Visit to Hampshire

[Becky]

We went to visit my parents in Hampshire (UK) last week, and I had great fun playing around with my new camera! Here are some of the photos, hope you like them

Walk through the New Forest (deceptive name, it is neither new nor a forest):

We went for lunch after our walk, and on the way there we walked past this beautiful little thatched cottage! My parents absolutely loved it, so I took a photo of them pretending that they live there!!

Finally some photos of my parents' garden:

They dug the raised beds and pond last year, so this year is the first crop of vegetable they have had. They have three marrow plants which have done so well they don't know what to do with it all! The tomatoes have also produced a lot of fruit, but unfortunately a lot of them have blossom end rot. The runner beans have done really well too, but I think they might change around how they plant them next year - it is currently trained into a cone shape which means some beans in the middle of the cone are difficult to get to.

 

[zigs]

Lovely pictures Becky

Beetroots' looking good.

I know the New Forest quite well, used to camp there while I was on a job in Southampton, lovely area.

This is how I normally grow beans,



The X frame meanz the beanz hang down and are easier to get to/spot.

Later on I tie strings across the top, stops the frame bending. Much more wind resistant than other ways too.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Becky, the little dog bush is adorable! I love the pond as well.

Zigs - The x-frame looks good - I'm going to try pole beans next year (runners don't do well in our climate) instead of bush; I might just steal your idea

 

[zigs]

Please do, I stole it off a good friend who grows runner beans to sell for charity.

By pole beans, do you mean the same as French beans?

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/Veg-A-to-Z/French-beans

If so, I prefer those to runner beans.

 

[Shellyann36]

Beautiful pictures and your parents are a handsome couple. Those beets look delicious!

Zigs I certainly like the way you have your beans growing. I must show my hubby. We tried a string method with putting poles up every 2 to 3 feet and putting several rows of stings from top to botton on the poles. This worked ok but yours looks way neater and less crowded.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Please do, I stole it off a good friend who grows runner beans to sell for charity.

By pole beans, do you mean the same as French beans?

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/Veg-A-to-Z/French-beans

If so, I prefer those to runner beans.

Yes, I believe that pole beans and French beans are the same. It gets kind of confusing with all the different names for things!

 

[Trellum]

Those are some really beautiful pictures Thanks a lot for sharing, I specially liked the sunflower shot! I'm a huge fan of those flowers. I liked the cottage picture as well, your parents look so youthful!

 

[Becky]

That is a very excellent suggestion Zigs, I'll let them know!

Those are some really beautiful pictures Thanks a lot for sharing, I specially liked the sunflower shot! I'm a huge fan of those flowers. I liked the cottage picture as well, your parents look so youthful!

I'll let them know you said that, they will be thrilled! My mum is 57 and my step-dad is 71.

 

[Trellum]

That is a very excellent suggestion Zigs, I'll let them know!



I'll let them know you said that, they will be thrilled! My mum is 57 and my step-dad is 71.

Yes, please do Your mother looks specially young! So hard to believe she is 57! Your step-dad looks great too, it must be the food over there and the great genetics! I read somewhere that the people who looks younger than they actually are tend to live longer

 

[claudine]

The pictures are beautiful, I especially love the first two, because they remind me of Wuthering Heights. I would love to see it with my own eyes! And I love the thatched cottage, it's very pretty. I've never seen a house like this in my area.

 

[Becky]

The pictures are beautiful, I especially love the first two, because they remind me of Wuthering Heights. I would love to see it with my own eyes! And I love the thatched cottage, it's very pretty. I've never seen a house like this in my area.

It's really pretty isn't it? The thatchwork is beautiful - you can just about make out a pheasant made from thatch on the roof below the chimney