The Mumsnet Garden - what are you planting?

[Enid]

Anyone else gardening at the moment? What are you doing/planting? Vegetables, bulbs, what are you doing with all the dead leaves - inspiration needed!!

I'm not gardening today (too foggy and wet!)but I have lots of bulbs to plant. In an attempt to do things in a 'greener' way, I'm thinking of bagging the leaves and letting them rot for compost. Some leaves take longer to break down than others, I understand. I had a compost heap last summer, and everything rotted down well, apart from the crisp packets and drinks cans!! I recently acquired a wormery for household waste, but the worms don't seem to be eating very much.

Just tidying up at the moment, clearing out for next year. I got the bulbs in a couple of weeks ago. We've still got a glut of leeks we're eating up - any inspiring recipes? What veg would you put in at this time of year? Everything I can thing of won't go in until early Spring.

I've just done overwintering onions, and am about to do garlic. Bought a pack of seeds of Arctic King lettuce so be interested to see how they do (dont have a greenhouse). We've got purple sprouting broccoli on the go but our leeks are rubbish, I think I planted them too late. I've still got bulbs to go in - lots of snowdrops that never seem to grow...

Has anyone here grown ornamental gourds in their garden? I have some American seeds to try out and wonder what the best method would be. No greenhouse so maybe start them off indoors and plant out in spring? My American friend grew some incredible shaped ones; they're very attractive and you can make them into bird houses, which look very cute.

Enid - where do you get garlic seeds/bulbs from to grow? I would love to give it a go.

Well I'm v. jealous of all this green fingeredness, I must say! All I've got is a dead japonica and lots of damp washing on my balcony. Could I have a mini wormery on the balcony to eat the japonica up do you think, Chairmum, or do they need more specialised conditions?
It must be so great eating food you've grown yourselves. I've never got much past growing mustard and cress on tissue paper (being an urban girl who's short of space). Good luck with the garlic and gourds.

LOL, at your poor japonica, okapi! Wormeries don't come in small sizes, as they need to be a certain size to work and multiply. If you're interested, you can see them at www.wigglyworms.co.uk (Sorry, still haven't learnt to make an URL 'live')

They look fab, Chairmum. I don't think even the small bin one would fit on the balcony tho!

Enid et al, is it true you can grow garlic by just planting a dried garlic segment? I planted some from my cupboard last week, but have no idea if they will sprout!

Well, I buy my garlic from the garden centre, its a strain called 'Marco'. It looks exactly like normal supermarket garlic though, so I'm sure any garlic would work. You break the bulbs into cloves and plant them about 5cm deep. I have to say it was a massive success last year and I wished I had planted more, so this year there's LOADS going in. You would not believe how different it is to the stuff you buy in the shops. The worrying thing is that my garlic was fresher than stuff in the supermarket even 2 months after I had harvested it, no vile green shoots, not soft, just delicious!

Okapi, you could clear out your poor japonica and put a few pots of bulbs out now, and maybe some tomato plants in the summer?

Chairmum, Gourds take up an incredible amount of room, I did some last year and they completely took over the veg patch and strangled everything else. And we all got fed up with eating squash risotto. But if you are handy and can make something from the shells that would be fun. Does your wormery work? Have always been tempted...

Enid, it sounds like gourds are just the thing for me, then, as there's precious little else in the garden. My friend said hers grew all over her neighbour's garden and hedges, too. But I live in Scotland so I anticipate they won't grow as vigorously in our climate. I wasn't going to eat them, just grow for decoration and maybe give everyone a birdhouse for Christmas!!

I've only had the wormery for a couple of months, so it's hard to tell whether it works. It's slower than I imagined but there is something going on and I think they are reproducing. Again, because of the climate, I've got ours in the garage and will need to insulate them against the frost. Apparently, they can survive being frozen but are then sterile!

Lil, I've had lots of success growing garlic from ordinary everyday garlic bulbs...

I too need some ideas for the veg patch at this time of year. After the abundance of summer it seems awful to have it lying empty now. Although there is alot to do at this time of year generally in the garden, clearing the detritus of the garden, cutting back plants and planting for the coming seaon.

When it's not raining (see 'Life') I love this time of year in the garden. I love the colours and I love the hibernating instinct one gets now that it's dark so early. Bonfires and root vegetable soups and cocoa and lanterns and candles and open fires and large glasses of whisky! Mmmm bliss...

Lil, I've had lots of success growing garlic from ordinary everyday garlic bulbs...

I too need some ideas for the veg patch at this time of year. After the abundance of summer it seems awful to have it lying empty now. Although there is alot to do at this time of year generally in the garden.

When it's not raining I love this time of year in the garden. I love the colours and I love the hibernating instinct one gets now that it's dark so early. Bonfires and root vegetable soups and cocoa and lanterns and candles and open fires and large glasses of whisky! Mmmm bliss...

Chairman, do the composting thing. We have several composts and they are invaluable. They are of course good for the environment but the compost they produce is wonderful for the garden.

ahh Winnie, good to hear a fellow greenie with a compost heap, but the real test is whether you've managed to persuade your hubby to pee on it!!

Lil, haven't gone that far but am considering the possibility of using contents of potty on compost when ds gets to that point.....

Thinking of getting a composter for Christmas (ah, the days of sexy underwear are long gone...). Any advice? Winnie, Lil, Chairmum, can you recommend one?

I'm just a novice, Enid, so I hesitate to recommend anything!! Have a look at the Wigglyworms website, though, as they do a variety of composters, both with and without worms. Might also be worth calling your local council environment dept; ours is currently selling basic composters at half price, (about £17) as a nod to being ecologically sound.

Enid, it depends how much room you have for the composter, and how much you produce.

To encourage me to compost, I have one of the green plastic council cylindrical bins outside my back door, which I put my kitchen waste in (may now add Winnies idea and put in pottie unspeakables as well!!), plus 2 big wooden square 'box' composts hidden behind the shed at the back of the garden (only decent ones I've found so far are from Homebase - you must look out for ones that have lids and a flap at the bottom to allow you to get the 'ready' compost out). These bigger ones take the garden waste.
Two is best as one is 'live' as you fill it, and the other is full of the stuff you made last year ready to use!!!

..well you did ask!!!