A-little-menteering
Eek! April! Easter! Spring! And no seeds sown yet!
To be fair it is only just spring isn’t it; I don’t think either I or the seeds have been much in the mood before now (you proper gardener types: have you been out there in your fleeces since February?).
After last year’s allotment debacle I find myself with just two raised beds (and pots, there is always pots*). I made Cameron fill the beds last week, and today with sun shining and girls whinging irritatingly playing happily in the background, I have made a start. The use of raised beds rather than acres and acres of lovely land has in practice ruled out potatoes and probably beans, although I have not completely rejected the idea of a bamboo wigwam occupying half of one of the beds and/or climbing beans over the playhouse. Today I have sown direct beetroot**, peas, salad, chrysanth greens and carrots, and tiny modules with aubergines, cucumber, tomatoes, kale, PSB and shiso. I have started some parsnips on damp kitchen roll and also plan to grow squashes of some sort, courgettes, herbs, leeks and, um, I can’t remember what else. Have I missed anything essential?
Of course, if we move I will lose them all. But no bugger seems to want to come and look around at the moment, and I can hardly leave the beds all empty to grow weeds (plus I enjoy sowing and growing for its own sake not just the end result). (Which is fortunate, really.)
*Is always pots? Are always pots?
**No, nobody does, much. But it is compulsory I understand.
April 4th, 2010 18:21
I grew runner beans successfully in a square plastic pot with a bamboo wigwam last year. Am growing parsnips, radishes, courgettes, pots, spring onions, carrots and … something else, can’t remember without going outside (and i’m not going to ). Also plan tomatoes but am going to buy plants instead of from seed this year. Have also planted basil and coriander.
April 5th, 2010 08:34
How about amaranths, or ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss chard?
April 5th, 2010 09:09
Growing beetroot is all about the beetroot and chocolate cake that you can make at the end.
April 7th, 2010 10:19
Oh, and I had a thought – what about the beans growing on arches between the two beds? Thus less room than would be occupied by wigwams, yet still beans.
Also, where is your birth story, young lady?
April 23rd, 2010 21:08
It would be pretty but I’m not sure about mowing underneath a beany arch – would we just have to let the grass grow?
April 30th, 2010 06:18
I did potatoes in bags (empty compost bags, to be specific). It works, but you don’t get a lot if potatoes in the end.
July 1st, 2010 16:39
Hi Lisa, thanks for leaving a comment on my blog – yours is the first “stranger” comment left! Loved looking through your Flickr pics…some beautiful shots. I’m a complete beginner ref blogging and photography so it’s great to see how it’s done! Best wishes, Jane