Waving Bye Bye To Old!

Every year I always grow the same 'old' fruit and vegetable's,  this year my plan was to go 100% Homegrown Revolution. Which I am yet to write about!  I think I am making you all wait lol... To be honest I'm still working on it! 

I kind knew I couldn't go 100% HGR due to some people of my family, wouldn't like the new and cool stuff. e.g my Brother. 

Anyway I knew I still wanted to grow tomato's, I only wanted to have TWO tomato plants. Keeping this in mind I sowed six seeds  of 'Allicante' tomato. Within seven days I had little seedling's appearing.  After a few weeks I potted the little plants up and put them into the greenhouse.  At first I was giving some away to family (plant swap)  But then no one wanted any - so I know this will sound very bad I then was secertly hoping a snail would munch it self few one or two, bad I know. 

After a while I re-planted all six of the tomato's into the famous black pot's and then placed them outside!  In the end I only had four plant's that product tomato's, the other two plant's that didn't have a single tomato on so I decided to get rid of them two. . . .

The four became three as my wish became true - via a snail.  In the end I only got a hand full of tomato's.  So next year I will not be growing any tomatoes at all, due to poor growth this year!

So out with the old and in with the Homegrown Revolution!

Yep I have joined the HomeGrown Revolution....

It all started last year when I told you all about my new adventure with the Oca (Nz Yams).....
The only thing is I have not told you all how I got on. . . .

Where should I start.... Ah yes growning the Oca (yams) went really well I had heaps of leaves... 

Tubes for this year (2013)

As you can see how well the five yam plant's grew!  I even got flower's - which where white.  I later found out that the flowers are suppose to be yellow! 

In mid August I learnt that botanist James Wong was coming down to Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens to do one of his HGR ( Homegrown Revolution ) talks and book signing in late September...  

The day of the talk and book signing arrive I went with my aunt and mum to the talk - I wont go into too much detail about it, I'll most likely end up boring you all about it! 

Anyhow, I got my book(s) signed - yes I was a tad cheeky and took my copys of 'grow your own drugs' with me too!  Also I was given some advice about what to do next, while at the HGR talk by the man himself James...

Once I got home, I did as I was told. . . . . LOL!!

Some think I have mention before about is the very bad weather we had.   Anyhow I waited as long as I could with letting the yams to grow!  I was hoping and praying all the wet weather hadn't effected their growth to much! 

Crunch day came. . . . . . . . . 

Once I had cleared the dead leaf's off and collected the lil tubes for next year (for this year) I started to lifted the soil.  I got to the bottom of the sack, to my shock horror there was not one to be had!!!

I was completely un happy - what had gone wrong? Did I do Some think wrong? Once I had spoked and emailed Thompson & Morgan, plus asked some one else.  We all decided it was due to the weather.. :( 

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2013 Last attempt at growing the yams! 

I was on two mind's of trying this year and thought no wait why should I give up.. So I decided to not follow the Homegrown Revolution book ( Sorry James, if you read this) on growing them this year and do it my way... 

I got my little brown paper bag out that I had kepted them in and found out two tubs to plant them in. Tub one was of my collected tubers and T&M send me some more to try so they went in tub two... Dont laugh I used two twiglet tins to plant them.. 

A few weeks later I planted the yams out side in a potato sack. 

I was so worry that the weather would effect them again I even got them.  Their own pop-up greenhouse..   One thing I learnt was with them was to treat 'em mean and they will cope with you.. Which was and is a good thing for me at time's, due to work and stuff!

Dont worry I did water them well, I took the little greenhouse of them and let the rain do it for me.. ( oh god - dont I say bad) 

To cut it short everythink went well, I got stems/ leaves. I didn't see or maybe I didn't noticed the flowers and look what I got! :-) 

I have to say I have still not tryed them, instead I have sorted them out and kept the good ones. I think I will bee growing these little ones again in 2014.. 

Fingers cross I will finally get to try them then...

Please let me know what you think via Facebook or Twitter or leave a little comment at the bottom of the page.. 

August Update!!!

