October 2019
Garden (clay soil), kitchen table-garden & houseplants
Sowing & Propagating:
Pricked & planted out or potted up:
In bloom outdoors: gaillardia; blue scabious; roses- Alan Titchmarsh; Gentle Hermione; mystery pink and Gran's peach; petunias; pink scabious; white , red and purple dahlia; erysimum; verbena bonariensis; pink phlox; lavender; monarda; fuschia; dark pink geranium; buttercup bush; white aster
In bloom indoors: purple orchid
Harvesting: tomatoes; basil; apples
Allotment (sand)
Sowing & Propagating:
Planting:
In the ground: shallots; spinach beet; potatoes; echium blue bedder; chard; sunflowers; leeks; globe artichokes; sunflowers; cosmos;
Permanent plantings: Apple; plum; blackcurrant; gooseberries; white currant; raspberries; rhubarb; hazel; willow; roses; hollyhock; aquilegia; rosemary; lavender; sedum; asparagus
Feed crops: Alkanet; comfrey; nettles
In bloom: tagetes; sunflowers; penstemon; rudbeckia; wild yarrow and cerise queen; cornflowers
Harvesting: courgettes; uchiki kuri squash; beans; potatoes; spinach beet; apples; rudbeckia; achillea; hazelnuts; carrots
Deceased:
September 2019
Garden (clay soil), kitchen table-garden & houseplants
Sowing & Propagating: strawberries from runners; verbena bonariensis cuttings; penstemon cuttings; geranium cuttings
Pricked & planted out or potted up: geraniums; penstemon; fragaria moschata
In bloom outdoors: gaillardia; blue scabious; roses- Alan Titchmarsh; Gentle Hermione; mystery pink and Gran's peach; sweetpeas; petunias; hollyhocks; pink scabious; white , red and purple dahlia; erysimum; lychnis; verbena bonariensis; Marjoram; lavender; monarda; fuschia; japanese anemone; pale pink geranium; dark pink geranium
In bloom indoors: purple orchid
Harvesting: tomatoes; basil; potatoes; scabious; rudbeckia; rosemary
Allotment (sand)
Sowing & Propagating:
Planting: Spinach beet; leeks; welsh onions; beetroot
In the ground: shallots; spinach beet; potatoes; lentils; chickpeas; echium blue bedder; chard; climbing beans; sunflowers; leeks; globe artichokes; courgette; sunflowers; squash; cosmos; sweetcorn;
Permanent plantings: Apple; plum; blackcurrant; gooseberries; white currant; raspberries; rhubarb; hazel; willow; roses; hollyhock; aquilegia; rosemary; lavender; sedum; asparagus
Feed crops: Alkanet; comfrey; nettles
In bloom: tagetes; lychnis; rose; sunflowers; penstemon; hawksbit; rudbeckia; wild yarrow and cerise queen; cornflowers
Harvesting: courgettes; uchiki kuri squash; chickpeas; beans; potatoes; beetroot; spinach beet; apples; rudbeckia; achillea; hazelnuts; shallots; red onions; peas
Deceased: sweetcorn
August 2019
Garden (clay soil), kitchen table-garden & houseplants
Sowing & Propagating:
Pricked & planted out or potted up:
In bloom outdoors: pansies; violas; cornflowers; gaillardia; blue scabious; roses- Dark Lady; Alan Titchmarsh; Gentle Hermione; Rosa Mundi ; mystery pink and mystery yellow; sweetpeas; petunias; Gran's peach rose; hollyhocks; pink scabious; white , red and purple dahlia; thyme; cerinthe; erysimum; lychnis; verbena bonariensis; Marjoram; lavender; lemon balm; monarda; fuschia; japanese anemone
In bloom indoors:
Harvesting: tomatoes; basil; scabious; loganberries
Deceased:
Allotment (sand)
Sowing & Propagating:
Planting:
In the ground: onions; garlic; spinach beet; potatoes; lentils; chickpeas; salmon flowered peas; broad beans; cornflowers, echium blue bedder; chard; climbing beans; peas; sunflowers; leeks; globe artichokes; courgette; sunflowers; squash; cosmos; sweetcorn;
Permanent plantings: Apple; plum; blackcurrant; gooseberries; white currant; raspberries; rhubarb; hazel; willow; roses; hollyhock; aquilegia; rosemary; lavender; sedum; asparagus
Feed crops: Alkanet; comfrey; nettles
