An Organic Lifestyle (Organic Growing Pains)

This year was the 100th year of the prestigious Chelsea Flower show, I had not been before but my sister Kathleen had been there twice over the years. It was sunny for most of it but of course 'sods law' on the one day we were there it rained almost incessantly. it spoiled it not alone for us although we got to see nearly everything but for the shop/stall holders and all of the outside exhibitors. There are not a lot of vegetables at Chelsea it is predominantly a flower show! This stand was gardening through the century, this part was the Big House before the world wars. Cactus of all shapes and sizes! Don't throw anything away, it can be reused in the garden!There were some very clever reuses of items for plants. Irises and tulips Gnomes have never been a welcome in Chelsea but this year they have made an entrance Sis Kathleen getting up close and personal with a Chelsea pensioner, the show is held in the grounds of the Hospital where the Chelsea ...

The Broad beans are all heavy with blossoms and the Bees are loving them, this one is deep purple. I planted Meteor Broad Beans straight from the packet?! Crimson Flowered beans, I had kept a few seeds from last year when I sowed some beans which Matron had given to me the previous year What I would call normal coloured blossoms, white with a purple centre  Pale pink, maybe a cross between the others ?! The Bees as I say are loving them and their humming as they go about their business is a back drop to any time spent there lately.  S. Bill has found a very good excuse for regular coffee breaks! These snazzy bags of used coffee grounds are free from Java Republic, complete with instructions and advice (click on photo to enlarge).One of our plotters also has access to unlimited coffee grounds and said we can have as much as we want so slugs take note!  The new Blog header is GS Callum taking home our first harvest from the new plot !...

 Sat morning looked promising so we set off to do a bit of plotting. GS Callum came to lend his expertise and I think thoroughly enjoyed working in 'his' garden! This is our second raised bed which is earmarked for the cucumbers which are languishing on my bedroom windowsill while waiting for the right conditions. It will be filled with horse manure from our previous allotments on  the Hydro Farm  which Zwena has very generously said we can use.It will create a 'hot bed'  for the cucumbers, then the problem will be getting Callum to dig elsewhere! Having a look around to see where else he can lend a hand?! Tea break is a very important part of gardening! The sand table was on our previous plot and it has been relocated also as we have a few mini gardeners to be amused. We could have the best watered plot on the site!The site is fairly sheltered on most sides but the incessant wind we have been having dries out the ground faster than we ...

 Lettuce of varying colours and stages of growth under the plastic cloche. Spinach at the very far end is coming on slowly.  Blossoms are coming out on the broad beans, these have really taken everything the very unseasonable weather has thrown at them.They are not quite as tall as I would expect but hopefully they will continue growing while producing blossoms and pods. Semi permanent brassica cage in place today, not a very pretty sight but hopefully (a word we seem to be using a lot of this year) a useful one!  More rain with some sunshine today, other parts of the country  have thunder & lightening so we shouldn't complain down here! I have worked out an easy method of uploading photos and text, just do one photo at a time, Simples! Networked Blogs have been sharing my blog onto FB almost as soon as I hit the publish button. I found with the last post it took nearly 24 hours to do it?! I think it is now one of the services on FB payment plan!

The plot is taking shape but the weather is not helping, which is everybody's complaint on this windswept isle.In view on the left side are onion beds, 1 red baron and 2 white then potato beds.Across the back fence are raspberry canes ,rhubarb and globe artichoke ,all moved from the previous plot at the Hydro Farm. White fleece, back left side is covering one of Billy's raised beds. I sowed carrots, Pak Choi and beetroot in the bed today and covered with enviromesh, even the carrot fly may be deterred with the cold weather, but covered the bed 'just in case' ! The second raised bed is empty awaiting top soil and manure to sow courgettes which are on the bedroom windowsill as I speak hoping the weather will improve before June to put them outdoors. There is a space left beside that bed to take the Sweetcorn which are struggling in the back garden at the moment. I had moved them outdoors at home to harden off but had to cover them today with fleece to protect th...