Nailsworth Gardener: This Weeks Garden Tasks

WELCOME TO MY POTTING SHED

You can't beat a dollop of mud a day to keep the Doctor at bay.

Why not follow me about as I garden for money and just for fun in beautiful Nailsworth and its' environs.

What's it all about?

My gardens, that's all and any gardening related stuff I guess you might be interested in.

Where do I garden?

My house is in the centre of Nailsworth. With the wind in the right direction, we get a strong whiff of curry as it floats out of the Passage to India and into our front garden. We never get this smell anywhere else on our premises, which is either a good thing, or a bad one, depending on your point of view. As you now know we have a garden, a small rectangle, at the front of the house, and a triangular courtyard garden at the back. Then there's the Garden Plot, right down in the heart of Nailsworth, which I rent from a local business. This is new as from Autumn 2009 and will take a lot of work to help it become productive. I try to garden for veges at my friend Debbis house and for fun with my next door neighbour.

It adds up to a lot of work. For a relaxing hobby, it's proving stressful at times, but, mostly it's heaven.

There are customers who like me to work for them right through the year, and others who I see during the summer months. This working more days a week in the summer than in the winter, of course. The way to keep the finances stable for me has been to teach on the days I don't garden. Works really well for me. The bills get paid, we haven't starved to death yet and we get to have fun ... sometimes!

Monday, 30 May 2011

This Weeks Garden Tasks

The RUNNER BEANS and FRENCH BEANS need their supports put in about now. OK, I know some people put hem in at the end of winter, often before they've sown their seeds!

Push in a stick per bean, slope them as you push them in.

Lay a stick along the point where your 'vertical' stick cross over to form a channel.

Cut a length of string for each pair of crossed sticks.

Follow these steps for the simplest and fastest knotting system.

Finish with a bow - seem sissy? Well it wont when the frost is nipping your fingers and you want to undo the knots and get back indoors!

Where only 2 sticks cross, use this simple cross over knot.

BROAD BEANS are just about ready for a first picking - one more week,

The LEEKS are lost amongst the weeds.

Clear all the weeds away to give the tiny seedling a fighting chance. This customer always rushes out and throws down lashings of slug pellets - it drives me crazy.