tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75205035853307235782012-01-27T11:40:01.978ZFrom the growing of vegetables in the back garden, we've moved on to our own little farm in the backyard. If you think, that's not possible, you'll have another thing coming. Some live reports from H + G's "Good Life" on the farm in a sub-urban estate...Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.comBlogger571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-83700583297404213272012-01-11T18:22:00.001Z2012-01-27T11:40:01.986Z

The winter months are incredibly dull, and we are grateful for anything that gives us a little bit of colour or light in these sparse months when hardly anything grows at all. An interesting idea is to introduce a few bulbs into any relatively bright and reasonably well heated room in your house. Not only can they provide your rooms with some colour, but they also ooze a lovely perfume-like

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-91583538580073532112012-01-10T19:06:00.000Z2012-01-10T19:06:38.654Z

Yes, you've guessed right! There is another batch of sloe gin in the making. Photo taken by the author - all rights reserved. This time, I exercised a greater deal of patience with the setting up process, and I CAN wait this time. The reason is that the last time, we bottled and tried a part of the batch relatively early after two months, just to find out that the result was somewhat harsh in

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-67945152706608057762012-01-05T18:39:00.000Z2012-01-05T18:39:29.554Z

As I found out a couple of days ago, it is never too late to have a look into the winter garden in search of some hidden treasures. Nature is continuous - life cycles usually never stop but are in constant movement, and life forms sometimes just change from one to another. When I cleared out some really manky looking old dry remains of last year's runner beans, which were still firmly attached to

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-8186795509149894112011-12-30T16:51:00.000Z2011-12-30T16:51:49.542Z

Now, that we've all more or less excessively celebrated the Christmas season and looking forward to the arrival of the New Year, everything is quite enough out in the garden, and once again it is getting dark early. A funny old year it has been, with some plants not growing at all (like our carrots and parsnips) or with some extraordinary good results (just like the extremely well grown garlic

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-6461619470077606032011-10-23T19:06:00.000+01:002011-10-23T19:06:38.615+01:00

Yeah, you are right - this headline is meant to be a joke, but then - not entirely... We did harvest some grapes this year, as we did last year. The harvest seems to increase every year, and just shows, that you can get some grapes matured even in our funny climate. Okay, to be fair, you'd have to say in the next sentence then, that they are quite small, but as a good and honest home grower,

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-32380181665158363472011-10-18T18:59:00.000+01:002011-10-18T18:59:34.061+01:00

A bare patch of soil appeared right in front of the new greenhouse after it had been put into place. Since I've dug a proper foundation to keep it strong and solid enough to withstand our high autumn and winter winds, a few items had to be removed. Using this space for something useful for the kitchen instantly sprang to mind. A couple of existing plants were moved and accompanied by a couple

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-20727892972947456792011-10-17T20:37:00.001+01:002011-10-17T20:40:10.511+01:00

Now, that a lot of your precious home grown vegetables are harvested, there might be substantial gaps in the beds, where the soil is visible. Leaving the beds unused during winter is not a great idea, since the soil erosion due to wind and rain will be much stronger. It is always better having these areas covered. You have two choices: either growing green manure over winter, or fill the gaps

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-14060783266770243892011-10-17T20:31:00.000+01:002011-10-17T20:31:30.367+01:00

Although planted late this year (mid summer from about pencil size young plants previously grown in pots), the leeks are making good progress, and look, at this stage about the same size like last year, when we planted them in their final position much, much earlier. A friend gave me the advice to heap some compost around the base of the plants. That has seemed to work fantastically well. Not

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-65146264012952317002011-10-13T22:24:00.001+01:002011-10-13T22:26:09.770+01:00

That shouldn't be the case, and quite frankly - when we set the greenhouse up this year, I thought hat we'd never ever again have green tomatoes to deal with, unlike in the years before. Everything went well at the start - at least that's what I thought. The first 5 pounds of tomatoes were harvested red and wow did they taste delicious. Then, however, disaster started striking gradually. The

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-36581547661498723012011-10-13T18:36:00.000+01:002011-10-13T18:36:21.987+01:00

Surprised we were when we went out for foraging some sloes this year. That was in early September, and within an hour we managed to collect more than 3kg of this lovely fruit just from the roadside of an Irish country road. Have a closer look at the harvest here: After giving them a quick wash, they went into the freezer in order to soften and mature the fruits.

