NOT LETTING THE GRASS GROW UNDER MY FEET.

First published Thursday, 20 July 2017

With a cup of coffee in hand, I thought I would just sit-down for a while and have a quick flick through my Garden Journal and read all the notes I made following my decision to bring the allotment home and redesign my garden. 

The journal was not intended as a diary as such, but simply a place to record everything that I did. There are lists of the timber, gravel and paving slabs that I needed, (local free bay's and friends can be very generous!), together with basic measurement’s and plans for construction. Another section lists the crops I wanted to grow, including specific varieties and dates sown; and simple drawn out plans (as below) to show the rotation of my planting, year on year. 

In someways it seems an age ago that I started out on this project, yet looking back at some of these entries reminds me that it was really only a short while ago that I lifted the very first turf. Since then the grass has gone, and the garden has become very productive, which is a great joy to me!

PLOT TO PLATE

I don't know about anyone else, but I see little point in growing something that you don't like. My garden is fairly small, and so I need to be economical with my space. 

I have a few staples....

Potatoes being the principle crop. When I had the allotment, I could indulge and experiment with several varieties. I found Maris Peer a great success, King Edwards a disaster and Red Duke of York and Charlotte to be not too bad! Now my space is restricted, I tend to stick with Maris Peer and generally twenty plants are my limit.

Onions are my next staple. Last year I tried, red, white and brown, but this year I just stuck with the good old brown onion, and they are doing really well.

I did sow some summer Garlic, but the results have been really poor this year. I think I will go back to the good old Solent Wights in the autumn.

Tomatoes, I can't imagine not growing some toms! Of my favourite's, I would say are Alicante and Marmande Beefsteak. I have learnt that if I grow them in the polytunnel, they escape the dreaded blight and keep producing late into October!

Climbing, Runner and Broad Beans, again an absolute must for me. I usually grow either White lady or Scarlet Emperor runners. Aquadulce broad beans sown in the autumn or Bunyards Exhibition sown in the spring. The climbing beans I have grown this year have been Cobra and I can say they have been prolific and absolutely delicious!! 

Sweetcorn, this year I have somehow managed to squeeze twenty plants in. The variety I favour is Swift, but I may just try something a little more exotic next year. 

Oh, but they are divine fresh from the plant and straight to the kitchen....just love them!

So that's my basics.

I do have some strawberries, but they have been squeezed out for other crops, so I need to rethink this. It may be the case that I need to go up!I have seen others grow theirs in gutter piping on stands, so that is a possibility. I have two very rampant Loganberry plants,  which have been very fruitful this year!

I love leeks and have found space for twelve plants. I have never grown them before, but they seem to be doing ok, the variety is Jolant.

On the patio, I have a pallet which holds some salad crops, such a lettuce leaves and radish.

In the polytunnel there are several Chilli plants growing nicely. I have Jalapeno, Cheyenne, Apache and Scotch Bonnet, all which are very productive and keep well in the freezer! In fact, I recently made six jars of chilli jam using a mix of chillies I froze last year and it is so good! 

My latest experiment though, is Cauliflowers! Have never grown them before, but have eight growing in the polytunnel. They are quite big and producing lots of leaves, but no florets so far...I think this is a case of watch this space, but don't hold your breath!!!!  

Finally, I have a small herb garden of Mint, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Garlic Chives and lavender. To add a splash of colour, there are Sweetpeas and lots of tubs full of Lobelia, Petunias and Impatiens.  

So there you have it....my little piece of heaven!