Tuesday 12 January 2016

Hopes and Dreams for the Vegetable Garden 2016

It's January, it's cold and wet and the garden is a hostile place, overgrown, mucky and dishevelled. But your mind is full of warmth, colour, shapes and tastes. You can envision your garden as it could be, not as it is now. Suddenly you remember that you had the same lavish thoughts last year, and reality didn't quite play game. But this year will be your year. You're sure of it this time.


Reasons 2016 will outshine 2015:


1. I have new beds cleared and have relocated my raised beds to allow access on all sides, making weeding easier.


2. My rabbit moved on to greener pastures meaning the gladiolus and primroses that she demolished before they had time to flower will get a second chance.


3. I have put in the ground work in what, I hope, will be my pièce de résistance - a large curved bed with a mix of vegetables and decorative plants of various heights and colour. Now I have to gradually add to it as the year goes on.


4. I have bought fresh seeds for my main vegetable crop (most of what I used last year were old seeds) and a nice selection of flowers keeping in mind those that would make good cut flowers, and those that attract pollinators.


5. I read The Edible Garden by Alice Fowler and it helped to move my mind-set beyond the traditional vegetable beds to a more harmonious pairing of edibles and ornamentals.


6. Surely the weather will be better than last year?..........


Vegetables I plan to grow:


Garlic - already in the ground/modules


Broad beans - already in the ground/modules


Onions - already in the ground


Purple Sprouting Broccoli - already in the ground and by the time I am eating this crop it will almost be time to sow next year's seeds.


Tomatoes - to be planted indoors soon. This year I am expanding beyond the cherry tomato variety and trying a wicked looking beefsteak variety called Ananas.


Beetroot - I want a lot of beetroot for making chutney and soup. Last year I grew the Chioggia variety which has a vivid pink and white concentric pattern inside but I preferred the flavour of the bog standard Bolthardy. However, I grew them in poor soil in containers so I'll try again, to compliment my main crop.


Carrots - I must get coarse sand to add to carrot bed


Peas - I've only grown mange tout up to now, but I've realised that we prefer garden peas so I've bought some new seeds. I still have mange tout seeds that I saved from my own plants so they'll be sown also.


Spinach - love me spinach.


Leeks - I grew leeks two years ago and they were delectable. Definitely one of the vegetables where the superiority in taste of home-grown versus shop-bought was most apparent. I've previously written on how to grow leeks successfully.


Courgette - it's a vegetable I never really ate until I grew it last year and I am already looking forward a freshly picked courgette cooked in butter. Along with the standard variety, I have ordered seeds for a funny little yellow duck shaped breed just because I can.


Potatoes - I am undecided about growing spuds but I think it is worth growing a few for the earlies, which are pretty expensive to buy. It's probably time to buy my seed potatoes so they'll be well chitted before planting (traditionally on Paddy's Day).


Herbs will include basil, coriander and dill.


That's about everything. Next is to make a list of the equipment I need and stock up. I need more seed trays and support canes and of course, lots of compost.

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