Saturday 11 April 2015

Flowers, Seeds and Trucks


I've been so busy over the past couple of weeks getting lots of vegetable seeds planted in the polytunnel, yesterday I realised that I had totally forgotten to get any flower seeds sown.  As a through and through veggie gardener I don't have that much time for flowers unless they are useful to my vegetables,  Yes, flowers are pretty and colourful and we all need a bit of that in our lives, and of course the bees love and need them but I wouldn't dream of ever having a cottage garden full of flowers, flowers and more flowers.  Maybe one day I'll change ... but for now my heart lies with the edibles.

We were lucky to inherit the front border when we bought this house, planted with all sorts of things that add enough flowery prettiness, and I've added to it slightly with Primulas, Hydrangeas and Lavenders, but I've also taken away .... all but one rose have gone, I really don't like growing roses at all.


Anyway yesterday I set to and planted some pots of Nasturtiums, Marigolds and some Sweet Peas.  Those among you that know about these will know that the Nasturtiums are completely edible, both the leaf and the flower have a wonderful peppery taste and make a salad look vibrant as well as adding flavour and they help deter aphids.  The Marigolds are a brilliant companion plant for Tomatoes and generally in a polytunnel and vegetable garden, attracting the beneficial hoverflies who pollinate plants and whose larvae eat aphids ... and of course they both look very pretty,


The sweet peas were planted in full length toilet rolls tubes as they like a long undisturbed root system and this is my preferred way of ensuring that.  I did try out the proper 'root trainers' but found that on opening them up a lot of the compost drops from the roots, this way the whole kit and caboodle gets planted in the soil and nothing is even slightly disturbed ... and of course toilet roll inners are free!!

So that the flowers and the seeds of the title talked about ..... what about the trucks?


Well my eldest son Simon is setting off for Carlisle, as I type to enter a truck show with his work truck.  Both he and his work mates have been polishing, primping and generally showing off to their very best advantage their day to day work vehicles. 


This one is Simon's wagon when he's not mechanicing in the garage.

Good Luck son, let us all know how you get on
Now you've got the whole world, not just the trucking world waiting to see how well you do.... no pressure :-)

Sue xx


14 comments:

  1. I think it was Bob Flowerdew who said that he had no time for gardening which you could neither smell nor eat. I think you are in the same camp!

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  2. I'm so glad you remembered some flowers as I can't wait to see them!
    Good luck to you son also!
    -Lisa

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  3. Ooooh trucks, I'm drooling ;o) Didn't know there was a truck show in Carlisle.

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    1. I think he said it's on at the Auction Mart.

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  4. There looks to be a dormouse asleep in your seed box?!!

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    1. Haha ... well spotted!! It's a resin one that we bought to try and fool Rosy .... she didn't fall for it, so now it lives in the polytunnel :-)

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  5. I couldnt have a garden without lots of flowers, I hope your son has a good time.

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  6. Enjoyed your post, esp. liked the first photo.
    Wondering, you would think I would remember, from reading your blog last year,
    do you only seed statr in the tunnel?
    Or do you grow in there the full season?

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    1. I will be growing in there right round the year from now on, the polytunnel has only been completed in the last few weeks. Once the seeds have grown big enough for transplanting, some will be in the beds in the polytunnel and the rest will move either to the net tunnel or the outside raised beds. But I am hoping to keep us fed from the tunnel all year round.

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  7. I too have taken to only planting flowers that serve a secondary purpose. Either they are medicinal or edible or attract the right insects etc. I have used the TP paper rolls in my garden as guards to keep the rolly pollys and cut worms from cutting down my seedlings but I am going to give a go at using them as my seed starters this next year after reading your post about using them.

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  8. PS I like your polka dot table cloth! :O)

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  9. I like a good mixture in the garden but edible flowers are a must. Hope your son does well x

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  10. We are in our 4th year of drought, here, so mandatory water restrictions are in effect. As a result, my garden is becoming more succulents and other drought resistant plants. I do have some fruit trees and a few flowers. Good luck to your son.

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