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?
************************

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 )

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 02:56:41 -0800, La puce wrote:


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 )
***************************
Well we do have a kind of hibernation period...called siesta ;-) That is
we have a rest after lunch continental style! I don;t think I could keep
still ALL winter.
The leeks were put in pretty late...The situation arose because my husband
jumped off a pile of railway sleepers which are waiting to be used in a
very long rosary round th flower garden. I heard the crack from what
seemed like miles away he's broken his patella.
He always used to do the veg garden, but just grew "normal" as he would
say things.
I want to grow peppers of all sorts and garlic of all sorts and aubergine
(my husband's never grown these things) so he doesn't offer any
advice..strange that!
Anyway the leeks are outside and really flourishing...perhaps because I'm
Welsh and they're one of our national emblems:-)
I am extremely enthusiastic about the new interest. I expect to have a few
failures of course.
I got a dog bed (very large) followed all the instructions to the letter
and filled them up with compost and mushroom packeted starter kit.
Complete lack of response after the first few fingers of "mist" across the
top...then nothing.
I don't have many failures with flowers... except the blue poppy...I have
taken them down to the degree stated on he packet...but nothing!
My family think I'm strange getting so excited about growing veg, but I'm
glad I react this way:-)
***********************************

The message
from Welsh Witch contains these words:

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?

The simple answer is that most winter veg will survive cold. It's
wetness and bad drainage which sees off some, e.g. onions


SO..I turned one side of the greenhouse into a small indoor garden in
which I have planted Meteor peas now about 4" high

These should be fine. As far as I know Meteor is a round pea which is
winter hardy. They will probably sit there at 4" high for a few months
and begin to grow again when it warms up in spring.


#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.

Onions and garlice will be fine as long as the drainage is OK.

The early variety are up about 3"
already. Broad beans are flowering but have been storm battered.

You wouldn't normally want your broad beans to flower this season. The
general idea with over-wintering is to get them established, but maybe
only an inch or two high. They will then begin to grow when the weather
warms up in spring and finally crop in about June. The flowers you have
will presumably not bear beans. You can sow broad beans as late as now
so if you have room you could try another lot.

Janet G

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 17:58:34 +0000, Janet Galpin wrote:

The message
from Welsh Witch contains these words:

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?

The simple answer is that most winter veg will survive cold. It's
wetness and bad drainage which sees off some, e.g. onions


SO..I turned one side of the greenhouse into a small indoor garden in
which I have planted Meteor peas now about 4" high

These should be fine. As far as I know Meteor is a round pea which is
winter hardy. They will probably sit there at 4" high for a few months
and begin to grow again when it warms up in spring.


#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.

Onions and garlice will be fine as long as the drainage is OK.

The early variety are up about 3"
already. Broad beans are flowering but have been storm battered.

You wouldn't normally want your broad beans to flower this season. The
general idea with over-wintering is to get them established, but maybe
only an inch or two high. They will then begin to grow when the weather
warms up in spring and finally crop in about June. The flowers you have
will presumably not bear beans. You can sow broad beans as late as now
so if you have room you could try another lot.

Janet G
******************
Thanks for that advice. Our soil is very sandy so for drainage its really
good.
I have some more packets of broad beans so I'll have another try! Thanks
again W
**********************