Anyone successfully overwintered tagetes?
Just discovered loads of self sown seedlings. Thought it might be worth a try to dig some up and keeping in an unheated greenhouse.

Attached Files

Thumbnail(s)
   

How’s everyone’s Lima beans done this year?

Turns out Lima beans don’t like the frozen north. Less than 1ft tall and still not flowered. I’m going to take a stab in the dark here and say, I’m probably not going to get a crop off them   . 

To be fair to the Lima’s none of my beans outside have done very well this year. But I will harvest something from all the other varieties.

I’ve been sending myself slightly crazy (difficult to spot the difference). Over the last couple of days.  Trying to remember a nursery rhyme. Something about cockle shells & growing your garden? What is it called? Is it a nursery rhyme? 
I’m sure you lot will be able to put me out of my misery.

I haven't seen any mention of Blight this year? Have you?

So I love sowing in the Autumn, gives me something to do when it's raining as I can potter in the greenhouse and then these can go out early and I can start again in Spring! Some are biennials/ perennial- but these are all treated as annuals for me in the garden.

Hardy annuals I've started this week....

Snapdragons ( I know technically a perennial but I sow fresh every year)
Love in a mist 
Poppies - I'm growing some fancy variety for seed heads
Mallow - white - Mont Blanc , silver cup and loveliness- both pink.
Daucus
Ammi
Sweet rocket 

#Ones I did earlier!
Cornflowers
Scabious - salmon queen, black knight


What seeds do you sow in Autumn??

I’ve worked out this is a skimmia. Can anyone tell me which variety it is, please ?

   

I know pros bought some seed trays a few months back..., I've been torn between soil blocking or seed trays. I can't stand all the odd trays, half broken, running around and picking peoples rubbish up because I won't buy the flimsy ones when people don't reuse them.
I looked at soil blocking and I didn't fancy all that mud pie making??

So I've bitten the bullet. Got myself some seed trays from container wise. I'm so impressed- they will outlive me. Can't wait to get them dirty

   

A challenge for those ladies & gentlemen that make bunches of flowers for home or sale.

I’ve just had a crazy idea    After looking at the quaking grass thread. 
See who can make the most attractive and creative bunch of grasses    . GRASSES ONLY ! 
Any time of year , when ever you think the best selection is available. One in each season if you like. This can be an on going challenge     . If those of you that sell want to see if grass sells, do it   ( I know some grass sells but that a completely different grass   ) .
Let’s see everyone’s grass bunches here. Go on boys & girls you know you like a challenge.

Does anyone fancy joining me in a new Challenge for 2023? 
I've never grown a decent cauliflower, cabbage or sprouts, carrots and potatoes are hit and miss, in fact, courgettes and tomatoes are the only things I can rely on. Somethings like sweet peppers, kohl rabi and okra
As my Headmistress was fond of saying " You must try harder!" - next year, I will.
My thoughts are to try to grow at least One of everything and to post a photo of it, whether its edible or not

I know some of us are pretty good at this already so its not a case of who grows the best Whatevers but who tries to grow the most different Whatevers - because, if you don't try, you won't succeed. 
This is my List, as a start:-
Radish, Carrot, Turnip, Swede, Parsnip, Beetroot, Kohl rabi, Potato, Celeriac
Onion, Leek, Spring onion, Celery, Florence Fennel
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli/Calabrese, Kale, Lettuce, Sprouts, Chinese cabbage
Courgette, Pumpkin, Melon, Cucumber
Tomato, Aubergine, Sweet pepper, Chilli pepper, 
Peas, mangetout, DFB, CFB, Runner bean, Broad beans. 

That's 35 veg. Any more I should add? 

Assuming that I'm not the only one who wants to play, we could either run our own personal thread on the Veg Showcase Board or the Diary one. Personally, I'd like to reach 2024 with a photographic record of each veg I've grown, with pride that I've tried, not embarrassment at my failures and a pile of unsown seeds. 

I was browsing TMTT's link to https://tomclothier.hort.net/page23.html - a site I've used for Germination temperatures - and found this article about growing lettuce year-round (look away Bren ).
He recommends growing Michihili  Chinese cabbage which can grow to 4 - 10 lbs and storing them in a fridge overwinter, slicing the heads off in rings to give shredded lettuce/cabbage.
When I've bought Chinese cabbage they do seem to keep for weeks and are very versatile as you can eat them raw or chuck some in a stirfry. 
Has anyone had a success growing these big jobbies - or even little jobbies?