Seed Lists and mutual advice swap

[Opsa]

Happy last frost date for our area! Plus, we had a full day of good, soaking showers on Wednesday, so I have been sowing seeds outside, here.

Yesterday I sowed more lettuce, more beets, and installed the sprouted cabbage and basil that I started in the mini-greenhouse. I also sowed the flower seeds.

E-gah, I love sowing seeds, and the dreaming that accompanies this act!

[Roland Deschain]

^ There's something primal about planting seeds, that's difficult to explain, especially if you do so outside.

My chives aren't doing well, although they were straggly to begin with, which I believe has something to do with the fact that my cat appears to like lying on them (she's a git). I may have to dig them out and replace them with a stronger plant, planting the old ones in the garden to see what they do. On the plus side, everything else appears to be doing relatively well. The mint, sage, and parsley are romping away, and i've picked some to test (it was good). The coriander's not ready yet, but is coming along nicely, and the thyme, rosemary, and oregano appear to be the slowest to grow, although they are getting there slowly but surely.

All in all, this is a very successful first attempt at herbs. I'll give it another 2 weeks and post updated pictures. Looking at what they were like 2 weeks ago, it's surprising how much they've grown already!

[Opsa]

My experience with chives is that they tend be rather scrawny the first year, anyway. Mine are now around three years old, and they're out there blooming like crazy right now with their wonderful purple spherical heads.

[Roland Deschain]

Ah, then that would explain it. Thanks for the info, as I was wondering about that. I went out and bought some more, anyway, and have added some of the new to the old, so I have a decent patch of chives in the planter now. I also succumbed to a third planter in the bedroom, and put the rest of the new Chives, some Dill, and some Lemon Thyme in it, along with a Sweet Pepper 'Bellboy' and a Jalapeño Chilli plant. It's deeper than the other planters, and wider, as I was able to accommodate the larger size because it's not directly on a windowsill, but next to one.

It'll be interesting to see how much fruit I get from the Pepper and Chilli, as although they're not in a greenhouse or conservatory, they will benefit from the window directly in front of them and the much larger window on the adjoining wall, and seeing as the sun tracks round from window to window during the day, it should get a nice even spread of sunlight.

I also know how tall the Dill can potentially get, so i've stuck it in the middle, flanked by the Chilli and Pepper, the other herbs taking the outside.

On my original ones, the Parsley is like a bush now, lol.

[Opsa]

I just love dill, it's so pretty. I've used it's light, airy fronds in flower arrangements. Basil is also really fun in flower arrangements, and it makes the house smell so wonderful.

I've never done parsley. I'll bet it's pretty as greenery, too. I have lovage in the yard, which is perennial and comes up by itself every year.

I noticed some new beet sprouts today (I can tell it's them by the beet red hue on them) and I can see lots of the picoteed cosmos coming up. We're up for a rainy weekend here, which I hope will encourage the others to sprout.

[Darlica]

Lindorm and I have been growing Chili plants in our windows for more than a decade now...

Some types works better than others, I had a habanero plant (yes the same plant) for five or 6 years flowering and setting fruits from year 1. Thai type chili has done well too.
The fruits taste a little different from those grown out side or in a greenhouse, mostly due to less warmth and sunligth I think. Chinense (habanero and friends) tend to taste a little less fruity but they sitll taste good.

Good natural light is a must and a fairly large pot (or the plant will topple over when the fruits develop).
Chiliplants are thirsty (I heartly recomend selfwateing pots) but they are also forgiving, they can look halfdead and dryed out but will come back to life an hour or so after they get their water.

They are also hungry, and will need fresh soil now and then, just to fill up the pot. Of cause if you keep the plant for several years it you'll need to put it a bigger pot and/or change as much as you can of the soil as you can once or twice a year (do this around January/February and you will be grately rewarded   )  
I have found that soilblends ment for indoor citrus trees are very good for chilis too.

What limit the crop is really how good your are at pollinating the flowers, usually no bees in doors... You need at least one fine soft brush (if the brush is too hard the pistill will brake) for every type of chili you grow if you want to keep the seeds that is, I'm nor even sure a Capsicum Chinense plant will set fruit if pollinated with Capsicum frutescens.

Good luck!



 

Ah, then that would explain it. Thanks for the info, as I was wondering about that. I went out and bought some more, anyway, and have added some of the new to the old, so I have a decent patch of chives in the planter now. I also succumbed to a third planter in the bedroom, and put the rest of the new Chives, some Dill, and some Lemon Thyme in it, along with a Sweet Pepper 'Bellboy' and a Jalapeño Chilli plant. It's deeper than the other planters, and wider, as I was able to accommodate the larger size because it's not directly on a windowsill, but next to one.

It'll be interesting to see how much fruit I get from the Pepper and Chilli, as although they're not in a greenhouse or conservatory, they will benefit from the window directly in front of them and the much larger window on the adjoining wall, and seeing as the sun tracks round from window to window during the day, it should get a nice even spread of sunlight.

