The New additions to the family/garden!

O' Christmas Tree

 Since I was a little girl I have always wanted to have a real tree at christmas. Maybe because all the chritmas movie's. You see families going out to buy the perfect Real tree.

But I never like the thought of the tree(s) being cut down. After all the tree(s) have been growing a year or more. No wait if I remember right from what I watched at christmas it takes  a (christmas) tree about 10 years to grow from seed until it is ready to be sold. 

Also the thought of after christmas having to throw it out I mean get it recycle. I noticed that my local council was offering a real Christmas tree collection service. But still I noticed tree's dumped on the side of the road.

A few year's ago it was and still is popular to have a tree in a pot. Maybe Chrismtmas tree in a pot as been about for years. But have only become more popular just recently.

About the last two years I have been planning and keep going on about getting a (christmas) tree in a pot for my garden. So the second week of December (2011) I went down to Groves in Briport to buy myself a tree.

I bought a Abies Nordmanniana or Nordman Fir the picture below is how it looks now.

The tree looks much better than it dose in this picture, honest!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Gold

At the start of September (2011) I did my order at Suttons for Crocus Saffron Sativus and camomile. I got the Saffron for £2.95 for 30 bulbs instead of £9.95...  I first found out that you could grow Saffron in this country after James Wong visited a UK Saffron grower in his programme Grow Your Own Drugs or Backyard Medicine (as it is known as over seas).

I had to wait til the last week of September for my bulbs and camomile seeds to arrive.

So on the 4th Oct (2011) I planted the Saffron.  After a very long wait about three weeks green shoots started to appear.  I was hoping and praying that I would get an harvest.. But I kind of knew that I might not, Self nout I think!

I ended up never getting a single flower. :(  But I did have fun stopping one of my cat's from eating it. Mistaken the saffron as grass.  So out came the green canes and string.

I know this dose not look so great now.  But I do know that the green leaves of the Saffron dies back in April.  The Saffron bulbs go dormant until Autumn/Fall when life appearance's. 

Since the picture above I noticed the green leaves have started to go brown.  So I have removed the canes plus string and popped a seed tray on top.  So the cat's can not get to the leaves.

The Tale Of The Lemongrass

Last June (2010) a friend and I had a go at growing some lemongrass.

We both bought the stick's of the grass from a Supermarket.

You can pick them (sticks) up for about 67p from your local supermarket.

You can also get them from farm shops (which for about £1.50) maybe more.

Also the local asian / ethic supermarket, but I do not know ruffly how much they sell them for.

I got an old empty jar (don't laugh a mint sauce jar) from the cupboard,

 and put some water in.  Then I put the fat end of the stick in the jar of water.

After about a week the lemongrass had roots and green shoots

But..... I ended up running out of compost.  So I ended up keeping the grass in the jar of water.

Then the weather changed outside!  Which effects temperature of my bedroom (like most people).

One morning when I went to check on how my lemongrass was.  I had a shock and was sadden,

to see mold had moved in.  :'(  So I ended up taking off some of the leaves.

I thought I had won.....  But a few days later the mold came back.  :(

I was sad about this. So in the end, I ended up saying bye bye to the molded lemongrass...

My mate's lemongrass did really well and still is.

2011!

In 2011 I tryed again and so far was so good.
Til you guess it the evil mold re-appeared.
But I have beaten it again, woohoo!!

Picture was took today Friday 13th Jan 2012

I am now planning to planted up in the next couple of weeks, early feb!

My Adventure With The Goji Berry / Wolfberry

I first heard of goji berries on ethnobotanist James Wong program Grow Your Own drugs or Backyard Medicine

(as it is known overseas)

I searched high and low to find them. It was only when I went shopping in Tesco (Please note Tesco don't sell them anymore) I came across them. Yep I got hooked!!!

I even looked at garden centers and nurseries, to have a plant in the garden. But I weren't happy about the price, anythink from £6.95 to £9.99

So last year I set myself a challenge.

To grow one from seed.

I was told goji are hard to grow. But I know for a

fact: Goji berries grow in the South Of England.

On the 4th of March, I sowed some seeds I had gather. Within a week germination happen. 

Picture of one of the pot's

It weren't long til I had to pick out the best. I moved only three to my little propagator.

Two of them shot up really well.

On the 12th April I enjoyed potting them up.

This is how there looked on the 19th April.

I took this picture today.. Look how well my little goji's are doing!!