Owner: Greenhouse girl: life amongst the gardens of Yorkshire URL:http://www.twowests.co.uk/weblog/ Join Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 10:39:55 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Online diary of greenhouse girl, who whiles away her life amongst the gardens of Yorkshire and the greenhouses of the dales.
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Grow Your Own Veg 2007-01-06 20:57:44 A New BBC Gardening Programme Worth Watching ...
With so many "lifestyle' programmes on the TV it can be a bit risky to sit down to watch a new programme ... but make an exception and tune in to "Grow Your Own Veg' on Friday on BBC2 ... it's fabulous!
Carol Klein is so down to earth that you can actually see yourself growing the same plants that she is ... she makes it look easy and her enthusiasm makes you want to try growing new varieties in the garden ...
If you caught the first programme you'll have seen her planting Jerusalem Artichokes in her potato bed ... to act as a wind break (which we later learnt wasn't too wise ...) but more importantly to get a long lasting root crop which would produce fresh crops year after year ...
Now, I've neither eaten nor grown Jerusalem artichokes myself but I'm quite keen to give it a go this year ... if anyone knows how they taste, have any good recipes or advice on growing them please let me know ...
In the mean time I
Caring For The Unexpected House Plant 2007-01-06 16:18:41 A Happy Addition To My HousePlant
Collection ...
I got a Bromeliad for Christmas ... yes, I can hear the philistines amongst you saying "You need to see a doctor for that ... he'll clear it up straight away' ...
A Bromeliad (pronounced "bro-meh-lee-ad') isn't a medical condition, but rather an exotic looking plant of the Bromeliaceae family. Including over 3000 named species the one you'll be most familiar with is the pineapple ...
Distinguishing Features ...
All bromeliads are formed by leaves that grow in a distinct spiral or "rosette' shape. The different varieties of bromeliads have leaves which grow closer or further apart, so that you'll see some types whose leaves grow so far apart that they are formed from an almost flat, single spiral of leaves. Others have leaves which overlap so closely that little "pockets' are created at the base of the leaves, which catch and hold water.
At the centre of this spiral of leaves the bromeliad will form its flo Read more:Caring
, Unexpected
Starting To Grow In 2007 2007-01-04 15:17:58 On A Small Scale ...
Since I moved house I'm without a greenhouse on my back garden - I've only still got the ones at the allotment. So whilst I'm deciding which to buy I'm finally letting the moths out of my purse to buy a propagator for my kitchen windowsill ...
Working at Two West's I'm really lucky as I get to see what's selling and when ... and over the past few days everyone seems to have been placing orders for our Windowsill Propagator. In the past I've bought two of these for my Dad who absolutely raves over them ... even though he's got numerous larger electric propagators he seems to have a propagator on his kitchen windowsill constantly ... I think he's trying to keep up with Mother Nature in the amount of new plants he grows ...
I think the reason the Windowsill Propagator is so..o..o.o popular is that it's really easy to use making it virtually impossible not to succeed, even if you're growing from seed or cuttings for the first time. Thereâ€
Looking Forward To Gardening In 2007 2006-12-31 22:10:25 "A garden is never so good as it will be next year."
(Thomas Cooper)
I'm imagining a gorgeous new garden in 2007 ...
inspired by some of the show gardens I saw during 2006 ...
I'm looking forward to enjoying crops of fresh, home grown fruit and vegetables ...
and I think gardeners will cheer with this little fact I've just read (courtesy of Sainsbury's Magazine January 2007)
"vitamin levels of fresh fruit and vegetables start to decline when they are harvested - vitamin C levels can have every 12 hours ..." so you should be harvesting and eating soon after ...
I'm missing my old back garden ...
here a just a few of the flowers I'd like to grow in my new garden ...
Read more:Forward
Poinsettia Watch Week One 2006-12-07 12:26:47 I've Taken Pity On A Poinsettia ...
Everyone sing along now ...
"Percy the puny poinsettia
Is hanging his bloom in dismay
If they had just kept him wetta
He'd be a houseplant today
Folks liked the other plants betta
Now he's alone on the shelf
Even a plant with no uncle or aunt
Shouldn't spend Christmas Day by himself"
My new house is now graced by its first poinsettia ... let's see how long it lasts!
Due to parental guidance ("Dad always know best' is my motto) Percy is placed on my hall window - where he (hopefully) will get fairly static temperatures, no cold draughts (he's protected by my new blind) and "cause I'll see him everyday ... I shouldn't forget to water him ... lets see how he looks next week ...
Poinsettia Watch is on ... I can hear Bill Oddie weeping in misery "cause he didn't think of the idea first ...
