Green frost ?free fingers?

[Doodles]

Just wondering, any gardeners out there risking their precious seedlings yet? Do we trust this weather?

[dulwichmum]

Oh yes, last weekend. Tomatoes, strawberries and sunflowers. The children were delighted with themselves and had a great day in the garden. Not a snail was eaten!!!

DM

[Doodles]

OK, corn, beans and courgettes in this weekend then. Tomatoes and peppers still looking a bit too frail to plant out now.

[Incitatus]

Go for it Doodles, I'm out doing the same on me allotment this weekend, I've found in previous years when a late frost gets your seedlings there's still plenty of time to start again, be brave.

What are you growing, anything fancy ?

[Doodles]

Only have a small patch which is now half clay and half horse poo. Growing, if all goes well, sweet corn, french beans, yellow courgettes, tomatoes (Italian Seeds - suspect they ought to be in a green house but I'm trusting to global warming), peppers, spinach, pak choy (never fails), garlic to keep the bugs off, and, if I can find room, I'll give a couple of melon plants a try. Was going to grow artichokes in the flower beds but the seedlings are looking glum.

How about you? And any tips for keeping the East Dulwich moggies off the veg?

[Incitatus]

Wow that sounds a fine "small patch".

Interested in the Pak Choy, I tried it a few years back and it all got polished off by various wildlife, any tips? On that subject, watch out for them squirrels with your sweet corn I gave up growing it after a tearful year when mine was all massacred - 12 plants- over night, bastards.

Italian seeds, are they the Franchi Sementi ones, always a good bet, I'm trying their Sicilian Snakes again this year, it?s a massive climbing summer squash. I can highly recommend purple French beans; they taste fantastic and crop forever, though they lose their colour when you cook em. Also growing yellow courgettes as well as some Black Salsify, Sorrel, radicchio, silver beet, beetroot, shallot, spinach, raspberries, strawbs, leeks, runners and some old skool heritage spuds!

On the subject of keepings cats off there are various tricks which include, orange peel, powdered black pepper or my favourite Lion shit -courtesy of London zoo-, from experience cats HATE water, have a locked and loaded water pistol ready to roll on your window sill.

Good Luck Doodles.

[Doodles]

Very impressed. Would love an allotment but don?t think I can manage the time needed to do it justice.

It?s a shame cats aren?t scared of horses. Now I?m nervous about squirrels getting my corn! Had thought of getting one of those ultra sound things. Don?t know if they work.

Tea bags soaked in Jayes Fluid is another recommendation for keeping cats off. But I like the lion shit idea. Do you just turn up at the zoo and ask nicely? Once bought dried lion shit marketed as ?Silent Roar? or something like it. Worked until it rained

Nothing has ever eaten my pak choy. Just luck, I guess. Would probably work OK in a container. Once knew someone who grew sweet corn in a window box. Not wildly successful, but entertaining.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I shall be planing my pot based runner beans on the balcony early next week. My small Bay tree seems to be liking the balcony.

[louisiana]

I suspect if you live on an exposed bit - high up on one of the hills - it may still be too early. My road seems to get the odd frost when other nearby ones do not.

Louisiana

[Huguenot]

Ah, bad luck.

We had our tomatoes and mange-tout out two weeks ago, and they've gone mental.

We've moved them into containers this year because of the blasted snails, and the coup de gras is intended to be copper tape around the base - although I'm not convinced anyone's invented this yet.

I'm sure the cat poo is nutricious, it's just a bitch to get out from your finger nails.

[Doodles]

Cat poo is bad enough. Its when the little buggers sit on the damn plants that breaks my heart. This year every small plant will have a sharp stick planted next to it. And seriously, cat poo is nasty. Especially if you are very small or pregnant. Toxoplasmosis anyone?

[spymum]

Cat poo is awful but fox poo is truly appalling!

I have my tomatoes out and they are ramping away!

I'm more worried about lack of rain than the danger of frost - last years hose pipe ban was murder on my arms (desperately watering my brand new lawn with buckets of water from my water butt)! My magnificent muscles now rival those of The Rock - so not a good look when you are a 5' 2" middle aged mum!

spymum

(Blog: Posh Mum)

[Doodles]

Oh God. Very true. Nothing smells as bad as fox poo.

[dulwichmum]

I don't know. Ralph Lauren "Polo" aftershave makes my stomach churn.

DM

[Doodles]

Ha! Maybe that?s what its made of!

[dulwichmum]

Dear Doodles,

You may have a point!

DM