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-11629755920960387882011-10-13T18:27:00.001+01:002011-10-13T18:32:40.833+01:00

Thanks to the mild weather in October, the courgettes, which look a  little bit tired in September, have not given up yet, and keep producing fruits, although at a somewhat lower pace. The yellow courgettes started producing fruits later, but seem to hang on longer as well. I love the yellow waxy species. These courgettes are smaller, but have different taste. The tough and waxy skin allows

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-29110175146219435842011-08-06T12:22:00.000+01:002011-08-06T12:22:52.077+01:00

Photo taken by the author - all rights reserved.I never thought me saying this, but showing your fresh produce from the garden including probably some freshly bought produce from one of your local shops is a nice touch. You can see a see-through basket we bought for this purpose, which does not only keep the fresh vegetables clearly visible for us showing what is there and waiting to be used, but

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-4245645073058643022011-08-03T15:31:00.001+01:002011-08-03T15:32:54.732+01:00

This is the first year, in which we've got a really good onion harvest. We selected Red Baron for red onions and the well known Stuttgart Riesen for white onions. They all did rather well this time, and the weather might have been very beneficial for them. Although I spaced them rather tightly, closer than suggested in the recommendations, they grew very well. Size is one thing, but taste almost

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-46676073909352449502011-07-19T21:53:00.000+01:002011-07-19T21:53:59.682+01:00

Nicely tucked in the box, you'll find our harvest from the potato bed. This year we'd put in Maris Piper and Kerr's Pink. All in all, the yield was rather disappointing. I know that the blight had struck the crop relatively early. But there is a lot of small potatoes and only a few bigger ones. I can't quite figure out why. Does anybody have an idea? The soil seems fine, is sandy and crumbly for

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-25738708607970473722011-02-24T18:22:00.000Z2011-02-24T18:22:30.750Z

Image via Food Scraps and Organic Recovery.Food scraps like you see them above, primarily cut off remainders of vegetables processed or unprocessed, slightly gone off fruits and veg, boiled potatoes, etc. can be given to the chickens. As an addition to their daily ration of raw corn, different seeds and chicken pellets, they'll provide them probably with the best entertainment they can have. 

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-62445251872054165622011-02-20T16:34:00.000Z2011-02-20T16:34:55.502Z

Photo taken by the author, all rights reserved.This is it - the first ever egg we've got from our chickens, and which they laid sometime at the end of January. In the meantime, they are laying between them two one and sometimes two eggs per day. We haven't quite established yet, who lays which eggs, but there are some smaller ones more frequently (almost one every day), and there are some bigger

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-40672419875376711332011-02-18T18:56:00.000Z2011-02-18T18:56:12.994Z

It didn't take us too long to realize that our two chickens are actually a little bit too large for the run attached to the chicken hut. Although they started laying eggs end of January, and have so far produced at least one if not two eggs per day, we feel that they would deserve more freedom to move around. This is why the building has been started, which is supposed to provide them with a

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-10836705745804587962011-02-04T18:27:00.000Z2011-02-04T18:27:53.682Z

Dear readers, This blog was originally designed for following the progress in our back garden as we redesigned and reconstructed it over the last few years. Things have moved on, and it has become more of a working "miniature farm" right now. I'd still like to share with you what's going on, but since this on its own will not be enough to keep a blog interesting and up to date, there will be

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-80723553442163601212010-09-22T19:00:00.001+01:002010-09-22T19:02:00.598+01:00

