1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,480 Welcome to Gardening with Ben, the podcast where we dig into the soil of 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:09,080 our gardens and the depths of our green funds. I'm your host, Ben, 3 00:00:09,359 --> 00:00:12,839 here to guide you through the joints of gardening, from sowing seeds to 4 00:00:12,919 --> 00:00:18,399 reaping bountiful harvests. Each episode will explore tips, tricks and tails from the 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:25,399 garden and Allotment, sharing insights from ourself and stories from our own back garden 6 00:00:25,559 --> 00:00:29,839 adventures. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just getting your hands dirty for the 7 00:00:29,879 --> 00:00:34,520 first time, there's something here for everyone, So grab your brew and gardening 8 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:40,320 gloves and let's get growing with Gardening with Ben. Hey everyone, and welcome 9 00:00:40,399 --> 00:00:45,840 back to Gardening with Ben for brand new episode. Well what have we been 10 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,000 up to at the Allotment the last few days? Well, it's absolutely chucked 11 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,840 it down, That's what I'll tell you. I keep posting photos on my 12 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,600 Instagram and Facebook in the morning saying it's an absolute gorgeous morning, the sunni 13 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,400 is shy, it's absolutely beautiful, the weather's fantastic, it's nice and warm, 14 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,319 and then what happens an hour later? It absolutely bounces it down. 15 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:12,760 But we still have managed to get jobs done outside on the allotment, and 16 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:19,480 I've managed to actually plant some seeds outside. I don't plant many things outside 17 00:01:19,519 --> 00:01:23,480 before the chance of frost has passed. They don't say to plant out until 18 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:29,760 middle of May, late May if you want to not get any frost, 19 00:01:29,879 --> 00:01:34,079 well, especially where I am. So what have we been planting outside? 20 00:01:34,159 --> 00:01:38,280 Well, today, we've been planting some radish outside. I have grown some 21 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:42,599 in seed tray which is all ready to be planted outside, but I've also 22 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:48,400 planted some seeds outside straight into the ground so that I don't have to worry 23 00:01:48,439 --> 00:01:53,079 about transplanting them or disturbing them, and hopefully get a good crop from them, 24 00:01:53,079 --> 00:01:57,200 because they do grow pretty fast and they're one of the fastest growing vegetables. 25 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:04,760 And the ones that I've planted are a white variety called white icicle, 26 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,400 which I've never tried before. They're quite new to me, so we've planted 27 00:02:07,439 --> 00:02:15,879 some of them. We've also planted some red ones, small red ones, 28 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:21,159 and we've also planted some salad variety. Difference between salad variety and red ones, 29 00:02:21,439 --> 00:02:25,280 who knows, we'll only find out once we've tasted them. But yeah, 30 00:02:25,319 --> 00:02:28,520 they've all gone into the ground, and obviously, like I said, 31 00:02:28,599 --> 00:02:30,800 it absolutely chucked it down afterwards, so I didn't have to water them. 32 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:36,000 And I've also remembered to label them up so that I know where they are 33 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,400 when they start popping through the ground. And I've planted these in some of 34 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:44,039 my smaller beds down the edge because I'm going to plant some peas in the 35 00:02:44,039 --> 00:02:46,159 middle of them. Now. All my peas are growing at the moment in 36 00:02:46,199 --> 00:02:52,039 my shed. I've planted them in trays because rather than plant them straight into 37 00:02:52,039 --> 00:02:53,919 the ground where the mice and the rats can eat them and the pigeons, 38 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,039 I thought i'd give them a good chance to let them grow a pretty big 39 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,840 before I plant them all our side where I want them to grow, and 40 00:03:01,879 --> 00:03:06,840 then cover them with netting and protect them that way, so we've got all 41 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,599 them to plant out when it gets a few more weeks. Peas are fine 42 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:15,680 outside in the cold, and yeah, I'll be waiting until they get a 43 00:03:15,719 --> 00:03:20,319 bit bigger before we do plant them all outside in the garden. Fingers crossed 44 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:24,080 they do grow well. Because I do love peas, they never make it 45 00:03:24,439 --> 00:03:28,520 to the home in time. I always end up eating them when I'm down 46 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,120 at the plot, which I'm sure most of you actually do yourself. So 47 00:03:32,199 --> 00:03:37,280 we've planted all them bradish, But what hells have we planted? Well, 48 00:03:37,319 --> 00:03:40,360 we've been so busy planting more and more seeds. I'm going to have so 49 00:03:40,439 --> 00:03:44,759 many plants to grow down at the allotment, and trust me, I've still 50 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,560 got a load more seeds left plant. So we've been planting, if I 51 00:03:49,599 --> 