In bloom: cornflowers; echium; tagetes; lychnis; rose; sunflowers; penstemon; hawksbit; rudbeckia; yarrow
Harvesting: courgettes; peas; spinach beet; onions; apples; sunflowers; rudbeckia; yarrow; potatoes; beetroot; blackberries
Deceased
July 2019
Garden (clay soil), kitchen table-garden & houseplants
Sowing & Propagating: Kale toscana di nero; chives; dwarf beans Early Warwick and Tanya's Pink Pod; Pansies Colossal Mix; Foxglove Suttons Apricot; Lupin; Sweet Williams;Wallflowers
Pricked & planted out or potted up: monarda bergamo; burkheya purpurea; scabious; rudbeckia; basil
In bloom outdoors: pansies; violas; cornflowers; yellow rose; gaillardia; blue scabious; roses- Alan Titchmarsh; Gentle Hermione; Rosa Mundi ; mystery pink and mystery yellow; sweetpeas; petunias; delphiniums; Gran's peach rose; geraniums; hollyhocks; pink scabious; white , red and purple dahlia; thyme; cerinthe; erysimum; lychnis; verbena bonariensis; Marjoram; lavender; lemon balm; monarda; fuschia
In bloom indoors: purple orchid
Harvesting: strawberries; rosemary; lavender; sweet peas, loganberries, scabious; basil
Deceased:
Allotment (sand)
Sowing & Propagating:
Planting:
In the ground: onions; garlic; spinach beet; potatoes; lentils; chickpeas; salmon flowered peas; broad beans; cornflowers, echium blue bedder; chard; climbing beans; peas; sunflowers; leeks; globe artichokes; courgette; sunflowers; squash; cosmos; sweetcorn;
Permanent plantings: Apple; plum; blackcurrant; gooseberries; white currant; raspberries; rhubarb; hazel; willow; roses; hollyhock; aquilegia; rosemary; lavender; sedum; asparagus
Feed crops: Alkanet; comfrey; nettles
In bloom: cornflowers; echium; chamomile; tagetes; peas; poppy; lychnis; rose; philadelphus; sunflowers; penstemon; hawksbit; rudbeckia
Harvesting: Spinach beet; cornflowers; poppy heads; lavender; peas; broad beans; blackcurrants; raspberries; blueberries; gooseberries; onions; courgette, beetroot; comfrey; alkanet; sunflowers, rudbeckia
Deceased: Melon plant
June 2019
Garden (clay soil), kitchen table-garden & houseplants
Sowing & Propagating: peas for shoots; fuschia cuttings; pink cuttings
Pricked & planted out or potted up: peppers; monarda bergamo; aloe vera; basil; fuschias; salad leaves; cauliflowers; brussels sprouts; sweetcorn; evening primrose; petunias; rudbeckia marmalade; achillea cerise
In bloom outdoors: forget-me-not; dandelions; pansies; violas; aquilegia; cornflowers; yellow rose; gaillardia; thalictrum; blue scabious; roses- Alan Titchmarsh; Dark Lady; Gentle Hermione; Rosa Mundi ; white dog rose; mystery pink and mystery yellow; sweetpeas; petunias; delphiniums; peach rose; geraniums; hollyhocks; pink scabious; pinks; tomatoes
In bloom indoors: purple orchid
Harvesting: salad leaves; basil; pea shoots; strawberries; sweetpeas
Deceased: one more of the boblets!
Allotment (sand)
Sowing & Propagating: shallots red sun; cosmos
Planting: rudbeckia; achillea; spinach beet
In the ground: onions; garlic; spinach beet; potatoes; lentils; chickpeas; salmon flowered peas; broad beans; cornflowers,echium blue bedder; chard; climbing beans; peas; sunflowers; leeks; globe artichokes; courgette; sunflowers
Permanent plantings: Apple; plum; blackcurrant; gooseberries; white currant; raspberries; rhubarb; hazel; willow; roses; hollyhock; aquilegia; rosemary; lavender; sedum; asparagus
Feed crops: Alkanet; comfrey; nettles
In bloom: cornflowers; echium; chamomile; tagetes; peas; poppy; lychnis; rose; philadelphus
Harvesting: rhubarb; broad beans; chard; cornflowers; chamomile; peas; gooseberries; blackcurrants
Deceased:
May 2019
Garden (clay soil), kitchen table-garden & houseplants
Sowing & Propagating: Climbing beans - Borlotto, Blue Lake, HSL Portuguese and Cobra; Peas- Twinkle and Alderman; Pea Shoots - Twinkle; Cleome; Sweetcorn- Incredible. lettuce; parsley.
