Panic seed growing

The full title of this entry should be 'Panic seed growing and the resultant confusion of excessive numbers of pumpkins' (and cucumbers, courgettes, squash, lettuce, cabbages). I erred on the side of caution and planted two of everything in case the old seed didn't germinate. Then I planted some more as nothing seemed to be growing in the cold temperatures.

Now I am loathe to discard any of the wee planties, their having been obliging enough to put in an appearance. What to do? I'm assuming that the squash won't like my 'get on with it or die quickly' approach to life in the back garden, or most of the others, so should I freecycle the excess? But surely if they were given a chance...

Dunno. Will pot on and avoid the issue for a bit longer.

Had the bright idea of following a book (The Allotment Book by Andi Clevely) suggesting sowing leeks in modules then transplanting in clumps. Tried transplanting a clump at the weekend, only for it to fall apart. Harumph! Will just have to wait for the roots to wind together a bit more and hope that the leeks don't get too big for the modules (aren't they supposed to like room to stretch out down below?). I find it much easier to follow the old Dig for Victory manual 'The Vegetable Garden Displayed' by the RHS, as it gives straightforward directions with no embellishments (like companion planting - that distracted me for a long time!). In looking for a link to the book, I've found an article by Monty Don about it. Will stop trying to be modern and return to that, minus the vast quantities of man-made fertilizers. Might even try getting to grips with the hoe, whose qualities have so far eluded me. Without the aid of a dissertation to write, there is a lot less time available for hand weeding.

PS. Still no photos coz it involves turning on the computer, which gets abandoned once paid work is completed for the day.

PPS. Looked up building a greenhouse online the other days and came across this amazing allotment (demonstrating exactly why my squash will be rubbish): AllAboutAllotments.com

Live Below The Line

This evening I did some food costing whilst waiting for The Toddler to fall asleep. A friend is eating for £1.00 per day for five days to raise money for World Vision by living below the breadline as many people around the world have to, and she's had me thinking. What do we spend on food, how much does it cost to grow our own, and since the bay tree came with the house do I have to work out the cost of a leaf based on the mortgage or is it classed as free?

This evenings' meal of swede and lentil bake cost £2.23 for 6 people. (Oh, and some cherry tomatoes that I forgot to include in the cost as they sat on the sidelines.) Or Toddler, Husband, Reginald and me with some for lunch next day. I haven't included the cost of actually cooking the meal using gas and electricity. If we had grown the celery, onions and swede, what would it have cost? Cost of seeds/sets, manure, fertiliser? We use rainwater from 4 large butts. What about the cost of my time (Husband is too expensive!)? Hmm. 

Well, I guess that Live Below The Line is going to stay with me and Husband will just have to pick his least hated lentil recipe! ...can we grow lentils here? ...don't worry lovely, it's yellow-stickered beef in stew for dinner tomorrow.

And now it's dark so I can't do the measuring of Bed E required before bunging sprouts in. Will just have to get Able Assistant Toddler to hold rather than eat the tape measure tomorrow.

Still Sprouting!

So maybe a monthly update was a tad optimistic, as the Toddler formerly known as Baby Bean took over. Still, the pregnancy hormones have kicked in again and, whilst growing Reginald (due August this year; sex unknown), a lot of seeds are being planted and spring is in the air.

Apart from general soil improvement and plants settling into their beds, there hasn't been great change since the last post in May 2011. Until now. The Toddler's birthday weekend in April saw the foundations for a path being unearthed by Husband and Dad L. Mum L moved the amusing box globules. I dug over Bed B and applied poo. The location of a path has been hotly trodden for three years now, and the siting reflects the shape and size of the paved area. It has called for the demise of Bed C, which is no bad thing as the soil there was so poor that even with the addition of a compost bin's worth of good stuff resulted in one measly pumpkin last year. This leaves us with Bed A (aliums), Bed B (potatoes and strawberries), Bed D (legumes and cucurbits), and Bed E (roots, brassicas and cucurbits).

There you have it. The garden is still growing and the shaded woody border looks lovely this spring. Husband has suggested that instead of writing down when sowing and planting is done using pen and paper for filing in my garden folder, all that stuff goes in here. Not sure. I like pen and paper. But I guess he might actually look at this, being a smart phone addict! ;-)

PS. Am worried about the lack of compost on Bed E. The leeks were there until March and then it was too late to start turning the bed over before sowing carrots. What should one do?

PPS. Photos to follow. Took me an hour to log into this 'ere blog of mine, and now it's nearly 10pm (erm, way past bedtime; 6am getup grr grrrr zzzzzzzz).

Mysterious Holes and Signs of Life

May 2011

It having been over a month since our last post, you might have thought that there would be a dramatic change in the garden since then. However, there doesn't seem to have been a great deal of growth, which could either be down to the complete lack of rain or to mine eyes becoming accustomed to the garden (another reason why this blog is helpful - times they are a'changing (Happy 70th Birthday Bob) at a gradual pace). So before Baby Bean awakes, here goes...

Husband got a bit arty with the euphorbia by the compost bin. Surprised he was able to get that close considering the size of the thistles, which I think are beautiful and he thinks are spiky.

