2023 - What I sowed today................

P was looking at aquifer levels (as I'm sure you all do on a Saturday morning  ) and he came across the word oolite. Now isn't that a fine scrabble word when you've got too many 'o's.  I had never come across it before, but will I remember it when I next play scrabble? Probably not.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oolite

Happy Birthday to you
Pickled Onions and Stew
Bread and Butter
In the Gutter
Happy Birthday to you. 

I've had a bit if a disaster with my snapdragons. So i'll start some more asap, and maybe some larkspur and definitely chillies.

Go on, inspire me.....


.....also looking at the best time to sow eucalyptus- would like an early start and I also have hibiscus mahogany splendour for my something new  If i can get some going in pots I could keep on my patio ( even though i hate plants in pots!) and they should give me some late autumn foliage that looks a little special.

I haven't grown many the last couple of years.... kids not about so much and the the OH cant tolerate them anymore.

So I want to grow some for Christmas Decorations/wreaths etc next year.

So Im looking for a fast growing/prolific cropper that drys well  .... would cayenne be your choice?

What are you sowing and when?

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year.

Yes, you've guessed - I'm rummaging in my seed library again. 

There have been very few mentions of celery on G&G so I've decided to put this right! I'm guessing that celery is one of those Love it or Loathe vegetables - I'm probably more of a Loather which is why I have several packets of seeds. 

Apparently, the Celery family (Apiacae) can be split into 3  - those grown for stalks, leaves or roots.
Stalks - Monterey, Green Utah, Golden Self Blanching
Leaves - Par-cel, Celery leaf
Roots - Celeriac - Monarch, Asterix F1

Any celery experiences you'd care to share?

2022 Thread at https://gardenandgossip.org/showthread.p...=aubergine

We've had some Love or Hate chat about growing Aubergines recently so I've dug out my Aubergine seeds to see if anything tempts me to try again. 
Interestingly, there are a couple that are described as Thornless. One is "Ivory" which is a white one. Orlando is "virtually spineless" and has 2" (?diameter), finger length, bitter-free fruits.

The other advice I read was to pick them small before they start to change colour as they turn bitter when they change (which indicates that their seeds are ripening).
White ones turn yellow, purple ones turn brown - pick them before they change. 
I've always been unsure about when to pick them, as I've only seen shop ones that are huge compared to anything I've ever grown so I've been leaving them as long as possible thinking they would grow bigger.........and been disappointed

The happiness rule seems to be, pick them small, young and at the right colour. 

I have seeds of :-
Ivory (white)
Clara (white)
Miranda (deep purple)
Kermit (green golfball
Orlando (dark purple )
Viserba 3 (long, purple - bitterfree flesh)
Long Purple (deep violet)
Rosa Bianca/Rotada Bianca Sfumata do Rosa (white turning purple with rose pink stripes - said to be non-bitter)
Black Beauty (dark purple)
Turkish Orange (Orange!! pick young to avoid bitterness).

 Decisions, decisions!!

I never really get presents - I usually get what I want throughout the year ( within reason ) the boys are frantically trying to find me something that I would really want on the day... Ive just seen them sneaking  a 6ft eucalyptus tree up the garden path


.... a little walk down memory lane - 8 years ago today I got the dog of my dreams, he didnt last long but the time we had with him was special.
   

What are you hoping for on Sunday - or have you already got it
( I ordered a dozen new dahlias  )

I'm geographically challenged and, when Garden Grower wrote that they were in Suffolk, I struggled to place it on a UK map - and whether there were any more members who lived nearby. I think of the UK as a giant jigsaw puzzle, where each county interlocks with its neighbours, so I wondered whether, between us, we could complete the jigsaw, or, how many pieces are we missing.

How about "Claiming" your county and giving us a pen picture of the area? You can "Claim" your town or village or island too. For those in France, you can "Claim" whatever you like!

I'll start by Claiming the City and County of Cardiff, Capital of Wales and Land of My Fathers and Mothers. I live near the City boundary, where the houses run out and the woods and fields reign supreme. On a clear day, I can see England, Somerset to be exact, across the Severn Estuary. If anyone lives there I'll wave to you.