In the Garden!

I have been busily pottering around in the garden and practising my nails..... did you know I was training to be a nail technician? All my youngest daughters fault, and I had no previous interest in it but am now totally hooked, which causes great hilarity as I am supposed to have nice hands and nails when I do my training!!! not!
Anyway I digress my potted bananas needed some trimming and after asking on the tropical blogs it was suggested that I trim the bases back from this



to this



I was a bit concerned as I now only have two of these left but decided to go for it. Anyway it is still standing and hasn't gone limp so it maybe ok!

Meanwhile in the veg plot things are coming on a pace,



the first bed which I forgot to photograph has onions and hopefully parsnips in. The next bed has sweetcorn, pick again salads, spring onion, beetroot and peas. In the background you can make out bags and pots of potatoes.



In this bed more peas, will have courgettes, spinach, more sweetcorn and climbing French Beans.



Broad Beans, courgettes and alpine strawberries



Strawberries and another row of French Beans



In my last post I showed you down by the pond, you can see our Orfe, he is huge now!!



so this time I am looking back up the garden to where we actually sit



so you can see the mess, I have still to tidy this all up.



I would really like to grow something up the fences, but this bed is so small and very dry, especially with the hedge overhanging. I can soon chop it back but that doesn't solve the problem of the dry bed.
Any suggestion gratefully received!

To finish with, my Indian Bean tree looks like it needs something added, as its not supposed to be this yellow,



but then again neither is my neighbours Laural Hedge,



we wonder if there is something in the ground that could be causing this? As they are in direct line with one another!

Next time I post I hope to have the jungle planted!!

Middle of May 2011

We have been spoilt with the weather the last few weeks, according to Gardeners Question Time (BBC Radio 4) the allotments are 5 weeks ahead!! So to me that's 5 weeks more growing time!!
After a cold winter I had unusually quite a few losses in my heated greenhouse. I am down to 4 Brugmansias? and only 2 of my Maurellis came through.




I have found one or 2 shoots at the side of one or two pots which are being encouraged.





The T-Rex has been re-potted, I know it should go in the ground but I have already lost one in a previous winter, I will see how this goes and if necessary use big pots!!



My Gunnera is half the size it used to be, but half is better than nothing!



My tree ferns also survived although I believe if I had left them outside I don't think they would have! I have split and repotted some of my bamboos as well!



The Hardy Bananas are just that Hardy! The first pic has been in the ground all winter in fact for a number of years now!



This one I bought last year and had in a pot last year which got moved into the Greenhouse over winter and got planted out a couple of weeks ago, this is also supposed to be a hardy one so its in the ground now so we shall see! I do like the striping on this!



The pond at 7am this morning, this is a favourite place of mine.



The jungle area at the moment



a mess

but just look what it looked like in July last year



then September.



Not long to wait considering how quickly time passes. I only wish it looked like this for more of the year!

What to do?

I have so neglected this blog that I am wondering should I just start again from here or start a new blog?

Please let me know xxx