Telferton Tips

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 05 Sep 2006, 12:18

While I was up in Porty for my summer excursion, many a pleasant afternoon was spent dodging the showers on Mr. E.'s allotment.

It occured to me that one thing which was missing from this admirable community web-site was a good gardening thread. So here it is.

Most of us presumably have a patch of some sort to cultivate (Though we don't yet know what is buried under Dada's lawn). Let's exchange tips, tales and terror stories.

The drought down here has got all my hebes, but, contrary to expectations, has resulted in a bumper potato crop ('Orla'). The Michaelmas daisies are looking a bit scaby but the buzy lizzies are in full bloom.

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 05 Sep 2006, 12:22

September's here, so it's time to start clearing in preparation for Autumn.

Start collecting the leaves for leaf mould and turn the compost heap.
Plant Strawberries for next year.
Get your Onions in.
Harvest maincrop Potatoes
Lift root vegetables.
Plant Garlic (It needs a period of cold weather to grow well).
Sow hardy winter Lettuce.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 05 Sep 2006, 13:10

we have a shared garden. have been planning on having a window box with herbs - but are we too late to plant any now???

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 05 Sep 2006, 13:45

rathbone wrote:one thing which was missing from this admirable community web-site was a good gardening thread. So here it is.

Bit premature, that judgement, Rathbone, don't you think?

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 05 Sep 2006, 15:05

Sandra wrote:we have a shared garden. have been planning on having a window box with herbs - but are we too late to plant any now???

Sandra, I don't mind if you want to start planting potatoes etc in our shared garden.

We could start a communal vegetable garden if you like.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 05 Sep 2006, 15:31

Jackson Priest wrote:Sandra, I don't mind if you want to start planting potatoes etc in our shared garden.

We could start a communal vegetable garden if you like.

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 05 Sep 2006, 16:40

Sandra wrote:
Jackson Priest wrote:Sandra, I don't mind if you want to start planting potatoes etc in our shared garden.

We could start a communal vegetable garden if you like.

I mean it. We could get a goat as well. You can get goats fairly cheaply these days, and it would mean we didn't have to pay for the grass cutting man. So it would pay for itself in the end.

arachnid · Post by **arachnid** » 05 Sep 2006, 16:57

Jackson Priest wrote:
Sandra wrote:
Jackson Priest wrote:Sandra, I don't mind if you want to start planting potatoes etc in our shared garden.

We could start a communal vegetable garden if you like.

I mean it. We could get a goat as well. You can get goats fairly cheaply these days, and it would mean we didn't have to pay for the grass cutting man. So it would pay for itself in the end.

Then you could get some chickens to give you free eggs!!!
Some geese for guarding your communal garden!!!

Some sheep for the wool!!!

A cow for milk!!

Not sure if you'd get a pig for it's bacon though!!!

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 05 Sep 2006, 17:17

Arachnid wrote;

Not sure if you'd get a pig for it's bacon though!!!

No ... more for acting lessons!!

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 05 Sep 2006, 17:17

arachnid wrote:
Then you could get some chickens to give you free eggs!!!
Some geese for guarding your communal garden!!!
Some sheep for the wool!!!
A cow for milk!!
Not sure if you'd get a pig for it's bacon though!!!

Exactly. The goat and the potatoes are just the start.

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 06 Sep 2006, 09:08

Bellybabe wrote: Bit premature, that judgement, Rathbone, don't you think?

Nothing is ever premature in gardening circles

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 06 Sep 2006, 20:16

If I may offer my tuppence worth:

It has been a hot summer and a dry one, with some wet bits and a cold bit too.

I have a vague memory of cutting some grass at some point.

The brambles from next door are good but mrs m's tree from B&Q has failed to perform any meaningful actions.

I can't think of a good joke combining 'goat' 'mine' and 'getting' but I should be able to. Perhaps I'm scared of getting 'goat' and 'coat' mixed up...

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 06 Sep 2006, 22:20

I absolutely hate gardening!!!

