THE Gardening Thread

[Champ]

Is that a West Wing reference? I've never seen it. I didn't even know what it was about.

[VladimirIlyich]

Is that a West Wing reference? I've never seen it. I didn't even know what it was about.

Its a White House reference in general,not necessarily the TV series.

It could also apply to another programme where the contestants believe long dead relatives have an influence on random mathematical problems and help them become quarter millionaires.

[neko]

garden porn....

 

http://www.gardenista.com/posts/dream-landscapes-10-perennial-gardens-garden-designs-inspired-by-piet-oudolf

[neko]

more Piet Oudolf...

 

http://www.gardenista.com/posts/garden-visit-a-dutch-master-in-yorkshire

[Champ]

Cant beat a bit of Oudolf. Definitely one of the biggest influences of my gardening 'likes'.

 

I'll raise you my trip/pilgrimage to Chelsea Flower Show next week

[melons]

I'm losing the will to live more and more with each venture into the top garden, we should have the summer shed up on Sunday, I honestly didn't ever in a million years think it would take this long to only get this far. The amount of earth we've had to shift to just provide a level base for something 10ftx12ft is daft. It'll be a few years before I contemplate sorting out the bottom garden, if ever. 

[Lee909]

Once i get out of hospital i want to start growing some fruit and veg but they need to be in containers.

My garden is pretty shaded by the massive offices at the back. Any advice on what i can grow?

Not interested in potato,carrots etc as they are cheap and easy to buy,im thinking more squash,greens etc

[Champ]

Have you grown stuff before?

What direction does it face? How windy is it?

[Champ]

If I can do this where I am...

 

[Lee909]

Never grown before but use to help my nan as a kid

 

I think its north facing and its a little windy nothing to bad though. We are just shaded by massive trees and office buildings

[Champ]

I'm thinking you cant go wrong with some herb pots, knowing you like cooking, some of which you'll be able to take from the whole year round where you are.

Then there are salad leaves, which are fairly quick cropping, leading on to things like tomatoes, peppers, chillies, that kind of thing.  I've grown cucumbers for the first time this year and they've been a great success. I've had about 20 cucumbers from one plant and they've developed over a period of weeks rather than them all appearing at once which is the danger/beauty, depends how you see it of lots of grow your own. I've grown all those in my greenhouse but I reckon you could get away with them outdoors or you can get very simple plastic sheltery things for just a few pounds.

 

They say theres nothing like the taste of stuff you've grown yourself...in honesty thats not always been my experience with things like lettuce, carrots, potatoes but is most definitely true of the tomatoes I've grown. Better even than those you buy abroad.

 

I dont know how much space you have but blueberries do well in containers as do strawberries but do take time to establish.

 

How am I doing?

[Lee909]

Sounds good. Not a massive fan of normal/large tomato but i love the smaller ones especially piccolo

I'll have a look at some of them. I know you can grow squash on a trellis and the small varieties are expensive in the shops so want to try them too

 

Thanks

[Jairzinho]

If you want a confidence boosting thing to grow pick basil. You can't fucking fail with basil.

 

You're a bad wrong un for not liking plum tomatoes though, they make for incredible pasta sauce.

[Lee909]

I dont mind them in sauces,stewed down etc but im not keen in salads or grilled. 

[Champ]

If you want a confidence boosting thing to grow pick basil. You can't fucking fail with basil.

 

You're a bad wrong un for not liking plum tomatoes though, they make for incredible pasta sauce.

They say theyre not intended for growing but I bought one of those basil pots from Sainsburys at the beginning of the summer and its still going strong. I've done the same with coriander although that really is the diva of all things to grow

[TheHowieLama]

Champ nailed it before - get into peppers of any kind.  Dead easy to grow and they are pricey if you go buy them.

[General Dryness]

If I can do this where I am...

 

Ooh heritage tomatoes. Fucking lovely. I'll be getting some of those on the go again this year.

[Jairzinho]

They say theyre not intended for growing but I bought one of those basil pots from Sainsburys at the beginning of the summer and its still going strong. I've done the same with coriander although that really is the diva of all things to grow

 

I did a few basil plants around April/May. Cropped loads in June/July, made lots of pesto and wacked it in the freezer. Around the end of July I chucked the remains in a compost pile as I couldn't be arsed looking after the plants until, well, I guess it would have been about now (ish) to crop them again. As it turns out, I'd got rid of all bar one plant. This little fucker was scalped like the rest, but had survived outside without being watered for over two months, just whatever rain water got to it (and it was next to a wall preventing it from much rain or sunlight). Bit yellow, but probably about two foot high. The mad, hard, little basil bastard.

[Champ]

Ooh heritage tomatoes. Fucking lovely. I'll be getting some of those on the go again this year.

They werent anything fancy. 4 plants, one Sungold, one Ailsa and two Beef. The Sungold, a cherry style, cropped earliest and most abundantly but the beef ones are just amazing

[General Dryness]

I love a big tomato, me. Buffalo mozzarella, slice of tomato and some basil on bruschetta with a splash of olive oil.

 

Maximum taste, minimum effort.

[Champ]

I love a big tomato, me. Buffalo mozzarella, slice of tomato and some basil on bruschetta with a splash of olive oil.

 

Maximum taste, minimum effort.

My kind of food

[Champ]

.

[Champ]

The bottom of our garden had always been a bit of a shady, dead space but finally this summer we did something about it and while it'll take until next year to sort the planting out I'm chuffed to bits with what we've got now.

 

From this

 

 

and sometimes this

 

 

we now have an amazing fireground and pizza oven

 

 

 

[PestiRed]

If you took less photos you wouldn't be feeding your family burnt bread

[Rico1304]

That's fucking brilliant.