main job of the day was sorting out the compost bins. See next post!

Here and there

Friday, March 10th, 2006

It did rain a bit this morning so I concentrated on the polytunnel and the veg garden at home instead. Then I was pleased that the sun came out so I could go to the plot to start the digging.
The soil is wonderful. I only need to single dig it and remove the weeds and it will soon be done. I did about 2'6" in 1 1/2 hours; not brilliant but I'm quite pleased with the progress. Tomorrow I'll go again and do another 2'6"...that'll be almost half of the patch for the first earlies.
I was rained off for about 10 minutes....to be honest it was hail, followed by rain. But the rest of the time was sunny. I sheltered in the shed which is on the plot....they have given me a key to use, which is very generous and trusting of them. I'm so grateful that there is shelter for when it rains, it means I don't have to run back to the car.....which is quite a way away.
In the polytunnel I have started seeds for mint, parsley, basil (in the propagator), sweetcorn, peppers, parsnips, cucumbers and melons (in the propagator), marigolds, summer savoury (to put out next to the broad beans to deter pests) and leeks.
In the veg garden at home I have prepared four of the deep beds ready for planting up soon. One of the other beds already has garlic and onion sets in, and the calendula and strawberries which edge them are doing fine.