Jun 2nd, 2014
Author: donich_admin
How does your garden grow?
Well not badly actually….
On the positive side… Every morning for the last week I have had enough strawberries for a bowl with yoghurt for breakfast. The peas are doing quite well and I tried the first pod today – a bit small but very sweet and lovely. The first tomatoes are set (only on the few plants I bought in in case the seeds didn’t grow – but the seed grown ones are in flower now). We have many spring onions and too much salad (R does not like it). I’ve had quite a lot of ‘snowball’ type turnips which are great peeled and eaten like an apple – only the inside ones survived though – something ate the ones which I put out in the veg patch. Also lots of herbs and it is great picking them in handfuls just like Jamie Oliver. The first courgettes are just coming through as well along with the squashes – and if they all grow we will have lots. Outside the stuff is doing less well but the potatoes look ok as do the onions. I wasn’t expecting much from the gooseberries and currants I planted this year – but I will have a few handfuls at least.
On the negative… My beans had lots of flowers but don’t seem to be making any pods. Perhaps they didn’t get pollinated in the tunnel but it is odd if that is the reason because the peas right next to them seem fine. Outside did not go well at all early on – none of the sprouting broccoli made it and the turnips and sprouts have only had a few survivors. But the stuff I planted in May has done much better – I suspect at least partially because the slugs had other things to eat by then.
So lots and lots of lessons learned for next year – the two biggest being a) don’t start too early – it is a waste of time and effort, and b) don’t plant more than you can easily take on – a lot of my stuff has suffered every time I have had a big test and been too busy to devote TLC to them.
Also – self-sufficiency is a long way off for us – I’ve put major effort in and we have been nothing like self-sustaining in anything so far – except perhaps herbs. Next year I need to put better consideration in what to grow and be a bit more selective. Also if I worked out how much the veg we have had cost per pound it would be the most expensive I have ever eaten – we could have bought it all from Harrods and had it delivered for the money it has cost us 🙂