Hello everyone

[Bella Donna]

I hope I'm posting this message in the right place.  I'm new here but I have been reading your messages as a guest for a while now.  So now I feel I ought to come out from behind the sofa and say hello.  I don't have an allotment but I do have a garden with a vegetable patch which is a bit hit and miss.  Hope you won't mind if I ask lots of daft questions?  So for starters, am I too late to plant garlic?  Many thanks.

[Bella Donna]

[Robert_Brenchley]

Ask away. No, it's not too late to plant garlic by any means. I was planting into December last year, and some varieties can go in in March. It does need to be planted before the end of the cold weather though, if you want it to clove, and the earlier you get it in, the bigger the bulbs are likely to be. I've got some of mine in, but most will be going in this week. Then I'm planning to get some early garlic when I get paid, which will have to go in next month. Plenty of time yet!

[triffid]

And welcome to A4A  :)

[Bella Donna]

Hey thank you so much for your quick replies.  It's a relief to hear that I can still plant the garlic - I've got a bit behind what with one thing and another - and so nice to be welcomed to.   :)

[Hyacinth]

And here's a welcome from me :)

My'plottie' is my garden too & still time for garlic & elephant garlic. What sort are you going to grow? I find that somewhere like Wyvale sell the sort of smaller packs of things like onion sets that I can manage in the space I've got. I've just created a new bed and  next year I'm going to diversify...for the first time ever, I'm going to grow FLOWERS as well  ::) Never grown FLOWERS before  :-\

[MikeB]

Hi Bella, welcome, and as said above, still time to plant garlic.

[Bella Donna]

Thank you for welcoming me, Alishka and Mike.  (I'm sorry that it has taken so long for me to say that but I have been having trouble getting onto the site today for some reason.)  As for the garlic, I've been given a bulb from my friend's allotment which has about 12 cloves and which is enough for me.  I know she said she got it originally from an organic place but I can't remember what it is called and I forgot to write it down.  It's not elephant garlic, just the ordinary type.

[tim]

The site? It's been down for hours today - poor Dan. Not just you!!

[manicscousers]

Hi and welcome to the site, the more the merrier, as long as you're happy, so are we,
i keep forgetting to take the garlic to the plot, hopefully I'll remember it tomorrow,
I've put it in the hall so I can remember ,
I've put half in but have decided to double up this year
Ray's had the bed ready for two weeks now so, fingers crossed :D

[Bella Donna]

Oh I see.  I assumed I was doing something wrong.  Thank you for explaining Tim but who is Dan?

How kind, thank you manicscousers.  Please don't talk to me about being forgetful.  I can easily leave things in prominent places so I don't forget and still walk straight past them.  The other day, and I kid you not, I was supposed to be taking the cat to vet.  I got him in his basket and then the phone rang.  I answered the call then needed to answer a call of nature. Then I picked up my car keys, left the house and drove down the driveway.  'Where am I going' I thought?  Then I remembered and realised I'd left the cat behind!

[Marymary]

Welcome from me too BD.  I once moved house & on the way out shut the cat in the kitchen like I had done hundreds of times before & went off to the new house - didn't realise till nearly midnight & had to go back for him! 

[manicscousers]

Yippee, got 50 garlic cloves in and 40 overwintering onions, just bits and pieces to do then I can hibernate in peace, coming out to pick sprouts and stuff  :P

[Bella Donna]

Phew!  I'm so glad it's not just me, MaryMary.  And well remembered Maincscoucers, you must really love garlic!

[MrsKP]

Hi there Bella Donna (btw your plaster is just GREAT for sore backs !).

Like you, my garden doubles as my lottie and also like you, I've still to get my garlic in ....  it has just seemed to warm lately, but it's definitely turned this week, so that's what I'll be doing on saturday.

Nice to meet you.

;D ;D

[grawrc]

Hi BD! Are you like the plant or a beautiful lady? ;) ;D

I've got about 300 overwintering onions in. 50-ish garlic cloves so far. Same again garlic queuing up to be planted + shallots a bit later. You can probably still plant peas and broad beans for overwintering depending on where you are and whether you want to!!

Welcome to A4A  :) :) :) Dan is admin. Mr A4A in fact! And very nice  8)

[mc55]

Hi BD, welcome from me too.  Had my garlic in for a couple of weeks and also my Japanese onions.  Planning to put my broad beans in sometime during November and if I can ever find some shallots, shall plant those too. 

What have you been growing in your garden so far ?

[Bella Donna]

Hello MrsKP, grawrc and mc55 and thank you for your welcomes and advice.  I'm neither like the plant nor a beautiful lady, grawrc, but your comment made me laugh. 

I've grown lots of things in my garden over the past few years with varying degrees of success.  I did well with salad crops - radish, salad leaf, celery, tomatoes, beetroot and cucumber - this year, but I was disappointed with my beans, particularly the runner beans.  Maybe that was because of the weather?  Next year I am thinking of trying French climbing beans for the first time as I'd read that they are more drought tolerant and I'd really like to have a go at sweetcorn too.  I've got some Swiss Chard in at the moment but you've tempted me with shallots, it would be good if you could let me know if you find a supplier.

 

[supersprout]

Hello and welcome bella donna ;D
Glad you popped out to play :D

[saddad]

Hello anmd welcome Bella Donna.... beautiful name but... :-X

[Hyacinth]

HEY BD! - just realized....you're the plastered friend KP's been telling me about ;D