Welsh Witch wrote:
I have this greenhouse! built for £200 with gifts from builders who would
rather we took the wood away than pay a licensed person to do it. I think
that's what happens anyway.
I like a lot of other people have taken against supermarkets and wanted to
grow as much as I can using the greenhouse and "winter" vegetables.
I am then looking at the weather forecast..."The hardest winter in years"
is being predicted......I wonder if the vegetables labeled "winter" will
survive that?
SO..I turned one side of the greenhouse into a small indoor garden in
which I have planted Meteor peas now about 4" high A few winter onions red
and white....I also planted winter onions in the outside veg garden which
I covered with an old French window. I had to remove the window as the
onion were banging their heads on the top (astonished I was)
I planted Brussels sprouts being dive bombed by pigeons, but the leeks are
a resounding success. I planted 12 rows of leeks.. and lots of
garlic I interneted from the Isle of Wight (I was sooo delighted
with the selection which arrived in a box with a picture across the inside
top with brilliant instructions etc.
The early variety are up about 3"
already. Broad beans are flowering but have been storm battered. I put
swedes in rather late but they are now performing. Celery a total dead
loss...very bitter and although described as self blanching are remarkably
green still!.
Question is... how hard a winter will the winter veg
survive? If they don't survive outside will they survive in the
greenhouse? How about those I've planted in the greenhouse which
instructions say plant autumn or spring? Last week's Telegraph had a piece
in by Sarah Raven who has also written a book.. which may or may not be
worth getting as she is in the south warmer part of England we are in
Salop. Do you believe the weather forecast with their new oscillation
machines? Will the rivers freeze over?
************************

If you pull me a pint or three, I'll happilly spend the evening with
you. Your enthusiasm has woken me up, but shouldn't ... we ... be ...
slowing .... down ... now ... ;o)

Regarding the plants you've started in the autumn, you'll just have to
wait and see. But your leeks are from last spring, are they not? Are
they indoors now? The ones you planted 'for spring' ... you're perhaps
a tad early and are you expecting to eat broad beans for xmas?

I beleive in the weather, in the goodness of the sun and what it does
to peas, celery and broad beans as well as the insects that wonder
around our garden. I wouldn't eat a veg that's had no sun. But the
experiment sounds fun! But laborious ...

But more to the point I also believe in restfull winters, doing little
for a couple of months, roasting chestnuts and dipping them in my soup,
before the busiest and most fantastic time of all, Spring! I also
beleive that hibernation was created not only for squirrels but for
gardeners too )