Fuchsia Heaven

Last year I wrote about how I sorted out the Green tub.  That once had rose's in - the rose's that was in the tub had die!  Also last year told I you about my new adventure with the Oca (which I'll tell you all about how I got on in my Homegrown updates!) I also got Fuchsia's too.

A little remind of what I did last year (2012).   I sorted the soil out and top it up with new.  Then I planted the tub up with Cosmos's and Lavatera that my uncle had grown and gave to me.  I put some of the fuchsia's in the tub, but most of them went into pots on the walls. I had some petunia's and lobelia's left from planting the other pot up...

Then the winter came so out I went to move the fuchsia's into the greenhouse.

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Back to the green tub. . . . 

Came late spring (2013) I had planter every think up, apart from the green tub. I decided to plant all my nine fuchsia's in the centre of the tub along with two Lavatera ( that I saved from work)  I also went to B&Q to see what I could find or maybe save! I came back with a lovely Cosmos.

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The French one with a Italian side!

I remember when I was little in our old garden, one plant that we had stays stuck in my mind was/is the Lavender!  Then we moved and in my teens I learnt I was allergy to the plant I loved so much as a child. 

At the time I was sadden to learn I could not use any of my Lavender stuff any more... Then I later found out my mum is also allergy to lavender... 

But not all is losted... I asked my mum about which lavender we had in the garden when I was small, at first she could not remember. Then when we were visited Mapperton Gardens.  We discovered that there was English and French Lavender there... We also learnt that it was the French Lavender that we were okay with..... Bingo! :-) 

That was years ago.... About 7 years!  Since then I have put the quest on the back burn, until now!

In June this year (2013) I started the search again, I knew were I was going to put the lavender if I could get one.   So the search was on, I tryed every where. I even contacted a Lavender specialise, who reply with bad news of they had sold out....  

So I was back to square one again,  until July when I was looking for plant to buy. Or should I say save, anyway - I found what I was looking for! :-) 

Once I got him home and gave a good drink I planted him up.  I have put the Lavender in the pot on the wall by my little greenhouse.

As you can see the lavender is loving his new home and so far I have had two lots of flowers...
Ah yes the Italian side well.  To my surprise the lavender was grown in Italy, I really thought it would be grown in France or England, How wrong was I? 

Heat wave Update!

Sorry everyone - who read's this. I am a shamed to say I have had writers block! I think it is also the reason why my post's have not been so good, well maybe it's just me..  Also my internet is not so brillant at the moment!

So while it is the hottest part of the day outdoor's. I am indoors hopefully updating
every think. From twitter to this my blog's and now I have a facebook page too! 

Okay here goes. . . . . . . 



Bee Heaven

Do not worry it is not as bad as it sound's. Back in May I told you about the trouble I had the year before on finding local honey (the mission of a local bee) and how I learnt how bad of a decline there was/is on the honey bee. (please's note all bee's in general) 

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So I planned to grow as much Bee and Butterfly friendly plants/flowers. I also knew I would end up buying some plant's in to replaces the ones that didn't do well.  I normally buy some plant's anyway - I think we all do! 

Anyway I started off okay. . .

I sowed heap's of seed's I got free from Amateur Gardening Magazine! Well when I say heap's that's what it felt like to my family.  I normally only place my seed tray's in my room on the window sill, but this time I took over other places in the house.....  After about seven to fourteen day's I had little seedling's appearing, then they slowed right down on growing! 

In late June I ended up putting them out in the greenhouse. Which by then I started to hope and pray the little plants would decided to grow more. . . .   

So once again I end up buying in plant's, Well I say buying in I should say saving plant's. 

I can not get over how place's (not garden centre or nurseries) how other places that sell plants do not look after them... Anyway I ended up at one of those places a warehouse place out of town a little.  So I grabbed a load, payed and went home.  Once I got home I gave them all a good soaking and then planted them up.....

The bee's and butterfly's are busy coming and going.  There is so many little bumble bee's white bum ones and red.. But no honey bee's :( 

It is now mid July and the plants in the greenhouse are starting to buck up their ideas. . . I think time will tell.. Watch this space!!!

Summer Workout

The next day after sorting the NZ Flax Phormium out.  I wanted to move the barbecue up and move the plants round. 

