AmateurInAwe's Garden

[Amateurinawe]

I am getting impatient waiting for the new season.

Planted some advance seeds in the heated propagator - far too early i think but there was not enough season this year for my aubergines so I'm kicking off some early planting to see if I can get a headstart. I shall do some more around january/february.

Outside, things are looking tidy...

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The beds are all cleared and ready. The vermicomposting bins are doing well with a very healthy community of tiger worms busy munching through veg cuttings, tea, coffee, paper etc. They survived last winter as the buckets are 5 litre and half burried in the soil, so hoping they should tick over during the cold months - albeit a bit slower on the consumption of the green waste.

The asparagus bed on the right is wired up at the moment, its an established bed of mary washington - some tips coming through already - far too early, hope that's just an over-enthusiastic root and not a signal for all the rest!

Reckon I can possibly get one more bed squeezed in at the back - 12 foot by 1 and half foot. Toying with the idea of a hot bed for aubergines and chillies but need to have a good organic source of fresh manure and it would have to quite a deep bed to make any difference - still have to think about that one. Perhaps if it was just a simple hoop and polythene setup that might be enough.

Slipped some broad beans into the left bed, hopefully get them up and grown in time for replanting with tomatoes....

[worth1]

Looks fantastic.
Really nice place.

[GoDawgs]

That's a pretty setup you have there, [mention]Amateurinawe[/mention]! Is it part of your back yard or in an allotment? And what size are those beds? I see trellis framework on the left. You ought to be able to do some great veggies in your garden! Looking forward to seeing it evolve over the coming growing season.

[Amateurinawe]

It is the front garden but as we are on elevated land we don't get people peering in as it is a seven foot drop the other side of the wall. Although had the odd shock when a father is carrying their kids on their shoulders as they pass by

The beds are 10 foot by 3 foot. I tend to pack then quite densely. The framework was for this year's tomatoes and managed to fit 18 in a bed quite nicely with heights up to 6/7 foot. Going to try a different structure next year and may have to dedicate beds to tomatoes hence wanting to build an additional one at the back for aubergine and chillies.

With the fence newly built, only finished it a week or so ago am sure I can get some more pots or containers for herbs, watercress etc.

[MsCowpea]

Very, very nice. Looks like you could fit in a lot more pots.

[Amateurinawe]

Yes and vertical gardening is probably now my only other option......so looking forward to next season. Hate to wish time by but it can't move quick enough...

[Growing Coastal]

Broad beans now? What variety?
I have some very old broad bean seeds that I have already sown. They are a variety I swear was called Victoria when I bought them though I can't find it online anywhere.
It is a variety that wants sowing in the fall/winter and matures earlier than the Windsor type. It also has smaller beans but just as tasty.
Can I plant my Windsor type now, just before winter sets in?

Your garden area looks great and nicely done for winter. Looking forward to seeing things growing in it.

[bower]

Looking spiff!!
There are advantages to having limited space, you know. Helps to prevent burnout!
I like the tomato support/bean support. Pragmatic with a good wall behind it.

[Amateurinawe]

[mention]Growing Coastal[/mention] Aquadulce claudia. Perhaps I am a few weeks late planting these but they grew well last year. I might have to cover them depending on the weather but can just chuck some fleece or polystyrene over the lower part of the structure.

[rossomendblot]

Very neat! What an impeccably level wall

I've just planted some seedlings of The Sutton broad bean outside. We usually have relatively mild winters here on the North West coast (apart from that -17 C we had back in 2010), but I'll plonk a mini poly tunnel or some Thermacrop fleece over them if the weather gets really bad.

There's a Youtuber I watch who is up the coast from me near Blackpool and he very successfully grew sweet peppers under a simple hoop + polythene setup this year.

[Amateurinawe]

[mention]rossomendblot[/mention] thanks, I'll have a hunt around on youtube. I didn't build the wall thou, just the fencing. The wall construction will outlive the house I think. Quite a feat, built with very large cantilever type concrete "l" shaped pieces and then faced off with special bricks (in keeping with the conservation orders for the area). The tops of the concrete pieces can be seen at the ground level of the picture. The earth this side of the wall is graded to allow drainage (excess water pops out through small pipes at the base of the wall the other side) but the backfill was devoid of any mature organic soil, hence me using beds where I could provide a rich medium.
Encouraging about the hoop and polythene setup, I grew lots of peppers but they remained green, although had good success with apache chillies. I think the polytunnel approach is sounding more practical

[rossomendblot]

Standard bell peppers aren't likely to ripen even in a greenhouse up here, and it's futile growing anything other than early to mid varieties.
The earliest variety I've tried is probably New Ace F1. I've had much better luck growing non-bell types. This summer I had good success with Amy, Semaroh, Sweet Chocolate and Mohawk F1. Sweet Chocolate and Amy in particular did very well even outdoors. Next year I'm adding more early varieties: Oda, Gypsy F1, Red Belgian, Redskin (dehybridised), Jimmy Nardello and Lipstick.

[Amateurinawe]

So the first of the crosses has quite vigorous growth. I am doing these so early as I want to get small amount of F1 fruit as quick as possible. These won't go into the beds.

But no sign yet of the aubergine. Still it's only day 11. Peppers seem to be sprouting well along with some chillies.

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[USMC130FE]

Looks very nice!

[Amateurinawe]

Some aubergine have popped their heads up. Black beauty and long purple. The yellow pear v indigo rose crosses are still growing fast so I have repotted them up to their necks. The reverse cross ones seem to be doing the same so will tackle those today but no signs of anthocyanin. Other tomato crosses seem steady as she grows. Chillies and peppers coming on nicely but they too will need doing in a week or two. But the tomatoes are a concern if they continue so quickly, have to jerry rig something soon to grow these at this time of year. But sadly nothing from the pimento de padron peppers I brought home from menorca this year. Still, it's a good distraction to covid events going on and satisfies a need before things really kick off with seed planting in february. Here's hoping for an early and mild spring and an end to all this virus.

[Maggie13]

Very nice set up!

[Mark_Thompson]

That looks awesome, what a clean layout

[worth1]

What's an allotment?
I watch Allotment Diary on YouTube sometimes.

[Amateurinawe]

Thank you,

my wife is unashamedly a little bit OCD with the order of things. It was more than my life's worth not to get things straight

A sample of some of the peppers and chillies which are coming on - these are about two weeks from planting and i shall need to pot on soon.

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[Amateurinawe]

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These are the indigo rose v yellow pear cross - germinated in 3/4 days and seem to have grown quite quickly. They have been re-potted up to their tiny necks.

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These are other crosses with indigo rose and either alicante or gardeners delight but don't seem to be as vigorous, we'll see.

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Indigo rose vs yellow pear, i can't see any aft yet...