The Green Green Grass Of Home 2006-12-06 17:49:38 New House, New Lawn ...
But what builders' rubble is hiding just below the surface??
Like most "lucky' new home builders, I've inherited a back garden which consists of lawn, lawn and more lawn. As you can see, very rough looking, patchy lawn at that ...
However, I know (as I've owned a new build house before ... and not learnt my lesson!) that just below the surface will be hiding a plethora of builders rubble ... Maybe I should get Tony Robinson round ... he's usually digging someone's garden up around Christmas time ...
Read more:Green
Move To The Country 2006-12-01 18:58:42 With Greenhouse Girl ...
To regular readers of my blog I'd like to apologise for the last few weeks where I've been a bit quiet ... I'VE BEEN MOVING HOUSE (I'm shouting "cause it's been such a ******* experience ... I'm never moving again ... unless I can just take the house with me ...)
AND NOW ...
Can you believe, it's going to take BT over two weeks to put in a new telephone line ... so I've no internet connection ********
I'M JOINING THE SAS ...
and blogging from work ... so it could be a bit "hit and miss' ... you never know when the boss is around ...
BUT OH ...
I get to plan a whole new garden (and buy a new greenhouse ... YIPEE) ... I'll take some pictures over the weekend and you can see what I'm up against ...
Read more:Country
A Fruit Mystery Solved 2006-11-09 13:00:00 You Could Give Miss Marple A Run For Her Money ...
Wow ... and wow again ... you guys are way too clever for me (thank goodness we aren't playing poker ...). Only two days of clues and lots of correct guesses ...
Or if it just the power of the mighty Google ... I'm hoping there's no one out there who cheated and let google do the work ...
I've been trying the "Custard Apple' this week. Also called the "Cherimoya' it's about the size of a cooking apple (maybe slightly smaller) but although the skin looks tough and leathery ... It's disguising a soft flesh - you should be able to squeeze it with your fingers to tell if it's ripe.
It slices open really easily to reveal a creamy, white flesh similar in consistency to a banana. I then scooped out the flesh and ate it with a spoon (but I'm quite posh!!) ... I think it would be gorgeous with ice cream ... and it's supposed to be good blended with milk as a creamy milkshake!
Now ... is it me ... but of all t Read more:Fruit
, Mystery
Mystery Fruit Or Vegetable Part 2 2006-11-07 10:28:50 Need Another Clue?
Really easy to cut open, the soft flesh can be scooped out with a spoon and tastes absolutely gorgeous ... there's not many new things I try which I really like (although the guava fruit was good to ...) but this is something I'd buy again.
If you still don't know what I'm trying this week, here's another clue ...This tropical fruit originates from Spain and Chile ... but it's been known by a very British name ... Read more:Fruit
, Mystery
, Vegetable
Mystery Fruit Or Vegetable 2006-11-06 01:09:06 Can You Guess What I'm Trying This Week?
I was astonished when I found this on the shelves of my local supermarket ... so I just had to try it. Can you guess what it is?
I'll give you a clue ...
It may look like the skin of a Rhino ... but it's softer than it looks ... Read more:Fruit
, Mystery
, Vegetable
Greenhouse Tomatoes 2006-10-29 16:44:57 Get Into A Bit Of A Pickle ...
Yes ... it's that awful time of year that we're stripping all the remaining tomatoes from their plants - whether they're red, yellow or still green - and turning them into chutneys and pickles to enjoy in the winter months ahead ...
If, like me, you've got carrier bags full of greenhouse tomatoes why not try combining them with other vegetables from the allotment to make your own yummy pickle ...My favourite Mustard Pickle recipe ... one of the best ways to use up lots of greenhouse tomatoes and remember the lovely summer days in the greenhouse as you tuck into cheese and pickle when it's cold and frosty outside ...
What You'll Need ...
2lb Mixed Vegetables - tomatoes, cauliflower, courgettes (or marrow), runner beans, strong small onions or anything else you fancy adding
2oz Salt
1 pint Water
1 pint Malt Vinegar
Pickling Spices - between 1-3 teaspoons depending on your preference
½ teaspoon of Cornflour
1 tablespoon of Mustard Read more:Tomatoes
Guava Fruit 2006-10-14 22:52:05 It's Good To Eat Pink Guava ...
Yes ... I'm feeling very healthy at the moment as I've found yet another exotic fruit to try ... and again it's a fruit that's really, really good for you! However, unlike the Granadilla I tried recently the Guava not only looks OK, it has a gorgeous aroma and actually tastes good ...