Our first genuine archeological find (aside from tarmac and old wire) was a button from a soldier's uniform:

Housemate Helen came to assist with a backlog of planting out. Here she is putting in some celeriac on Bed B, which had been started in modules a very long time ago BB (Before Bean):

We finally planted in Bed D. The spinach, lettuce and rocket are growing well. Some of the sweetcorn hasn't germinated so the odd one needs to be re-sown but otherwise it's exciting to see. The courgettes are in and scabious have been planted next to them.

Bed A is growing well but having to battle blackbirds digging for grubs around the garlic and pecking the strawberries. Note to self: fix cds to a stick in attempt to ward the birds off. The Pea Beans from the Organic Gardening stall at Hampshire Potato Day are growing well despite the garlic, with two growing from seed planted directly.

Now Bed C is annoying. I struggled with brassicas in a previous garden and this one is no better. The Pak Choi are going to seed (lack of water). The cabbages are being manged (pigeons). The Savoy Cabbage isn't germinating (old seed). The broccoli and brussels sprouts need transplanting but aren't big enough yet and may never get to be big enough. Still, the radish is growing well so if that's all that grows we will at least have nice salads all summer.

Surprisingly, the potatoes planted by Husband in a manky bit of upturned turf are doing rather well. They're a bit more shaded than the official veg beds which may help in this hot weather. Oh, we are watering the garden every other day but that's not the same as a good drenching from the sky. We have a date in the diary for the First Inspection of the potatoes - hehe!

The front garden is south facing and is doing very well, although one of the roses has flopped (Grandpa L says it's normal for some). One of the calla lily bulbs has emerged although it may not survive. Still, much excitement at its debut.

So what are these Mysterious Holes that keep appearing in the soil? Dunno. Something must be digging whilst we sleep, either a cat or a fox we think. Husband has pondered setting up a webcam to track the beastie so we might be able to watch it on YouTube (erm, I got lost during the explanation on the whys and wherefores).

And here is Baby Bean at 5 weeks 3 days old, growing well:

Bean!

Arrival of Baby Bean

Bean sprouted on 6th April 2011. Hurrah!

Baby Bean with Uncle Graham in the garden

Updates on the garden may occur on a monthly basis now we're pretty well up to date with what has gone on in the garden, in between watering BB.

Recruits hard at work

Beginning of April 2011
It being April Fool's Day and Mother's Day, we invited Mum and Dad L to come and do some more gardening. (Perhaps this is a good point to explain that Husband is plumbing in the toilet and sink, so is far too busy to be pleasing the worms as well.) They arrived bearing numerous offerings from the shady side of their garden, and the gardens of Auntie Margaret, Auntie Marian and Grandma (plus meringues). Mum L spent Friday afternoon digging over the dry border under the north facing wall and planting the offerings.


Mum L modelling the latest in garden fashion

Dad L dug over the sunny border against the south facing fence, removed the turf from Bed D, and re-turfed the border and various bald patches in the grass.


Dad L working on the border edging

Brother Mike, having completed his last exam until summer 2012, came over the next day and was put to work on excavating Bed D. It took him and Dad L all day to dig it out as there was mounds of rubble as well as lengths of electrical wiring dumped by builders.

Bro' Mike and Dad L

Dad L with rubble

Mum L spent about 3 hours mulching the entire garden with chips from the eucalyptus and leylandii that had been quietly rotting in corners since October 2010. 

Newly mulched shady border

Mum and Dad J came round for an inspection (and Mothers Day lunch) after the troops had rested. Dad L insisted upon mowing the grass as the finishing touch, aided by Husband with Dad J inspecting.

Dad J skipping with delight at the lovely garden

The garden has really transformed since being a plain lawn with empty beds around the edges, overshadowed by trees and a giant hedge (by-the-by, apparently the leylandii was 10ft high, not a mere 6ft - either seems very tall to me!). Many thanks to all the family for their hard work and numerous plant donations, without which we'd still be drawing plans and dreaming of carrots. Bean did not show up on Mother's Day so perhaps a few more seeds planted might mean the baby deigns to show itself.

Planting and sowing

March 2011 plantings
On 11th March I transplanted strawberry plants from a cheap end of season B&Q hanging basket into the garlic/onion/leek/bean bed (yes, I have since read that beans and garlic don't mix but for this first year they'll just have to try toughing it out). They have taken well and are encircled by onion sets. The onion sets were purchased at Hampshire Potato Day and are starting to show already after some warm weather (writing at the end of March). Leeks sown at the same time are not showing, and it might be because the seed is old. I'll try sowing in a pot to plant out if it germinates. Parsley for this bed has been sown indoors and four seedlings are bravely surviving.


Bed A: strawberries, garlic, leek markers and bean poles

Brussels sprouts, cabbages, radishes and nasturtiums were sown on 15th March in another bed, with some remaining onions at each end to ward off nasties (not sure that fits with crop rotation - think I'm getting confused between strict rotation by type and companion planting). So far the radish and cabbage has made an appearance. After learning that pak choi is a brassica, that was sown on 23rd March.

Early carrots, parsnips, beetroot and rocket were sown in a third bed on 15th March, but so far there's no show. It could be that the weather was just too cold, or that the seed just too old. Still, there's time yet for further attempts.

Tucking up the wee seedies on two frosty nights

On Sunday 20th March, Husband and I bought a Cox's Orange Pippin apple tree at RHS Wisley Plant Centre. It was planted the same day with a hazel rod for a stake and seems to be very happy in its new home. We also got seduced by a variety pack of red dahlias for the sunny flower border which needs a complete re-vamp.