Daphne Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Well its that time of year again, when the sun comes out and our thoughts turn to what's going on in the edible patch In Portugal we have just planted a black fig (this was uprooted from somebody else's land by a neighbour, I am still not sure if the original owner knows or cares!) and a pomegranate. We have plans to put in an apricot, possibly a mango and an avocado (neither of the latter is likely to thrive, its not humid enough), and a row of table grapes. The source of the great excitement is partly the fact these are new trees/plants and partly the price - 3.25 euros for the apricot, about a euro for each vine, and a massive 22 euro each for the potentially expensive failures, which we may not proceed with. I am going to try to get aubergines beyond the initial germination stages, and I want to plant a low hedge of marjoram, on the cheap, but am not sure how best to do that yet. My big challenge is not edible, but neighbours have grown camellia from seed, and I want to do it too So, what are you doing that will be new for the season ahead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula123 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Sadly I don't have room for a veg patch, I may grow some veggie bits in pots ( quite successful with courgettes last year ). However my downfall is roses and so far this year six climbers have found their way into my garden, OH dreads me going to the garden centre as I always come home with at least one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 I adore roses I always feel this bit of the forum is supposed to be about practical plants, but I love ornamentals. Although I suppose we could be making confetti or rose perfume Which varieties did you get, and are there any that you would particularly recommend? When we first moved into our current house a decade ago I bought about a dozen bushes over 2 or 3 years, and now I can see that some have worked better than others. In Portugal I want to grow more as we only have 3 bushes, one is practically dead, another provides long stemmed red roses with no scent but it grows and flowers like a trooper, and the third (which I think is Blue Moon, it has a strong and unusual scent and a bluish violet flower) has been overtaken by the original rootstock so I spend a lot of time looking at a gigantic dog rose which is all leaf and no bloom The climate is surprisingly forgiving, we have a lot of winter wet as well as a lot of summer hot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Here is what I'm planning this year That's leeks, parsnips, onions and carrots between the goosegogs and broccoli, main crop and new potatoes in the middle bed, and runner beans and peas in the bottom. I've even devised a rotation system! Very excited In fact so excited I kind of wish we weren't going on holiday for 3 weeks in July / August Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Wow That definitely looks like a plan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula123 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 They were mixed climbers from an online garden centre they weren't expensive £15 for the six plus postage. There is a Danse de feu a scarlet/orange, iceberg a white, Zephirine Driuhin a silver pink, golden showers a yellow, Compassion a light salmon and Waltz time a mauve. I wanted them to cover a new fence we have out up. They look good and healthy. Usually I buy David Austin or Harkness roses ( most of the family give me vouchers for birthday, Christmas etc ). I have several favourites Jude the Obscure and crown princess Margurita for fragrance, Tess of the Derbevilles, Tequila Sunrise and Fellowship for colour and Natasha Richardson for blooms. I have been sorting out my big pots this afternoon as you have spurred me on to grow some veggies, so I think definitely courgettes again, tomatoes and lettuce half for me half for the girls. Trying to persuade OH to make me some raised veg planters, he is a carpenter - I could always show him the price of the ones at the garden centre may spur him on a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula123 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Gosh that looks very organised Mullethunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 It's just because I'm itching to get started! A friend just gave me some polish ground cucumbers too - not sure where I'm going to put them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Wow I love your plan. mullethunter. I don't grow spuds or onions as they're relatively cheap to buy and I've got a fairly small veg garden, although if I'm creating any new beds I'll always plant potatoes in the first year to break up the ground. This year it'll be tomatoes, a couple of cucumbers and maybe a couple of peppers in the greenhouse. Runner beans, courgettes, sweet corn, chard and lettuce in the veg beds. Rhubarb is in the border inside the veg patch, so the hens can't kill it. I've got a thornless blackberry Veronica to plant, and I'd like to start some Autumn raspberries this year. And if there's any time/space I may try carrots. Broad beans have already overwintered, first time for me. And I'd like to get some cabbage and Brussels in for the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Gosh, I'm feeling a tad inadequate Way to go Mullethunter What is a ground cucumber - presumably it grows like a melon or something? I think we should start a thread about things we make with our produce Are you growing Aquadulce Olly? I found it overwintered just fine....only to be decimated April/May before it produced any beans by blackfly, not sure if it was just bad luck or if I did something wrong. I always grow autumn rasps, because they are idiot proof regarding pruning I've grown polka, which I wouldn't recommend; its prolific and runs all over the place (as they all seem to) but I wasn't over keen on the flavour and the fruits were quite small, not as succulent as I'd like. Back to the roses - I know a lot of people swear by iceberg; its pretty, hardy and smells nice and white roses are so lovely, I've tried Boule de Neige and it gave up after 5 years, so I'd definitely give Iceberg a whirl in the future, and I've read that golden showers is also pretty bombproof. I tried Zepherine Drouhin but she never got going for me, possibly because she was planted after the rest of the border and maybe had to compete too much, I remember she has a gorgeous scent though, really perfumed. I am going to go and look up your faves, I've only heard of Jude the Obscure. I think my own faves are Mde Alfred Carriere which is a strong climber and repeat flowerer, and Jacques Cartier which is a pale pink with a very good scent. I also really like Rosa de Recht which is a deep red, very double, with a good scent, big hips and a tough doer, very unfussy. Gardener's World...must go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 My friend said the ground cucumber grows like a courgette and you pick it when it's still small. The English translation on the seed packet calls them pickling cucumbers so I guess they're gherkins. I have Polka in a trough that I had at my old place - they're ok but I agree not great. I have inherited a row of summer raspberries here - they were amazing last year. The plan is one you make on an app - every month it sends you reminders for what you need to be planting based on what's in your plan and where you live. A thread of things we make with our produce is a great idea. We're having a club at work this year where we're all going to share what we grow as we're all doing different things. Most of us are 30 or 40 somethings not long into home ownership and getting excited about having our own space for growing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursula123 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Daphne, I looked at the roses you recommended and have just ordered Jacques Cartier it is very beautiful. Now to explain that to my OH - may I can just slip it in the border . If I had my way the lawn would go and be replaced by roses. I had a Mdme Alfred Carriere at my last house and you are right it is a brilliant climber and repeat flowers. I can not wait for June as I love walking around RHS Rosemoor rose garden, luckily it is about 5 miles from me. O H also said he would look at making me some vegetable planters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 How cool is that plan!!! Er, I no longer plan - I just move what was in one bed over to the next bed. Just routine now. I make notes in a diary that sometimes is forgotten and then it gets an update. Usually make notes of what was good and what wasn't. pest problems and the weather. No doubt when I get more land and such I'll be taking much more notes of where things go. Although pest problems seem to be limited now. Just slugs and snails so that will be nematodes and beer traps I guess for the time being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
