General Chat

Some of you know that I planted a few veg this year in pots as I don't have my garden to dig and grow, just 2 lawns.

I planted 7 large black pots with a mixture of earlys and late potatoes and then 3 pots of peas. Over the last wee while, all the plants have been doing wonderfully well and the foliage is really lush. I keep checking for the flowers to see if they are nearly ready for uplifting.
Because we hadn't had much rain, my daughter has faithfully been watering them all every evening.

So imagine my dismay when I got up this morning to find a force 8 gale and lashing rain!!! I could have cried.Several pots are upside down and the ones that are still standing, the foliage has well and truly been bashed.

Talk about soul destroying...

This weather is set to continue all week whilst the south of England has scorching heat.

Nothing I can do about my pots sadly as I have no other place to put them and this wind is all around the house in everyone direction.

Florence in the hebrides :-(

There are many reasons why people put up with the traffic and high prices to live in the balmy south of England. You seem to have discovered one of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD1fjZQhImM

Florence, I remember days like that in Shetland. :-(
I particularly disliked the gales and rain that shot up the voe we lived next to, especially when they appeared after a lovely sunny morning.
I'd do the washing which meant filling the ancient (and broken) washing machine by hand, waiting for the water to heat up, washing the clothes, then trundling the machine over to the door to empty it out over the garden.
Then I'd rinse the clothes by hand, put them through the mangle, and hang them on the line.
Then the gales and rain came.
By the time I'd run to the washing line, most of the washing was off the line, and plastered on the side of the croft. :-| :-| :-|

...but the nice days made up for it, and the scenery is beautiful, like nothing down South :-D

Yes Maggie, that sums it up! The wind has died down now so hopefully tom I can get outside to inspect the damage!

If I hadnt have had the plants in pots, the weather would not have bothered me and i would not return to the busy, over priced and heavily populated south of England!

So yes the clean, deserted beaches(unlike brighton just now) do compensate.

Once i left washing out and a gale came and in the morning there was no sign of the washing. A closer inspection up the croft led me to a deep filled drain along with the washing. At least my underwear diidnt end up in the neighbours garden..lol

Oh well tomorrow is another day.

Florence in the hebrides

Frustrating for you, Florence

Is there no way you or your daughters fix a windbreak of some sort?I

Lizxx

I learnt to carefully peg out washing in a new place which was very very southern, after my duvet cover was returned from several doors up!

Nameslessone, at least you got it back in one piece!

Liz my dad suggested building a wooden enclosure against the wall so the pots wouldn't move.Good idea but I couldn't manage to do that and also it would cost for the wood but don't think my landlord would allow it to be put up.

Its just the climate here which by now I am used to. Its just when you have things growing nicely and a summer gale comes.

Its still breezy but calmer and the sun is out :-)

Florence in the hebrides

Well folks.As the wind had flattened the potato plants, i decided to have a look at 4 plants and see if i got any potatoes.
I was so surprised as you can see from my picture just how many grew.

Tonight we had some with smoked haddock and peas and they were very tasty.

So was worth waiting for in the end.

I am going to leave the last 2 pots of red potatoes a bit longer to see if they grow a bit bigger.

Hope all is well with everyone
Take are
Florence in the hebrides :-D

Florence, your potatoes look good.

OH and I have enjoyed six meals with the potatoes he grew and they were delicious. We have none left so it's back to buying them.

Lots of onions and a few strawbs coming along now though.

I am hoping he continues to grow - especially new potatoes next year (but even more).

Our younger grandson has some cucumbers looking good. He's even made his own raised beds (among other things) as he enjoys carpentry.

Well done with the potatoes Florence they look great. we gave up on them a couple of years ago when they were not doing very well in the container and we didn't have room in the garden.
At the moment OH is out picking gooseberries and rhubarb. We have finished the raspberries now which is a shame as, although they were small this year they had a lovely taste.

Oh I am so envious. My potatoes, planted in the ground have been a complete disaster.

Ann ,love rhubarb. An old neighbour of mine years ago use to come with armfuls of it as he had so much in the garden. I made several crumbles for the family and of course gave him one too..was delicious.

Namelessosme try doing what i did next time but...i think one potato in the pot would have been enough as the roots were very tight when i emptied the pot. Either that or i need a much bigger pot.Either way im pleased.

Ive notice little pea pods on my pea plants, even the one that got broken so all is not lost.

Joy Louise, hope your strawberries taste lovely.Going back to buying potatoes..hmmm not sure we take kindly to that after eating our own!

My pepper plants indoors are still growing but not sure when or if any peppers will grow on them? They are about 10 inches tall now and lovely foliage.

The owner of this house has a blackcurrant bush in the garden but the last 2 years, it hasnt produced much which is a shame as i was hoping to make more jam.

Im missing getting strawberries at a reduced price in the shop so i can make lots of jam.Dont think ive seen reduced stuff for online shopping with Tesco.

Have a good day everyone,happy gardening

Florence in the hebrides