Soggy Day Gardener

The Earth is Flat

2011-11-30T14:40:00.001Z

No, no, I realise it isn't but I do wonder sometimes if those who deny that global warming is happening are the modern day equivalents of the "Flat-Earthers."

Here we are, the last day of November, Latitude 50.84 in the northern hemisphere and what do we see, apple buds out and blueberry in flower.

Now then ... just where is it we fall off the edges?

Apple leaves coming out at the end of November

Blueberry bud opening, end of November

Guess what? It's raining.

2011-11-30T14:37:00.001Z

There I was, beds prepared for garlic (regular and elephant) to be planted and shallots too, the one behind is for broad beans and the heavens opened, so here I am posting a picture of the, as yet un-planted beds.

Beds ready for garlic and bean planting (previously potatoes in rotation)

Not quite mellow fruitfulness

2011-10-30T15:59:00.000Z

We certainly returned to gardens which had enjoyed their freedom and flourished into the bargain. The photographs show one through the archway into the flower garden the other three are of the veggie patch.
There are 2 beds with green manure which will dig in nicely in the spring.
The brassicas under the net aren't doing too badly, the others are good too, but I'd like some frost to kill off the caterpillars, because I took off the nets much earlier than usual with being away and the rascals noticed!
There are plenty of roots, from swede and turnip, to carrot, parsnips and beetroot. I still have the main crop potatoes to dig, but they are under a good layer of soil, so I am hoping they will be OK.
There are 2 lots of leeks, surviving rather than thriving. Having said that, Mrs Soggy dug a few yesterday and they were fine - and that was of the less happy looking ones.
Courgettes have had it, there are a couple of marrows to be used up, and the cucumbers have gone too, which is a shame - they were a great variety, I had hoped they'd stretch on into late autumn. Good news though is that the tomatoes in the greenhouse are still going along, not cropping heavily, but ticking over with a few small ones.

GMO in the wild

2011-10-07T02:06:00.000+01:00

One of the fears of those of us who grow organically is that GMO crops will escape into the wild and cross-pollinate with native species and garden plants and produce. Fortunately, for those of us in Europe, the EU has been fairly robust (though not always as vigorous as might be hoped) in resisting some of the advances of GMO.

Had I not been on a trip to Canada, I may never have seen this, but here it comes:

"Genetically modified canola has escaped from the farm and is thriving in the wild across North Dakota, according to a study that indicates there are plenty of novel man-made genes crossing the Canada-U.S. border.

GM canola was found growing everywhere from ditches to parking lots, the scientists report, with some of the highest densities along a trucking route into Canada."

Read the full story in the Vancouver Sun (if you can get hold of the printed version there is a picture worth a thousand words). Genetically modified canola goes wild

Hilary's beds

2011-10-06T18:51:00.000+01:00

Productive veggie beds at our niece's place on Vancouver island. Plentiful herbs in the foreground, with potatoes to the right and behind them kale which survived a deer attack. The grass area to the right is earmarked for more beds, the eventual plan being to expand production enough to feed all four of them the basic staples from the garden, so lots more potatoes, onions, leeks, brassicas and roots to come.

Garden Plots found on Surrey and White Rock Cycle Ride

2011-09-25T05:39:00.000+01:00

Dunsmuir Gardens, Crescent Beach, BC.
Great alluvial base soil, with, by the looks of it, many years of good hearty compost added.

Travels

2011-09-01T15:08:00.000+01:00

There won't be much in the way of Soggy Garden posts for a while as we are on our travels again, having left a deputy Soggy to keep things ticking along and harvest whatever looks ripe and juicy.

If I spot any interesting veggie patches in this hugeness, otherwise known as Canada, I'll post some pictures.

A Mixed Bag

2011-08-09T13:36:00.000+01:00

Mixed in terms of what I am gathering in, mixed also in the results.

Maincrop potatoes still growing happily

Toluca close-up showing splitting

Toluca, dug and washed

Sarpo Kifli - looking good

Sarpo Kifli, not bad off one plant

Onions - Centurion and Red Baron in foreground

Dessert apples

Soggy-dog, keeping a close watch for passing flies

Some of the produce has done really well (we've been eating our own cucumbers, peas, mange tout, calabrese and tomatoes, amongst other things, for months) while some have been disappointing. I suppose it depends on the plants' response to that prolonged dry weather earlier in the year.

A good example has been the potatoes. The Charlotte were brilliant, few blemishes, heavy cropping, reliable and so tasty. The Sarpo Kifli, which I only test dug one plant of today, look very productive (but I have no idea about taste yet). The Marfona were too good - must plant more next time. Toluca though were disappointing. Some large tubers, but too many of them split, allowing in other little nasties, in some cases rotting out the core; the taste was truly wonderful though (what Mrs Soggy described as an old-fashioned potato taste), so maybe if I grow them again I shall have to water them.

The cooking apples look to be doing well, but the dessert apples are giving mixed results - the birds like them though.

All Change

2011-07-21T08:48:00.000+01:00

The broad beans are out and the early potatoes have been dug, so what has replaced them? Leeks, and plenty of them, an early and a main crop variety. (Swiss Giant, Zermatt and Bandit).