Pricked & planted out or potted up: Spinach beet; basil; lettuce; courgette; tomatoes; rudbeckia marmalade; dahlias
In bloom outdoors: cowslips; forget-me-not; red dead-nettle; dandelions; flowering currant; wall-flowers; pansies; violas; bell-flowered clematis; clematis montana Warwickshire Rose; bluebells; aquilegia; cornflowers; yellow rose; gaillardia; peony; thalictrum; blue scabious; roses- Alan Titchmarsh; Dark Lady and mystery yellow.
In bloom indoors: purple orchid
Harvesting: wallflowers; bluebells; babbington's leek; lemon balm; salad leaves; pea shoots
Deceased - wallflowers
Allotment (sand)
Sowing: HSL trial lentils; Chickpeas; Lentils
Planting: Armenian beetroot; broad bean; Cobra, Blue Lake, Portuguese and Borlotti beans; Alderman and Twinkle peas; tagetes; sunflowers; Sunbeam courgette. Globe Artichoke; Leeks
In the ground: onions, garlic, spinach beet, potatoes, lentils; chickpeas; salmon flowered peas; broad beans;cornflowers,echium blue bedder; chard
Permanent plantings: Apple; plum; blackcurrant; gooseberries; white currant; raspberries; rhubarb; hazel; willow; roses; hollyhock; aquilegia; rosemary; lavender; sedum;
Feed crops: Alkanet; comfrey; nettles
In bloom: cornflowers; Alkanet; Aquilegia; cow parsley; comfrey
Harvesting: rhubarb; spinach beet; cornflowers; asparagus
Deceased: Globe Artichoke
April 2019
Garden (clay soil), kitchen table-garden & houseplants
Sowing & Propagating: Sweet pea Twilight; Sunflowers Harlequin, Giant Sun, Starburst mixed; Cosmos Candy Stripe; Cerinthe; Four o'clock plants; mixed lettuce; rocket; Broad Bean Beryl & Self-saved un-named; Beetroot Armenian(HSL); Leek Pandora & Coloma (HSL); Spring Onions Winter White Bunching and North Holland Bloodred Redmate; Potatoes in a sack (unknown variety); Courgettes - Sunbeam, All Green Bush and Tondo di Nizzo; Squash Sweet Dumpling and Uchiki Kuri; Sweetcorn Rainbow Inca.
Pricked & planted out or potted up: Pansies Black Moon and Viola Waterfall; sweet peas; lettuce; strawberries; rudbeckia marmalade; achillea cerise queeen.
In bloom outdoors: Inherited red & yellow tulips, cowslips; dog violets; forget-me-not; red dead-nettle; dandelions; flowering currant; Narcissus sweet smiles; Narcissus baby boomer; Narcissus twinkling yellow; Species tulips (small yellow&white); wall-flowers; pansies; violas; muscari; primroses; bell-flowered clematis; clematis montana Warwickshire Rose; Tulips China Town, Hemisphere and African king; Blue scabious; bluebells;
In bloom indoors: purple orchid
Harvesting: cowslips; muscari; wallflowers; bluebells; babbington's leek; Tashkent mint; peppermint.
Deceased - Indoor Azalea - despite numerous attempts at resuscitation we finally laid this one to rest in the compost heap - we just don't have the right conditions for it.
>Allotment (sand)
Sowing: HSL trial lentils;
Planting: Salmon-flowered peas; Echium blue bedder; ruby chard; parsnips; red Baron and sturon onion sets.