00:03:55,120 remember rightly. We've planted a whole host of different varieties of sunflowers which I 52 00:03:55,240 --> 00:04:00,879 got delivered. Different colors, different varietis, different sizes, different shapes, 53 00:04:01,199 --> 00:04:04,960 so I'm looking forward to them. I grew them a few years ago and 54 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:10,240 I had some lovely red ones, black ones, yellow ones, orange ones, 55 00:04:10,719 --> 00:04:14,520 teddy bear ones, so I'm looking forward to growing them again this year. 56 00:04:15,039 --> 00:04:21,360 We've also planted a variety pack of different squashes and pumpkins and squashes, 57 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:26,319 so yeah, I'm looking forward to them as well, all different unusual ones 58 00:04:26,399 --> 00:04:32,600 like the Turkish ones, the buttonup squash ones, jack o lanterns, all 59 00:04:32,639 --> 00:04:36,240 different types of them, so we've got all them in as well. Hopefully 60 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:42,800 they'll start germinating and start popping through soon. We've also planted a host of 61 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:47,199 different varieties of climbing beans to try this year. We've planted some yellow ones, 62 00:04:47,439 --> 00:04:55,279 some purple ones, and some mixed coloredly colored ones, so again we're 63 00:04:55,319 --> 00:05:00,399 looking forward to the different varrietis and I just want to try different varieties stuff. 64 00:05:00,519 --> 00:05:04,399 I always like trying different types stuff or new stuff and weird and wonderful 65 00:05:04,399 --> 00:05:09,519 because it's good to see, and obviously I add some color to the garden 66 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:14,160 as well, trying different colored stuff as well, rather than it just being 67 00:05:14,199 --> 00:05:20,639 the normal beige or green varieties of vegetables. We've also tried, for the 68 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:26,639 first time this year, some black tomatars, which are called indigo, so 69 00:05:26,639 --> 00:05:30,319 they are kind of bluey blackie color, so I'm looking forward to trying them 70 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,879 seeing how they get on. We've just only shown them, so they might 71 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:38,680 be a bit late, but they'll soon catch up, as tomatoes do. 72 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:44,399 We've also planted some lemon cucumbers. Now they don't taste of lemon, but 73 00:05:44,439 --> 00:05:48,120 they actually look like lemons, so I've posted them online and a lot of 74 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:53,519 people in my comments have been saying how nice they actually are and how tasty 75 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,800 they are, so I'm quite looking forward to seeing what they look like and 76 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,439 what they taste like. So I'll definitely keep you updated on them on here 77 00:06:00,639 --> 00:06:04,720 and on the Instagram and Facebook if you don't already follow me on there. 78 00:06:05,959 --> 00:06:11,240 Now we've been busy sorting out all them seeds. We've also potted up some 79 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:16,279 lettuce to grow outside of my iceberg lettuce. We've potted up some broccoli, 80 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:21,560 and we've potted up some sunflowers what we're already growing. So they're all potted 81 00:06:21,639 --> 00:06:26,959 up. I've still got absolutely loads of stuff left pot up. I don't 82 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,480 think i'll be potting anything else up this week. I may pot up my 83 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,480 cauliflowers, but we'll see. We'll see what they look like. They still 84 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,879 look a bit weedy and a bit small at the moment, so we might 85 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:46,279 wait for them until next week. We've also been busy. We've planted some 86 00:06:46,319 --> 00:06:49,879 more salad leaves, some because I do always grow the iceberg lettuce, but 87 00:06:49,879 --> 00:06:54,399 I'm trying salad leaves as well this year, so then I can just snip 88 00:06:54,399 --> 00:06:59,680 it off text moment have it in my sandwich. But yeah, we're trying 89 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,800 some salad leaves this year. And we're also trying some salad bawl mix, 90 00:07:03,959 --> 00:07:08,839 which is just like lettuce type really, but the salad leaves are like all 91 00:07:08,879 --> 00:07:14,839 different peppery tasting different varieties of salad leaves. But yeah, I'm looking forward 92 00:07:14,879 --> 00:07:16,720 to that and I might grow some of those in my hangers this year. 93 00:07:17,399 --> 00:07:21,120 I've bought some of those green felt hangers to try and grow some stuff in, 94 00:07:21,639 --> 00:07:27,879 so we'll see about doing them as well. Well. Tomorrow is going 95 00:07:27,959 --> 00:07:30,839 to be another day, busy day of planting season. I'm just looking at 96 00:07:30,879 --> 00:07:32,800 how many seeds I've got now, as you know, I get magazines with 97 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:36,360 seeds in in and everything like that, and a lot of the stuff is 98 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:41,000 stuff that I probably wouldn't purchase to try and grow, but obviously, because 99 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,360 I've got the free packets of seeds, I'm going to try and grow. 100 00:07:43,759 --> 00:07:46,360 And that's how I tend to find new varieties of stuff to try and grow. 101 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,839 If I've got it in a magazine and it's been really nice and delicious 102 00:07:49,879 --> 