Summer blooms

2011-07-04T09:43:00.000+01:00

I try to pretend that I do all the garden work around here, but this picture from Mrs Soggy's side of things blows a blooming great hole in that claim.

Out with the old, in with the new

2011-07-03T07:40:00.000+01:00

The production on the broad bean plants has been slowing, so yesterday out they came. (Sad in a way when you think what the autumn sown ones endured through the frost and snow).

Today I'll be doing dibber holes, dropping in the leek seedlings and then filling with water. I may dig a couple more rows of early potatoes and put some more leeks in to follow them also.

Wild, neglected and beautiful

2011-06-30T21:29:00.000+01:00

No not me!
A friend's neighbour's house has been getting work done and not long ago the garden was a building site, but for some weeks it's lain neglected and this is the result. How beautiful is that!

Gardening without digging?

2011-06-29T13:24:00.000+01:00

Surely not! Well that was my reaction, but a friend from the village recently went on a visit and saw this in action and came back marvelling at how well it works, so I had to look for the website didn't I? Here it is: Charles Dowding's No Dig website

Newbie Gardener: Radishes - something new!

2011-06-22T20:53:00.000+01:00

Newbie Gardener: Radishes - something new!

Now this has got to be worth emulating! I can't wait to taste some radish seed pods now.

Friends for Lunch Preparation

2011-06-22T12:17:00.002+01:00

Salad, beetroot, tomato on the menu

Friends for Lunch

2011-06-22T12:15:00.001+01:00

Not quite how it reads, we won't be eating the friends for lunch.

New Potatoes and more

2011-06-16T14:32:00.000+01:00

I had already previously harvested a couple of potatoes, just by digging my hand under a plant. Today it was the turn of the fork, and up came two plants of Charlotte, some of which made a delicious potato salad for lunch.

Mrs Soggy, meanwhile, gathered some peas, beans, courgettes and strawberries, the cucumber (mentioned below) had been brought in earlier.

As you can see, everything is wet, as were we, it decided to pour down before we finished, mind you, I did still get 2 courgette plants out of their pots and into the bed-space the potatoes had relinquished.

Cucumbers

2011-06-16T10:58:00.002+01:00

If you have been following the blog for a while, you will have seen the list of seeds I have for this year. One of the varieties is a cucumber: Melen F1 (Mini). I sowed it, under heat, on 16th February. All four seeds germinated and I now have 2 plants in an unheated greenhouse and 2 outside (which have survived some recent cold nights).

The variety has been a good choice, the mini size is just right for 2 of us and they have been good croppers now for quite a few weeks. Definitely a good find and worth passing on. More information on them here.

Weather!

2011-06-05T11:17:00.002+01:00

How long have I been wanting rain? What's happening today, not just here but all over the country - The Big Lunch, so which day is it raining - yes - you guessed, today!

We needed it though and picnics and games can be fun in the rain, I am telling myself that, really I am.

Frost - ColdSnap app

2011-06-01T09:54:00.003+01:00

I made a useful discovery on the Allotment Vegetable Growing website (visit here) of an App for Android phones, which will give you a frost warning for your chosen location, by monitoring weather forecasts for you. (I would also have to say that the author is most patient and helpful, as I made a silly error in setting it up, which he quickly resolved).

You can find it through the Android Market on your phone or here ColdSnap!

You'd think in June I wouldn't be worried about this in southern England but the air temperature here last night was down to 4.5C - nearly cold enough to get me rushing out to cover my potatoes.

View across to potatoes

2011-05-31T16:20:00.002+01:00

Looking across the broad beans (peas to the right) towards the other greenhouse with three potato beds in front. They looking flourishing, despite the dry weather (it just means the potatoes won't be swelling in the soil as much as I'd like).

Fruit Patch

2011-05-31T16:12:00.001+01:00

A while back you may have seen the post about re-doing the fruit patch, well here it is now, with the raspberry canes moved through 90 degrees (in the right foreground), behind them blackcurrant bushes, behind those, gooseberries and beyond are some strawberry plants.

Of course with all that space round them, I couldn't resist placing a few spare tomato plants could I?

Rain

2011-05-26T10:21:00.002+01:00

Finally woke to some rain for a change, having hoped for that for weeks. Not that it is a wondrous amount, but welcome nevertheless. I am sure the autumn planted onions will benefit most, I don't water onions as I think it just encourages roots up to the surface, so they really need the rain, they look healthy enough, just not swelling much.

Poppies

2011-05-24T20:27:00.002+01:00

We recently went to Normandy, to visit the sites, history, cemeteries and memorials from Operation Overlord, D-Day. Poppies are of course associated with the battlefields of the First World War, but every time we saw them in Normandy, they seemed fitting also.

When we got home, what did we see in Mrs Soggy's flower border, but our own poppies in flower, here they are for you to enjoy too.

Seed Order

2011-02-08T08:19:00.002Z

I placed my seed order last week, a bit later than intended, I was too absorbed in sorting out the fruit patch.