As far as I'M concerned ... if you have a green thumb ... see a doctor ... it's turned septic!!!

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 07 Sep 2006, 14:47

Jackson Priest wrote:
Sandra wrote:
Jackson Priest wrote:Sandra, I don't mind if you want to start planting potatoes etc in our shared garden.

We could start a communal vegetable garden if you like.

I mean it. We could get a goat as well. You can get goats fairly cheaply these days, and it would mean we didn't have to pay for the grass cutting man. So it would pay for itself in the end.

excellent idea to cut out the grass cutting man

but Im happy with keeping the stair cleaning man

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 07 Sep 2006, 17:19

As a Capricorn, I must object to your getting a goat and exploiting it! Get a sheep or as cow instead please!

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 07 Sep 2006, 17:29

mr magnolia wrote:I have a vague memory of cutting some grass at some point.

Well, the dry summer certainly had its advantages Mr M. We've only had to cut our hedge once so far and will hopefully get away with only giving it one final cut for the year.

The lavender did well and my bay trees started to thrive once I remembered to water them, that is

The down side is that the apple tree (which only seems to fruit every second year) is covered in fruit, but it all looks rather small and unappetising

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 07 Sep 2006, 17:39

My excuse for not watering anything this summer is that I was training it to be drought resistant, just in case. It hasn't been an entirely successful ploy. I might give the things in pots a reprieve next time. And the indoor things.

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 07 Sep 2006, 18:14

Did they die on you, Bob? No-one gives me plants any more ... I'm the kiss of death to chlorophyll based life-forms.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 07 Sep 2006, 18:37

* Both my oregano plants are flowering.

* Several new heathers are settling in.

* Bramble crop looks to be bumper, but I can't be bothered making wine from them this year. It's either jam or on ice cream.

* Fixed some baldy bits on my front lawn - the grass seed has just started to poke through after the wet weather we've just had.

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 07 Sep 2006, 22:25

Congratulations Dada ... The PortyBeachGrove Gardener! Put us all to shame why don't you!

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 07 Sep 2006, 23:04

Well, I don't know where the starlings have gone to feed this year but for the first time the elder tree has retained its fruit long enough to let us make plans for it. I used to like making elderberry crumble and am feeling peckish at the thought of that again. Now we just need a ladder..

Lavender is doing well, clematis is rampantly unstoppable, geraniums are on their last blooms of the season, and those sunflowers will bloom eventually, I'm sure

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 08 Sep 2006, 07:30

Rampant greenery, trees, bushes, grass, plants, flowers and singing birds ... you're all hopeless romantics.

Was up with the Dawn Chorus this morning and it reminded me of a poem my mother used to tell me when I was a ickle baby learning about gardens and visiting fauna ...

'Twas early one spring morning
When all sweet things are born
A robin perched upon my sill
To signal the coming morn
It sang a song so wonderful
It filled my heartfelt need
I gently closed the window ....

... and crushed its ****ing heid!!!

My mother has a lot to answer for!!!

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 09 Sep 2006, 19:04

teddygirl · Post by **teddygirl** » 09 Sep 2006, 23:10

Are those brambles in your garden Dada?
I went to visit a neighbour last week with some baby frogs she had requested and she was in the middle of making bramble jelly. I came away with a jar of still warm jam, a nice piece of bartering I think.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 09 Sep 2006, 23:17

"It's me"

"Did you bring the frogs?"

"Yes"

"Did anyone follow you?"

"No - I doubled back. Unless there was a team, in which case they were very good"

"Everything is ready."

"My usual fee?"

"Yes"

"It has been a pleasure doing business with you. This jelly will be ... useful."

"As will these frogs. You have my gratitude."

"Goodbye"

teddygirl · Post by **teddygirl** » 09 Sep 2006, 23:35

Yep, it was pretty much along those lines.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 10 Sep 2006, 09:31

Marya wrote:Well, the dry summer certainly had its advantages Mr M. We've only had to cut our hedge once so far and will hopefully get away with only giving it one final cut for the year.

