April - possibly the busiest month in the gardening calendar. Sunshine plus warmth equals germination - seedlings are pushing through in the greenhouse eager to face the warmer weather - and who can blame them. I think it affects us all the same way. Working outdoors minus coats and scarves and freezing fingers is a joy - if only the wind would drop it would be perfect.
I have started moving stuff out of the greenhouse and into the grow- house to harden off. After a really slow start the broad beans are now ready to be planted out. I spread a load of garden compost over the area where they are to be planted in the Rosebank garden, and of course, plenty of weeds have now started growing, so once I have given it a good hoeing I can transplant them. I don't grow too many plants, about eighteen this year, but it is enough for our needs.
I usually plant them in a block so that I can put a stake in each corner and support them with string. The Rosebank garden is very exposed so this method stops them from being blown over. Something else I do is intercrop them with the lower growing French beans, so I get two crops from the same space. Nipping the tops out to thwart black fly gives some tasty, fresh greens early in the season.
When they are small the beans can be eaten whole, pod and all, but as they grow they get a bit too tough and need to be shucked. For any left over at the end of the season they can be dried for eating over winter, leaving the pods on the plant to dry before storing.
The Lollo Rosso are coming along nicely too, I love growing this lettuce if only for the sheer beauty of it. It is slow to bolt and just pulling off leaves when you need them rather than pulling the whole lettuce, means it is in the garden for ages. When I plant them out I'll cover them with pop bottles to give them a chance in case of slug attack later on.
My Garlic Mustard or Jack-by-the-Hedge is showing lovely young garlic-scented leaves which can be added to savoury dishes, the seed pods can be fried and the seeds used as a condiment. Not bad for a plant normally found two-a-penny in the hedgerows.
There is so much going on in the veg garden at the moment that I feel like a headless chicken running from one job to another. Are you managing to keep up at this busy time of year?
I usually plant them in a block so that I can put a stake in each corner and support them with string. The Rosebank garden is very exposed so this method stops them from being blown over. Something else I do is intercrop them with the lower growing French beans, so I get two crops from the same space. Nipping the tops out to thwart black fly gives some tasty, fresh greens early in the season.
When they are small the beans can be eaten whole, pod and all, but as they grow they get a bit too tough and need to be shucked. For any left over at the end of the season they can be dried for eating over winter, leaving the pods on the plant to dry before storing.
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| Seedlings ready for transplanting |
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| Chives putting on a lot of growth |
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| Oriental salad leaves |
Wow you are so much more organised than me! Have only just sorted through last years seeds. Been so cold and dry not even our weeds are growing!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as the snow went I started to get things underway - it makes me feel better when I see things growing.
DeleteIt's nice to see everything putting on some growth now that we've got some warmer weather. You're right about the wind though, we've got it here too. I sowed my broad beans in autumn and they've languished in their pots for too long before being planted out so I'm hoping that they will still grow ok and produce a crop.
ReplyDeleteStill very windy here today, my neighbour's fence has blown down. Now it's raining too. Just when you think spring is here it shuts the door in your face. But at least we've made a start.
DeleteIt's all looking good Elaine.
ReplyDeleteBad greenhouse day here. The mice have had my germinating peas. So I have sown another lot and we try out yet another type of mousetrap tonight..
I'm just about to start another lot of peas too - as a few didn't germinate, although I did see some slug slime on top of one or two pots. If it's not one thing it's another.
DeleteIt is indeed very busy at this time of year, I have run out of space in the large greenhouse & will have to use a window sill again.
ReplyDeleteI'm having to move things out into the grow house to make room for more seed sowing.
DeleteI've found your blog via Marmalade & Catmint. What a find!! I am a fledgling gardener, in my second year proper of growing edibles, plants and flowers. I am totally smitten.
ReplyDeleteLeanne xx
Hello Leanne - welcome to my blog. Glad to hear you are enjoying your gardening - I think it gets us all in the end.
DeleteWhat a lovely sight, all those seedlings and young plants. Great idea to intercrop the broad beans with dwarf French, I'll have to try it. The only reason I am not running around like a headless chicken is that the weather is too wet and windy to plant anything - role on Friday which is forecast to be sunny and dry.
ReplyDeleteSame here - everything is on hold but I can still potter in the greenhouse.
DeleteI'd like to try these oriental salad leaves - I like trying new things!
ReplyDeleteThey add a different set of tastes to a salad - I stir-fried some the other day as well. Well worth trying.
DeleteIt's a busy time, but sounds like you've got it all organised there! I'm interested in the idea of intercropping broad beans with French beans - are the broad beans finished before the French beans need the space?
ReplyDeleteNo they seem to grow together quite well provided you leave enough space between the plants.
DeleteGreat healthy plants there,Elaine.I'm not doing broad beans this year,no one eats them. All my other seedlings and plants are bursting out of their modules and pots.The gales and rain here are hampering my outdoor planting,but hopefully in about 2 weeks I will start outside.The tunnel is full already :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure everything will be fine Catherine it's always a problem waiting for the right conditions when you want to plant out.
DeleteNo, there is just too much going on!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it always the way at this time of year.
DeleteThe first bit of my comment got lost!
DeleteI said
Nice bean and salad plants - I'm not managing to keep up with it all, except for the tomato and pepper plants and the early spuds- everything else is now all happening at onec and so no, there is just too much going on.
Makes more sense now I have said it in full :-)
You're right Elaine, it really is a busy time. What great looking vegetable seedlings you have there. Your Lollo Rosso looks so tasty! I'll be popping some of my seedlings out to harden soon...when I can find 5 minutes.
ReplyDeleteFinding the time to do everything is a nightmare sometimes but we always get there in the end.
DeleteI has been windy hasn't it - dread to think of what it has done down on the plot. The shed was definitely rocking during our last visit and since the wind has been stronger.
ReplyDeleteI checked my plot out this morning - the roofing felt is still holding - that is usually the first thing to go when we have high winds.
DeleteIt's good to see that you're now well under way with lots of plants on the go. I bet that you feel a lot happier than you did this time last month! Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI certainly do Flighty.
DeleteSuch a busy time but we love it don't we, thats why we grow our own veg! Its great that its a bit warmer but I wish this wind would go away, think it might actually have calmed down a bit now here.
ReplyDeleteThe wind calmed down a bit today thank goodness - I hate trying to work out in a gale. Still loads to do but I'm happy to do it.
DeleteHeadless chicken sums it up well Elaine especially this April as I feel that I'm trying to fit in two months worth of gardening activities into one. My broad beans are still in the greenhouse and not quite ready for hardening off just yet. I like the idea of interplanting them with dwarf French beans - two for the price of one :) The wind seems to have dropped away this morning so I'm out there once the shopping has been done.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I'm playing catch-up too - a lot of the jobs that I should have done a couple of months ago. Never mind I'm gradually getting there.
DeleteYour salad crops look great, so lush and healthy looking. Not so organised in our new garden yet. Beds to be made and all that stuff.
ReplyDeleteOh well you have got a good excuse for not being organised yet. But once you are it will be full steam ahead.
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