In the thick of it

Ok, maybe I am a tad too busy to update this properly.


This month my enemies are:

* Greenfly. Dear lord, so much of them. I have been proactively encouraging spiders who have helped a lot
* Powdery Mildew. I left my greenhouse closed during my 3 week stay abroad and my housemate was very good at watering everything very well, but sadly the weather was warm without sun and the humidity has gotten to all my tomato plants in the greenhouse. Luckily I have about 15 plants in other locations. But for now I removed the worst hit and stripped all the leaves from the remaining ones and left the door open to dry out the greenhouse.

This month I have been eating:
* Tomatoes like they are going out of fashion. Any of my friends who taste them explode with joy
* several lettuces
* spring onions - red and white
* sunflower seeds
* Jalepeno chilis
* Demon red chilis
* Mange tout peas
* Rocket
* Chamomile (tea)
* Pak Choi
* Courgettes
* Spinach
* Swiss Chard
* Baby carrots
* Strawberries
* Baby kale
* Nasturtium
* Corriander
* Thyme
* Basil
* Parsley
* Mint

Things I see being picked by the end of the month:
* More of all of the above
* Potatoes
* Aubergines
* Peas
* French beans
* Runner beans
* Baby corn

I really would love to spend at least 2 days a week doing this and have the most amazing garden.

Terrible blogger

I have been so busy I haven't updated this. But things are going amazingly well! Here is pictorial evidence of it! I haven't had to buy any fresh salad or corriander for almost a month now.

Oh the excitement

Well its been the longest winter in history here. The sun has started to make regular appearances and almost all the way through the night but its still so cold, averaging 3-6 degrees C. Yuk.
Luckily my new garden is in the sun all day long, the joy of south facing and is remarkably sheltered from the wind. I have been out potting and repotting plants and seeds until ten at night at least a few times per week.

Potting is indeed the term as I am currently 100% container gardener now. This weekend however I will use some areas of the garden my landlady pointed out and attempt to grow my beloved parsnips and use up the remaining of my seed potatoes. The number of containers is reaching ridiculous but I have to say after damaging my back, the lack of digging and the lack of weeding I will need to do is greatly appreciated.

Many of the pots are beginning to sprout life and every morning I wander around poking the soil and nosing around to see whats appearing. This makes me feel incredibly centred and excited and skittish all at once.

Currently sprouting on the scene are potatoes, peas, radishes, beetroots, corriander, purple sprouting and mustard. Then I have my plastic greenhouse. This is rammed to the rafters with tender plants that have marched through minus degrees with remarkable strength, only the plastic sheeting between them and frost.

The paprika plants I overwintered are bearing fruits which are only a few days away from picking ripe. I bought 2 tomato plants back in early march which have made it through despite being outdoors in a cold frame through all of the snow we had. These are fruiting as well.

In addition I had around 150 seedlings - including 8 varieties of tomatoes, 2 peppers, 4 chili types, aubergine and multiple types of squash and pumpkins. I have rehoused many of these to friends since the move as I simply do not have the space but have still kept around 40 tomato plants to see which do well where. Some are on a windowsill, some in a tomato greenhouse on the balcony, others outside but well sheltered and many in the greenhouse.

The squash and pumpkins are a true challenge now that I don't have a real greenhouse anymore. I am not entirely persuaded I can pull this harvest off, but lets see if the Icelandic summer is decent before I make my mind up on that.

Get set, ready, GO

I just moved all my gardening things. Now I can begin this all again.
I have potatoes and peas already in some of the huge pots before I moved, and salad, beetroot and radishes in others.

This is the front garden. I can also use the back and the side of the house. The front is south facing though so will be more dedicated. The balcony also has my tomato plant greenhouse, with plants already fruiting. I just have to move all the many many many seedlings still left at my old house. Then its catch up time with all the rest. Woop!