I also know how tall the Dill can potentially get, so i've stuck it in the middle, flanked by the Chilli and Pepper, the other herbs taking the outside.

On my original ones, the Parsley is like a bush now, lol.

[Opsa]

Cool. I've wanted to grow chili plants, mostly because I think they are beautiful!

We've been having perfect seed weather here, mild and showery. I've got nasturtium sprouts, now. I think I may be seeing the nicotiana rustica and amaranth sprouts, too. They are very tiny!

[Darlica]

They are beautiful and there are a wide variety of flowers, they are all star shaped but the size and colour vary. Right now we have a Roccoto mini tree (approximately 140 cm with the pot) flowering with big deep purple flowers in our living room window. 

[Opsa]

Ooh, that sounds very pretty! I like the wreaths that can be made from the fruited plants, too.

I hear that okra has beautiful flowers, but I've not grown it, myself.

[Roland Deschain]

Thanks for the tips on pollinating the flowers. I have a very soft brush ready, and shall be using it soon, I hope. Everything's growing very well except the Dill. I don't know what's wrong, but it was fine for a few days, then has seemed to wither. It wasn't large to begin with, but I was hoping it would take, as everything else has done. I know it hasn't been particularly warm here, but i've followed the watering advice to the letter. I'll see if it perks up in the next couple of weeks, but it doesn't look hopeful for the poor thing. If it dies, it's more room for the fruits, I suppose, but it doesn't stop me being sad at its loss.

I'm also working on a project in my parents' garden, which I think is my pièce de résistance. I'll have something to show here soon. Watch this space -----> . Yes, that one right there, lol.

[Roland Deschain]

Loathe as I am to double-post, I felt this needed one all to its lonesome. This is part of what i've been working on. I consider my parents' garden mine, as apart from the guy who comes to cut the grass and trim the shrubs/trees, i'm the only person who really does anything with it, my parents not being as able-bodied as they once were. Add to this the fact that I don't have a garden of my own, and you get the picture. All my recent gardening has been for this garden, and i'm slowly coming to the endgame here.

The area holds a rotary washing line, which will restrict height for those plants under it, and it's bordered at the sides by a couple of raised planters (soon to have stained log roll attached, as soon as it's sunny enough to stain). The back has a wall and a few shrub-like plants, and the front is block paving. The area was originally covered with weed suppressant matting, but the wrong type was picked, and unwanted wildflowers (and grass!) rooted into it, so that had to come up straight away. The bonus from this was that the unwanted things came up at the same time, which saved me oh so much work! I then pretty much emptied the two compost bins of their mulched goodness, and dug this into the soil that was exposed. Then I put some decent weed matting down and bordered it with the weathered bricks, creating a nice feature. Some bags of topsoil were then dumped on top to give it a nicer look.

All that's now left to do on this is to put down bark/wood chippings/mulch to allow moisture retention, and hopefully to discourage too many unwanted things growing. This is the result of me being given a debit card and free reign. I kept it a surprise for them. After 3 1/2 hours traipsing around several garden centres, £50-60, and an expensive pint of beer, the plants were bought. The preparation took around a day, and the planting a few hours (height considerations, you know). Enjoy:-

The plant selection



The bare ground (excuse the dodgy angles)



The planted ground

       

NB - You may well have to click the pictures to enlarge them once they've opened from the above thumbnails, as it'll make them easier to see.

And now for a guide to the numbers:-

#	Plant	#	Plant	#	Plant
1	Marjoram	12	Sage Icterina	23	Feverfew Golden
2	Mexican Tarragon	13	Sage (sp.)	24	Balm All Gold
3	Curly-leafed Parsley	14	Oregano Hot & Spicy	25	Lemon Balm
4	Dill	15	Oregano Country Cream	26	Spearmint
5	Common Thyme	16	Sweet Basil	27	Chocolate Mint
6	Thyme (sp.)	17	Fennel	28	Salad Burnet
7	Variegated Lemon Thyme	18	Italian Parsley	29	Chives
8	Lavender Thyme (?)	19	Curry Plant	30	Thyme Wooly
9	Rosemary (sp.)	20	Savory Winter	31	Treneague Chamomile
10	Rosemary (sp.)	21	Marjoram Compact	32	Double Chamomile
11	Sage (sp.)	22	English Mace	33	Wild Rocket

[pieces o nine]

Very Nice!   

You're going to have a lovely herb garden -- let us know when bees and butterflies show up.

[Opsa]

Wow, that is a serious herb garden! It looks fabulous. Bravo!

[Roland Deschain]

Thanks! They've perked up now (the ones that had drooped), and seem ok. It's only been a few days, but when it's mature, it will be a riot of colour and form.

[Opsa]

...and texture, too. It looks like you could wind up with the tapestry look which is tremendously attractive.