The tomatoes have been sown (early March), potted on, molly coddled when they started and eventually planted out into their final spaces in the greenhouse (early April). However, the cold, dull weather seems to be making it hard work for them to grow on as strongly as I would like. All the indeterminate varieties are…… Continue reading July 2024 – A Slow Year for Tomatoes
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Crows & Moss
I mentioned the other day that the crows are having a go at the moss in our “lawn”. Just to prove what they are doing here are a couple of photos and videos. Raked up Moss A wheelbarrow full One Crow working on their own Two crows working harder Now, I don’t know what they…… Continue reading Crows & Moss
2024 – Comma Butterfly
We’ve seen a number of Brimstone Butterlies so far this year but this feels like the earliest I’ve even seen a Comma (as ever all that means is they’ve flitted away before I got sight of them). A brief video of it sat there in the breeze.
2024 – More Flowers
As spring continues, we’re getting yet more flowers showing through. Fritillaria, epimedium, more hybridised primulas, hellebores. The crows are also having a go at our “lawn” again, pulling up the moss. It seems that they’re looking for things to eat underneath rather than nest building. Sowed some lettuces today, hopefully they’l start to produce in…… Continue reading 2024 – More Flowers
2024 – Sown Tomatoes
OK, its a little late this year but I’ve at last got around to sowing my tomatoes for 2024. No new ones this year, I haven’t found any local suppliers who have something different that isn’t an F1 Hybrid. This means I’ve had to sort through my (200+) own varieties and sort out ones that…… Continue reading 2024 – Sown Tomatoes
Spring is Springing – at last
Although I haven’t started looking at my tomato season yet this year, its pleasant to see that the garden is at last breaking into spring. Its still wet and soggy underfoot but the bulbs and plants are starting to show that they like the warmer weather. Spent some time this afternoon tidying and planting strawberry…… Continue reading Spring is Springing – at last
What to do about Moles
A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that I’d got some molehills in my vegetable bed. Our garden backs on to some fields and, in the past, we’ve had moles at the border between our garden and the fields and (occasionally) coming down the hedge between us and our next door neighbour. However, this is…… Continue reading What to do about Moles
Physalis – Fruit for late in the year
Along with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, my greenhouses usually house a couple of physalis (cape gooseberry) plants. These aren’t the ones with bright red lanterns but the ones that are served in restaurants with your desert. They are perennials but there’s always the probability that they won’t survive the winter so I grow new plants…… Continue reading Physalis – Fruit for late in the year
2023 – Last Tomatoes
Today (5th November) I cleared out my greenhouse of the remaining tomato plants (and found a cucumber). I haven’t been watering them for a couple of weeks and the plants were in a bad way with grey mould on many of them. This collection won’t be added to the crop weight for the year, even…… Continue reading 2023 – Last Tomatoes
A Damp Week in the Yorkshire Dales
We love the Yorkshire Dales, it’s our go-to holiday destination. Lots of things to see and places to walk. This break was in Dentdale, somewhere that we’ve been near but not actually walked around before. Dent itself is a beautiful little village. The only proble is the narrow, cobbled high street which barely has room…… Continue reading A Damp Week in the Yorkshire Dales