An Organic Lifestyle (Organic Growing Pains)

I am so excited, I have figured out how to load up more than 5 photos to my posts! This morning I strolled around the garden checking on what had come out or died back while I was away and also on the allotment.I was trying to decide which to post first when I had a brainwave ( I may have to lie down for a while)and got them all loaded up.Captions will be brief as I don't want to tax myself completely.First is one of the squash plants which is planted in the sweetcorn bed, with flowers and tiny fruit. Today's harvest was spinach,dwarf beans,Orla potatoes and lettuce. There is a huge amount of raspberries even though Kathryn had picked what were ripe on Sat and made some jam One of my baskets at the front of the house,this one is Bonfire begonia. Red begonia and a yellow one which I cut out of the photo and a bacoba. Fuchsia out the back, I cannot cut back the hedge until it is finished flowering as it is growing through it. The hosta has sent up long spires of purple flowers. M...

Yesterday looked warm and sunny but a little windy so, perfect day for digging! I dug over the bed for the sweetcorn which had lots of well rotted horse manure on since last week. The manure was dug into it as I was working. I planted the sweetcorn approx 14ins apart and about 15ins between the rows. Kathryn had started these off in pots so they had hardened off and hopefully they do not appeal to the pigeons! I had planted seeds of squash from our seed swap, something we have not grown before or even tasted. The beauty of having space to grow and try veg we normally would not buy. The American Indians used a 'Three Sisters' method of planting sweetcorn,squash and beans, I used a two sister one of sweetcorn and squash only. I planted one squash plant at the end between each row of corn.I dug a fairly deep hole, filled with manure some earth on top and then the squash plant.I hope they realise they are supposed to grow inwards between the rows of corn and not out over the paths!...

This is the Dill which was repotted last week and put outdoors in the mini greenhouse.It is growing upwards quickly.I have heard of the herb but not used it before I think it is supposed to go well with potato salad ,I will have to read up on its uses as it looks as if we will have quite a bit of it. The Basil which again was repotted into individual pots but quite a lot more of it!Basil is also a good companion plant for tomatoes and asparagus, it has a lot of culinary uses as well and I think is used to make pesto.I will have to google how to do that if these all survive. Herbs still on the windowsill indoors. The sage is slow but coming on,marjoram doing well and also the thyme after a slow start.The parsley has now reduced to 2 minuscule seedlings ,for such a popular herb I did not think it would be a problem to grow from seed! The anthirrinum (snapdragons)are doing well but only on one side of the tray!Calabrese are showing and another sowing of lettuce this one is butterhead. Squ...