Tag Archives: Gooseberry

#NaBloPoMo: Frosty, fruit, freezing feet

Hawwww, I have very cold feet. Really should have worn two pairs of socks in the red wellington boots.

The last of the currants and gooseberries have arrived. I pootled down to the plot with versaille currants and invicta gooseberry plants. All of which are bareroot and in need of plugging in. When I first arrived the whole of the plot was entirely white with the frost. I have seen it snowed upon, but never so chalky white and somewhat sparkly. There was something quite eerie about it. Despite only one pair of socks I was layered up with thermals, hoody and heavy coat.

Walking down to the plot and trying not to slip over in the mud, there were roses on other plots.All looking a bit cold and frost kissed. Same was on mine, william shakespeare 2000 and lovers meeeting roses looked rather sweet in being iced over. In the last two days, we have had some rather harsh frosts.

Opened up the plant box and tried not to cut my fingers off. I am slowly running out of space to plug things into. Will have to consider carefully where exactly I plant to sink potatoes. There were three plants of Versailles currants and three of invicta gooseberry. Giving me a a very varied selection of both on the plot. I already have two redcurrant plants from poundland, but in the two years that I have had them, they have never fruited. Lots of bare rooted fruit has been plugged in now, I am still hoping to plug in some yellow autumnal raspberries that I will share with my aunty. There is a vague idea where these will go. Most likely by the autumn bliss raspberries so they are all together. At the moment though, it all looks like a field of twigs haphazardly plugged into the clay.

#NaBloPoMO: Plugging in plants

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Today was the day to finally plug in brown sticky things. So off I went with a thermos of hot cordial. We have wellington black currant Red lake redcurrant Hinnonmaki red and Yellow Tulameen malling jewel glen clova raspberries. I already have some green gooseberries and some autumnal raspberries. Now though three out of the seven beds on project othello are filled with raspberries. I have planted raspberries before with no joy. My two concerns are that the clay may be too heavy for them, plus wetness. There were approximately 30 canes planted today and these are meant to be for the full season. All of them are traditional pink, but I am anticipating some yellow ones.

The summer planted autumn raspberries haven’t done too badly. They just don’t taste of an awful lot.

Trying again with red currants as the two plants I have, have never fruited. Those were only a pound each and I’m still waiting.