Hurrah! Something that tastes good as well as being good for you ...
On this basis, if you haven't tried this unusual fruit get down to your local supermarket or green grocers (I got my guava from the packed shelves at Tesco's) and buy one. Relatively expensive - about 70p each - for a fruit slightly smaller than a dessert pear, I'm sure you'll not regret the expense when you try it.
Just A Quick Hint Before You Buy ...
To eat raw guava it needs to be very ripe so when you select one, squeeze the fruit gently to see if it is gives under the pressure of your fingers ... if it does it's ready to eat.
You'll see from the photo that Tesco†Read more:Fruit
It's Raining Sugar Beet In Yorkshire 2006-10-11 20:07:18 Oh No ... The Skies Falling Down ...
(Or "the dangers of falling sugar beet!')
As Greenhouse Girl was going to work one day, whack! A sugar beet fell from the sky and almost landed on the bonnet of her car.
"Goodness gracious me!' said Greenhouse girl, "the sky must have fallen down; I must go and tell the Queen ...'
Can you believe it! I know my insurance will cover another car hitting my car, but sugar beet falling from a great height I doubt!!
At this time of year, up here in Yorkshire
, the roads are strewn with trails of sugar beet down the edge of the roads ... and today I saw the culprit! Massive lorry, no covering on the top, merrily bounding down the road in front of me. Stuck in traffic, when he sets off in front of me "bounce' out falls sugar beet ... just missing the bonnet of the car ... as if getting to work isn't hard enough already!
Hey Ho, could be worse, at least I wasn't being followed by Foxy Loxy, like poor old Chicken Licken was ...
Read more:Raining
, Sugar
Tumbling Tomatoes 2006-10-09 00:49:45 With TomatoesTumbling
From Our Plants ... What's My Plan?
OK ... there's no thing as having "too much of a god thing' is there? Actually, in the case of ripe tomatoes, I think there is ...
At this time of year, are you like my, and absolutely flooded out with fresh tomatoes all over the place ... in fact we've got so many ripening on the plants at the moment it's hard to pick them fast enough ... they're simply tumbling from the plants like raindrops from the clouds ...
What's My Cunning Plan?
I'm no Baldrick ... but I do have a cunning plan ... Fresh Tomato Soup ... mmm I've dug out my old recipe book this weekend, and found my favourite soup recipe ... I know it's a good recipe with the number of "food splashes' staining the page ... good recipe books always seem to bare the scares of there colourful cooking pasts!
Do You Need A Plan To?
So, if you're looking for a good tomato soup recipe to, here's the one I recommend ... borrowed and adapted fr
Growing Your Own Legumes 2007-01-23 10:47:02 Carol Gets To Grip With Tender Peas And Broad Beans ...
Did you see Carol on Friday evening? Or the repeat on BBC2 last night? If not you missed a real treat ...
The third programme of the BBC's new gardening series "Grow Your Own Veg' seems to grow even better and better ...
In programme three we saw Carol Klein sowing peas the old fashioned way and protecting newly sown broad beans the organic way ... using prickly holly to keep marauders at bay!Getting The Best Peas Out Of The Gutter ...
Preparing to sow peas in her raised bed garden, we say Carol hack sawing her way through guttering...
Like most gardeners I know the value of "make do and mend', recycling and getting the best value for money ... and in previous years you may have caught me doing the same. By planting your peas in lengths of guttering you're able to plant them in one long neat row, without disturbing their roots. However, as we saw Carol struggling to get the young peas to leave the long length o Read more:Growing
, Legumes
The Perfect Gardeners Name 2007-01-24 17:37:47 Have You Got The Perfect
Name For A Gardener?
Did you know that your surname may have been used to indicate your profession ... obvious ones would be Archer, Baker, Carpenter, Fisher, Hunter, Miller, Shepherd, Smith, Wright ... so would I be right to assume people called "Gardener' came from families of gardeners??
Now, "cause it would be boring for every gardener to have the same name ... what do you think of these for suggestions for the prefect gardeners name ...
Mr Hedges ...
Ms Katie Cane ...
Bob Flowerdew ... (we love Bob Flowerdew ... but do you think he changed his name to suit his job?)
Mr Bush ... putting politics aside ...
Ms Berry ... Holly of course
Penny Royal ... if but a bit annoying ...
A Mole ... although I wouldn't invite him to a garden party …
Ms Petal ... first name Rose
Ms Cherry Forrest ... although this sounds a bit like yoghurt …
But I'm sure you can do better ...
