exile
Member
Massif Central
Posts: 2,685
|
Post by exile on Mar 30, 2023 20:38:42 GMT 1
I'm sorry I don't know, I've never really been a gardener to date, I believe they were edible and have probably just made a fool of myself if they all are!
You've not made a fool of yourself but have fallen foul of English confusion. There are two types of Artichoke - both edible - and very different. Jerusalem artichoke - aka fartichoke due to its impact on digestive systems - is related to the sunflower and produces edible tubers. Globe artichokes produce large flower buds which are picked as buds and eaten (in part). In French, no such confusion; they are respectively topinambour and Artichaut
|
|
|
Post by houpla on Mar 30, 2023 22:03:17 GMT 1
Just a polytunnel here which is becoming increasingly useless apart from keeping a few tender plants like lemongrass and herbs going through the winter. It's too cold for propagation in late winter/early spring but way too hot for toms and cucumbers in summer, although sweet potatoes love it. I used to grow early radish, carrots, kohl rabi etc but that involved leaving the irrigation pump connected all winter. On balance, it wasn't worth the cost of replacing split taps or the possible damage to the pump. I may give it another shot if I can work out a way to get a couple of tonnes of manure, compost or other soil improver into the soil, but seriously thinking about giving it a miss this year and planting directly outside. It's nearly April already!
|
|
gigi
Member
Posts: 1,913
Member is Online
|
Post by gigi on Mar 30, 2023 22:36:27 GMT 1
Do your Penstemon really need protecting? Must be really cold where you are. But they are lovely, aren't they. And flower their hearts out. I really love penstemons, have many in the garden and some in pots, but have lost 3 big plants in pots this winter, may have lost some from the garden. I haven’t ventured into parts of the garden yet this year following a knee op - treading carefully in the garden so far.
|
|
|
Post by pcpa on Mar 31, 2023 8:43:13 GMT 1
My garage, workshop or now sous-sol is my place of relaxation. You had a greenhouse at work?
Editted, reply to Specsavers on previous page, once again I could not see there were further postings.
|
|
|
Post by pcpa on Mar 31, 2023 8:48:13 GMT 1
Re the Artichokes, I would say they were Globe ones as I eat Topinambour and would have recognised the tubas, also and I guess definitively my neighbours referred to them as pieds d'artichaud.
|
|
|
Post by jardiniere on Mar 31, 2023 9:26:54 GMT 1
I've never had a greenhouse but did have a cold frame at the other house. It was in a state of disrepair and didn't make the move but I'm thinking of buying a new one for seeds and cuttings Would you say a cold frame is just like a mini greenhouse? And how does a polytunnel differ from a greenhouse, other than the material used?
|
|
suein56
Member
Southern Morbihan 56 Brittany
Posts: 7,516
|
Post by suein56 on Mar 31, 2023 9:32:40 GMT 1
My garage, workshop or now sous-sol is my place of relaxation. You had a greenhouse at work?
Editted, reply to Specsavers on previous page, once again I could not see there were further postings.
pcpa .. when it's your first visit of the day on here all new posts since your last visit will appear if you refresh the page.
|
|
|
Post by jardiniere on Mar 31, 2023 9:32:49 GMT 1
Oh gosh. I haven't even started yet. Ditto. Well, I sorted out the seeds which could be started in March and have spent the last 2 weeks saying I'll get them started today/tomorrow. The day before yesterday I got as far as filling egg boxes with seedling compost. Today is 31st March so tomorrow the April seeds can be started ... must get to it!
|
|
|
Post by specsavers2 on Mar 31, 2023 11:13:49 GMT 1
When I said greenhouse at work they were the councils region glasshouses. These produced plants for the city and towns within the region. To escape office or other tasks on the go I nipped into the greenhouses and gave them a hand and a cup of tea. Own greenhouse was small but relaxing. Plants and veg for the neighbours.
