2023

Experimental year.

Vegetables

Spring Onions

Planting: Late Nov ‘22 - Bulbs - 3 rows - barn side

Notes: - First eaten: 01/05 - Dug out: 09/09

Again? Yes. Monitor and take out earlier. They survive well but turn into more formidable onions if left.

Spring Garlic

Planting: Late Nov ‘22 - Bulbs - 1.5  rows - barn side

Notes: - First eaten: 01/05 - Dug out: 14/08

Again? No. We finished it in the spring/early summer, I think. It was successful but we didn’t really know what to do with it.

Strawberries

Planting: Mid March - Sproutlings - 2 rows - back slope

Notes: - First flower: 08/05 - Peak flowers: 21/05 - First strawberry: 17/06

Again? Grow really well but we didn’t get much fruit from them as the berries were sitting on the ground where they got moldy or were eaten. They need raising off the ground with something put under them (straw, maybe?) to protect them.

Wild Rocket

Planting: 18/03 - Seeds - 0.75 row - barn side

Notes: - First stalks: 28/05 - Flowered: 03/06 - Cut down, stripped and ate: 09/07 - Dug out: 14/08

Again? Grew very well where we put it but it was the wrong type of rocket. This grew on long stems and after I cut them and stripped the leaves (which was about enough for two meals), it was done. Standard rocket next time.

Wild Garlic

Planting: 18/03 - Seeds - 0.25 row - barn side

Notes: Nothing happened at all

Again? No. If we want garlic, we’ll grow spring garlic instead.

Lettuce

Planting: 26/03 - Seeds - 0.75 row - barn side

Notes: - First eaten: 10/07 - Dug over: 09/09

Again? Yes but need monitoring and cutting more regularly

Courgette

Planting: 26/03 - Seeds - 0.75 row - barn side

Notes: - Nothing happened at all - Dug over: 14/08

Again? Maybe. We had a fundamental misunderstanding about how courgettes grow so we just liberally scattered the seeds in a row. We eat a lot of courgettes so will try again with a different approach. They like wet weather apparently.

Radish

Planting: 26/03 - Seeds - 2x 0.25 rows - barn side

Notes: - First growth: 15/04. - Flowers: 17/06 - First eaten: 17/06 - Cut stalks: 25/06 - Dug out: 14/08

Again? No. We made a few mistakes in planting as they were all too close together which stopped most of them forming. We also didn’t pull them out when we should have done. When they were dug out, a few did have quite large radishes attached to the stems but all were rotten. We don’t really eat radishes that much so the space is better used for something else.

Peppers

Planting: 02/04 - Seeds - 40 modules (5 per module) - Soil: 0.75 veggie patch, 0.25 garden (on top of seeds) - Inside: office - Watered from bottom

Notes: - First growth: 09/04. - Re-potted: 07/05.     - Split individually     - 6 small windowboxes     - Office balcony - Outside first time (7hrs): 08/05 - Permanently outside (office balcony): 03/06 - Lost some (parched): 17/06 - Moved to terrace: 25/06 - Re-planted: 15/07     - Veggie patch, barn side     - 8 rows, 10-15 per row     - Home compost at base - Watered every 2 days (when possible) from: 15/07 - First flowers: 14/08 - 33 very strong peppers out of approx 120 remain: 16/08.  - Peppers forming: 02/09 - First eaten: 10/09 (x5) - Tidied & replanted: 10/09 (38 plants) September: 38 October: 91 November: 41 - Finished and dug out: 09/12 (after first big snow)

Again? Yes. Plant earlier and keep inside, above the radiator on the window ledge in the office. Limited growth in pots so transfer to veggie patch much sooner.

Jalapenos

Planting: 02/04 - Seeds - 40 modules (5 per module) - Soil: 0.75 veggie patch, 0.25 garden (on top of seeds) - Inside: office - Watered from bottom

Notes: - First growth: 09/04 - Re-potted: 07/05.     - Split individually     - 6 small windowboxes     - Office balcony - Outside first time (7hrs): 08/05 - Permanently outside (office balcony): 03/06 - Lost some (parched): 17/06 - Moved to terrace: 25/06 - First flowers: 29/07 - Almost lost (parched): 04/08 but most recovered - First eaten: 16/09 - Replanted in veggie patch (53 sproutlings): 16/09

21/10: 1
28/10: 3
11/11: 3

- Finished and dug out: 09/12 (after first big snow)

Again? Yes. Plant earlier and keep inside, above the radiator on the window ledge in the office. Need planting in the ground too - they have limited growth in pots.

