Radish and saxifrage in Greenhouse

Yum, radishes!

The radish have grown very quickly Karen within about two or three weeks!

I've never grown them because I remember how they used to be full of holes! I don't do roots! Got a free pack of carrot seeds from plants of distinction and don't know whether to sow them and grow them in pots or a container....mmmm

I have planted some carrot seeds in a round plastic gardening bag about 2 foot diameter and about 18 inches deep Karen. I put a plastic cover on it too to stop the carrot fly. This is the first time for me to try carrots -I had the seeds free too from the BBC Dig-in.

Good tip Richard. I think I will give it a go with a cover over the container. there is a companion plant to deter carrot fly isn't there? Is it tagetes? Will look it up....

I think it may be onion to deter the carrotfly but not 100% sure Karen. I plant marigolds between my runner beans as this deters blackfly :-)

It seems there are lots of theories...onions, sage, tagetes, gladioli etc. etc. but limited success. The best ideas seem to be as you suggest, growing them raised off the ground and covering with fleece etc. some people suggest leave the fleece on right up to harvesting. That's very unsightly in a back garden....I'll give them a try with the fleece on and see how it goes but i'm not all that confident about it all.....these carrot flies seem to be a real menace! So much for organic growing...we would all be starving if it weren't for modern fleece, poly tunnels etc. and how 'organic' are they? I'm not a great fan of the organic craze as you can guess Richard!

Slugs are a menace in my garden Karen they have bitten off the tops of a few of the runner bean plants that I have planted in the ground. Not sure if they will still grow now or whether I need to replace them. I have some 'back-up' runner bean plants just in case as I thought I may lose some with any late frost that we may still get.

Mine are still germinating. I just couldn't get them going this year....third time lucky I hope! I think the fact that I grow in slightly raised beds keeps the slug damage down massively. They are only about 4" off the ground but I don't seem to get slug damage much. Pigeons make up for it!

I am growing my beans in troughs that are about 1 foot high but they manage to get up there Karen I have put some slug pellets around now so hopefully that will stop them. It is still early for planting runner beans but I have risked it this year. Hope your beans germinate soon :-)

I think, I hope, I pray, they are just coming up now Richard...one appeared today! I have one plant from the first sowing and none from the second attempt! No idea what happened unless it was the compost. I've never had a problem with beans before and they were fresh seeds too! Oh well, as you say, there's time yet and I could always buy some in.

I saved my runner bean seeds from last year Karen but had forgotten that I did so, and then bought some more seeds!
Some people soak them first to get them going but I have not done that :-)

No, I've never done that either but I wish I had now!

Maybe they take a little longer to germinate up north with you Karen as it is a few degrees colder usually -but not by the sound of it this last week :-)

No, not these last couple of days Richard. I do wonder if it was just too cold though. Now they seem to be doing ok.....right, I'm off to my bed. goodnight all!

G'night Karen...sleep well :-)

Been thinking of doing a few radishes myself, as i do lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.

I was surprised how quickly they grow Carol I have not tried them before-have a go, they should be great in one of your salads :-)

Will do., think it only takes a couple of weeks or so to grow dont they.

Mine have been there about two and a half weeks to get as they are now from seed :-)

Great, going round garden centres tomorrow with Sandra (Sanbaz) so will pick a pkt up.

That's good I hope you and Sandra have a good time Carol it is good that you can meet up and share plants and have a chat :-)

Thats true to say we live so close it took GOY for us to get to know each other.

I have met many good friends on gardening sites. We are going on holiday this year to Northumberland and have rented out a gardening friend's cottage that I met on another gardening site :-)

Thats great, hope you have a nice holiday, i can't go on holiday with Smokey having cancer, so just been going on day trips.

Thanks.Sorry to hear that Carol-I didn't know -poor Smokey.

I've just put a new photo of him on today as he's been to vets, got few blogs and photos of him on how he his doing he's 18 now.

I will go and have a look at them Carol :-)

OK :o)

My radishes were the quickest to get going on the veg patch. Like em chopped up in salads:0)

Yes Dan my radish were very quick to come up too :-)