Despite that, I thinking of my planting strategies for hardy winter veg.
The first problem I have is defeating aged father-in-laws gardening techniques. If it isn't concrete or grass, it's a weed. I had to threaten to sit in one of my trees to stop him 'pruning' it last week. For pruning, read 'cutting a 25 foot, 25 year old tree to a 3 foot stake.' Again.
Thankfully, he backed off grumbling he was only trying to make things easier for me. Ye small gods, climb a tree? Having floppy ham butties and a thermos passed up in my best brining bucket? Gosh. I get the shakes sat on a stool, ne'er mind 20 feet up.
I'm at loss how to solve that one, short of a taser. Does that work against a strimmer/chainsaw wielding 5' 3" bulldozer?
My yield of herbs has been er, one. Rosemary. It survived in a pot. The cabbages, potatoes, fifteen herbs, radishes, onions and lettuces were strimmered ("bloody weeds, and why did you fence that bit off? I had right job getting to it....")
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I'm going to have to break my principles and BUY some peat free compost. The stuff I've carefully nurtured for two years is, mysteriously levelling up a paved garden path. Something about vegetarian rats. More like peppers, chillies and tomato's sprouting.....
I have a cunning plan. I have, running 25 feet long, 3 feet wide, from my back garden gate to my front gate what could euphemistically called a 'flower bed'. It was a yellow Yorkshire stone gravelled effort that has fallen into disrepair. It's not a lot, but?
If I dig in a bit of compost to a spades depth, a little bit every day, and it looks obviously cultivated, particularly if I put in a few late bedding plants quick?
I have a cunning plan. I have, running 25 feet long, 3 feet wide, from my back garden gate to my front gate what could euphemistically called a 'flower bed'. It was a yellow Yorkshire stone gravelled effort that has fallen into disrepair. It's not a lot, but?
If I dig in a bit of compost to a spades depth, a little bit every day, and it looks obviously cultivated, particularly if I put in a few late bedding plants quick?
~~~~
Winter herbs and veg? Surprisingly, yes.
Lots of salad leaves, and spinaches, if I keep an eye when we're due for frost, will keep coming 'till mid December. If it's frosty, I'll cover them in refuse sacks overnight.
Kale I've found is frost tolerant., as seems to be broad beans ("Wots those things on sticks?")
Garlic- the one from the supermarket will do, will struggle through until late spring. They take ages anyway.
Parsnips, Swedes, Turnips, onions (from 'sets') shallots, fennel and pak choi if their picked when mature - fine.
Rhubarb, Celery and Leeks if heaped over with a well fertile soil as they poke above the soil. Stubborn little monkeys :)
I'll definitely be planting some parsley.
The trick is to plant more than you need. The worst that can happen is you get a pleasant surprise.
Unless you have a strimmer killer :)
Oh, a quick footnote. Rescued an 8" terracotta pot of compost and put it on the kitchen windowsill . Y'know those red, green, yellow 'peppers' and Chillies from the supermarket? Well, I said to Bear, y'know those seeds inside? Just chuck them in there.
Three weeks later, I have pot full of vigorous plants. Heck! Which are the Chillies? Chuckle!
Lots of salad leaves, and spinaches, if I keep an eye when we're due for frost, will keep coming 'till mid December. If it's frosty, I'll cover them in refuse sacks overnight.
Kale I've found is frost tolerant., as seems to be broad beans ("Wots those things on sticks?")
Garlic- the one from the supermarket will do, will struggle through until late spring. They take ages anyway.
Parsnips, Swedes, Turnips, onions (from 'sets') shallots, fennel and pak choi if their picked when mature - fine.
Rhubarb, Celery and Leeks if heaped over with a well fertile soil as they poke above the soil. Stubborn little monkeys :)
I'll definitely be planting some parsley.
The trick is to plant more than you need. The worst that can happen is you get a pleasant surprise.
Unless you have a strimmer killer :)
Oh, a quick footnote. Rescued an 8" terracotta pot of compost and put it on the kitchen windowsill . Y'know those red, green, yellow 'peppers' and Chillies from the supermarket? Well, I said to Bear, y'know those seeds inside? Just chuck them in there.
Three weeks later, I have pot full of vigorous plants. Heck! Which are the Chillies? Chuckle!
2 comments:
What a busy man and how much better your food must taste being home grown - satisfaction guaranteed!
Half my problem RLS - it was not knowing when to sit down that, well, got me sugared.
As a mate said "Death is Gods way of telling you to slow down a bit"
Though neither God nor death worry me, he has a point. Besides, I have too much to do before I have to deal with either :)
You're spot on. The taste of home grown stuff is much richer and deeper. It's not cheaper though, I have to admit, particularly when you factor in the time and effort.
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