Hi All

We are back!! Sorry we had to move and this took out our internet for a while. But that has all been fixed now.

 
So I will soon be bring you all new updates for:

• New to veg.
• The Flower spot.
• The Veg spot.

as well as new projects, and answers to your questions.

 
Though all of our problems our Shop has stayed open and your orders should of arrived on time and the our Shop will stay open 24/7 for all your garden needs.

So as the spring is in full flow its time we are all back out and enjoying our gardens. And I will be posting things that you can do to get your garden looking great.

take care

fred

We looked at the three main types in my “New to Veg – Where to Start” post and as we seen there is three main ways you can grow your own veg, you can do one or all three if you like. But I will be going through each of them, so if you have a big garden and have lots of space or just a balcony with very little we all can grow some veg for our table.

Step 1

 
In the first place you need to choose what you want to grow, but that also depends on what you like to eat! There is no point in growing Tomatoes if you don’t like them. So in Step 1 we will look at each of the three main types in what you can grow in that way.

A Veg Plot

As this is the biggest of the three as it’s completely devoted to vegetables it just depends on size, but you can grow almost anything as long as you have the space.

In your Flower Garden

Within your flower beds you can grow many vegetables some you can hide in between other plants, with some like Beetroot with it’s Red leaves you can make a real striking statement with! But you can again almost grow anything with your flowers.

Pots, Bags and Hanging Baskets

With Pots you can grow all wonder of things from Tomatoes to Potatoes even root crops like Carrots, as well Beans and Peas. And with them in pots if you have a greenhouse you can start them off inside and bring them outside when it get hotter so you can get earlier crops, or at the end of summer sow them out side and move them into the greenhouse to get a late crop (I will tell you later in the year about how to have fresh New Potatoes with your Xmas dinner).

Grow bags are also good for Peppers, Beans as well as Tomatoes. But wait have you seen you can now grow your Tomatoes in hanging baskets now too! with a new variety that hang down over the sides.

And as we we all love Strawberry’s and so do the slugs, try growing them up out of the way in a hanging basket too, so you can have fresh Strawberry’s with out the slug bite. And like the pots you can take the basket in to your greenhouse for an early crop.

So as you start to think about what you would like to grow have a look at our Garden shop for inspiration in what to grow. And look out for Step 2. And don’t forget to ask questions if you need to.

take care

fred

It’s Mid-January and its warmed up a little so it’s time to get some of those many jobs that need do in the garden as spring is coming,and its not long away now!

So what needs doing…

General Jobs

One of the top jobs,if not already done is to clear all leaves and other rubbish from around the garden,

With the warmer weather we get rain so don’t forget to set up protection for alpines from the wet weather as they can be damaged or die off if they get too wet.

Annuals

On wet days clean out the Green house so that is ready to start to grow the summer bedding as it almost time to start sowing those seeds. But don’t forget to buy them from our Garden shop here at The 5^th Room.

Perennials

Time to finnish off cut down last years growth and clean out leaves from autumn, but time is runing out to lift and divide plants that have got to big.

Trees & Shrubs

Finish cutting back trees and shrubs in the garden when the weather is frost free. But remember that shrubs like dogwoods (cornus) that are used for winter colour can be left until March, as well as the spring flowering types such as ‘Forsythia’ can be left until they have finished flowering.

Don’t forget you can still do hardwood cutting of shrubs that you want from the off cuts.

Get any plants moved like trees and shrubs around the garden as time is running out to do this, so this need to be done soon.

Lawns

Warning! Don’t walk on your lawns when they are frozen as it can kill off patches that you stand on.

Even at this time of year grass can still grow when it’s above 5C (40F) so in warm periods you mite need to get it a cut. But don’t forget to cut it 5-8mm(1/4in) higher than normal.

Pest and Diseases

Now with the weather being warm this week look out for slugs, even at this time of year they can be around so keep an eye for them!

Birds too and be a pain as they get hungry taking buds off of plants so look after them as well as putting net over plants to protect them.

So it time to get out there in the garden have fun doing your gardening and let me know how you got on and what you did this weekend

take care

fred

With the warmer weekend ahead it possible to do many of the jobs that been out standing in the Veg plot, and with spring get ever closer it’s time to get out there!

So what needs doing…

 General Jobs

Make sure that your plot is all tidy, e.g. leaves and other rubbish to be cleaned up from around the plot,

Things to Plant

Start to think and plan what you are going to plant this year, working out your planting layout so you know where you are going to put them.

Also start to buy in your seeds and other things you need for this year (don’t forget you can get all your seeds, tools, ect. from our Garden shop).

You can now start to plant out on mild days Garlic, Onion sets and Shallots from now on.

Things to Harvest

Continue to lift Parsnips and Leeks as and when you need them. You can also pick some spring cabbage as winter greens too.

Fruit

Get all winter pruning of Apple and Pear trees as well as Currant and Gooseberries bushes, finished this weekend where the weather is frost free.

Don’t forget you can still do hardwood cutting of Currant and Gooseberries bushes that you want from the off cuts.

And finish any moving of fruit plants around the veg plot so this need to be done soon.

Vegetables

If not done lift and divide Rhubarb crowns now and prepare some for early forcing and well mulching them too.

Pest and Diseases

Even at this time of year and with it warmer this week, the slug can be around so keep an eye for them!

Mice can also be a problem at this time as they are short of food and will look for your stores to attack so keep an eye out and take action if you see signs of them.

Birds too and be a pain as they get hungry taking buds off of plants so look after them as well as putting net over plants to protect them.

Take a look for Canker in fruit trees.

So have good time it the Veg plot and let me know how you got on.

take care

fred

Have you just thought about growing your own Fruit and Veg. Or may be with the economy as it is you mite be thinking about growing your own, to help out. But not sure where to start or how.

There is nothing like growing your own fruit and veg, they taste so good! And there’s so many ways you can do it too!

• A Veg Plot
  This is the most popular way to grow your veg, either in an allotment, plot
  in your garden or a large border at the top of the garden.

• In your Flower Garden
  Yes you can grow veg in the flower bed! you can plant veg as a contrast to
  your bedding, by planting things like Carrots, Beet-root and like, for colour and
  shape ect.
   

• Pots, Bags and Hanging Baskets
  There is many vegetables and fruit you can grow in pots, bags and hanging
  baskets and that means you grow them anywhere even if you have little or no
  garden at all e.g. on the Patio, Balcony or anywhere you have a space.

So you can one or all three its up to you but I will be going through the steps in “How-to”s over the year step one soon

take care

fred