Here is the main list, the letters in brackets are the codes on the Organic Gardening Catalogue

There will be a few other things to get, mainly from Pennards - that especially means my seed potatoes, which I shall get at the Potato Day, this weekend. (There is a lovely article about our Potato Day here).

BASIL Lettuce Leaved (HBBE)

BEETROOT Boltardy 15g (BEBO1)

BEETROOT Cylindra (BECY)

BEETROOT Moneta (BEMO)

BROCCOLi Purple Sprouting Early (BRPO)

BROCCOLI Purple Sprouting Late (BRPL)

BROCCOLI Rudolph (BREX)

BRUSSELS SPROUT (Late) Seven Hills (BSSH)

BRUSSELS SPROUT (Mid) Igor F1 (BSIG)

CABBAGE Christmas Drumhead (CBCD)

CABBAGE January King (CBJK)

CABBAGE Marner Lagerrot (Storing Red) (CBML)

CABBAGE Myatt's Offenham (CBON)

CALABRESE Green Sprouting (CAGS)

CARROT Amsterdam Forcing 15gr (CRAM1)

CARROT Flakee (CRFK)

CARROT Resistafly F1 (CRRF)

CLIMBING BEAN Barlotta Lingua di Fuoco (FBLF)

CLIMBING BEAN Neckar Queen (FBNQ)

COURGETTE Segev F1 (COSE)

CRESS American or Land (CSUS)

CUCUMBER Melen F1 (Mini) (CUME)

KALE Dwarf Green Curled (KADW)

LEEK Bandit (LKBA)

LEEK Swiss Giant, Zermatt (LKZE)

LETTUCE Amorina (LEAR)

LETTUCE Bedford (LEBD)

LETTUCE Belize (LEBZ)

ONION Crimson Forest (ONCF)

ONION Ramrod 10g (ONRM1)

PARSLEY Italian Giant (PSIG)

PARSNIP Gladiator F1 (PAGL)

PEA Rapido Petit Pois (PERA)

PEA Sugar Pea Norli (PESP)

PEA Sugar Snap LARGE (PESS)

RADISH French Breakfast (RAFB)

ROCKET Esmee (ROES)

ROCKET Rucola (ROCK)

SWEDE Helenor (SWHE)

TOMATO Alicante (TOAL)

TOMATO Ferline F1 (TOFE)

TOMATO Sweet Million (TOMN)

Fruit Patch Makeover

2011-01-13T14:13:00.002Z

Most of the fruit bushes were on the patch, as we inherited them when we moved in here 8 or 9 years ago. Despite care and pruning, their production has dropped, so all the blackcurrants and gooseberries have come out, as well as the strawberries from this bed.

The raspberries will be pruned and moved, they are currently lying east-west, they will change to north-south, to get better sun distribution on all plants. The new gooseberry, blackcurrant and strawberry plants will also line north-south.

In the wheelbarrow are some of the old fruit bush roots and perennial weed roots I have been forking out of the ground, nearly half-way across now. In the bags I have compost to work into the soil, and out of shot, some bags of well-rotted horse manure, which will also go on. That lot should ensure good drainage and enough material to prevent drying out in the summer, as well as plenty of nutrients - blackcurrants especially, as you cut them right back, take up a lot of food.

I have yet to decide on the varieties to plant, all suggestions gratefully received! (Blackcurrant and gooseberry please)

Growing Advice Cards

2011-01-10T18:32:00.002Z

I am a member of Garden Organic (used to be HDRA) and have just spotted on their website an excellent facility for getting advice, in handy card size - if you print them out - with key information on Planting, Growing and Eating, including suggested varieties. I am not sure if it's exclusive to the members' area, but it's not expensive to join. have a look on their website here.

Potato Day Leaflet

2011-01-01T22:23:00.003Z

Topical tips and Potato Day

2011-01-01T21:45:00.004Z

I have updated the column on the right, with a few tasks for this time of year.

Also hot on the presses is information going out about our Potato Day next month.

This will be our 4th Annual Potato Day, which, as a horticultural society, we organise for gardeners, with Pennard Plants bringing over 60 varieties of Seed Potatoes and with information available on type, cultivation and disease resistance for each one.

It is on Saturday 12th February 2011, 10:30 to 3:30 (with brunch and drinks all day), at Drimpton Village Hall (for SatNav use DT8 3RF).

Frozen Food delivery

2010-12-23T11:44:00.002Z

No, not from a supermarket, but from our veggie patch. Invited to spend Christmas with the mini-Soggies in sunny and snow-free Swanage, we had to go prepared, and not just with Christmas presents.

At first glance the only obvious crops were leeks, sprouts and kale; so I harvested, with increasingly freezing fingers, a tray of Brussels sprouts, enough for dinner on Christmas Day and Boxing Day for the four of us hopefully, that still left plenty more to come. They were swiftly joined by some leeks.

Then it was a matter of hefting snow aside to go in search of turnips and parsnips. I could only find one turnip, but got the bonus of a couple of beetroot besides. Then up came some good looking parsnips, despite the best efforts of the frozen soil to hold onto them. I had earthed over some carrots and dug down hopefully, and there they were, still happy and healthy, so in some of those went too.

