Moving out

What with the sun shining down on the UK (although as I wrote this it's chucking down) I decided to make a start on hardening of some of my plants.

I started off with sunflowers, tomatoes and aubergines.  I thought I take the plants out in stages, as it can be a right bind dragging out a big collection of baby plants out in the morning then back in at night.  Plus I am a bit lazy :)

A week later the tomatoes and aubergines have been potted on and are in the green house.  The larger sunflowers however I am not were to put them yet, but their smaller cousins are out in the ground and in pots surrounds by wool pellets to keep the greedy slugs and snails at bay!  

Jumpers for plants?

With some little slimy blighters causing havoc in my green house, I decided to take action.  I am not a big fan of slug pellets, I think they're cruel plus I prefer to garden with little to no chemicals.  However on a recent shopping trip I came across wool pellets, a natural alternative to those poisons.  Apparently the wool dries up the slugs foot, so obviously they're not so keen to hang around to have a snack.

I applied a thin layer over my over wintered geraniums, and a week in it seems to be doing the trick. One plant that had almost being eaten has started to grown back thanks to it's new jumper.

If there's a draw back I'd say it's the smell.  After watering there's definitely a whiff of odour la sheep, so maybe I won't use them in any pots directly under a window!  Despite the pong I 'am impressed  and I have even bought some more for when my pot luck seedlings finally venture out doors!

What type of gardener are you?

According to 'The Daily mail on line', there are six type of gardeners.  Now I don't about anyone else but I don't think I fall into any particular category, anyway according to this article the list is as follows:

Nothing to water?  I don't fall into this section, however I could quite happily path over the front garden as it's more moss than grass.  Although if I did I would like those style new pavers which allows the rain to seep through to the soil.  

 

Hands off? Well I can be this by accident.  I have a few plants down the side of my house that I quite often forget about.  However when I do check on them they seem to be doing well without my interfering.

 

Casual?  This means you have a few token plants and water with a jug/watering can. I don't about anyone else but in Summer when water is limited, I do use jugs of water from washing salads to give the garden a drink.

 

High Tech?  I'll admit this isn't me personally, more my hubby in those few hours of the year when he decides to get involved.  So out come the sprinklers or the latest gadget he's bought down the garden centre.  Not that his interest lasts, he soon gets bored and goes back to tinkering with his motorbike. ;D

 

Green fingered? Apparently this means you grow fruit, veg, have a water butt and like to attract wild life.  Hang on?  Is it just me?  Or isn't that just gardening?

 

Amateur enthusiast? This means you have a small patch that you fill with fruit and veg in tubs.  Guilty as charged there.  So I guess I am a Casual, hands off, green figured enthusiast! :)

Potty about Pumpkins...

 

I said in an earlier post how I enjoying growing sunflowers, well another biggie I am keen on growing for the same reason as sunflowers are pumpkins.

 

Biggie is probably not the right word to use as with space limited I grow them in large pots, so my pumpkins have hardly ever been behemoths.

 

 

Left to right: Baby bear, Atlantic giant and Racer

 

One year I attempted to grow an Atlantic giant but with a so so summer that year, the results were rather dismal and were overshadowed by 'Racer'.  I find 'Racer' is perfectly adapted to growing 'up north' as once a fruit is set it puts on an impressive grow spurt.  Along with the big boys I grew a smaller variety 'Baby bear', my husband was so taken with the little pumpkin he took to dressing it up for Halloween.  The others though ended up mixed with carrots, onions and cream to make s a rather tasty soup!

  

This year I am going for two different variety's, 'Jack-o'-lantern' and 'Jack be little', whether they'll become soup or sport googly eyes and a hat remains to be seen...