Photo: all rights reserved by the author, Holger Thomas. This is what I collected from our "Little farm" in the back yard at a single day: carrots, beetroots, parsnips, a marrow and a squash. Even if we don't get large quantities, we have a great variety of vegetables. They come in all colours, shapes and tastes, and we make great use of them. Okay - the squash will probably sit next to a

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-63996530849428911092010-09-06T16:52:00.001+01:002010-09-06T16:52:30.562+01:00

Apples harvested from our two small apple trees in the back garden: On the left hand side you see the lighter coloured sort of them, which is more juicy and sweeter, but also a little bit more delicate. The deep red apples have a really good wax layer, which provides for brilliant storage. These apples can well be kept until Christmas. The quality this year was unbelievable. It has probably been

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-72421381056360677862010-09-05T18:50:00.001+01:002010-09-05T18:55:30.177+01:00

Here they are - and it seems like they've settled in in their new home in the meantime. The one with the dark beak is "Dazy" and the other one is called "Mazy". Never mind, last week we had two episodes of escapism already. The flap was left open for a second or two, and each time Dazy managed to escape like she'd just waited for this opportunity. The first time, it was easy to catch her and get

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-20566512587302333912010-08-09T15:36:00.000+01:002010-08-09T15:36:13.846+01:00

Hard to believe - but now coming closer and closer: there will be hens in the garden soon. This is the chicken coop we've got recently, and which I put together in an hour or so: Photo taken by the author: all rights reserved. There is only the need in some reinforcement on the sides where the ground is softer, in order to prevent the chickens from scratching their way into freedom underneath

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-91889308197521002272010-08-09T14:10:00.000+01:002010-08-09T14:10:00.536+01:00

Like with freshly picked home grown peas, nothing can replace the taste of sampling some of your fresh produce right from the harvest. There is a nice little sweetness in all the earthy bitterness of freshly picked carrots, that you can only taste if really fresh. Photo taken by the author - all rights reserved.This is the first bunch (or let's say first row) from our root vegetable bed in the

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-38286840800197599272010-06-28T12:54:00.000+01:002010-06-28T12:54:21.874+01:00

Due to continued attempts by unregistered users on Blogspot to accomodate vicious links leading to all sorts of websites in their comments, as soon as I have established a new post, I'm unfortunately forced to turn the comment function off with immediate effect. Sorry for all the other genuine users, but I'm left with no different choice. Regards, Holger.

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-87642437832724038482010-06-10T14:51:00.002+01:002010-06-10T14:58:01.214+01:00

In March, we introduced the new layout of vegetable beds on an area that had formerly been a grass area. Below, I'll show you a few pictures what the veggie plot looked like at the start of June: Onions and garlic is growing on the right-hand side, whereas on the left, you can see the peas and beans. Further behind, there are the lettuce plants, and on the far end in the right, there are the root

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-28409018306611289042010-06-10T14:44:00.000+01:002010-06-10T14:44:23.525+01:00

So, how are the courgettes doing, the green monsters and rulers of the patio? Here are current pictures of the glory, and I hope it will last. There seems to be no stopping them. As you can see, plenty new blossoms are coming up, and the first three of them will be harvested and eaten today.

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-42412366496637236052010-06-10T14:39:00.000+01:002010-06-10T14:39:48.475+01:00

The reportedly most easy to grow variety of vegetables has been harvested - well, the first lot of them, at least. The weather seemed to support growth very much and the fresh soil with a generous proportion of organic top soil has also played its part in getting the biggest radishes I've ever harvested. Here is a picture of these vigorous fellas: If you think they were woody and tasteless, think

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-86559795291752211622010-06-01T21:57:00.002+01:002010-06-01T22:08:29.494+01:00

Here are the competitors for the "green giant" competition: in the red corner courgette number one, and in the blue corner courgette number two, both neatly planted in the largest pots we were able to get hold of. And now they are filling both corners of the patio, and it's only the start of June. We grew them from seeds, from the cheapest available seeds from B and Q's own brand seed bags. They

