The Frantic Gardeners’ Blog

We have done really well this year. After a few years of gardening due to tumultous private experiences, I had half forgotten the joy of looking out over weeded and productive beds with flourishing vegetables, tall sunflowers and the pride in growing your own food. our veg beds are looking good. I am sure there are others out there that would think ours just average - and to be fair, they are when compared to many -but to me, the veg beds are a sign of recovery, recovery of my spirit after a tough few years.

I am happy with our veg plot. there are things tht didn’t get done this year, there are things that haven’t quite worked, but for me, it is a triumph. A return. When I need a moment to shed tears for what has been, i can weed, pinch and pot whilst they fall. And I share the joy of it with my girls, my future and my joy.

today DH and I started sorting the bed by the kitchen to plant my climbers in and start creating a herb bed there. DD1 and i picked the wild cherry/plums so she can make jam. DD2 and I picked mangetout and peas. the mangetout to go in the veggie vietnamese stew [with some pak choi, broad beans, tofu and carrots - the last 2 shop bought], and the peas to pop directly in the mouth

SO, currently

harvesting: mange tout, peas, pak choi, salads, dwarf french beans, broad beans, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries.

maintenance : lots of weeding and watering. It has been declared a drought here.

To do: set up pots to be water reservoirs and mulch well to keep the garden green and still need to do the patio pots. I am just so less interested in flowers!

well, everything that is going in for now! Have again not been v successful at successional sowing. mostly because i get to taht stage of panic about putting in what i can see, and don’t really want to add more stuff to it. Lots of hoeing and weeding, and also watering gone on. Greenhouse also in near sorted position. SOme things have gone a bit by the wayside, and some may yet be caught up with.

Germination

A single solitary runner bean planted direct has germinated. I am just not keen on sowing direct! some of the direct sown peas did germinate, and the directly sown spring onion and carrots, so I shouldn’t be completely negative i suppose. Loads of weeds manage to germinate…

Potting on

actually, none done as yet, but this eve might pot on a last few of the peppers in smaller pots than i would like as DH making a compost run.

Planting out

You will never guess, but the artichokes finally have a home! It isn’t in the most convenient place for covering over the winter, or for next year - oops, but did for now. I think i will convince DH that putting overwintering garlic where broad beans are, and overwinter broad beans where the potatoes are will mean it is a plan . The final climbing beans sown have filled up some of the gaps. However, the lack of runner bean germination means that there are still 15 empty canes. oh well. think too late to bother sowing some more now.

maintenance

the greenhouse has been adjusted to final staging arrangements. the tomatoes are all in position, there are 3 tomatoes and 2 melons in growbags. never grown melons or watermelons before, need to get aquainted with how to do it properly! Eek! I think we need another greenhouse… or maybe some coldframes! [never any coldframes on freecycle!]

hoeing, weeding, watering… tho we have just had rain - for max of 5 mins!! not enough to damp the patio

getting the climbing beans to climb. they keep insisting on trailing through the gournd - that isn’t any good!!

Harvesting

still salad things, broad beans, peas, mangetout, dwarf french beans [from greenhouse] , raspberries, gooeseberries and strawberries [ok, only just started with a few of each, but still! ]

, a photo by Scrumbledelicious on Flickr.

to harvest this pak choi. it does look fab chinese tomorrow?

, a photo by Scrumbledelicious on Flickr.

DD2 happy with her plot

this is a particularly frantic time! i look in the veg plot and am proud and happy of what is growing there. However, i have v few minutes to weed and keep on top of things, let alone blog. I also have been v poor in taking photos!

Potting on
the last sown cucurbits into bigger pots

planting out
sweetcorn and the earliest sown cucurbits

harvesting
pak choi, broad beans, dwarf french beans, peas, mangetout, rocket, lettuce.