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veganblue
Feb 8th, 2005, 03:27 AM
My daylily decided to open two blossoms instead of just the one - I really need to get e digital camera then I'd be able to share the images with everyone. I have a blue waterflower in the pond at the moment; it's these little joys that keep me gardening. Nice day out today - wish I were out there and not doing an assignment! (this is a break :o )

cedarblue
Apr 2nd, 2005, 03:22 PM
today in the garden....

i dug over the prepared bed for putting my 2nd early spuds in next week and cleared the surface of my pond on a horrid tiny-leafed weed, that apparently once you get it its really difficult to get rid - and there, mooching about i found 4 (so far) newts!!! hurrah, they have seen out the winter!!
one (stripey) one looks very pregnant (not sure how to tell males/females apart) there seem to be 2 males & 2 females.

do newts feed off of frogspawn? :( i put a load in the pond and cant see any tadpoles swimming around but lots of the spawn are empty and the newts are around the spawn area??

i love pondlife :)

tails4wagging
Apr 2nd, 2005, 05:39 PM
yesterday in my garden, I planted early potatoes. My beetroot,carrots,onions lettuce and spinach are sprouting too early to put them out yet (in greenhouse). Yelling at the dogs to get of the veg, beds!!!!!.

Planted primula. My cowslips are blossoming well, bluebells are beginning to show their heads. So are the violets. Primroses are now dying off and so has the crocus. daffadils are also dying off.

veganblue
Apr 3rd, 2005, 05:38 AM
i dug over the prepared bed for putting my 2nd early spuds in next week and cleared the surface of my pond on a horrid tiny-leafed weed, that apparently once you get it its really difficult to get rid - ...

Huge windy gales brought the first rain in ages so I gardened today - instead of planting I dug blue potatoes and found heaps of pear shaped cherry tomatoes (heritage variety - look like little red light globes!)

Really want to put in the 10 lavendar bushes but am not totally sure where to put them.

I think I will set up some "Ester Dean's No-dig garden beds and fill them with loads of rich soil and compost as the soil here dries quickly and the plants stop growing.

Cedarblue: I think that the tadpoles will be very hard to see until they are bigger than peas so hopefully they are still there. They will like eating the roots of the floating weed too.

Tails4wagging: something strange has happened here - the daffodils are coming up very early - looks like it will be a good winter for bulbs!

tails4wagging
Apr 3rd, 2005, 06:23 AM
When does your daffs, flower then is it the same time as the uk, which is your autumn isnt it??

veganblue
Apr 3rd, 2005, 07:41 AM
When does your daffs, flower then is it the same time as the uk, which is your autumn isnt it??

It is Autumn now - I always think of them in early Spring though so their appearance always surprises me :)

cedarblue
Apr 3rd, 2005, 11:24 AM
Cedarblue: I think that the tadpoles will be very hard to see until they are bigger than peas so hopefully they are still there. They will like eating the roots of the floating weed too.


the spawn is quite large and i can see lots of tadpoles, some wriggling, some not. cant see many actually swimming freely around though. oh well, we shall see, am checking daily for newt babbies and developing spawn. :)

Roxy
Apr 3rd, 2005, 06:16 PM
Ahhhhhh.........I like this thread. Back in Australia, I used to have a house with a garden. Now I live in an apartment with no garden. I miss my garden! We are looking to move to a townhouse, but it seems that there aren't many available for rent in our area. Well......I will keep looking and keep my dream alive, of having a garden again!

tails4wagging
Apr 3rd, 2005, 07:41 PM
Roxy, You can grow things in your flat in containers??.

Seaside
Apr 3rd, 2005, 07:55 PM
Posted by cedarblue:

i love pondlife

I miss my pond! For several years a mama duck would use it to raise her babies in. Then I decided to rescue some feeder goldfish from the pet store, and when the ducks came back I had to shoo them away because they tried to eat the fish. I never had any frogs, though.

Roxy
Apr 4th, 2005, 05:37 AM
Roxy, You can grow things in your flat in containers??.