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-27058144690737875172010-05-07T19:12:00.002+01:002010-05-07T19:22:44.768+01:00

This year is going to be busy for me on so many fronts. This is why you probably won't find too many new postings on this blog as usual. The first change was in the garden, where we decided to change the layout in favour of some vegetable growing in the back garden. In order to achieve this, the grass area in the centre was sacrificed, and believe me that decision didn't come easy because we knew

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-72363317798920247352010-03-16T09:46:00.001Z2010-03-16T09:48:45.606Z

Wasn't it a terrible winter? It never really seemed to end, and it might not be entirely over yet. But there are some signs of oncoming spring in Ireland now. Snowdrops and crocuses are in full swing, and the daffodils are putting there green spikes of leaves up in the air. Time for us to review the garden and to consider what's going to change in this growing season. Despite a lack of time,

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-6697024647496952312010-01-21T17:52:00.004Z2010-01-21T17:58:52.914Z

The days are getting longer and the nights are getting shorter, and what does that indicate? Not long now, and we can start it all over again, the mad and infectious obsession of "Growing Your Own" fruits and veggies in whatever space we might have available for ourselves. But before getting on with all the new and exciting stuff, it might be worth to have look in your garden, what might be

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-20920359366945095472009-12-28T17:17:00.001Z2009-12-28T17:18:27.747Z

There (to the left) is the proof: the sloe gin turned out well. Although the sloe gin should actually sit a little bit longer (about two to three more weeks), we couldn't wait to check out what the result is like and opened one of the jars around Christmas time. I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised. First the smell hits you a little bit. It smells very strong - I hate to say it, but a little

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-81871147577472821712009-11-22T10:47:00.006Z2009-11-26T14:09:01.425Z

Now it's there - the grey and dull time of the year, where the garden is sometimes so wet that you can't step on the soil without sinking in the ground. Most of the produce has been harvested, except for some winter varieties, especially winter salads, cabbages and perhaps some leeks that should still go strong at this time of the year. But even now there are things to be done looking ahead of

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-90706863397086404472009-11-18T14:23:00.003Z2009-11-18T14:30:31.434Z

When we introduced a DIY greenhouse in late summer, it seemed a good opportunity of protecting some delicate plants over winter, as well as to grow some winter vegetables from seed during this period. However, the storms of the last weeks have basically proven that the Irish weather conditions in winter with the blastery showers and heavy gale force winds prove to be too much for this little

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-90287740534088863232009-11-12T17:25:00.006Z2009-11-12T18:16:39.771Z

Leek is a slow growing species in the group of onion plants. Only now in October / November they will mature to the stage where you can harvest them. A particularly recommended variety that turned out very well in our own trials would be Winter Atlanta by Allan Titchmarch.You can store leeks for a few days wrapped in newspaper in a cool and dry room (for instance in a dry and unheated utility

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-11308953145561181962009-11-06T17:36:00.009Z2009-11-06T18:04:04.286Z

Many people like it - but only a handful of them actually dare doing it: to make your own sloe schnapps. If you collect some sloes from the side of the road, make sure they are mature enough when picking. September/October would be about the right time, but later doesn't matter so much, since frost can only improve their taste.Photo by Wikipedia Image creditAfter picking and collecting (hopefully

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-26076802755867581582009-10-24T16:04:00.003+01:002009-10-24T16:31:16.110+01:00

About two weeks ago we went for a short drive with the intention to look out for some black berries for jam making. Well, we found some - and not only black berries, but also rose hips and completely unexpectedly also some sloes. As a result of that we got a good amount of everything and this made us really excited about the finding out what to do with it. We are quite familiar with blackberries

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-85255100825570787712009-09-27T11:02:00.005+01:002009-09-27T11:13:47.448+01:00

... emerge from the seed and plant beds. Taking the risk of autumn sowings this year definitely paid off as most of the crops have already germinated within a few days. This is due to the unusually high amount of sunshine we got so far in this early autumn which is probably the best start to autumn I ever experienced here. It's more like a late burst of summer, and as the locals say, much better

