mtp

First Signs of Life

Garlic Growing
If you look really closely (possibly with the aid of a magnifying glass) you can just about see that the first signs of life in the garden are showing. The Garlic that I planted back in November is showing its tiny green, pointy head and so are the Tulip bulbs that were planted just afterwards. Yey! I’m so excited about the next growing season.

12 Responses to “First Signs of Life”

  1. Curtison 06 Jan 2008 at 9:51 pm

    Things starting to grow already. My daughter found some wild onion in our yard this afternoon. we planted it in a garden bed.

  2. off topicon 07 Jan 2008 at 1:29 pm

    Hello MTP,

    Sorry to go off topic but I wondered if you could tell me about the little brick paths you have through some of your beds. I guess you can see the best example in your July 4th 07 posting. Do you just firm down bricks into virgin soil or lay them on something ? Are they two deep ? Sorry to bother you but I have a tiny plot in my own back garden and your brick path looks just the thing to make working the soil much easier. Hope you can offer some pointers.

    Love the blog BTW. You make it look so easy !

  3. Natalieon 07 Jan 2008 at 3:47 pm

    I love referring to your site and find it inspiring.

    Please make it into a book.

  4. apartment gardenon 08 Jan 2008 at 3:27 am

    I can see it! I love garlic. I’m trying it for the first time this next year. I started mine in November I think. Hopefully by summer, we’ll have some garlic!

  5. Reweedon 08 Jan 2008 at 1:07 pm

    Is it too late this year to plant garlic?

  6. VPon 08 Jan 2008 at 8:34 pm

    No it isn’t – I do both an autumn (in pots because of my clay soil)and a late winter planting (out on my plot when the winter wet’s beginning to go). The key is to let the garlic experience a period of cold after planting. I’ve had success with both.

  7. Reweedon 09 Jan 2008 at 4:17 pm

    Last year my attempt at growing Garlic failed when my father dug it up by accident and planted a massive plum tree in my veg patch. Will have another bash this year.

  8. mtpon 10 Jan 2008 at 1:30 pm

    In answer to your off topic question about the brick walkways on my beds – I really just laid one brick after the other in a shallow trench. When I moved in there was a pile of old bricks in the corner of the garden and rather than throw them away I used them as a decorative pathway. Because I didn’t really prepare the ground well some of them are sinking but as it’s a temporary measure I really don’t mind that. If yours is permanent then you might want to lay some hardcore or sand to aid drainage.

  9. Annaon 10 Jan 2008 at 2:27 pm

    Hello, it’s true – you do make it look easy! I have a question about garlic. We planted ours in late autumn in heavy clay soil (in Devon). It is now about a foot high (the leaves I mean) and turning yellow at the top, which is the way I would have expected it to look in July when it was ready. What have we done wrong?? Is it just that we need a frost to kill it back again?? I am so confused. Help, pleeeeeaaaase!

  10. Terri Pollheinon 10 Jan 2008 at 3:12 pm

    So you can grow garlic in a clay pot?? I never considered that before! Hu…. I will be interested in how that turns out.
    Enjoy your blog, very much.
    God bless.
    Terri

  11. mtpon 10 Jan 2008 at 6:08 pm

    Hi Anna,
    Your garlic seems to have been suffering from mild weather we’ve been having. Where do you live out of interest?
    I would pull up one garlic and see if it’s growing okay – ie not rotted. If it’s okay leave it in and sow some more just be on the safe side. If it’s not okay then pull the lot out and start again – there’s plenty of time for garlic still.

  12. off topicon 11 Jan 2008 at 10:34 am

    Dear MTP,

    Many thanks for your advice on the brick walkways. I’m going to follow your lead and see how I get on with the temporary method you suggested – although knowing my luck I’ll be sinking up to my knees when my poorly constructed path goes down in a mud bath !!

    Once again, thanks for the great blog + advice.

Organising My Seeds

In love with vintage