Up the top end of the garden I moved the rhododendron,  hydrangea, and Saint John's Wort out into the center of the garden.  Then I got the garden brush to start sweeping, also I moved the barbecue out slightly, so I could get in behind and clear. 

Once I had done the sweeping, I moved the rhododendron back and moved the barbecue up next to it.  I then moved the hydrangea and the black box that it sits on to the other side of the barbecue, with the Saint John. 

After doing that it was time for a cuppa, then back to the fun outside again..........

This time I wanted to sorted out the water feature, that looks like an old water plump.. It use to have running water but the plump that was in the bucket part broke years ago. So I have been just filling it up with water as and when it is needed.  But now and then (you guess right) the water would go green, which is not good  because our cats love drinking from there.  So I needed to do some think about that.  

I tip the water out and cleaned out all the green stuff from the bottom.. (I shouldn't confess but I do like doing this job)  

While I was finishing cleaning out the water feature before I filled it up again, I decided I wanted to place a plant in the corner and then the water feature... While I was filling up the feature I decided to put the Astilbe in the corner.

The Rose


Next to the water feature,  I have a trelis/planter with black round pots placed inside.  Planted up with Passion Flower (which I'm not sure what's happen as I have never had a single flower yet! ). A long with the passion flower there is Morning Glory and Beeisum name just a few.


Last year I bought  my mum for Mother's day a rose called Patricia .  Which is my mom's name... Since then I have been trying to find a prefect pot for it....  Until I had a re-think and decided to take a un-used black and re-pot the Rosa Patricia up, in that for now. 

Once I had potted up the rose I wanted to put some think around the plant..  Lucky enough I had bought some black glass stones a few weeks before... So I popped them around the rose!  

Its not a very good picture but you can see the flower! 

Please let me know what you think? 

Is He Alive

Just lately I have been wondering what is up with my New Zealand Flax.  The leaves have been going yellow and to be honest he did not look  very alive!  I started to wonder if he had died on me during the winter. Due to all the cold weather we have had in the Uk.

So I decided to do some re-search just to re-fresh what I know about the NZ Flax...  I learnt that due to the very cold weather we had last winter a lot of NZ flax's was and have die off! 

R.I.P: Other NZ Flax's 

I also read how some NZ Flax's have never flowered, due to our weather.  To think of it I can only remember two times when My NZ Flax as flowered!

Anyway.  .  .  I decided to tackle the NZ flax on my day off.  Which was last Bank Holiday Monday just gone.  So once I got up and had my breakfast off out in the garden I went..

Firstly I had to move the Rhododendron over and some of the other pots to, get to the flax. 

Then I had fun moving the pot that the flax was in.  Once I got the pot onto the floor, I got out the garden string to tie the leaves up!  So I could get down to the soil level and get the old leaves and horrible rotting mass, which had to go...

So once I got rited of the rotting mass of stuff out of the way.  I could now see how the NZ flax was.  To my surprise I have got about nine plant's in the pot.  So after I tidyed the leaves up, 
I re-moved the green safeways box that the plant use to sit on, due it the box had broken. 
Don't worry I am going to re-use the box some how.  Once I got the box out of the way I pushed the flax up into the corner.  Then I put newish soil on top to cover up the roots. 

What I found was the NZ Flax I bought many years ago have die. It seem to be all the baby plant's (what was) were growing in the the rotting mass of stuff.  So that is why I put newish soil on top. Then I put lil pebbles on top, for now! 

Couldn't get all the big leaves in picture!

I know I have mention it before about working on sorting out the corner.  But I am working out what to do with it!  I want to down size the pot the NZ flax is in, I also would love to have a palm in the garden....Kind of like one of them on Weymouth seafront. (I May end up doing a post on Weymouth seafront palms.)  Anyway what ever happens I will let you all know.  What I decided to do.. .. 

Please feel free to reply, let me know what you think? 

The Mission Of A Local Bee! (part 01)

Last year for the first time ever I suffered with Hay fever,  at the time I did not know it was Hay Fever.  I first thought I had a cold and I kept telling everyone it was just that!