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-39110811803206378272009-09-23T19:30:00.008+01:002009-09-25T10:06:22.807+01:00

This is a tricky business - not that it would be difficult, but the dye of beetroots is just so bloody red and so hard to get rid of. That's why you'll see me here wearing these rubber gloves, which I usually hate. But there is something I'd hate more: red fingers and finger nails. So I had to give in. The beetroots need to be left fully intact, so that they don't bleed. Cut the leaves and the

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-82903279654209145422009-09-23T19:16:00.006+01:002009-09-25T10:05:16.147+01:00

The cold frame was already in the garden, but at a different place. Now there was some space cleared in the potato bed, and it seemed like an obvious place to put it there, where it also gets more light. In some pots, I sowed some winter greens and - just as an experiment - some peas and beans as well.For the plants that will hopefully germinate in the cold frame, some more space might be

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-31435593952744558022009-09-22T18:12:00.004+01:002009-09-22T18:29:28.240+01:00

While the third bed is still in the making, I started right away with some planting and sowing. I planted some green winter cabbages (Glory of Enkhuizen), which I got in a ten-pack from the garden centre. In the same packaging came a set of ten chicory plants. I also set some onions for autumn growing, red onions sets (Electric) and some golden onions sets (Jermor).Something rather safe should

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-89683595985041910742009-09-18T17:21:00.004+01:002009-09-18T17:28:14.455+01:00

Here we go - the first results of restructuring the garden. Our lawn was sacrificed in favour of some decent size vegetable beds. I double-dug the beds, worked manure in and improved the top soil as well. All it needs now, is some TLC and soubtle weather. The latter is not in our responsibility, which is why I keep fingers crossed.

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-41676135916729879452009-09-18T10:15:00.005+01:002009-09-18T10:34:39.256+01:00

While some parts of the vegetable garden might already give a rather bleak impression after most veggies have been harvested, there are some points of interest in the borders adjacent to our vegetables, which might be just at their best right now: snow white - a climbing rose we got only this summer, and which is still producing pretty and snow white flowers whilst curling up against our rose

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-74701052150332905702009-09-17T12:13:00.005+01:002009-09-17T12:29:26.153+01:00

After all, we decided to turn part of our existing lawn into vegetable beds. There is enough space there, and more importantly - it is all fully exposed to sun. Since we don't have much of it here in Ireland, we need to give the veggies as much of it as we can (just like ourselves, when we need a break in the sun during these dull autumn months...). Here you can see some of the work we

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-31392606988433223912009-09-17T11:59:00.003+01:002009-09-17T12:11:04.105+01:00

Well, what a year it has been so far. While we've been away in holiday, some of the veggies matured, some other got disease or simply rotted away. Major success we had with the parsnips, the peas and onions, this year. Oh yes, some nice but small beetroots were also harvested, and will be turned into some pickle later.But all of our gooseberries have entirely been eaten by the sawfly, which is

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-17881208630742688342009-06-08T21:41:00.003+01:002009-06-08T21:48:28.939+01:00

Isn't it a joy - only two and a half months after putting them in pots, the first harvesting is done. Three medium size, but rather fragrant and delicious strawberries went on the breakfast table, and many more are still to come. Pick them and eat them straight away, and you will know why they definitely taste different from the berries bought in a shop. Some of them travelled quite a bit. But

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-23368485416300702532009-05-27T16:56:00.005+01:002009-05-27T17:08:20.033+01:00

Well, there you go: See how the planters look now, at the end of May. The first one can't be far from flowering, a secure sign that the potatoes rapidly mature.Considering this, the planters are even way ahead of the potatoes planted out in the beds. Mind you - don't halloo until you are out of the wood. We'll have to see what the results, namely the potatoes will be like. But that is still a

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-38106668927926476032009-04-16T12:09:00.004+01:002009-04-16T12:12:48.629+01:00

Why not trying some turnips after all? They are not as out-dated as you might think.Read more here...