Herb Garden

Nettles
Sorrel (2 rows)
Chives (1 row)
Basil (1 row)

Thyme (1 row)

Oregano (1 row)
French Lavender (1 row)

Mint (1 row)
Balm (1 row)

Planting: 23/04 - Nettles: from lawn, planted next to barn wall - Rest: seeds - Barn side, bottom near compost

Notes: Disaster. The only thing that grew was the nettles.

Again? No. We want the herbs but the placement of the herb garden was completely wrong. It catches all the water from next door’s barn and is almost permanently in shadow. Not sure what to plant in this area but it certainly shouldn’t be herbs. Weeds did well though so maybe wildflowers? Or remove the step and cautiously try again.

Tomatoes (Pink Home Set)

Planting: 08/05 - Sproutlings - 2 rows, 16 per row - On slope of trenches, ties to 1.5m bamboo poles - House side, back

Notes: - Yeast/water mix (11L) applied to cure yellowing leaves: 28/05. - Yellow leaves gone: 03/06 - Fireplace ash around bases: 03/06 - Re-tied: 17/06 (lost 2) - First forming tomato: 08/07 - Watered every 2 days (when possible) from: 15/07 - ‘Koltucha’ and tied up with wire stretched between supports: 23/07. Cut away about two thirds of greenery. About 10 tomatoes forming. Plants 1.5m tall. - Loads of tomatoes developing: 04/08 - First ripe tomato eaten: 08/08 - ‘Koltucha’:  19/08                         09/09                         30/09                         30/10 August: 7 September: 64 October: 90 November: 9 - Dug out: 12/11

Again? Yes. Need cutting back a lot sooner and regularly. It pays to be brutal. Crop was magnificent and very tasty but we started to lose them when the weather turned (early Nov).

Sweetcorn

Planting: 08/05 - kernels: half packet - House side. Along back & down border wall in inverted L

Notes: - First growth: 03/06 - Watered every 2 days (when possible) from: 15/07 - Top seeds growing: 19/07 - Cobs forming on most: 27/07 - First cob taken: 19/08 (a little thin and pale so probably not quite ready) - 11 cobs: 02/09 - Dug out: 23/09

Again? Yes. Very successful. Need monitoring carefully though. Ready when liquid runs slightly thicker than water when pierced with thumbnail.

Carrots

Planting: 27/05 - Seeds - 3 rows - Barn side

Notes: - First growth: 17/06 - First taken: 03/09 - All taken & dug out: 09/09

Again? Maybe. No way of knowing how big they are from the leaves over the surface. Need taking out all in one batch. There may be time to plant a second batch afterwards.

Beetroot

Planting: 27/05 - Seeds: 1 packet - 120 modules (3 per module) - Soil: veggie patch - Terrace: veggie patch side - Watered from bottom

Notes: - First growth: 03/06 - No further progression: 17/06 - Complete regression: 24/06 - Abandoned: 18/07

Again? Not in the way we did it this year - although I’ve no idea what happened. Maybe try straight into the veggie patch next year as, bizarrely, some beetroot started growing in the mint windowbox.

Spinach (New Zealand Spinach)

Planting: 28/05 - Seeds: 1 packet - 2 Rows - Barn side

Notes: - First growth: 17/06 - Dug out: 17/09

Again? Meh. Grew well where placed but this was the wrong kind of spinach.

Basil

Planting: 28/05 - Seeds: 2 packets - Windowbox - Soil: veggie patch - Terrace: over garage

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Died as soon as the temperature dropped. - Emptied: 18/11

Again? Maybe. As soon as they start growing upwards, they’re done.

Balm

Planting: 28/05 - Seeds: 2 packets - Windowbox - Soil: veggie patch - Terrace: over garage

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Died as soon as the temperature dropped - Emptied: 18/11

Again? Maybe. Just three small sprouts. Left too late to pick. As soon as they start growing upwards, they’re done.