Passing piled up snow at the roadsides most of the way here, there was no problem keeping the vegetables fresh on the journey. Now we just need to enjoy them and celebrate Christmas together.

Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year everyone.

Frozen Days

2010-12-14T09:55:00.002Z

The garden is rather frozen at the moment, but that does give time for planning, catching up and bird watching. There were blackcaps on the feeders this morning, in addition to the usual finches, tits, sparrows, starlings and so on.

One thing I must catch up on is our Potato Day in Drimpton Village Hall on 12th February. It is surprising how many people come, of course Pennards have not only a good range and variety, but also really helpful advice, but it could just be the renowned village food on offer too!

It is also the time of year to browse seed catalogues and dream of the crops to come, oh, and of course to enjoy the Brussels Sprouts and parsnips now well touched by frost.

Frost and snow

2010-11-28T14:13:00.002Z

Had quite a busy time recently doing more building work than gardening, helping off-spring Soggy, now that's nearly done the ground is frozen hard, so time for a quick post here.

We have a light sprinkling of snow remaining on the ground here, through which I dug some leeks, parsnips and beetroot for roasting and gathered some Brussels sprouts yesterday. The other night, whilst it was snowing, I remembered the nets over my autumn sown onions and broad beans. Last year both crops suffered because the nets, weighed down by snow, stifled the young plants. So went out during the snowfall and brushed the nets clear, so hopefully everything will be OK.

A few days earlier, rather than dig them up (our storage indoors is full of lots of other stuff, mainly out good potato crop) I earthed over the remaining carrots, hopefully I can now just go and dig as required.

The other main job at the moment has been to dig up the blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes, the former have been failing for a couple of years, the latter have been of varied performance despite Mrs Soggy's best efforts at pruning and care.

The intention is to plant new ones, haven't decided which yet, but we'll probably research RHS Award of merit varieties. I will also be attempting to train them to wires, that should be especially helpful, if it works, for taking the torture out of picking gooseberries.

The raspberries will be re-sited too, but I haven't dug them yet, I want to prepare the ground first and move them to a new site straight away and not leave them sitting about, even heeled in.

Edible vegetable beds

2010-10-13T10:45:00.000+01:00

Having a daughter with a talent for making and decorating cakes (see her Iced Gems website) proved a real bonus on my birthday this week, when she surprised me with this beautiful creation. I can tell you it tastes even better than it looks.

I have to admit too, that it is much more neat and tidy than my actual veggie patch, they do get to look rather tired at this time of year don't they; thankfully though, it has been a very productive year.

Apologies for not keeping the blog up to date with everything that has been growing there. I will try better, honest!

Just a couple of things to watch out for - beans and leeks

2010-07-19T19:03:00.002+01:00

You may still have some broad bean plants in the ground - keep a sharp eye out for black-fly on them and ruthlessly pinch off any leaves, stem or pods which have any infestation (unless it is very light in which case hose them off) - that applies to other plants too.

When your broad beans have reached the end, don't dig them up, but cut the plants off at soil level as that leaves the roots with their nitrogen-rich nodules in the ground.

Now you can dibber the holes in the empty bean bed and drop your leeks into them (you may need to pull off some over-bushy root to get them to drop right down in). Then don't back fill with soil, just top up the hole to the brim with water.

Early July Harvest

2010-07-12T16:56:00.003+01:00

I probed about amongst the roots of a few potato plants about three weeks ago and thought they weren't doing too well (we've had a long dry spell here). Today I took the plunge - or rather the garden fork - and unearthed the first plant of the first row. A variety called Premier - not a bad lot of potatoes from one plant. The other pictures are the rest of tonight's dinner (except for the scarecrow almost lost in the raspberries he's meant to be watching over).

The veggie patch flourishing

2010-06-20T19:00:00.000+01:00

With so much sunlight, all the plants have plenty opf growing time, and now that the cold spell is well behing us they all seem to be enjoying life. That cold dry weather back along though has slowed some things up, today I probed under three different varieties of first early potatoes and none of them had anything bigger than a golf ball yet, so better be patient a while longer I think.

The New Summerhouse

2010-06-20T18:54:00.000+01:00

Well, even gardeners have to put their feet up, though painting it seemed to take for ever, the wood was very thirsty.

Friends down the road at Picket Lane

2010-06-20T18:28:00.003+01:00

Generally speaking, if you can't eat it, I'm not too bothered about growing it, that's not to say though that I don't exploit Mrs Soggy's efforts in the flower garden, I also enjoy the enthusiasm of my friend Neil at Picket Lane Nursery, not far away in South Perrott.

We've just put up a summerhouse, and some plants to soften its new straight edges are called for and so we headed off to Picket Lane. Neil and his family are masterful in plant propagation and even I can see they have some wonderful stuff. I think the veggie influence is rubbing off on him too though. He has made available some of his land for villagers to cultivate allotments, not only are they looking very productive, but Neil now has beehives to help with pollination. Last year in this area some crops, such as broad beans were a bit patchy, with flowers not setting and the bees are Neil's answer.

How many pesticides and insecticides are you eating?

