The Poultry Keeper

BreascleteMuscovies · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 12:39 pm Post subject:

Also in Hebrides, because of high likelihood of having spongey peat-bog of a garden which soaks up and holds water, people dig Lazy-Beds (or Lacey-beds?) which means dig a square drainage trench around the block of planting-land in the middle, so water will drain out of the trench, and plants won;t be waterlogged ... hard work, but LOTS of things grow in acid peaty soil, if its not waterlogged ...

My neighbours grow all sorts of vegetables for their own kitchen - cabbages, lettuces, leeks, peas, carrots, beetroots, turnips ...

Loganberries, raspberries, cranberries, blackberries ...

Best trees are evergreen 'Fir' sort ... to schlupp up the water ...

If Lady Lewes could manage to forest the whole of Lewes castle, just goes to prove its possible ... Smile

More and more people have polytunnels ... The best of both worlds ... But think they cost a lot ...

Me, I grow herbs and strange scottish plants ... Lots of Woad ... Alkanet ... Chamomile ... Black peppermint and Milk Thistle ...

Because I am opening a Visitor Centre where people can watch the soap being made, and the idea of having a signposted 'witchy-poo' garden appeals to me ... Smile

Linda

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 1:01 pm Post subject:

Apparently, all kinds of cereal crops used to grown on the lazy beds on our place in Bernera, but sheep have overrun it the last 30 odd years. There are several strips of land separated by deep ditches which drain into Loch Roag. We can see Linda's house across the loch from our place! Smile

ParkFarm · Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 6 Location: South Ayrshire

We are in Turnberry in South Ayrshire and grow everything we need veg wise, have had nothing that has been planted that hasn't grown and with the polytunnel we have grape vines and peppers growing as well. So basically providing you have the right soil etc etc you can grow pretty much anything. Ours was all bramble bush and weeds when we moved in but managed to get it down after a few months of struggling through the jungle and now have a great patch of 1/4 acre to do the veg in. Also managed to pick up an industrial rotovator for £50. Mind you will put the pigs in for next year as they do pretty much the same. You just need to keep the goats away as our first year they managed to eat the entire veg patch in one sitting!

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6973 Location: isle of lewis

we had a great day fri ,children are still off school ,we let the goats out and put up a second poly just got to cover now it gives me 45 feet by 25 feet of under cover growing room Very Happy

so hopefully i'll be able to grow loads ,one of the thing i like to gerow inside is sweetcorn because goats love the plants and i grow it as a feed for goats crop Wink

mcleod-girls · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 10:10 am Post subject:

lucky you, good luck! we have put some veggies in, and am waiting for glass for my new greenhouse, then we are off. we do quite well here as we have sheltered bit, but rest of garden struggles with the wind. trees been in 9 years and are only just getting taller than the weeds!

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:42 pm Post subject:

You should see our trees! West side, no leaves or branches, bent towards east... If we get an easterly, makes the trees straight. Our willow shelter belt to the west of the house is starting to shoot up. We planted some slips last spring.

mcleod-girls · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:04 pm Post subject:

yes, we have some of those too!!

Have put 6 strawberry plants in today, gift from a neighbour, never grown them before, they are in a sunny sheltered spot along a south facing wall. (under net to protect from birds - big and little!

fairislefaerie · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 542

My strawbs in the pollytunnel are fruiting & the fig has 10 baby figs filling out.

Angela

mcleod-girls · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:21 pm Post subject:

now your just showing off!!

fairislefaerie · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 542

Nah ill do that when the strawbs are ripe by taking pics of them on plant... and ripe juicy figs .... just before we eat them....

Angela

mcleod-girls · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:44 pm Post subject:

thanks for that!! Wink

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6973 Location: isle of lewis

well it's d day today ,the cars are full of plants ,and the poly is being recovered ,there are more struts and extra bits of metal every where to strenghten it ,last time it survived 132 miles an hour winds i'm hoping the extra will make it even stronger ,i loved having it before it blew down
the extra hours of daylight here really brought things on .
cannot wait to have loads of fresh veg again Very Happy

funny how everyone was doing something today

mcleod-girls · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:51 pm Post subject:

I have been a bit adventurous and planted butter nut squash seeds, anyone ever grown these? they will go in next to the courgettes and i am presuming they need similar conditions?

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6973 Location: isle of lewis

haven't tried them ,my favorite is spaggetti marrow and the children love it with a fresh tomato sauce and cheese on top Very Happy

i'm growing butter nut for the first time this year Very Happy

and i've got to plant some 8 balls Wink

fluffly_fifer · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 411 Location: Fife, Scotland

Only have the greenhouse and a huge wooden box (bit extreme to call it a window box Laughing

) so we have courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, baby sweetcorn and cabbage on the go at the moment.