Read more:Gardeners
Gardening Can Be Fun 2007-01-26 16:08:36 Wish You Were In The Garden ...
If, like me, you're being kept out of the garden by the glorious british weather (ha!!) why not cheer yourself up by watching this short film ...
It's a bit slow at the start ... but then you'll laugh yourself silly!!
Plus ... hang around for the end credits ...
Organic Food 2007-02-03 09:02:09 Are We Being Conned Into Buying Organic
Food???
Well, according to Egon Ronay that's exactly the case ...
Waking up this morning to the BBC 24 Hour News Programme (which I'm convinced is determined to brainwash us by repeating the same news again and again and again ... and again) I heard Egon Ronay being interviewed about organic food who is calling for the government to provide us with clearer information about organic food ...
Are We Confused???
Do you know what's meant buy "organic food'?
Do you know why supermarkets charge higher prices for organic fruit or veg?
And Do You Agree???
Eating organic fruit and veg is better for me ...
Organic food has been grown without the use of chemicals ...
The "organic food' I buy in my supermarket has been produced in the UK ...
I think many of us might believe all of the above ... whereas in fact the truth is anything but ... so maybe we are confused and that we should be standing behind Mr Ronay as he pins down Mr Milliba
Nude Gardening 2007-02-03 19:38:53 Only If It's Brad Pitt Working In The Garden Thanks ...
Unbelievably I came upon this news article earlier today ...
"Man charged with nude gardening ... A man has gone on trial accused of gardening in the nude ... 30-year-old ... appeared in York Crown Court on Tuesday, where the court heard claims that his neighbours were shocked to see him mowing the lawn entirely naked ... 'She could see the defendant out in the garden and he wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. He was completely naked using the lawnmower,' said Howard Shaw, prosecuting ..."
My first thought wasn't 'how awful, fancy living next to someone who gardens in the nude' ... but rather ... how has he managed to mow his lawn in the current weather conditions?? The past few weeks in Yorkshire you're lucky if you're not being blown over in the hurricane force winds, deluged in the monsoon style rains ... or knocked down by a rouge wheelie bin as it sales down the street in the mild, force 10 gales ...
But b
Frost 2007-02-04 12:23:20 Frost ... Friend Or Foe In The Garden ...
Look out! Look out!
Jack Frost is about!
...
He'll climb each tree
So nimble is he,
His silvery powder he'll shake;
To windows he'll creep,
And while we're asleep,
Such wonderful pictures he'll make.
Across the grass
He'll merrily pass,
And change all its greenness to white;
Then home he will go,
And laugh, "Ho! Ho! Ho!
What fun I have had in the night!"
[C E Pike]
Although I wouldn't normally welcome the sight of frost ... after the last weeks of torrential rain and gale force winds ... frost seems a small price to pay to be able to get out into the garden without ending up wet through!
Frost I can cope with ... plants can be covered with their own duvets of garden fleece ... greenhouses can be kept warm by using a heater ... a small paraffin heater at the allotment keeps spaces frost free whist if you're lucky enough to have electric installed into your greenhouse, an electric fan heater is easy to set and use to keep Read more:Frost
Sapodilla 2007-02-05 01:51:09 You Say Sapodilla I Say Chikoo ...
Yes ... I've been trying a new, exotic fruit ... and I must be having a run of luck "cause it tasted absolutely yummy!! In fact, so far, I think this is definitely the best tasting fruit so far ... that's if you like things sweet ...
Looks Aren't Everything ...
Don't be put off by the unappetizing appearance of these little fruits! About the size of a small apricot or tomato and the appearance of a raw potato ... in fact they have been compared to a wrinkly potato as if grows and when ripe, a rotten potato!
But please ... don't let this deter you from taking a taste ... for hidden within this unassuming skin hides an exceptionally sweet centre which tastes like caramel ...
When ripe you'll be able to slice open the fruit to reveal a centre with the same grainy texture of a ripe pear and ranging in colour from a pale yellow through to a caramel brown (as you'll see from my photo).
The flesh is soft enough to scoop out with
Garden Terms 2007-02-11 11:01:49 An A to Z Of GardenTerms
...
Adelgid
The "adelgid' is a sap sucking insect which likes to spend its time on various conifer trees. Closely related to an aphid it is a member of the adelgidae family insects.
Included within this family is the woolly adelgid, a small, fuzzy little insect that at first glance you wouldn't suspect could cause such damage ...
Weighing little more than a speck of dust the little woolly adelgids look like little balls of cotton wool. So when they take up residence on hemlock trees they make the tree appear as if it's been covered in like artificial snow ...