2010-06-01T13:15:00.002+01:00

My sister-in-law (thank you) sent me a link to a CNN article examining the level of pesticide residues found on food crops, things such as Celery, Peaches, Strawberries, Apples, Blueberries, Nectarines, Sweet bell peppers, Spinach, Kale and other brassicas, Cherries, Potatoes, Grapes, Lettuce. To find out more have a look, here: CNN "Dirty Dozen"

I grow some of those, and everything I grow is produced organically, so I'm quite happy to eat straight from the garden without washing (the veggies I mean, not me!) Organic farming food production has been around probably since the dawn of agriculture, so our bodies are well adapted to healthily produced food; only time (and lots of it) will tell what the long term effects on our species might be from ingesting pesticides and insecticides. Until we know better the consequences, why take the chance, grow organic if you can and shop organic if you can't grow it.

Bon appetit

Outdoor tomato plants

2010-05-27T20:04:00.000+01:00

I always end up with too many seedlings and hate throwing them away, so in addition to the 9 plants in the greenhouse, there are about a dozen outside, here's three of them, variety Ferline, which showed best blight resistance last year.

Cauliflower

2010-05-27T20:00:00.000+01:00

Variety Maystar, our first of the year, the leaves eaten with dinner tonight and the cauli itself will make cailiflower cheese tomorrow.

Daffodils at Easter

2010-04-01T16:34:00.000+01:00

No finer sign is there, that spring is getting under way, no matter that the weather is finding it hard to let winter go.

Onions and more

2010-04-01T16:32:00.000+01:00

The fine netting is protecting over-wintered onions, two types of garlic and autumn sown broad beans (helped along, with gaps filled by spring sown replacements - all Aquadulce Claudia).
In the foreground are more rows of onion sets with bigger mesh netting which is generally succeeding in keeping the mice and other pesky visitors off.
In the background are the potato beds ready to plant them all this Easter weekend. I have prepared trenches, I'll plant the chitted seed potatoes a few inches deep in the bottom of the trenches and then, as they grow, the sides can be pulled in to earth them up.

Spring, Bare & Barren?

2010-04-01T16:23:00.001+01:00

Beds ready for potatoes, parsnip seedlings appearing at last despite the efforts of the mice.
Spring Onion and leek seedlings, and some parsley potted on.

Carrots and parsnips

2010-03-10T07:16:00.000Z

Whilst preparing a bed for onions and beans I came across two rows of carrots, the last of the succession sowings last year. Of one variety, Resistafly, not a trace, of the other, Flyaway, quit a few useable, not brilliant mind you, carrots. A nice little bonus.

From another of last year's root beds I had also dug up the remainder of the parsnips, last week. Mrs Soggy made parsnip cake, a new recipe, it was delicious - especially round the edges where the crisping really brought out the sweetness of the parsnips. No photograph though I'm afraid - all eaten.

Potato Varieties

2010-02-18T20:12:00.002Z

Here is a list of the Potato varieties I'm growing this year (you can get more information about them from the supplier to our village Potato Day, Pennards or from the European Cultivated Potato Database (click on quick search).

Bonnie Dundee 1E (Red Firm)
Premiere 1E (White Multi)
Swift 1E (White Firm)
Winston 1E (White Multi)
Vivaldi 2E (White Multi)
Charlotte 2E (White Firm)
Record EM (White Floury)
Markies LM (White Floury)
Sarpo Axona (Red Creamy)

Some, but not all, have blight (leaf and/or tuber) resistance or tolerance, you never know we may get another wet summer like last year. We have enjoyed good crops and good eating from some on the list prviously, such as Markies and Charlotte. We did well with Sarpo Mira last year and I'm quite keen to see how Sarpo Axona gets on.

Potato Chitting

2010-02-18T16:51:00.000Z

I have just been doing the labels for a range of varieties of seed potatoes, here they are sitting in the light and out of frost danger, for a few weeks to send out short strong sprouts ready for the seed potatoes to be planted out in April.
The one in the foreground all on its own is Mrs Soggy's one for the Potato Growing Competition.

Shrove Tuesday

2010-02-16T07:36:00.002Z

It's a wet and soggy day here, just as well as i am about to head, not into the garden (where I really, really need to finish off the winter pruning of the apple trees, but into the kitchen to make pancakes for breakfast. Yummmm!

Potato prints on Potato Day

2010-02-13T19:49:00.001Z

Whilst avid growers picked their favoured varieties of seed potatoes,
young people busied themselves on the hall stage giving us, hopefully,
a foretaste of summer to come.

Potato Day, just before St. Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T19:46:00.001Z

Chris from Pannard Plants, with,
in the foreground a heart-shaped seed potato -
how appropriate for a Potato Day
held the day before Valentine's Day!

Potato Day

2010-02-13T19:43:00.002Z

The village hall buzzing with life and activity as folk gather from far and wide to make selections from over 80 varieties of seed potato supplied by Pennard Plants (in addition to onions, shallots, seeds and plants from them and also quite a selection of plants from Picket Lane Nursery).
In the foreground are paints used in the young people's activities (though a few adults also had a go at potato printing).