I wish I knew how. Everything I have tried to grow in containers has died :( Except for a little blue spruce which is still alive.

tails4wagging
Apr 4th, 2005, 06:03 AM
Roxy, the blue spruce is hardy. If I lived in a flat again I would try growing potatoes in a deep container and just keep earthing up and watering well.
My problem with indoor plants is I dont water them enough especially in the winter when I have the heating on so they need more watering then.

Roxy
Apr 4th, 2005, 06:10 AM
I'm thinking of trying to grow something on my balcony this spring. I'll have to check what the seed packets say, and make sure the conditions are suitable.

tails4wagging
Apr 4th, 2005, 06:21 AM
On our tv the other day the programme 'Gardeners world' suggested you could grow anything in containers, lettuce, spinach,tomatoes and potatoes where suggested.

Seaside
Apr 4th, 2005, 07:11 AM
Hi Roxy,

Try this book, "The Bountiful Container" by Rose Marie Nichols McGee & Maggie Stuckey. It's by Workman Publishing. www.workmanpublishing.com

cedarblue
Apr 4th, 2005, 10:51 AM
raining today, so pleased i planted spuds last night. too wet to do much out there today so watching the birdies picking over the turned earth (sorry worms! :( ) and thinking about what to plant around my pond.

last night after doing spuds, played badminton in garden with daughter - well, when i say badminton, i mean our 'special' badminton which involved 2 odd bats, and knocking one of those soft squishy bath scrunchy things over the washing line. LOL, we never get more than a 7 rally going :p

cedarblue
Apr 4th, 2005, 11:43 AM
binoculars at the ready!!

no - im not snooping, just watching a pair of jays collecting nesting material :)

Roxy
Apr 5th, 2005, 04:21 AM
Hi Roxy,

Try this book, "The Bountiful Container" by Rose Marie Nichols McGee & Maggie Stuckey. It's by Workman Publishing. www.workmanpublishing.com

Thanks Seaside! That looks like it might be a very helpful book :)

Aurora
Apr 5th, 2005, 10:08 AM
Lovely bright cold day. Going into the greenhouse to pot on my new seedlings and plant some seeds I bought yesterday


Black Velvet Nasturtiums
Viola Tiger Eye
Melon Sweetheart
Salad Leves
Bedding Miniature Lupins

Got lots of lovely things coming up at the moment. :)

RockyRaccoon
Apr 5th, 2005, 09:45 PM
I'm thinking of trying to grow something on my balcony this spring. I'll have to check what the seed packets say, and make sure the conditions are suitable.
Herbs grown in containers work really well. They not only look good, they smell and taste wonderful too. I also grow herbs inside in the winter. I put mint in the bathroom and crush the leaves whenever I'm in there, mmm, it leaves the room smelling lovely and fresh.

tails4wagging
Apr 6th, 2005, 06:53 AM
Mint in the bathroom sounds lovely!!.

We have had a forecast of wintry showers this weekend!! so I will have to close my greenhouse up!!.

Roxy
Apr 6th, 2005, 07:14 AM
Herbs grown in containers work really well. They not only look good, they smell and taste wonderful too. I also grow herbs inside in the winter. I put mint in the bathroom and crush the leaves whenever I'm in there, mmm, it leaves the room smelling lovely and fresh.

I had a herb pot. They died :( My bathroom does not receive any natural light (no window). Do you think anything would grow in there? (Other than mould)

tails4wagging
Apr 6th, 2005, 07:18 AM
roxy try artificial plants in the bathroom!! :)

Roxy
Apr 6th, 2005, 07:21 AM
I could do that I suppose, but honestly, would anything actually grow in there?

Seaside
Apr 6th, 2005, 07:57 AM
Roxy, see if you can find a moisture meter at your hardware store or garden center. Mine was about ten dollars, I think, and it is really handy. It doesn't even seem to need batteries; it works on the "potato" battery theory (I had a clock once that ran by using potatoes or lemons with two different metal spikes stuck into the potatoes and wired to the clock). Its got a plastic meter with two metal spikes, one copper, the other probably aluminum, or maybe zinc, coming out of the bottom. You push the metal spikes into the soil, and it will tell you how moist the soil is, what the pH of the soil is (different plants like different levels of acidity in the soil, but its not important unless you are growing azaleas, blueberries, etc.) and how bright the light is. It's a very helpful gadget!