Post (extended) Easter break roundup

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April is one of the busiest times in the garden (especially the veg garden) and it´s also the time that Duttons go away every year. This year the ash cloud turned our two weeks into three. Just before we left for the airport on the 3rd April I seeded a few rows of salads assuming that there might be a bit of rain in early April (which you´d expect right?). Well, as you know there wasn´t, so they didn´t germinate. Apart from that though, everything did pretty well considering the lack of water. The garlic (which don´t like much water) have thrived, although some look like they´ve been chewed by a giant garlic chewing thing. The elephant garlic is already much beefier looking than its ordinary cousins.

The broad beans have done extremely well. I planted them in Oct/Nov with a view to getting an early spring crop. They´re in flower now so we should see the beginnings of beans in a couple of weeks. The spinach and swiss chard are going great guns. Netting them has kept the pigeons off effectively.



The onions are doing quite well in an Alistair Darling sort of a way.



[below]Swiss chard always adds a splash of colour!




My ongoing failure to grow fennel properly may have ended, as these plants look great. Maybe the secret is not to water for three weeks when you´d think it would need it most.



At home I have a lot of tomato seedlings (and quite a few more trays have been looked after by some very kind volunteers). They were watered by our builders and are looking very healthy. They´ll be available in the playground shortly, so don´t buy any weedy things from B&Q and the like!
Hopefully see you in the playground soon for a produce sale, or maybe at one of the gardening Sundays that I´ve been threatening to hold for some time!

The Beginning

For the benefit of new parents who weren't here before the veg garden was built, here are a few photos of the day the soil arrived and a team of volunteers transferred it to the raised beds. The whole operation only took an hour and a half which just goes to show that many hands make light work.

Parents take on the ice - and win!

Brilliant effort by the parents and children who braved the elements to clear the playground of ice and snow. Hopefully there'll be enough salt left on the surface to keep the ice away?







Fiona Gammie clears up after a marathon session. She's an inspiration!

Fennel shock

The new crop of fennel looks promising. The last lot were all gnarled and unpleasant. I think the recent rain has helped, so fingers crossed.

The leeks are looking good and I think I'll sell them at the Xmas fair. We'll also be selling some jams and chutneys made by a victim of crime that I met through work. Good cause.




The broad beans have stood up the recent high winds and hail surprisingly well. They may or not flower soon but the beans should be well set for a spring appearance.





I've now planted four varieties of garlic, including elephant garlic. Hopefully some of these should make an appearance over the next few weeks.




The spinach is coming along slowly but should be ready in a week or two if the weather stay mild.
I've also planted some seed grown onions and we have a bag or two of wintering onions to plant asap. Any volunteers? Let me know.

[Below] Our old favourite swiss chard (Bright Lights) is coming along well. A very reliable winter crop.

Broad Beans








This tomato is a bit of a mystery as it shouldn't be there! We only used small and cherry varieties this year. It's quite a mystery. It produces very large, very juicy tomatoes with good flesh and few seeds. A really excellent 'slicing' salad tomato. So... we I think we have a new variety on our hands, and we need a name for it. Any suggestions? How about Belleville Red?












Swiss chard. Pretty.

Expansion shock - winter veg

[Above - late season salads and strawberries
thriving in the sunshine]

Today I took advantage of a shorter than expected dental appointment and the beautiful late autumn weather and planted seed grown wintering onions, 'perpetual' spinch and broad beans. Hopefully these will have time to settle in before winter, and will be have a head start when spring comes round again. If it stays warm we may have spinach in November!

Tiny onion plants grown from seed, not sets (small onions). Hopefully they won't wither and die!
I covered the beds to stop birds pulling up the onions and the foxes who like to dig up worms (and slugs) in disturbed soil.













Broad beans, with little sticky supports and stakes with wire supports. Nothing can go wrong. Let me know if you see any greenfly!

Perpetual spinach which went all floppy when I planted it. It does this on purpose to make you feel like you don't know what you are doing. Then, when you're not looking, it springs into life again. I think.

Let's hope there's no overcrowding when the plants start growing! [Leave out the politics - Ed]

Tommy asked me to give you a preview of his halloween oufit:

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Produce Sale

Sold nearly thirty bags of rocket, wild rocket, mixed salad leaves, pak choi, tomatoes and chili peppers today - sold like hot cakes, so thanks for your support!



The pak choi is great in salads or you can stir fry it the Chinese way.
One of my favourite meals is griddled salmon steak with steamed jasmine rice and steamed pak choi, served with a warm marinade of soy sauce, a little honey, ginger, garlic, and mirin if you have it. Highly recommended!


I mentioned before that the fennel wasn't exactly a triumph. Instead of a nice bulb we have this weird looking root conglomeration. Have tied this specimen to the fence to frighten the children.



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