00:07:54,399 and tasting, I'll often go out and buy again. So it does work 103 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,879 that they do come with all these magazines to give them a try. So 104 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,879 we're going to be trying some of those. But yeah, everything is coming 105 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:05,680 along pretty well at the moment, and I'm producing a lot more content for 106 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:11,720 you to see and to follow this year, because like I said last year, 107 00:08:11,759 --> 00:08:15,480 I'll let you all down with not producing enough content. So I'm producing 108 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,439 daily little producing little blogs. So when i've been down at the allotment to 109 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:22,120 share with you from down there so you can see everything that I've been getting 110 00:08:22,199 --> 00:08:26,720 up to and you can follow along with yourselves. And I hope you're enjoying 111 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:31,080 those little videos because I'm certainly enjoying making them and putting them on TikTok, 112 00:08:31,159 --> 00:08:35,399 Instagram and Facebook so that you can all follow me on them and see them. 113 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,360 And if you do see them daily blog videos, just give them a 114 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,879 like and give them a comment because it does help boost them. And I'm 115 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:46,559 trying to build my audience as well this year. That's one thing I'm trying 116 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:50,919 to do as I've been stuck around the twenty one thousand mark on Facebook. 117 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,240 I know that's a lot of followers, but I am trying to keep growing 118 00:08:54,360 --> 00:09:00,279 and keep producing the content for you. And yeah, it's really good getting 119 00:09:00,279 --> 00:09:03,840 a lot of stuff as well, sent me from TikTok for me to advertise 120 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:09,000 on that, So I'm getting lots of little products and stuff to try and 121 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:13,879 share with you all and see what it's like as well. So I'm hoping 122 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:18,639 that you're enjoying all them little videos were put. Planted some wildflower seeds the 123 00:09:18,639 --> 00:09:22,440 other day. What we got from Johnson's. We planted some seed bombs what 124 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:28,879 I got delivered as well. We've also got some plant food to try out 125 00:09:28,879 --> 00:09:33,279 this week. What I'm going to try on my potatoes. I'm going to 126 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:37,600 sprinkle someone with potatoes. I'm also going to sprinkle somewhere. I've just planted 127 00:09:37,639 --> 00:09:39,519 all my baddish seeds as well, and where I'm going to plant my peas 128 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:43,519 in a couple of weeks, so we might plant some of those and get 129 00:09:43,519 --> 00:09:48,000 the ground a bit more tasty and more food in the soil for them so 130 00:09:48,039 --> 00:09:52,799 that we get a crop from them. So yeah, it's good trying out 131 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,960 all these different little products as well. And I've got some spring summer bulbs 132 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:00,519 on the way as well, so I'm going to look forward to planting all 133 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:03,320 them. I absolutely love some of bulbs down at my allotment, so I'm 134 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:07,279 looking forward to sharing them with you. So yeah, it's going to be 135 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:11,039 another busy day down at the plot tomorrow, and I've got Friday morning down 136 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,840 there and then I'm back up work and I go away for a few nights 137 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:18,240 next week, so hopefully we get some more content out there for you in 138 00:10:18,279 --> 00:10:22,200 a couple more podcasts, but we'll see how we get on. And I 139 00:10:22,279 --> 00:10:26,360 just want to say thank you for all those that do support me and follow 140 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:31,360 me and listen to these podcasts. It really does I do appreciate all the 141 00:10:31,879 --> 00:10:35,679 support that you give me as I still class myself as an amateur gardener and 142 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,840 every day is a learning day in the world of gardening, and it's great 143 00:10:39,879 --> 00:10:46,240 seeing everybody's plots and gardens come along. So as always remember keep smiling, 144 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:52,240 keep shining, and keep gardening with Ben. And that wraps up another episode 145 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:58,960 of Gardening with Ben. Thank you for joining me in this journey. Remember, 146 00:10:58,279 --> 00:11:03,360 every seed play land is a step towards a greener world, and every 147 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,879 day is a chance to grow something beautiful. Keep nurturing your gardens and your 148 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,879 souls. Until next time, I'm Gardening with Ben, reminding you to let 149 00:11:13,919 --> 00:11:18,639 your garden be your sanctuary. Happy gardening, and see you in the next 150 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:26,120 episode. Remember keep smiling, keep shining, and keep gardening with Ben.