The flower garden isn't really progressing very fast, but it's coming along. One of the reasons that things aren't progressing very quickly on the cleaning front is that my bride insists upon leaving the Forget-Me-Nots until they are bloomed-out. I don't put up much of an argument...after all, flowers are my thing. Another reason that progress is slow is because I do not have many spring-bloomers. Anyway, I have some fotos to show how things are at the moment. To begin with here is a foto of a branch on the Reina Victoria plum tree a few days ago--now all the blossoms are gone. Next two fotos from different angles of the flower garden. One of the few plants that is blooming at the moment other than the Forget-Me-Nots--a Comfrey. Over across the path is the one of the strawberry patches. Perhaps you remember last summer after the fruit harvest, I removed all the leaves but one or two from most of the strawb plants that you see here, and fed them generously with blood meal. It was quite a shocker for them, but just look at them now--they have loads of leaves and flower buds. I am well chuffed with these. The thinner plants in the middle patch were new plants that I bought last year and they did not have the "treatment", but I am also pleased with their development and appearance. The blueberry bushes are in bloom as well and if the frost doesn't het unexpectedly, there will be a bumper crop. Inside the greenhouse things are coming along pretty well. Here you can see Butterleaf lettuce on the left and Iceberg on the right. Just look at this lovely thing up close...and it isn't even ready to harvest yet. Perhaps you can just make out some tomato plants there with little bamboo sticks indicating how their stems lie. Finally, what's waiting in the wings--Rakker French Climbers and more Runner beans in the back( Lady Di). There is also some Tijm planted there but not up yet. Well, there really isn't much to show, but I have managed to show something at least.
How just lovely. Your flower garden looks just magical -- the forget me nots... so pretty. Everything, just lovely. One question if you don't mind about your tomato pic. The bamboo indicates the way the stem lies... Now, I am buying tom plants so if they have been grown upright, I should plant them upright, right? I shouldn't plant them down if they haven't been started that way? Oops, another question... what is the purpose of the upside down water bottles? Is that a watering device? Thank for sharing!
Hi Daisy, Yes, the bamboo stick indicated the horizontal lay of the stem. I plant most of my toms horizontally with the root ball somewhat deeper than the rest. The reason that I do that is because a tom plant feeds from the more shallow roots and "drinks" from the deeper ones. Further with most of the stem (from which roots will form) near the surface, the plant is happier because tome trally thrive on heat. You asked about how you "should" plant them. I don't want to say that yopu should or should not plant your tome one way or the other...I think that most people plant their toms vertically, but I do not for the reasons that I have outlined. Ach, I do not know if there is a right or a wrong way--I just do things the way I want. hahaha. You can read about this method of planting toms here (just scroll down): http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoorn ... age22.html The upside down water bottles and tubes are for feeding and giving water. Toms are very thirsty and very hungry plants, using these things just facilitates the process and less water is lost due to evaporation. Learniugn how to properly give water and food is a real science...Lots of folks told me how in the beginning, but in actuality one has to learn it through practice, trial and error. Eventually you learn to get a feel for it based upon weather conditions and understanding how tom plants 'work'.
Thanks again for the info and the link. I actually had already read that one day while looking around on your site. (It's a really interesting site, I might add.) That was the first I'd ever heard of planting toms horizontally. I'll have to give it a try along with the feeding bottle and see what happens. So many neat things to learn. Thanks.
wow, those forget-me-nots are gorgeous. Even what you do have is much more ahead of whats going on here. I have some flowers started inside right now just awaiting the day they can get outside. The garden hasn't even been touched. Been too afraid we get more snow. But soon as may 1 gets here I think I'll start working the yard and garden, for I do have a party (open house) to put on and will want things to look nice. Well atleast you have things started and looking good too.
Your yard and flower are magnificent as usual.I must try to plant some tomatos your way.It looks like they produce lots more tomatos than mine ever has.Your instructions are always so easy to follow.
Did anybody tell you that your plot looks great? I do understand your reluctance to remove the forget-me-nots, they're brilliant! Our plum tree is just starting to bloom now, but the strawberries are still waiting.
I wouldn't have the heart to pull those forget-me-nots either Sjoerd. They look lovely in your flower garden and, of course, they're one of my favourite colours. Everything in your veggie lottie and greenhouse are at about the same stage that mine are so I must be doing something right. However, those lettuces are waaaayy ahead of mine. Our fruit trees are flowering and so are our berry bushes although the plum tree has finished flowering now.
It's sort of nice to have things developing at about the same time as someone else... Those lettuces are an annual treat for us. The day that we put the gladd panes back in the greenhouyse we pop over to the garden center across the road and treat ourselves to some already germinated lettuces. We do the same thing every year. after a few weeks, our own germinated seedlings are then ready to put in--this way we have lettuces coming along in a steady stream for a few weeks. The ones growing in the greenhouse are pest and dirt-free. The later outside ones are of am much less quality in terms of pests and splash-up dirt. I'll bet you are really enjoying that greenhouse of yours, aren,t you? They make such a difference.
Beautiful as always Sjoerd! Love the comfrey...I never knew it was such a beautiful bloomer. We had a full weekend of rain which really helped to perk things up around here.
wonderful pics sjoerd! the gardens are so beautiful with the blooming forget me nots, plums and comfrey! i wonder if the forget me nots are edible? our comfrey is just starting to come out of hibernation...little tiny leaves showing up. we're way behind you. our temps are below normal too. i really miss our greenhouse. it collapsed in the snow last year...just couldn't keep shovelling fast enough with the unusual heavy snowfalls. going to move it to a place where we can keep it cleaned off in the winter in a couple of months. we do have tom and pepper and flower plants all over the loft in the cabin and all over the place on the porch. every night for the last few days we've had to cover the ones on the porch because of frost. so far, so good! starting to get the gardens ready for them....hopefully soon! i have read about planting the toms sideways, so to speak, and think i will try it this year. the rundown you give on your website is the most thorough i've seen. cornishwoman, last year, was telling me about laying the plants down lengthwise a couple days before planting, so the tips of the plants would curl toward the sun and make it easier to plant that way. i see that in your directions too. i also noticed the bottle and tubes for watering. great idea for the greenhouse! i have used them outside, but never thought for plants in the greenhouse. and your lettuce looks scrumptious! good work sjoerd and great pics! what is Tijm?
KL--Thanks for the compliment on the Comfry. That particular plant will have to be carefully dug up and moved to make way for another project that will take place there. After the blooms have died, I will remove the bloom stalks with seed heads and throw them away, then I will harvest the leaves and let it grow back and repeat it all again. I am usually able to do this 3-4 times a year. Bunkie-- That horizontal way of planting really does work well for me, but half the secret is in the preparation of the bed where they will be planted. I put alot of work into that before I even put the glass panes back into the greenhouse for the season. That method for getting the plants to curl is a good one. I simply let the tom plants stand on the window sill for 3-4 days instead of turning them that way they grow radically towards the light and are already 'curled' usefully. Any technique is a good technique--but I have also just planted them without the curling technique and they grew up like I wanted them too. --There's more than one way to skin a cat, as they say. Even though the Forget-Me-Nots hold up progress with cleaning, I can't imagine the flower garden without them, Netty. And that tint of blue really is stunning in certain sorts of light.