Topical advice

2010-02-05T08:58:00.001Z

Now that February is here, the snowdrops are in flower and a friend told me he has seen crocus in flower, we can come out of hibernation.
I have updated the column on the right with information about what we can be getting on with now.
There's still wood to be cut though, I'm off to put a new chain on the saw.

Cadbury and organics?

2010-02-04T09:14:00.000Z

You may well be wondering why there is a picture of a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar on my blog, and rightly so, it didn't grow in my garden, though my family and friends may well be surprised one hasn't appeared here before - I have enjoyed more than a few CDMs over the years - but this is the last one, ever.

The last ever? I can hear a few jaws dropping with incredulity, but yes.

When Cadbury resisted the first offer from Kraft they were derisory about the quality of the larger company and the way it is managed. None of that has changed, but worse still is the fact that, to buy Cadbury, Kraft has had to borrow heavily. There seem to be echoes of the very kind of thinking which beset the financial services industry and from which the world economies seem likely to suffer for years to come. It was possible to identify with the founding ethos of Cadbury, no matter how distant, that has gone completely now and forever, so goodbye CDM.

By contrast, as we gardeners busy ourselves planning for spring in the northern hemisphere, especially those of us committed to organic, sustainable methods, our thinking could not be further removed from that of the people who have melded the new Kraftbury. We know that nature does not allow us to buy off today at the expense of tomorrow, the dust bowl history, the use of DDT, deforestation and countless other lessons reinforce the message that there is no long term option but to work in harmony with nature and build for tomorrow, not borrow against it. It is surely immoral to leave future generations a poisoned earth or a crippled economy, just so we can enjoy some short term benefit.

I'll look back in sadness at the demise of Cadbury and my enjoyment of CDMs, but forwards with pleasure at the prospect of nurturing crops, garnering them in and, above all, sharing and eating the tastiest and freshest of home produced foods.

The not so humble Potato

2010-01-29T08:32:00.001Z

This is well worth a read, came across it on the BBC news website this morning:

Time to rethink the potato?

Guess what? Two weeks to Potato day here.

Hedge Laying

2010-01-20T10:34:00.002Z

It's pouring down today, though yesterday was rather better so I was able to make a start on laying the hedge which borders the flower garden. I don't think the birds are too impressed, despite me telling them that, in time, it will be a much denser habitat for them and other species.

Potato Day, 13th February

2010-01-07T21:58:00.004Z

We are busy planning our Third Annual Potato Day, so here is a copy of the poster, if you are miles and miles away from West Dorset, I apologise for putting the temptation before you!

A Walk in the Snow

2010-01-07T08:14:00.000Z

A walk in the Snow

2010-01-07T08:13:00.000Z

Anyone for a cuppa in the garden?

2010-01-06T09:24:00.000Z

Still snowing, about to take the dog out for her first real walk in snow, but not till I've made sure the birds have food to keep them going in these conditions.

Leave it to the Birds

2010-01-06T09:23:00.000Z

A goldfinch claims the nyger seeds

Too Cold to Garden, but birds need to feed

2010-01-06T09:22:00.000Z

A dunnock decides which bread scrap to make off with.

Too Cold to Garden

2010-01-06T09:20:00.000Z

Sparrows busy on one of the feeders

2010

2009-12-31T23:31:00.001Z

Happy New Year, and good gardening!

Happy Christmas Everyone

2009-12-24T16:42:00.002Z

That's it, the longest night is passed, Christmas Day is almost here and we shall soon be able to enjoy more time outside again, and see the new signs of life as Spring arrives.

To all who visit this little garden blog, thank you for your visits and comments.

Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year!

From Mr & Mrs Soggy.

Easy dig turnip

2009-12-24T16:39:00.000Z

The turnip sits almost entirely on the top of the soil, so was much easier to dig up than then parsnips (see below).

Essential to the Christmas Dinner

2009-12-24T16:38:00.000Z

Two varieties of sprouts, just before I picked them ready to accompany the Christmas Dinner tomorrow.

Digging Parsnips

2009-12-24T16:36:00.000Z

The ground has been frozen for a while, today is the first day it has been above freezing, though when I levered the fork, I found about 2 inches of topsoil still frozen solid (see a lump of it to the left of the half-dug parsnip).

Christmas Tree Festival

2009-12-21T09:01:00.000Z

Here at Netherhay Church, with the Horticulural Society tree right in the centre, are some of the entries in the Christmas Tree Festival, just before the doors were opened to visitors.
The ground is frozen here, so it was good to have this project to occupy us indoors.

Copenhagen climate change conference

2009-12-12T19:10:00.002Z

How often in discussions and informal chats with gardeners, and other people who notice the ebb and flow of nature, have I heard comments over recent years to the effect that things are changing, signs of spring are appearing earlier. I would be surprised if there was anything but a significant majority of gardeners agreeing with the science that global warming is real and happening now.

In a recent letter my brother-in-law in Canada, not only a keen gardener, but also a meteorologist expressed concern that, if anything, the message getting through to most of us isn't stark and horrendous enough in its warnings.

But what do I know? Much more worthwhile and digestible reading (if you missed it when it was first published) is available, including de-bunking of the straw-men arguments put up to confuse the debate: Editorial published by 56 newspapers around the world in 20 languages including Chinese, Arabic and Russian.

