SUGAR SNAP PEAS
I want to grow vegetables and fruit in my garden but not at the expense of the ornamental flowers and shrubs. And I want to grow ornamental flowers and shrubs but not at the expense of the vegetables and fruit. When faced with a situation like that, you have to compromise. A couple of years ago I planted sugar snap peas but they were straggly, pretty much non-productive, and a waste of space. This year I am going to try and grow them in a tub up canes. I saw this being done in a garden centre so I know it can be done. I've bought the variety Sugar Flash as it is supposed to be a heavy cropper, quick to produce the pods, and sweet.
As you can see, space is at a premium. But I can, at least, move the tub around or just abandon the idea altogether if the results are once again disappointing. Would be nice, though, to just pick the sweet pods and eat them straight from the plant. I like them raw with other salad crops.
You can see, also, that I have a few tubs with spring's bulbs dying back. I do wish they would get on with it as I need the tubs for other things but, as the dying leaves feed the bulbs for next year's flowers, I have to be patient. It's a virtue I don't always have.
After almost killing myself for the last few days trying to make hay while the sun shines, to coin a phrase as we've had awful weather in the north of England during April and half of May, the worst of the work in my garden is just about done. It's a wonder I've survived! When the roses bushes grow and start flowering, the garden border will seem less empty. Also, as I think I mentioned in a previous post, I need room to plant out the courgettes.
Above, stepping stones trimmed, lawn borders clipped. I've also planted the white begonia 'Heaven White' although you can hardly see them in the image as they are small yet. If you click on the image, you get a bigger picture. Look at all the flowers on the loganberry vines in the corner of the fencing. You really ought to try a loganberry plant if you can. They just get on with it and are my kind of plant.
The lawn looks poor, I know - a bit patchy but we have had no rain for quite a few days and it has been blazing hot and quite breezy, picking up the water out of the garden. I have to wait two days after cutting the lawn before I can feed it and water it in (if it is not raining again by then). In July, I might reseed it. I'll see how it goes after feeding. The problem with my lawn is that a couple of inches underneath there is a load of rock in places. I didn't know this when I first moved into my home. The garden was dreadful and it didn't seem as if a gardener had ever lived there. The only ornamental plants were what had grown over from the neighbours and I had to get those cut back when the fencing was put in. With regard to the lawn, I had a load of top soil put straight over the rough grass (no way could you call it a lawn back then) and then I reseeded it. It was the easiest way to deal with it at the time but I had no idea that a couple of inches underneath was all that sandstone rock which does seem to help the lawn drain but on the other hand, the soil is impoverished because of it. Lumps of rock are still being dug up from the borders.
As you can see, space is at a premium. But I can, at least, move the tub around or just abandon the idea altogether if the results are once again disappointing. Would be nice, though, to just pick the sweet pods and eat them straight from the plant. I like them raw with other salad crops.
You can see, also, that I have a few tubs with spring's bulbs dying back. I do wish they would get on with it as I need the tubs for other things but, as the dying leaves feed the bulbs for next year's flowers, I have to be patient. It's a virtue I don't always have.
After almost killing myself for the last few days trying to make hay while the sun shines, to coin a phrase as we've had awful weather in the north of England during April and half of May, the worst of the work in my garden is just about done. It's a wonder I've survived! When the roses bushes grow and start flowering, the garden border will seem less empty. Also, as I think I mentioned in a previous post, I need room to plant out the courgettes.
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The lawn looks poor, I know - a bit patchy but we have had no rain for quite a few days and it has been blazing hot and quite breezy, picking up the water out of the garden. I have to wait two days after cutting the lawn before I can feed it and water it in (if it is not raining again by then). In July, I might reseed it. I'll see how it goes after feeding. The problem with my lawn is that a couple of inches underneath there is a load of rock in places. I didn't know this when I first moved into my home. The garden was dreadful and it didn't seem as if a gardener had ever lived there. The only ornamental plants were what had grown over from the neighbours and I had to get those cut back when the fencing was put in. With regard to the lawn, I had a load of top soil put straight over the rough grass (no way could you call it a lawn back then) and then I reseeded it. It was the easiest way to deal with it at the time but I had no idea that a couple of inches underneath was all that sandstone rock which does seem to help the lawn drain but on the other hand, the soil is impoverished because of it. Lumps of rock are still being dug up from the borders.