|
|
|
Post by mangetout on Mar 31, 2023 13:28:31 GMT 1
I have always taken sanctuary in my greenhouse. There's something about sowing seeds and watching them grow that soothes my soul. Even last year when my husband was dying I still kept going. This year I've been slow to start, not really able to see the point. Who will eat it all? But I've found a way round that. I am giving away my little plants to whoever wants them and just keeping the bare minimum for me. No doubt I'll end up giving away the produce as well. So here's what I've raised so far: toms, butternut squash, pattison, green courgettes cucumbers, chillies, and then lots of flowers. Carrots are sown in the garden, along with beetroot and 'everlasting spinach' Lettuce, radish and spring onion under cloche. Just the climbing beans to sow later and I'm done. So how are your greenhouses doing? Oops, forgot the spring cabbage. I find it really therapeutic too, nurturing new life into existence. So far I have sown tomatoes and salad crops. Tomorrow I plan to sow purple spouting and tenderstem broccoli, beetroot, swiss chard and french beans. We put up some insect hotels on the south facing side of our house last autumn and this morning we were delighted to see mason bees using the little tubes to lay their eggs which they then plug with mud. It’s the little things…..Next will be bat boxes….. Where do you get the seeds for purple sprouting and tenderstem brocoli? I just love those 2 veg.
|
|
|
Post by mangetout on Mar 31, 2023 13:32:55 GMT 1
I'm sorry I don't know, I've never really been a gardener to date, I believe they were edible and have probably just made a fool of myself if they all are! The son who had been squatting in the place for the last decade is a sandwich short of a pique-nique, people would give him their old rubbish instead of taking it to the déchetterie & he would hoard it, same with uprooted plants or trees, he would plant them anywhere and the would just spread because he never ever maintained or cut anything back. There were some quite exotic palm like things that had taken over the whole of the rear and became a tropical forest, I have kept one & chopped the stalks down to ground level before winter, my friends took several of them and successfully transplanted them. Thank heavens he never got given any bamboo!
Some of the brambles were 10m + high in areas where they had support from trees & buildings, the front hedge originally 1m from the boundary had grown to 6-8m tall, mainly brambles & ivy & had engulfed the fence, the grass verge and was encroaching onto the road overall about 4m deep along the whole frontage.
I cut the ivy from the bottom 2m of the EDF poteau and the sections were as thick as my thighs, it was all the way to the top & could not go any higher so just got thicker, underneath the post was white virgin concrete as clean as it was when installed in 1968, it has been covered in ivy since installed.
That's hard work. Careful of your retina, heavy lifting is not a good idea but I expect you know that already.
|
|
|
Post by jackie on Mar 31, 2023 13:40:23 GMT 1
I find it really therapeutic too, nurturing new life into existence. So far I have sown tomatoes and salad crops. Tomorrow I plan to sow purple spouting and tenderstem broccoli, beetroot, swiss chard and french beans. We put up some insect hotels on the south facing side of our house last autumn and this morning we were delighted to see mason bees using the little tubes to lay their eggs which they then plug with mud. It’s the little things…..Next will be bat boxes….. Where do you get the seeds for purple sprouting and tenderstem brocoli? I just love those 2 veg. I got mine in the UK, however you can get purple sprouting online: www.vivelejardinage.com/65-choux-brocolisGenerally much more choice of seeds online than in the shops, I use Graines de France quite a lot too. 😀
|
|
|
Post by houpla on Mar 31, 2023 13:40:40 GMT 1
I've never had a greenhouse but did have a cold frame at the other house. It was in a state of disrepair and didn't make the move but I'm thinking of buying a new one for seeds and cuttings Would you say a cold frame is just like a mini greenhouse? And how does a polytunnel differ from a greenhouse, other than the material used? Given limited space, I'd go for a blowaway greenhouse. Weighted down with bags of compost etc, it would give you space, height and shelving. I used one before the tunnel was commissioned and as long as they're positioned out of reach of gales and with some shade, they're excellent. The big difference between tunnels and greenhouses is space. Oh and effective ventilation! 😁
|
|
|
Post by woolybanana on Mar 31, 2023 13:46:37 GMT 1
A storm got my little greenhouse last year and although I have all the bits in the shed I am not sure I am gonna put it back up. At this time of year I do miss it though.
|
|
|
Post by pcpa on Mar 31, 2023 16:34:55 GMT 1
My garage, workshop or now sous-sol is my place of relaxation. You had a greenhouse at work?
Editted, reply to Specsavers on previous page, once again I could not see there were further postings.
pcpa .. when it's your first visit of the day on here all new posts since your last visit will appear if you refresh the page. Thanks Sue, thats not the issue in my case I don't think, I think its my narrow field of vision and not being able to take in the whole screen, or perhaps my concentration, I will read a page to the bottom but not see that there are additional pages because that has scrolled off the screen, I reply to the last posting on the page thinking its the last posting but not realising there is another page.
at least I think thats what happens, in this posting window its another different page view again.
Editted. no that is not the case I can scroll down to view this post and the number or pages still shows above, it's my one eyed vision I think.
|
|