Who Were We?

2009-12-11T08:01:00.003Z

I could try and pretend this somehow has something to do with gardening, but I'll be honest and say it's just me showing you the website I made linked to a book written by a friend - well what are friends for?

Connecting the lives of a 19th century Dorset community

The temperature in the greenhouse was down to -1.5C last night, there: cold but not forgotten.

The last fruit of summer

2009-12-10T08:15:00.000Z

In the sink, with mixed green salad leaves - just cut from the garden, the last tomato of this year's crop, brought in green from the greenhouse a few days ago and left to sit (next to bananas in the kitchen) and ripen.

Winter mix

2009-12-02T17:55:00.000Z

Asked to get some stuff in from the garden, I came back in with onions from store, green and red sprouts off the plants, uprooted parsnips and fresh cut parsley, rocket and mizuna.

2009-12-01T08:07:00.002Z

The first day of December brings the first frost.
Lots of brassicas, still to be eaten, drooping a bit in the cold and under the nets furthest away, broad beans and garlic (the latter will benefit from some frost to encourage deeper rooting).

2009-12-01T08:03:00.000Z

The now bare apple tree, with bird feeders, against the clear sky of the first frosty morning this winter.

Hedges

2009-11-16T08:00:00.002Z

We have a large beech hedge at the northern end of the veggie patch, I didn't trim it at all last year and it was full of brambles and honeysuckle, so for the last few days I have been wrestling and taming it (only temporarily I know, just while it's dormant), I am sure it will flourish even more next year.

Blueberries

2009-11-03T17:36:00.002Z

A while back I posted a picture of the puppy hiding amongst the pots of blueberry bushes; since then she has grown and so have the bushes. So today, after the latest band of showers had passed over, I re-potted them, into slightly larger pots, using Ericaceous compost which is specially formulated for growing acid-loving plants - so don't forget if you need to pot some on, don't use ordinary soil - unless you live somewhere where camellias, heathers , magnolias, rhododendrons and such-like thrive.

Hopefully now they can settle in and there'll be some frost through the winter, which certainly seems to improve the crop, we enjoyed blueberries right through this summer and that was after quite a cold snap last winter.

Vendange - our Grape Harvest

2009-10-21T21:48:00.000+01:00

We inherited a vine when we moved here 7 years ago, at that time it wasn't productive, but it now seems to be responding to the TLC. You can see the pots full of grapes which we took to our friends' for treading and pressing. We now have a demi-john of red wine (OK grape juice just yet) starting to bubble away.

Topical tips

2009-10-16T08:02:00.001+01:00

I have updated the column of advice (on the right) with some of the main autumn jobs in the vegetable garden, if you have some tips to share, let me know in a comment and I'll add them.

Pumpkins

2009-10-08T09:21:00.002+01:00

Don't believe all those photos you see, here's one from our garden - the same one each time.

The horses have been busy

2009-10-04T17:38:00.000+01:00

I don't think they bag it themselves, but here's a few of the 30 bags of rotted horse manure that will nourish the soil for a new year's growth. I usually don't apply till the spring, but I am going to put some on in the autumn/early winter (saving the bulk for spring), just to add some additional organic matter to the soil for overwinter, in the hope that it keeps the soil organisms happy, so when they get their spring application, they are already in a good mood.

Brussels Sprouts

2009-10-04T17:33:00.000+01:00

The sprout plants (green and purple leaf varieties) are flourishing, despite the spell of dry weather (or perhaps because of it - keeping the slugs down). Behind them you can just see some curly kale and beyond, some celeriac peeping through.

Autumn Apple

2009-10-04T17:30:00.000+01:00

The season of mellow fruitfullness wouldn't be complete without an apple picture would it?

Hard Ground

2009-09-20T07:46:00.002+01:00

I went to sow some green manure on that potato bed you can see below and the surface had baked hard, it's been an incredible dry, warm couple of weeks here; daughter picked just the right fortnight for her holidays didn't she?

I did take a cultivator hoe to it, then thought, don't be silly, wait till it rains then it will be easy - I just hope by then there is enough time for the green manure seeds to germinate.

Potatoes

2009-09-08T07:35:00.002+01:00

Here's some Sarpo Mira and Valor after digging on Sunday (while puppy, who knows a good photo opportunity when she sees one stayed in the flower garden with a toy)

What to do in your garden now

2009-09-08T07:18:00.001+01:00

If you have a look in the right hand column, you'll find that I have updated the topical tips, I hope they are useful.

10:10 and Climate change

2009-09-03T08:46:00.001+01:00

You'll see a button on the right which takes you to a campaign to help any of us understand more and do something about (at home, work or play) our own impact on climate change.

Nothing washed away

2009-09-03T08:41:00.002+01:00

Had torrential rain here yesterday and very strong winds, I thought the beans might blow over, but my Scout pioneering knots held the poles together; just as well - we have such a crop of beans coming in.

By the way, I'll be doing the September topical tips over the weekend. I'm already getting excited about planning what will be planted next year.