Then the symptoms got worst - so off I went to the doctor's. Too my surprise he told me - it was Hay Fever and the best thing I could take was Local Honey!

So once I got home I started to look up on line for local honey and where I could get some from.  But I was not so lucky with the search. :(

Then I remember two remedies nettle tea and chamomile tea!  So while I was out shopping for plant's I picked up a box of chamomile tea.

Once I got the plants that I wanted and the tea! Off home I went to put the plants outside!  Also to have a cup of chamomile tea with a sandwich!

I can not lie the chamomile tea reminds me of old dirty sock's yuk!!!!!!

Once I had that rather interesting cup of tea and a lovely ham sandwich, off out I went with my mom;  Too look for local honey!

We did a 100 miles right round scales.  Too find local honey, I went into every farm shop I could find from Washingpool  to Holme farm shop , even all those little farm shops in between!

Every shop had honey, but when I asked where the honey was from? or do you have local (Dorset) honey?  The reply I got was shocking and I found alarming: 'Sorry we have no local honey, we have had to buy in honey from other counties.' Or I was told 'I have losted all my hives due to the winter'. I was even told ' I am very sorry to say I lost mind due to the virus that is hitting the honey bees'.  So I went home without any honey......

On my way home I remember last year (2011) I was getting honey bee's in the garden.  I wondered where they were coming from, I knew there isn't a beekeeper near me!  I also know bee's can travel long distance's, if they have too..   So I worked out the little bee's must of been coming from Chickerell, Dorset maybe... I started to wondered again if there was a beekeeper out at Chickerell.

So again once I got home I searched on the net to see if there was a bee keeper in Chickerell..  I even got in touch with a man to do with beekeepers in Dorset!  But he couldn't even help me!  So I did not know where to look, again!

Nearly two week's pasted and I was at work.  When I got talking to a lady, that told me, about a guy two door's down from her in the village that she live's in, is a beekeeper!

So the next day I phoned the village shop. The nice lady in the shop didn't even know about the beekeeper in her village!  So I was back to square one again!

A few day's later I was in my local whole food shop. When I decided to ask if they had any local honey, (any what have I got to loses) .  To my surprise they had some!

Even more of a surprise is that the honey is from beekeeper of the village, where my customer live's!

So now ever couple of weeks I go into the shop to pick up my supply...

I'm still none the wiser who's honey bee's it is that visits the garden!

Chelsea Flower Show 2012

Can you believe it is (Chelsea 2013) that time of year again? How time flys!

I can just about imagine how and what it is like for the designer's. . . . Well okay maybe not!!!!

But I can say I kind of know as I had a go at the One Show Garden Design competition! Okay still maybe not... 

Anyway. . . . .

Like the last few year's I have not been able to go, the same was for 2012. One day I will get there, I know each year I say ' I will go to Chelsea next year'.  But so far I have not got there - but I do know one day I will!!!! (Sorry if I rabbit on sometimes) 

Before I tell you all my favourite garden's. I do need to say once again Thank You to the BBC coverage to Alan Titchmarsh and co....

I know I do not normally mention about the Great Pavilion.  But some of the exthilbets had really caught my eye.

So Here Is My Favourite's 

Birmingham In Bloom

Designers:Birmingham City Council

Won: Gold 

Location: The Great Pavilion 

O.m.g!!!!! When I saw this for the first time I loved it.  Every think about it from the mini to the Jewel Quarter and the canal's.  To name just a few part's of the garden.  I suppose I am proud of the fact that I am half Brummie.  My family comes from the Jewel Quarter and they was also canal people!

Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical - From Thailand

Won: Gold
Location:  The Great Pavilion 
Web site Nong Nooch Garden

I think you can see from the picture why I love this so much..

Also Did You Know: Nong Nooch used 80.000 Orchid's (Source BBC Chelsea Coverage)

Now out of the Great Pavilion and down to the show and smaller garden's. 

Plant Explorer's Garden

Designer: Karolina Terejak and SAE Students
Won: Gold

I though how cool this garden was with it's
little office for planning stuff and a sweet greenhouse for growing plant's! 

I also love this too!!

