Gran/Grandads Gardening Corner

Yes Jalima I have that song on my ipod. Nevet connected with myself though......probably will now you've pointed it out

I shouldn't tempt fate by saying this, but I have never seen bindweed in my garden. My parents' used to be overrun with it. My veg patch at the top of my garden has lovely easy to work sandy soil, but it hardly grows weeds. Does this mean the soil doesn't have enough nutrients for decent crops? I cover it with a thick layer of my own compost over winter. All I had to remove when preparing it for use this spring were about 6 tufts of grass. I spinkle Growmore around each area I sow or plant.
I wish I had light soil in the rest of my garden, the slope was cut into to build the house and exposed blue clay. I could make lovely pots!

DH uses dilute Fairy liquid for greenfly etc; yes, burn or dispose of leaves affected by blackspot in the refuse (not recycling) bin.
We are not allowed to put bindweed in the garden recycling bin either.

You can use Fairy liquid and water too ( for blackspot/ greenfly) on roses, but you should take off the affected leaves and get rid of them.

Jalima thanks for passing on that earworm and on that subject, overthehill whenever I see your name I have 'Monster' as an earworm ( what's that coming over the hill is it a monster?) If you don't know the song look it up on youtube,( very catchy)

overthehill, I haven't heard that black spot remedy before, have made a note of it for future reference.

I thought covering the ground with bark chippings would be a good idea and we did this on one side of the garden.

I regret this now, birds/squirels/cats I don't know which, love to dig in it and toss it everywhere.

Won't be putting it elsewhere.

A rose in pot at the fron of our property seems to have black spot. I looked this up on my friend the internet and a suggestion was, 1 third milk to 2 thirds water then spray. Hurrah very simple and seems to have done the trick.

Now I have an ear worm!

'Oats and beans and barley grow
Oats and beans and barley grow
Do you or I or anyone know
how oats and beans and barley grow'.

Growing maize, beans and zucchini together is called The Three Sisters. The maize provides support for the beans which climb up them, and the spreading habit of the leafy zucchini keeps the moisture in the ground by protecting it from the sun's rays Tricia

I think it was an Aztec or Inca (always get these muddled) form,of agriculture.

He will do it on Tuesday morning ( moss treatment) as will be busy until then.Do hope it works!

At last my lawn treatment is here. I have mowed the grass today and will spread the stuff tomorrow in readiness for the predicted rain on Tuesday. The grass at the front of our houses which my neighbour treated a couple of weeks ago hasn't turned black, but the moss has lightened a little and seems raised. It is then supposed to get digested by the bacteria in the product and not need scarifying. It looks promising so far. Fingers crossed for mine. Has OH done yours yet Roses?

ps - Amazing!

(not grin) - trust you Anya.
My neighbours grow maize and beans together and the beans climb up the maize!

The DGD did the cress egg shells last year, I remember now, they must have done them with Daddy.

Greyduster love your idea of the cress egg shells will be doing this with our two

Human Beans?

Haha!

I do try to plant mixed veg patches Tricia e.g. Sweet corn with dwarf beans and underplanted with courgettes, but never tried beans and children. Do the beans use the children as support and how long does each take to pop up out of the compost?

Beans are good to grow with children - especially if you start them off in a sheltered place. They soon pop up through the compost.
And any pumpkin-type veg.

I don't have much success with sunflowers. They get eaten right down to the ground by slugs. Have tried the usual preventative measures to no avail.

Radishes are a quick crop for children, or pot them up a Tumbler cherry tomato plant each. My GCs had their own herbs in an old galvanized tub. They used to make 'herb soup' (not edible) with water, and serve the adults in their pretend café. They did, however, enjoy making and eating home-made pizzas topped with their own tomatoes and herbs.

Just went out into the dark, dark garden, into the dark, dark shed, went back because I forgot my torch, went back with my torch and fought the cobwebs and found the packet:

They grow to 1 metre

ps just kidding, they were in a drawer in the utility room

How tall will they be?

I have bought some sunflower seeds called 'Teddy Bear' this year

We always do sunflowers in pots for the children, they love seeing how much they have grown, although you will need to stake them with tall bamboo canes.
A spare patch of earth could have hardy annuals sown in it.

What I did with GS when he was small was to take three egg shells (from boiled eggy breakfasts), write nanny on one, grandad on another and GS's name on the third (draw faces on them too), line them with damp kitchen paper and grow cress seed in them. Then you see whose grows the biggest 'hair'! GS thought it was great fun to see it germinating and then sprouting.