Gardening 2020.

[stig]

I thought it was time we had a gardening thread going again.
I always enjoy seeing pictures of other member's gardens.

Mick's wonderful garden in France in particular.

Not much happening here yet.
The berry and herb garden has been spring cleaned.

I have spread composted horse manure in the poly tunnel.
I get my rototiller back from a friend, who has borrowed it, in 2 days, then I'll till the tunnel and spread the ground cover.
Then , once the risk of frost is past, all the little plants growing under artificial sun light can move out in the tunnel.

 

[Bermy]

Oh, poly tunnel envy...
I'm taking some of the extra time to actually prune and cut some stuff in my own garden, pittosporum hedge is too high, crab apple is rampant...and the damn grass keeps growing now we've had rain!

 

[No_Bivy]

same here....damn grass!

 

[treebilly]

No garden going yet. Hoping to get peas, carrots, garlic, onions, and radishes in this weekend. I decided the garden needs to be bigger and am taking a long term approach. I’m smothering the sod with wood chips and will only be planting potatoes and sun flowers there for a few years.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

We have starts in the house. Katy started planting some things, but we got hit with hale and snow again. Best rule of thumb here is only plant outside after mothers day. Green houses suck nutz here. You need to be on top of them constantly. One sunny day will cook shat right now.
So starting indoors. Then move out side. Should have a garden at both houses this year. Just waiting on proper weather

 

[Burnham]

Still getting frosty mornings...no garden joy yet.

 

[Bermy]

Frosty is just starting to make an appearance here, pumpkin vine got licked this week...
increased rain is making the grass grow crazy after a hot dry summer of nuthin

 

[pigwot]

Just getting started. We had spinach, parsley, and beets that over-wintered under the plastic.

 

[mdvaden]

I may share the start of our food garden in a few weeks. It's behind the house, and was lawn. I'm not afraid of Roundup, but use it very sparingly at 1/2 rate, between boxes where I dug out sod instead. The boxes will be hand weeded entirely. In the front yard I have used strawberry plants as a ground cover behind the water feature and that patch is entirely hand weeded, and top dressed with composted manure.

 

[biggun]

I would love to get a veggie garden going. Alas the deer eat anything new and green!

Need a rethink me thinks.

 

[Mick!]

Still too early for any real photo opportunities.
My wisteria has started to repay my faith however.
One in situ and one with a violet carpenter bee.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Thats a nice looking bee.

 

[Mick!]

You’re just saying that because it looks a bit like a dung beetle!

 

[FireFighterZero]

Haha!

Dung beetles are my spirit animal.......



I have a new appreciation for all insects now....even the ones I am terrified of......like bees and wasps.



I like your pictures Mick....you are a good gardener.....and we are brown here for 10 months!

 

[stig]

Was hoping for some pictures from you, Mick.

Thanks.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Can Swiss wife manage the hoop house without you Stig?

 

[stig]

Former apprentice ( The one who almost got totalled at our Norway motorcycle trip) has already offered.

One thing about shit like this.
It sure shows you that you've got buddies watching out for you.

I've just had two friends get together and offer to come and split my firewood.

They have both been hit by Prolapsed discs in their backs years ago, both times I stepped up and did their firewood.

There is no reason for them to do mine, I'm 3 years ahead, but this is one of those cases, where it is better to say: "Thanks a lot, guys, that is a load off my mind" and give them a chance for pay back, so that is what I'll do.

Since I thought I was going to the US for a month, I have changed the growing regiment for this year anyway.

Only 35 tomatoes instead of 80, most of the rest will be melons ( 10 different ones + a watermelon).

That was to make it easy for the mail order bride to take care off, now that'll come in handy.

 

[Mick!]

....

 

[Mick!]

Nice sunny day here.

 

[stig]

Judging by the lysimachia, you are about a month ahead of me, climate wise.

Gorgeous, thanks.

 

[Mick!]

One more, my shade veranda, note the cartwheel as a chandelier.

 

[Ryan]

Great pics Mick. I was scrolling and wondering where your dog was and then I found him. Forgive me I forget his name.

 

[Mick!]

Igor, though he goes by many other names.

 

[Burnham]

Your place is lovely, Mick.

 

[stig]

I took a walk with the camera yesterday just before sunset.
We are still just getting going here, but the berry garden and the polytunnel are looking good.
I am losing trees left and right.
The appletree that I think was planted when the house was built in 1846, is finally coming to the end of it's life.
about 1/3 broke off last winter and the rest is due to go any day.
My hydrid Aspen that i planted 25 years ago suddenly died, and I can't see why.
Might be because of the record drought in 2018.

Then my big Horsechestnut is showing signs of the bacterial cancer that is killing them off, here.
I'm 99% sure it is infected. Neighbour who lives about a mile away lost a HUGE one to it last year, so it is not like a big surprice.

So enjoy the pictures of it in bloom, most likely it'll be last time.
That really pisses me off.

When I bought the property, there were 5 trees here, now 2 of them are going.

I planted 1100 trees and bushes so we are not lacking for trees now, but I liked the big original ones a lot.