Furnzy Garden

Designers:  Chris Beardshaw

Won:  Gold

Website:  http://www.furzey-gardens.org/index.php

I dont think I need to say much about this garden.. Apart from I fell in love with the little thatch building (I love traditional crafts and I believe that they should be kept alive!) Also I loved the adorable planting - finally  Rhododendrons at Chelsea...


Trailfinder Australian

Designer:  Jason Hodges
Won: Silver Gilt 


I was looking forward to seeing these guys and they delivered an - what I would say us Brit's would think of Australian garden to be, with a hot-tub and barque and planted with sub-tropical and native Australia plants! 

Quiet Time: DMZ Forbidden

Designer: Jihac Hwang
Won: Gold
Located: Main Avenue 

I will confess at first I did not like this garden at all. But as the week went on I grew to like it.
I surpose I did not like the garden due to the bullet's and bar-wire, all the sign's of war.  But once I got over that, I could see the beauty it had with in the garden.


HomeBase Teenage cancer Trust

Designer: Joe Swift
Won:  Gold

Wow! What can I say Joe Swift's Teenage Cancer Trust Garden. . .
Is beautiful in every way. I love the curve's of the wall's with the openings in them.. Also how the planting draws your eyes up and through the garden! 

Also I have not wrote about how I loved the Japanese garden too.....
This year in 2013 I'm so looking forward to BBC coverage of 100 years of Chelsea!



The Move

On the 11th of March I (and like other's) woke up to find snow!  But trust me it was not going to stop me from doing what I had planned to do in the garden.

A few week's ago I decided to get rid of my old lil greenhouse as it was falling apart.  I can honestly say 'I did try to save it'.  So My brother took it to the recycling part of the local tip.  I made sure he took it to the right place..... 

So with the old greenhouse out of the way, I had a lil bit more space to move things around!

I have to say I have not moved to much.  But just moved over the Yellow Cape Fuchsia phygelius aequalis, hydrangea and Rhododendron round.  Just so there is air and light getting into were it need to be! 

with a little bit of spring - daff's!

I am also trying to re-design some area's too! Not sure how it will turn out........ Only time will tell! 

My secord challenge Rainbow Roses (part 1)

About three years ago I came across this picture.

At the time I did not know if the rose was real or if some bright spark,  had done a trick with the picture.

It wasn't until November 2010 that I came across the roses outside a florist in town.

(Tryed to get a picture, instead got a vid. I hope you guys/gals can see it okay!)

So once I got home I started searching on line.

At the time I wasn't sure what they were called, so I decide to search rainbow roses.

 I found out the they were called Rainbow roses or Happy roses.

I also came across an report on the Daily Mail about the Happy or Rainbow roses.

So now I know how it is done, I myself fancy having a go at making my own Rainbow/happy rose

Watch this space...

No winding down

Last year was a very odd and sad year in my little garden

The Sad thing was all the wet weather we had destroy some of my plant's I was growing.. :(

But the odd thing and I should not be complaining that most of my flowers are still flowering!!! 

Also the greenery of my daffodil's have started to appear - so to me that only means spring is on its way, Happy times a head! 

Week after next I am planning to get out into the garden and start sorting out, whats to go and whats staying..... Plus over the next few days I will be making my list of seeds and plants I'll be hoping to buy and grow this year. 

I will give you a little warning in a good way as I am planning to mix a bit of old with new.

Christmas Gardening gift's

Here are some of the Christmas gift's my mom gave me at Christmas

I have had this book on my list of things to get for a while.  

So I was really happy on Christmas morning  when I un-wrapped this :) 

Got picture off the box its in!

I use to collected Sylvanian Families when I was younger.  Well actually I stopped about 11 years ago;  But I have kept up-to-date with what's new! 

A few month's ago the Sylvanian Families (Flair) released 'The Beekeeper and Bee hive set' 

Has soon as I saw it I fell in love and I knew I wanted to get this! 

I kind of hinted now and then, by putting it on twitter or writing notes down and even mentioning...

So as you can guess I was over the moon once I un-wrapped this!!!! 

These are so cute and they smell gorgeous too..