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Sunday May 10, 2009
Dig for Victory
The BBC Dig In campaign that seems to have affected everyone in the UK (well, all the middle classes who watch Gardeners World, anyway). We always fancied the idea of growing vegetables - but in my past garden adventures I never really tried. My parents grew vegetables and so I know that (a) it involves hard work, and (b) the possibility of failure is always stalking you.
In our current garden, there is not an obviously good site with any amount of sun to dig a vegetable plot. However I seemed to remember dimly from my youth that runner beans were simple enough, so I bought some seeds and some canes with a view to making a wigwam in one of the sunnier flower beds - and I bought a growbag to raise some tomatoes. Then, yesterday, while weeding our drive, I noticed that an adjacent scruffy overgrown patch of garden was sitting in sunshine for a good part of the day. So that sealed its fate.
We (George) removed lawn turf and weeds, and dug over the tiniest patch of earth. And finally at the end of the day, we were ready to plant out some purple sprouting broccoli and Brussel sprouts. In fact, the bed is nothing like large enough for the brassica - so next weekend we will be attacking another patch of the little lawn
We also planted up some containers of tomatoes, courgettes, strawberries, and salad leaves.
Here are my floral pots that I planted last week, (a new pot due to fox activity on the old one last year...). Plus replanted pots of tarragon and thyme.
By the way, the title of this entry is not to suggest any chauvinistic call to arms - just a little historical nostalgia for a post-World-War-II world of allotments and potting sheds.
Posted by Christina at 11:14 PM. Category: The Garden
Comments
Gracious, it's been too long since I visited here. And now I find that you were in France at Easter (though your taking care of your getaway is a bit different than my touristy visit trouping around the Paris landmarks), have read the sheep detective story (glad you enjoyed it), and have made a very clever spinner's apron. That last is a great idea. I generally just accumulate debris on my pants leg, and then try to hobble to a nearby wastebasket to brush it off without dumping it all on the carpet. :) The vegetable garden looks promising -- and ambitious!
Posted by: Cathy on May 14, 2009 2:39 AM
