Saturday 14th February 2009

I'm back! Oh, I have had such a long, long spell away from the garden with being so sick and I have absolutely hated it. The weeds grew, beds fell into disrepair or grew over into wild jungles, plants died through lack of attention and water ... it was a horror.

But ... I have to thank Tony Williams for coming in and getting so much done - weeding mostly which helped so much. I am very slowly getting back into the garden, piece by tiny piece. I am still having chemotherapy but managed major surgery about 4 weeks ago - that is the main thing keeping me back right now - there are major groups of muscles I can't use and I just cannot do heavy work.

But still, I am doing some work.

Before I went into hospital I harvested a large crop of onions (my God! They survived a veritable jungle of weeds!), garlic (ditto) and shallots. My apple crop (very small) is currently netted off against the birds. I have had some carrots.

The major surprise, though, has been the front bog garden. I literally didn't walk down there for some 5 months, but once Tony had been through weeding I discovered that not only was it still there but it was thriving. I have some blank spaces to fill in but I have a host of Russell Lupin seedlings growing now for just that purpose. Suddenly it is all coming together.

There are little pieces and bits I can do. Today I planted out half a lavender hedge, and I have autumn seedlings coming on - cabbage, leeks, beets, kohl rabi. I have decided that several paths will have lavender hedges bordering them, and one major bed I'd been using for veggies I will now not only border with lavenders, but have the central space as a herb garden.

I'm getting back there. Very slowly, but getting there.

Saturday 28th February 2009

I have been busy in the garden, as much as my convalescence allows (which is a fair bit now, thank heavens). The greenhouse is really being filled out with seedlings as well some winter pots. Most of the seedlings I had set at the start of February I have today planted out in their garden beds, keeping a few back spare in case the ones in the garden fail (or are picked apart by the rotten blackbirds), and I may plant them into pots ... I'll see. I have also got pots of peas and carrots going, as well pots of chives, oregano, parsley and spring onion, all in the greenhouse. I hope they do well there. I am hoping I can grow on brussel sprouts and cauliflowers in there, too.

I worry that I have left it too late for the winter crops, but at least they are going now. I think I will need to set a January alarm for winter seed setting for next year to make damn sure I get an early enough start. Yet I am much earlier than last year, from memory, when I am sure I left it until well into autumn.

I am really going to give greenhouse growing a go this winter - hopefully I can keep growing plants on in there into maturity.