How about a gardening thread?

[meloncollie]

Kamarate, many vegetables need a fair bit of tending this time of year - could you ask a friend to stop by to do a bit of weeding/watering/general TLC during the month you are gone?

Or, is there an eager teenager in the neighborhood looking to earn a bit of pocket money?

[Kamarate]

We've just donated our parking space (at least most of the time) to a nice Irish neighbour with a family without asking for any money, so maybe I could ask her to keep an eye on it? At least to water it. Normally the concierge would do it, but he's off on holiday, too!

[Odile]

Seems like a very fair exchange to me - shame you didn't think about it beforehand. I love exchanges moi. My neighbour kindly looks after our dog and cat when we go away, so I help the kids with homework in English and German, and look after her cat and rabbit when they are off on Summer holiday. And as she hates weeding, I do it when they are away and always fill the borders with new plants so they have a lovely surprise when they get back

[Kamarate]

I might knock on her door on Friday... I might just ask her to water the garden if we got through a dry patch. They have a garden too so it will only take a few more seconds for them.

[StarbugHayley]

This blew me away - you fill the borders for your neighbours as a surprise?!

Are there any vacancies in your area?!

BEST.NEIGHBOUR.EVER!

	Quote:	Odile
	Seems like a very fair exchange to me - shame you didn't think about it beforehand. I love exchanges moi. My neighbour kindly looks after our dog and cat when we go away, so I help the kids with homework in English and German, and look after her cat and rabbit when they are off on Summer holiday. And as she hates weeding, I do it when they are away and always fill the borders with new plants so they have a lovely surprise when they get back

[Odile]

Just makes sense - she hates gardening, and I love it. SHE is the best neighbour ever - taking out dog into her home when we go away, and looking after our cat. She wins, hands down. I am very lucky.

[Kamarate]

Did a 'rough weeding' (you can now see the difference between veg and weeds - courgettes look lovely and even found a ripe, red tomato!) and happened to bump into said neighbour. He said he would be happy to give it the odd squirt while I'm away.

[meloncollie]

A ripe tomato? In July?

I'm all kinds of jealous... mine are still just starting to flower.


(Here on the Dark Side, I rarely see ripe tomatoes before October. And given how early we have had first frosts these last years, I've developed quite a repetoire of green tomato recipes.)

[Kamarate]

I have yet to eat it. So annoying - before the hail, I was so proud of my chard! Maybe all my other lovely veg will be ready to eat when I come back. I've got garlic, yellow and green courgette, aubergine, chard, cranberry, peppers, cucumber and onions. Sounds like a weird salad.

[smoky]

Wow, nice vege garden! Why not offer the veges to neighbor - in exchange for them caring for garden for the month?

[SOBEIT]

My red and white grapes are coming on nicely.

[Kamarate]

	Quote:	smoky
	Wow, nice vege garden! Why not offer the veges to neighbor - in exchange for them caring for garden for the month?

I did say they could take what they wanted!

[argus]

Some run-of-the-mill plants that popped up in our balcony.
Tradescantia Bilberry Ice, snack chilli, weigelia, asters, etc. Please ignore the black dogrose.

[sups]

Argus...i can no longer express the beauty verbally.
Is the first pic a type of orchid?
that dog-rose is pretty as well a novice in the botanical world....i love your humor!

does anyone have suckers of thornless blackberries or good raspberries, for that matter any of the berry plants except strawberry to throw out? i would be a happy taker.

[argus]

	Quote:	sups
	Argus...i can no longer express the beauty verbally. Is the first pic a type of orchid? that dog-rose is pretty as well a novice in the botanical world....i love your humor! does anyone have suckers of thornless blackberries or good raspberries, for that matter any of the berry plants except strawberry to throw out? i would be a happy taker.

Thanks, Sups. The Tradescantia Bilberry Ice is related to the veggie oyster plant or Moses'-something (can't remember the second word, like pillow or cushion). It was supposed to be Tradescantia Ocean Blue but Baldur-garten.ch made a mistake and so gave me a voucher for half the price.
In my neighbourhood I see dark purple Tradescantia in some folk's gardens. Nice.

[sups]

I am planning on building raised beds from wooden planks. I haven't much of carpentary skills but it seems pretty easy in the various DIY videos.Does anyone have experience in building one here? which wood should I buy...I know that wood doesnt typically have a very long life so I assume the ones meant for terracing should do the job.
I would like to hear tips and suggestions before the DIY project.
thanks

[JanerMacP]

	Quote:	sups
	I am planning on building raised beds from wooden planks. I haven't much of carpentary skills but it seems pretty easy in the various DIY videos.Does anyone have experience in building one here? which wood should I buy...I know that wood doesnt typically have a very long life so I assume the ones meant for terracing should do the job. I would like to hear tips and suggestions before the DIY project. thanks

My hubby built some for me and it was fairly simple he said. We actually did two different kinds to see which ones will fare better.

One set we did with decking wood from the Bauhaus. We used round posts to put them about 20 cm in the ground. We lined it and then filled it with a mixture of dirt.



The second one we did was with round concrete blocks, we again lined it and filled it the same. The blocks cost about 300 CHF and we had to make 4 trips to the Landi to get them as they're quite heavy and we didn't want to overload the car. I don't have a photo but basically like this but with round blocks. We filled the blocks 3/4 with rough dirt and then put nice white stones on top.

http://theurbanhomestaed.blogspot.ch...d-bed.html?m=1

Good luck!

Oh, check Pinterest as well, they have tons of pins for raised beds.

[sups]

thanks janer for the pictures looks preety simple to build (if you have strong arms and weapons-I mean the tools)

[sups]

I know I could buy drip irrigation pipes and the whole lot of installations or ask a friendly neighbor who is by chance not away on a holiday etc ...but I am looking for other alternative ideas that would work to keep my garden from drying out while I am away.
With indoor plants is pretty easy but I am looking out for solutions for outdoor plants and veggies.
thanks

[Odile]

Without knowing the size, type of plants, access to water reservoir, etc, just don't see how anyone can help really. But waiting with baited breath.

I always pay a reliant teenager to come and water every other day- with proper instructions on how to do it (e.g. not directly on plants, but around, never in full sun but after sun down, etc.).