for lefties too stubborn to quit
By popular demand! Well, one question as it happens. Here it is, the return of the much loved – I hope – Left Gardeners Corner. Perhaps this can go up every month?
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| sonofstan on What you want to say – 17th Ap… | |
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| ‘Killed for not spea… on ‘Killed for not speaking… | |
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| Tomboktu on ‘Killed for not speaking… | |
| raymonddeane on News platform? | |
| WorldbyStorm on Spirit of Revolution: Ireland… | |
| sonofstan on A stick? | |
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| WorldbyStorm on A stick? | |
| banjoagbeanjoe on A stick? |
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The Cedar Lounge Revolution
Feck all in the garden at the minute, though there are still a few of last year’s jerusalem artichokes to be dug up, and the last leeks aren’t long out. The blueberries I planted a few weeks ago are flowering, the fig and apricot trees from last year survived the winter, and the blackberry, gooseberry, and raspberry bushes are doing well. Rhubarb is shooting up.
I’ve taken a chance on a few early peas and beans but the bulk of the planting will be this weekend if the weather allows. A few tomatoes, cucumbers, and squashes have started off well enough indoors, and my indoor lime tree is warming up.
Weather until the middle of April was dreadful and the ground was unfit for digging. That’s my excuse.
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any advice on what fruit-bearing plant could possibly work in a corner of the garden that only gets a few hours of afternoon sunlight in the middle of summer? Is there such a thing?
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Gooseberries are a good bet.
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Agree. I am an amateur but have had gooseberries for donkey’s years. Almost no maintenance except pruning in winter and deliver a huge crop. Admittedly, mine are in open ground AND gooseberries not to everyone’s taste, but they do seem to transcend noncompetent management..
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Yes and blackcurrants and redcurrants. Raspberries also.
All I have to boast about is that my blackcurrants on the balcony have already set and have largeish (still green) fruit. Raspberries beginning to flower.
And both of those are in a position where they only get about 4 hours of direct sunlight a day, if they’re lucky.
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Thanks everybody. I think I’ll try the raspberries. I like the low maintenance sound of gooseberries, but i dont think I’d ever eat them.
The problem with light is caused but by aspect and overhanging branches, but i think raspberry bushes grow quite short so again that sounds about right.
I could have googled this of course – but if I did I would be swamped with information overload. In the age of the internet, there’s something to be said for the curator’s role that comes only with age and experience! Love the idea of a monthly update.
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Or could you raise the bed / container, so it gets more light?
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Hazels are a tree of the second layer in a ‘natural’ forest. So they get by with less light.
Plant a couple of cross-pollinating cultivars and they will grow towards the light.
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Anyone got one of those little seed pots you get in lidl to sprout yet?
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I haven’t got any this year but got some from either Aldi or Lidl in the past (tiny pods with plant in small amount of compost and gel). Tomatoes and chilli peppers if I remember right. I got them to work. I have a tunnel (being in Clare rather than Dublin, space is not at such a premium) that makes things easier to start things off, but I have never encountered a failure.
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One of those little cloche thingies that you can put on the windowsill will bring them on.
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I’d second this going up once a month.
By the way what to people think of the changes to the met.ie site? I check it regularly so I commiserate with relatives and neighbours back home.
Good to see they are using Open Street Maps.
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Looks good – I hadn’t seen it yet.
That is great – OSM has become really brilliant at this stage.
Unfortunately, there’s still lots of unnecessary Google pinging on the site – Google CDN, Fonts, and Tag Manager – but I think I’m on my own with that losing battle at this stage… 😉
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OSM is yer only person, if you’re walking. They mark paths (or more accurately, you too can mark paths) where the Gaargle cars can’t go.
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Does the fact that I have managed to cut the grass count? 😉 I’ve also looked with intent at the hedges – that’s bound to lead to action eventually…
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Of course yes. All that counts 100%
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Hold on a chara, where’s your report? 🙂
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I will post my report on the Republican Gardeners Corner thread and no other.
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About cutting the grass – I have in recent years started the practice of leaving a patch of lawn uncut in early summer so dandelions and daisies can bloom. The honey bees can then collect pollen. After a few weeks, I cut the uncut patch and allow another patch to bloom. Do this in rotation throughout the growing season. I agree that gooseberry bushes can thrive in restricted sunlight. I do like gooseberry jam.
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Alright so.
Planted spinach, brussel sprouts, chard and pak choi. And those yokes that look like cucumbers.
But I’m afraid the joy was taken out of it all by Comrade Carley’s blowing us all out of the water – oneupmanship to beat the band.
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Most of that was already in the ground from last year. I’ve nothing in this year yet, and won’t until this evening.
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The Republican Gardner’s corner reports green shoots everywhere.
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Any oranges in the greenhouse?
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#8 reponse to the inestimable Michael Carley
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ummm…glass houses and all that…but we do love our oranges and the vitamin C is always welcome…but…the hothouse of orange growing requires so much work, sweat and sometimes so little return for so much input…much that needs to be nourished and worth nourishing…
…but are there worms/serpents in the apple orchard?
…in the garden of Eden, oh so biblical and bending
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Two years of studying ended last week, so the garden is woefully overgrown. I got out the strimmer for an hour at the weekend, but a lot more is needed to rehabilitate it.
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