Mint

Planting: 28/05 - Seeds: 2 packets - Windowbox - Soil: veggie patch - Terrace: over garage

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Died as soon as the temperature dropped - Emptied: 18/11

Again? Maybe. Two small sprouts. Didn’t take at all.

Thyme

Planting: 28/05 - Seeds: 1 packet - Windowbox - Soil: veggie patch - Terrace: over garage

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Died as soon as the temperature dropped - Emptied: 18/11

Again? Maybe. Mildly successful but not particularly huge amounts.

Chives

Planting: 28/05 - Seeds: 1 packet - Windowbox - Soil: veggie patch - Terrace: over garage

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Emptied: 18/11

Again? Maybe. Two strands at edge of box. Grew at a sub-glacial pace all through summer. Still strong when emptied.

Cherry Tomatoes

Planting: 03/06 - Seeds - Windowbox - Soil: veggie patch with thin layer of fireplace ash - Terrace: over veggie patch

Notes: - First growth: 17/06 - Watered daily (when possible) - Lost half (parched): 05/07 - Re-potted: 16/07     - Split individually     - 9 small windowboxes, 14ish per pot     - Front of terrace - Lost: 04/08. Parched and then drowned. - Abandoned: 15/08

Again? Yes. They were doing really well - growing fast and looking healthy and strong. However, they need a lot of attention, watering every day, so didn’t survive when we were away for 4 days. Try again but this needs to be factored in.

Flowers

Anemone

Planting: Mid March - Seeds: 2 packets - Pot - Front of well - Soil: 0.75 veggie patch, 0.25 molehill (top)

Notes: - 1 flower: 03/06 - That’s it

Again? No. We had one growing wild in the garden which was very pretty. One or two flowers wasn’t really enough to justify the attention given to the pot.

Spraxis Oxalis Chrysanthemum Mix Wildflower Mix Petunia Sylvie

Planting: 25/03 - Seeds: 1 packet each - Rose edge of lawn - Soil: garden & molehill mix

Notes: - Oxalis leaves on 21/05 Spraxis & Oxalis dug out: 15/10

Again? No. I’m sure some of this did eventually grow - and there were some very pretty flowers dotted in there occasionally - but where it was placed made it impossible to distinguish from the weeds. Plus, we have plenty of wildflowers in the garden anyway. For flowers on this patch, it’s probably better to plant some that are already grown so that the seeds don’t have to develop through all the weeds that creep in from the lawn. This strip also needs to be dug out thoroughly before planting.

Verbena

Planting: 25/03 - Seeds: 3 packets - Windowbox on railings next to garage - Soil: 0.75 veggie patch, 0.25 molehill (top)

Notes: - Abandoned: 03/06

Again? No. The only things that grew in the windowbox were weeds. This is perhaps due to the positioning of the box itself which was in a lot of shadow.

Gaulteria

Planting: 03/04 - Existing pot - Front of well

Dahlias

Arabian Night (centre)
4 Sisley Clusters (2 either side)
10 Sisley Singles (5 at each end)

Planting: 22/04 - Bulbs - Between yukka & cypress - Soil: garden, veggie patch topsoil

Notes: - First sprout: 24/05 - Second & third sprout: 27/05 (all Sisley clusters). Disappeared 03/06 (snails) - Remaining two progressing: 17/06 - First plant flower: 25/07 - Second plant flower: 04/08 - Dug out: 12/11 - Saved bulbs of 2 successful plants. Wrapped in newspaper and kept on stairs to basement

Again? No. Small return for a big investment: they had pride of place in the garden. The flowers were pretty, but very small and you couldn’t see them anyway as they were facing downwards.

Succulents

Planting: 21/05 - Existing - Rose edge of lawn

Aloe Vera

Planting: 08/07 - Existing Pot - Terrace: Veggie patch corner of terrace - Soil: external compost

Notes: - Just ignored it - Brought indoors: 12/11

Petunia

Planting: 08/07 - Windowbox - Terrace: front over garden - Soil: external compost

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Almost lost (parched): 04/08 but recovered - Finished: 21/10 (possibly lack of water) - Emptied: 18/11

Again? Yes. Buy pre-existing and in Spring. Looks lovely. Needs watering regularly.