In the ground: onions, garlic, spinach beet, potatoes, cornflowers, rhubarb; asparagus
In bloom: cornflowers
Harvesting:rhubarb
Propagating:
March 2019
Garden (clay soil), kitchen table-garden & houseplants
Sowing & Propagating: peas; lentils; chickpeas; tagetes; cosmos; morning glory; tomato nova; tomato lump red; Tashkent mint; petunias; rudbeckia marmalade; burkheya purpurea; sunflower Little Leo; Lettuce-leaved basil; French parsley; chives; spinach beet; purple and white sprouting broccoli;
Pricked out/planted out/Potted up: echium blue bedder; wallflowers; Tashkent mint; pansies; violas; sweet peas; petunias; tagetes; tomatoes
In bloom outdoors: hellebore; primrose; crocus king of the stripes; daffodils; daisies; daffodil snow baby; daffodil tête a tête; sweet violets; tatsoi (oops!); wallflowers; muscari; cowslips; primula; rosemary; flowering currant; early tulips (pale violet); violas; red dead-nettle
In bloom indoors: purple orchid; purple hyacinths
Harvesting: daffodils; hellebore
Allotment (sand)
Planting: broad bean plants; potatoes; peas; lentils; chickpeas
In bloom: Willow; hazel; speedwell; red dead-nettle; chickweed; daffodils
Harvesting: stray potato; carrots; parsnips
February 2019
Garden (clay soil), kitchen table-garden & house-plants
Sowing & Propagating: Bob the Rubber plant; echeverrias; aloes; kalenchoe; Welsh onion; Brussels Sprouts; cauliflowers; sweet peppers; sweet peas; pansies; viola; echium; chard; parsnips
Planted out/Potted up: Astrantia Ruby Cloud; Epimedium Akebono; Summerina Pecan Pie; Gaillardia Frenzy from Paddock Plants plus 2 twisted hazel rootings from a bunch of flowers
In bloom outdoors: hellebore; primrose; snowdrops; crocus orange monarch; naturalised purple crocus; white crocus; daffodils; daisies;
In bloom indoors: orchids; cyclamen; hyacinth
Harvesting: Rosemary
Allotment (sand)
Planting: onion red baron; onion sturon; garlic vigour
In bloom: Willow; hazel; speedwell; red dead-nettle
Harvesting: cornflower plants; leeks;
January 2019
Garden (clay soil) & kitchen table-garden
In bloom: daisies; crocus; scabious; rosemary; primroses; snowdrops; hellebores; cyclamen (indoors)
Harvesting: rosemary; Babbington's leek; Welsh onion leaves
Propagating: wall-flowers (from cuttings); Broad beans (cold-frame sowing)
Allotment (sand)
In bloom: cornflowers and yarrow
Harvesting: wallflowers for cuttings and cornflower plants for transplanting
Propagating: spinach beet; cornflowers;
December 2018
Garden (clay soil) & kitchen table-garden
In bloom: scabious; rosemary; primroses; cyclamen (indoors)
Harvesting: rosemary; thyme; Aloe Vera (a steam burn hurts!)
Propagating:
Allotment (sand)
In bloom: cornflowers and yarrow
Harvesting: willow and greens
November 2018
Garden (clay soil) & kitchen table-garden
In bloom: gaillardia; scabious; rosemary; strawberries (yes still); cyclamen (indoors)
Harvesting: chives; rosemary; last of peppers; last of apples; thyme
Propagating: succulents; rosemary; marjoram
Allotment (sand)
In bloom: last of cornflower and marigolds; sedum.
Harvesting: last of beans; last of apples; greens; spinach beet; last of beetroot and carrots
October 2018
Garden (clay soil) & kitchen table-garden
In bloom: gaillardia; scabious; roses; asters; dahlias; wigeilia; verbena bonariensis; strawberries!; lemon balm; rosemary
Harvesting: chives; rosemary; peppers; apples; thyme
Allotment (sand)
In bloom: dahlias; california poppy; cornflower; sedum and marigolds
Harvesting: beans; apples; greens; spinach beet
September 2018
Garden (clay soil) & kitchen table-garden
Sowing: Tatsoi
Potting on: pansies; strawberry runners
In bloom: phlox; delphinium; gaillardia; scabious; linaria; dahlia; marjoram
Harvesting: thyme; marjoram; rosemary; mint; chives; peppers; apples
Allotment (sand)
Sowing:
Planting out:
Harvesting: sweetcorn; cucumber; hazelnuts; apples; spinach beet; cabbage leaves; sweet peppers; peas
Growing for harvest this year: french beans; kale; cucumber; sweetcorn; squash; spinach beet
Perennials: globe artichoke; asparagus; rhubarb; blackcurrants; whitecurrants; gooseberries; blueberries; raspberries; apples; hazel; plums; comfrey
Flowering now: escholzia; borage; sedum; dahlias;
Flowers for later: cornflowers; aquilegia; roses; comfrey;
August 2018
Garden (clay soil) & kitchen table-garden
Sowing: walllflowers; sweet williams;
Potting on: strawberries; chives; mint; lavender; salad leaves; chard; cauliflower; broccoli raab; white sprouted broccoli
Taking cuttings: rosemary; lavender
In bloom: scabious; lavender; phlox; hollyhocks; lobelia; viola; linaria
Harvesting: chives; mint; sweet peppers; apples; salad leaves; basil; thyme
Allotment (sand)
Sowing:
Planting out:
Harvesting: potatoes; beetroot; apples; peas; plums; hazelnuts; beans;
Growing for harvest this year: sweet peppers; french beans; kale; cucumber; sweetcorn; squash; spinach
Perennials: globe artichoke; asparagus; rhubarb; blackcurrants; whitecurrants; gooseberries; blueberries; raspberries; apples; hazel; plums; comfrey
Flowering now: escholzia; borage; sedum; dahlias;
Flowers for later: cornflowers; aquilegia; roses; comfrey;