Final *fingers crossed* cut of the year now complete. I had hoped to escape any involvement in this task by spending my day at the Lifelong Learning Festival in the Town Hall, but on my return was faced with a copious amount of foliage to rake up and bag. We've now just got the small matter of 12 very full refuse bags plus one full brown bin to deal with.

My son was very keen to start putting in some onion sets Rathbone, but I've fobbed him off with a large selection of tulip and bluebell bulbs and the phrase 'when we get our allotment....' instead.

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 10 Sep 2006, 09:35

Watch out for the bluebells.... they end up taking over. We planted half a dozen ten years ago and now end up digging out hundreds every year. Mind you they do help to fill up the compost heap.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 10 Sep 2006, 12:17

rathbone wrote:Watch out for the bluebells.... they end up taking over. We planted half a dozen ten years ago and now end up digging out hundreds every year. Mind you they do help to fill up the compost heap.

The pack does warn about that. The same thing happened when I planted nasturtiums. Mind you I love bluebells and their fragrance (can recommend Penhaligon's bluebell scent), so won't mind too much if they spread like crazy

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 10 Sep 2006, 12:19

Marya wrote: Mind you I love bluebells and their fragrance (can recommend Penhaligon's bluebell scent), so won't mind too much if they spread like crazy

Penhaligon's Bluebell is gorgeous, love it

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 30 Sep 2006, 12:01

I'd love to cut the grass today but it's drenched.

This summer I repaired and did work on my front lawn - I cut up a couple of bits that were bare/mossy/had mutant grass in them and sowed grass seed, and also covered the rose bed in the middle with turf. Both turf & seed are now nicely established and starting to marry in with the grass they were next to - although there is still a clear demarcation.

I moved 5 rose plants into pots. I tried not to damage the roots but still ended up killing 2 of them which I feel rotten about given how old one of them was and how long-established it must have been.

I think I either shouldn't have potted them in the first place, or did something else wrong because the branches on all of them died as soon as they were potted - the 3 which survived grew new shoots.

So although my front lawn looks better than it ever has, I've had one rose the entire summer. Here's a picture I took just now - the whole shoot is new and to the left you can see the old dead bit (must cut it off now) from its past life :

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 02 Oct 2006, 09:41

Time to get the spade out and have a good dig. Break up the soil so that the winter frosts can turn it into tilth.

This is also the best time to get hold of a big heap of horse manure which can rot down over the winter and be used as a mulch in the spring.

Plant garlic, spring cabbage and autumn onion sets.

Sow broad beans.

Plant radishes in growbags.

Prune your blackberries

Remove yellowing leaves from brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli.

Finally, remember to feed the birds.

rapunzell · Post by **rapunzell** » 02 Oct 2006, 10:44

Pomegrate plants (bring them indoors soon-ish)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/96947382@N00/255231326/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/97/255231326_427bcde43c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="pomegranate plants" /></a>

Enemies of the state (chuck 'em over the wall tonight)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/96947382@N00/213398843/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/63/213398843_9c488bf432.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Seedlings and wildlife" /></a>

Harvesting on a windy day (plant winter lettuce crop this weekend)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/96947382@N00/255229098/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/103/255229098_250747457b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sandwich time" /></a>

sunnyporty · Post by **sunnyporty** » 04 Oct 2006, 15:58

We found part of a headstone when we moved in here 18 years ago .I wanted a pond with lovely fish ,but was a fraid to dig incase we found some one,so have a sand pit instead.
Anyway my neighbour has had all his Koi Carp some huge, eaten by the newly installed otter that lives down the road in our local stream
I wish otters liked slugs and snails.What is the purpose of Slugs Snails, Wasps and Fleas , just a few examples.

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 05 Oct 2006, 07:23

sunnyporty wrote:We found part of a headstone when we moved in here 18 years ago .

Surely living in a house called "Chapel Cottage" was a bit of a clue?

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

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