By feeding on the sap of the tree these unassuming, cute sounding insects can kill a tree within just four years ...
So now I've learnt about "adelgids' I'm now looking to further my education with a gardening term beginning with "b' ... suggestions welcome ...
Flamingo Flowers 2007-02-10 22:34:56 Flamingo Flowers
Are Flying In To Town ...
About seven days ago I noticed a hint of colour within this green leaves of my little houseplant on my kitchen window ...
and the excitement started!!
Most of the year I have a very unassuming, little green houseplant gracing one of my windowsills. It's grown slowly over the past five years since it's been within my house ... I bought it as a discounted little wretch of a houseplant from my local garden centre ...
You know the sort of thing ... generally speaking you have to be very careful buying from the "discount' corner in a garden centre as you can end up with a plant that's on its last legs with no chance of recovery ... or even worse, carrying some dreaded disease which it will pass on to the rest of your plants.
Even then it was just a few little green leaves, unlabelled and without a hint of a flower. With no care instructions I pretty much left it to its own devices ... keeping it watered (but only to a minimum) Read more:Flamingo
Mealworm Crumble 2007-02-11 22:55:48 Does Robin Think He's Getting Desert??
Feeding birds in your garden couldn't be more popular ... and the choice of food available is amazing!!
I went to my local garden centre today and saw something called "Mealworm Crumble
' which has been developed to provide garden birds with all the essential proteins they need ...
and is especially popular amongst the robins ...
Do you think they'll want custard with that??
And if they do ...
do you think it will be Bird's custard ... ha ha ha ha LOL
The Language Of Flowers 2007-02-11 19:36:32 Let The Flowers
Do The Talking This Valentines Day ...
As we rush towards February the 14th and the florists bask in the fact that many of us use flowers to say "I love you", I thought I'd give you a few hints to make sure the flowers you choose say the right thing ..
"Sweet flowers alone can say what passion fears revealing"
[Thomas Hood]
Getting The Message Right ...
If you stray from the standard bouquet of red roses, you'll find a whole host of other flowers which can convey a message of love ...
"thee only do I love' says the arbutus ...
"I love you' says the red chrysanthemum ...
"you're adorable' says the white camellia ...
whilst the pink camellia says "I'm longing for you' ...
"true love, true love ...' sings the forget me not ...
whilst the gloxinia says "love at first sight' ...
But if you get a bouquet of spider flowers get your suitcase packed ...
you're being asked to elope!
Saying The Wrong Thing ...
You
Propagating Competition 2007-02-13 23:00:41 The First Seeds In The Propagator In 2007!!
Yeh ... I finally managed to plant my first seeds in 2007 ... and just like Carole on her "Grow Your Own' programme I'm really excited to see the new seeds appearing above the surface of the compost ...
Now, I remember a few months ago everyone enjoyed my "mystery fruit' entries ... so I thought I'd give you a treat and see if you can guess what I've been sowing!!!
And ... as if just guessing isn't enough I'm also giving you the chance to win my propagator (well, not the one that I'm using at the moment - that would be a bit too mean ... ) rather, I'm going to get the guys at Two Wests to send the first person who can guess what I sowed in my propagator on Sunday, one of their own windowsill propagators!!
So ... now I've got your attention, if you'd like to take part, here's the first clue ...
Sown on Sunday 12th February, I'm expecting to see signs of growth in the first few days of March ...
I'll
Propagation Progression 2007-02-15 14:22:15 The Competition Is Starting To Grow ...
Ok ... seems like I've got you all stumped at the moment as to what's growing in my windowsill propagator ...
Although I've had some good guesses ... notably Jo's snappy Antirrhinums ... no one's guessed correctly yet. So here's clue two ...
A "massive' clue I hope you'll agree as you're actually seeing the seeds I planted ...
If this has been no help return in 24 hours for a more cryptic clue ... Read more:Progression
Propagation Success 2007-02-17 10:23:39 Did No One Tell The Seeds It's 2-3 Weeks For Delivery?
Yeh ... the appearance of the first few seedlings have proved the seed suppliers wrong ... in fact the picture shows you the first seedling which appeared after only a few days after it had been planted!!
So ... you've got a major clue with how the seedling looks ... well, it might not show you what it is I'm growing but at least it will help you rule out lots of the seeds I might have been growing ...
And now for the cryptic clue ... which I'm sure will trigger correct guesses straight away!Sing along now …
"Feelings, wo-o-o feelings .."
No ... it's not a romantic plant I'm growing ... but it's definitely got feelings ...
I'm racking my brains for clue four which will be available in 24 hours ... Read more:Success
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