Rainy Day

2009-08-25T07:10:00.002+01:00

Lots and lots of rain yesterday, but when it eased off I managed to get out in pick loads of beans, some runners, but mostly different types of climbing French bean, plus more tomatoes, but these seem to be slowing down. The air feels to have a definite nip in it this morning, I hope that isn't summer over already.

More late sowings

2009-08-22T14:24:00.003+01:00

Having removed some tired-looking salad leaves and weeds from one of the greenhouses the other day, after some soil preparation, I sowed some more lettuce seeds this morning (Little Gem, Lollo Rossa and Sonette). Hopefully, being under cover, they should give us some fresh green leaves well into winter.

Tomatoes and Blueberries and ...

2009-08-18T08:11:00.000+01:00

I thought I'd take a quick picture of some tomatoes, including green ones for pickling (there's about 3lbs of each) and of course a certain puppy just had to watch from between some blueberry pots.

Brassica transplants and onions

2009-08-18T07:54:00.000+01:00

Under the net (you should have seen all the cabbage whites fluttering about outside) various varieties of brassica, and some spring onions.
Below that more onions lifted and laid out (there are wire trays under there!) to dry; Brussels sprouts under the net behind, oh yes and some sweetcorn in-between.

Just for fun

2009-08-18T07:48:00.000+01:00

Walked down to friends' greenhouse to water their tomatoes while they were away and couldn't resist taking a picture of the scene nearby.

Climate Change and Late Planting

2009-08-14T16:57:00.002+01:00

Yes, I know I have got a bit of a cheek, but I thought I'd put out some more stuff and hope for a warm, bright Autumn - I don't want much do I?

So, where some of the onions have been harvested, I transplanted Cabbage, Cauliflower and Kale (Borecole), and intersowed those rows with some quick growing leaf crops: Polycress, Rocket - Rucola, and some Chinese leaves, for salad or stir-fry, and Kohl Rabi, which can fatten up in a month or so.

On another bed I have sown some carrots - well you never know, and 3 rows of Spinach - Giant Winter.

So we'll see, some of them will be OK anyway, and I might get lucky all round.

Flower Show

2009-08-10T07:38:00.006+01:00

It was the village Flower Show on Saturday, with about 500 exhibits, everything from cakes to jams, potatoes to roses, woodcraft to photography; classes for children and the potato in a container weighing.

The weather was kind to us, with stalls outside for produce and tables for cream teas, leaving a bit more space for the exhibits and visitors indoors.

Thought you may enjoy a few pictures of the day.

Where have I been?

2009-08-05T08:29:00.003+01:00

There is a reason I haven't yet posted the topical advice for August (it is being done) and you can see for yourselves. We now have a puppy, the same cross as our daughter's (Australian cattle dog x border collie), she came home with us from Pen yr Ochr in Wales a few days ago.

I've done the August tips now

So much rain

2009-07-30T08:05:00.002+01:00

Yesterday it seemed to pause the heavy rain only in order to pour down torrential rain (it was raining on St Swithun's Day - 15th July - maybe they knew about jet streams back then after all). Walking through the village later, crossing the bridge, the river was a brown raging torrent.

So I still have an empty bed from removing onions, shallots and garlic and another from the early potatoes to attend to and get them ready for the next crops in the rotation (brassicas after the onions, so manure and compost needed there; and peas,beans, onions, leeks after the early potatoes). Actually just remembered that Mrs Soggy is already on the ball and has planted some leeks on the former potato bed.

Buddleia, Bees and Butterflies

2009-07-28T08:11:00.003+01:00

There was some sun yesterday, if you are in the UK, hope you didn't blink and miss it. So I took the chance to take pictures of the buddleia as it attracted bees and butterflies. Somehow a picture of one of Mrs Soggy's fuchsia crept in as well.

Digging Day

2009-07-24T11:29:00.002+01:00

Decided to finish off digging up the bed of early potatoes (the main crop bed is still full of flourishing plants), so there are now lovely groups of white potatoes dotted about the bed, getting a good rinse in the heavy rain which has just started. They are all looking good: Anya, Cosmos and Charlotte.

I have already dotted a few courgettes in spaces left by some of the earlies, but now thoughts turn to the larger remainder of the bed. It should really be plants of the onion family going in, but I may just do a quick green manure beforehand.

The Big Lunch - indoor picnic

2009-07-21T08:27:00.002+01:00

I mentioned that the village was planning to take part in The Big Lunch, we were doing it just as an informal picnic, from 12 until 2. Just before 12 a few of us were playing cricket on the village hall field, then the heavens opened, so we had the picnic indoors, some people even insisting on still using their picnic rugs!

A New Week and blue sky

2009-07-20T07:48:00.002+01:00

It's a lovely clear sky and bright sunshine here today, quite a change from the weekend's rain. The rain did force the Big Lunch into the village hall, but we managed to play some games on the field between showers.

In the afternoon, before a really heavy downpour, I got out all the spent broccoli - not just centre florets but sides ones too now finished and transplanted various winter greens.

Some of the onions need lifting - the tops have gone over now. I'll lift the garlic with them - hopefully today if it stays dry; I have some wire frames I usually lay onions and garlic on, to help them dry cleanly.