Broad beans and Peas Sown

I had an hour in the greenhouse yesterday and managed to plant some broad beans and peas, whether they'll survive the mice is another matter. I've read lots of old books that recommend dipping them in all different (toxic) things to keep them away but I've done none of that. I've raised them all up off the ground so hopefully that should help keep the little blighters away until they start growing. 

Lots of pots full of plants and seeds

 Broad beans were planted in pots and peas in a length of old guttering I got from a job I had last year. The seeds are quite old so I have my doubt as to whether they will grow or not (I found them in an old box I had at my allotment so they're at least four years old).

Peas in gutter

Fig becoming root bound

 I also managed to separate and  pot up some of my cuttings that I took at the end of the summer, like rosemary, gogi and chilean guava. My figs got put into a slightly larger pot to incourage a bit of growth over the next year, they have to have their roots restricted to fruit but it's worth giving them some fresh compost and soil to keep them healthy.

The garden seems to be on the edge of taking off and I love getting ready for it! The next two months are always really busy in the garden but they set the standard on how much you'll grow for the rest of the year. 

Are you getting ready?

Greenhouse Clear Out

With the sun shinning I managed to have a bit of time in the garden yesterday to get a few jobs done. My youngest "assistant" has been poorly all day and spent a large chunk of the afternoon sleeping in bed, she's just a bit under the weather with a bad cold and a bit of sickness, but when they're little it hits them hard. 

A little messy

 Me and Ev decided to get some jobs done close to the house (within range of the baby monitor), one of which was to sort out the mess that is my greenhouse. I got all the old tomato plants down and stacked in the burning pile and the buckets of compost taken down the garden and piled up ready for a mammoth raised bed I'm planning. 

 I then swept it out and brought in a few plants I want to have a little extra protection. My Chilean Guavas have put on loads of growth over the summer and it would be a shame to loose them to a hard frost. My fig "cuttings" are now four feet tall and show little embro fruits on them, so I might have a fig or two next year if I'm lucky, I still think it's best to keep these young plants in the greenhouse although I plan to plant some out at some point.

Fig trees over 4ft big now

Spent compost/soil mix ready to make a raised bed. Crocks and rocks in the bucket ready to be reused new year.

Show's how warm it is - Ev spent ages playing with caterpillars all afternoon 

My cuttings and strawberries grown from seed.

If it was colder I would have done all this sooner, but it's been so mild things are just only just starting to die off. I'm starting to feel a little bit more organised in the garden which is a good thing.

A quick question - does everyone else bring their bay trees into the greenhouse to over winter or do you just risk it and leave them out (assuming they're in pots like mine)? How often do you water plants over wintered in a greenhouse - like me when you remember - Or are you more organised?