Delosperma

Planting: 08/07 - Existing - Rose edge of lawn - Soil: external compost

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Flower still present: 18/11

Begonia Boliviensis

Planting: 08/07 - Existing - Windowbox (between geraniums) - Terrace: front over garden - Soil: external compost

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Almost finished - all dangling strands dropped: 18/11 - Moved to rail over garage: 18/11 - Brought inside: 26/11 (after snow) - Dead: 09/12

Geranium (pink)

Planting: 08/07 - Existing - Windowbox (right of begonia) - Terrace: front over garden - Soil: external compost

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Moved to rail over garage: 18/11 - Brought inside: 26/11 (after snow)

Geranium (dark red)

Planting: 08/07 - Existing - Windowbox (left of begonia) - Terrace: front over garden - Soil: external compost

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Moved to rail over garage: 18/11 - Brought inside: 26/11 (after snow)

Ivy Geranium

Planting: 08/07 - Existing - Windowbox - Terrace: front over garden - Soil: external compost

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Moved to rail over garage: 18/11 - Brought inside: 26/11 (after snow)

Indian Blanket

Planting: 08/07 - Existing - Rose edge of lawn - Soil: external compost

Notes: - Watered daily (when possible) - Deadheaded: 14/08. New flowers developed immediately afterwards. - Still flowering 18/11

Crocus

Planting: 15/10 - 14 bulbs - Rose edge of lawn between fir and first rose - Existing soil mixed with veggie patch & 1 spadeful of compost - 2-3 inches apart - 2-3 inches deep

Inherited

Primroses

Events: - Last planted: 10/04
- Flower finished: 13/05

Comments: Remains to be seen whether the same ones will flower again next year, if not they’ll need digging out and replacing. Although they look a bit messy after they’ve finished flowering, it’s still worth gathering them together from where they grow wild around the garden. They add some colour in the winter months and cover up the broken path nicely.

Cherry Tree

Events: - First blossom: 12/04
- Blossom Finish: 30/04

Comments: Cherries eaten: 05/07 No more than a handful this year. We had stacks and stacks last year so don’t know what happened. No quince, pear, lilac or grapes either so it’s not the tree itself despite us cutting it back in December.

Daffodil

Events: - Flowered: 12/04

Tulips

Events: - First flower: 22/04
- Peak: 30/04
- Finishing: 13/05
- Finished: 21/05

Comments: - De-stemmed on 21/05

Lilac

Events: - First blossom: 30/04 - Finished: 21/05

Comments: - Never really got going at all aside from a few bits at the top. In 2022 we took huge bunches of it.

Anemone (wild)

Events: - Flowered: 07/05

Quince

Events: - First blossom: 07/05 - Peak: 13/05

Comments: - Very pretty blossoms but no fruit

Columbine

Events: - Flowered: 27/05

Peonies (x4 clusters)

Events: - First flower: 27/05 - Peak: 03/06 - Finished: 17/06

Comments: - Tied up 27/05 - Late separate plant flowered: 17/06. Smaller, pink, strong smell. - Two on wildside cut back: 10/07 - Two on lawnside cut back: 19/11

Geraniums

Events: - In flower: 28/05

Sweet Mock Orange

Events: - Blossom: 03/06 - Finished: 17/06

Roses

Events: - First flower: 03/06 - All in flower: 17/06

Comments: - Peak: 17/07

Carnations

Events: - First flower: 04/06

White Rose Bush

Events: - First flower: 04/06 - Peak: 17/06

Comments: - Lost all flowers: 08/07 - Recovering: 18/07 - Flowers returned: 04/08

Clematis

Events: - Flowered: 17/06

Raspberry

Events: - First eaten: 24/06

Blackberry

Events: - Flowered: 24/06 - First eaten: 04/08

Scarlet Pimpernel

Events: - First flower: 24/06

Yukka Flowers

Events: - Stalks noticed: 24/06

Comments: - Flowers on stalks began to drop: 15/07 - Finished: 25/07

Orange Day Lily

Events: - Flowered: 05/07

Comments: - Dead stems removed: 05/08 - Removed everything: 19/11

Walnut Tree

Events: - First tried: 02/09 (not ready)

Comments: - Half a carrier bag full (from tree): 24/09