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-52372625933900965662009-04-15T16:35:00.006+01:002009-05-01T11:17:27.315+01:00

Following the"grow your own x y z" idea in order to save money and have some fun while doing so, many people fancy the idea of growing potatoes in their back garden, as well. Back gardens are, however, very limited in space, even more so in the more modern urban estates.Garden and DIY product manufacturers this year came up with the idea of selling potato planters. It seems like a great idea:They

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-10548255603147016232009-04-01T11:51:00.005+01:002009-04-01T18:37:00.333+01:00

Photograph by the author, all rights reserved.Some plants easily thrive well under most conditions, and rhubarb certainly counts among them. It makes for an architectural plant in your garden and also provides you with nice, fresh stalks for deserts, jam or tarts on a regular basis.The red stalks with the lush green foliage of large leaves with strong veins are beautiful to look at. They'll be a

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-39520675669974598242009-03-28T18:51:00.004Z2009-03-28T19:01:17.268Z

Yesterday, I finally managed to arrange a raised bed for some salad crops, like lettuce, spring onions, radish and Pak Choi, in between a couple of other jobs.There were a few old spare wooden boards around the side of the house, long forgotten and unused, which made up for a perfect, rectangular edging. I cut them at the ends in such way that they can interlock with each other and form a stable

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-17477324004509816542009-03-23T17:45:00.004Z2009-03-23T17:58:04.372Z

Well, look at that - two weeks after sowing the seed in John Innes seed compost in the propagator, this is how the plants look like already! You can clearly see the tomatoe and leek plants. In the middle, you'll see some fresh parsley growing. Another couple of weeks and you'll properly recognise these plants as well. Now, the beds have to be prepared quickly, so that some of the

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-58058237735614791192009-03-16T10:27:00.011Z2009-03-16T17:58:17.927Z

Trees and fruit bushes are now planted in some parts of our lush backyard lawn. But it's not a pity, everything will just look a little bit different and make more sense...This is how the mini orchard looks now. The bare patch behind the fruit bushes is reserve, we might buy some more fruit bushes in time to come. Another two or three might fit in there.Saved me the digging, which is a back

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-29841522272294075762009-03-13T15:36:00.007Z2009-03-13T15:53:52.959Z

Did you know that strawberries contain a lot of healthy ingredients, some cancer deterring substances and, for instance, more vitamin C than an orange? Well, if that can't convince you to try growing your own strawberries in the backyard, then I don't know. They don't only do well in designated beds, but also in all sorts of pots and containers you could arrange on your patio or balcony.This year

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-33535834024403902552009-03-13T14:22:00.009Z2009-03-13T15:24:59.112Z

I confess it was rather late when we went out to look for some seed potatoes, and the early's were already gone or looked particularly bad. But we still got some main crop potatoes, and considering the point in time, we will still be able to get them in the ground around St. Patrick's Day, as the farmers suggest.I got a bag (2.5kg) of the "Desiree" variety, some basic Scottish seed potatoes.

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-14030599590283580552009-03-10T16:54:00.006Z2009-03-13T15:24:18.885Z

Today was a fine day, and I decided getting started with the mini orchard in our back garden. Once we decided to dig over parts or the grass in favour of some new fruit planting, I found that the pear tree we got was a bare root fellow, and they sat, that bare root fruit plants should be planted out as soon as possible.So I cleared a patch of approx. 4 by 4 foot and double-dug it. Meanwhile the

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7520503585330723578.post-29755062602591409372009-03-08T18:45:00.004Z2009-03-13T15:23:28.968Z

What a day! It feels really wintery, and we even had some sleet today. Wel, winter isn't quit eready to go, but we are way into March now, and if we don't get things started now, we'll later pay the price. All vegetables need their time to grow. It is still to cold for most of them to be out there in the ground, but we better get on with the preparations. What would that be?1) If it is not too

Holger Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807738820641649084noreply@blogger.com0