Tales from an Amateur Gardener

My latest project has been to turn a small, previously paved area at the end of our long narrow garden into a vegetable patch. This has taken longer than I thought it would as once we (well Andrew!) lifted the paving, we discovered that it had been used as a dumping ground for all sorts of building rubbish. Fortunately, we didn’t discover any bodies, but then nor were there any valuable artifacts either! Sorting it out and digging in some good manure, in between the rain and cold (I am strictly a fair-weather gardener) has taken several months. Optimistically, I had planted some peas and broad beans in the greenhouse, and my daughters bought me some gooseberry bushes. So I had something to plant out once we were ready. We had lifted our rhubarb crowns, and over wintered them in the greenhouse as we wanted to build the new avian flu compliant chicken run where it was previously planted. So we transferred it from the pots into its new home. Sadly this means we won’t get a crop this year. Fortunately a friend has a very productive crown and is happy to trade eggs for rhubarb! I have also sowed potatoes out in this area, previously I have only raised these in containers, where they do surprisingly well given the small space. Once the danger of frost has passed, I will also plant my courgettes here. Although, having learned my lesson last year, I will plant fewer this year! All of which will give me a little more space in the raised beds for salad crops and herbs. As the girls gave me six asparagus crowns for Easter, I am also hoping to establish an asparagus bed. I have planted these in strict accordance with Monty’s instructions, but as yet have not seen any sign that they are doing anything - fingers crossed. Although like the rhubarb, it will be a couple of years before I get a harvest from these.

It has been lovely to potter in my greenhouse over the winter, the novelty of being able to garden somewhere warm and dry has not yet worn off. I was able to grow spinach throughout the winter, and currently have some Kale just about ready for harvest. The lettuce got off to a slow start, but I am proud to say we were able to have homegrown salad with our barbeque over the Easter weekend. And now it is sunny and a bit warmer, it is growing at an amazing rate! The herbs I planted in February are ready for pricking out, then I can start to harden them off, before moving them into one of the raised beds. Even the mint I planted, (in a separate container I do know a little about gardening!) is sprouting. Quite a triumph as I am told this is notoriously difficult to raise from seed. I might have enough for a mojito in a few weeks! My indoor lemon tree had flowers this year, so I might even have a home grown lemon as well! You don’t need a large space to grow your own, herbs and salad crops will grow in the smallest of gardens and do really well on a sunny windowsill. A friend of mine grows salad in teacups on her patio table, it makes a pretty, as well as tasty, centre piece! And as I said potatoes do well in containers. You could also try strawberries or cherry tomatoes in your hanging baskets. As an added bonus, they are attractive as well as practical. Elsewhere in the garden, not a single one of the bluebells I planted has flowers. Is this normal? Do they take a few years to establish? Neither Monty nor Alan had any helpful hints on this matter! Happily all the other bulbs have come up and so the garden has some lovely cheerful flowers.

In a confident moment, I also decided to try growing my own bedding plants. These seem to be doing quite well...but I made a rookie error and simply wrote ‘bedding’ on the labels and so no have no idea what anything is! The pots and hanging baskets will be an adventure this year! If you have any gardening tips or experiences you would like to share please do send them to us. It doesn’t have to be a full article, if we get a few we can share wisdom, or lack of it in my case! Happy gardening!