The Greenhouse otherwise known as The Food Factory



chard seedlings

 Seedlings, seedlings, seedlings.  I climb into to bed,  rest my head against the pillow, close my eyes, and all I see is a vast sea of seedlings.  Yes, seedlings have become my life these past few days.



tomato seedlings

   Essential work of course at this time of year if you are growing your own veg.  I find it quite soothing standing in the warmth of the greenhouse with the wind and rain outside rattling the panes - ideally I would like a wind-up radio in there with me so I can listen to the afternoon play on Radio 4 or maybe some calming music - but for now, my mind wanders, whilst I am gently prising out the tiny seedlings, dibbling a hole and carefullly placing them into their new home.  It doesn't get much better than that.


brassica seedlings

 It is a bit like a production line in a factory - row upon row of newly transplanted seedlings, the labels regimented , standing in a row like soldiers.  Let's face it, it doesn't take much to make me happy.


lettuce seedlings

Over the years I have collected all sorts of modules and containers to use for transplanting seedlings.  But, my favourites, are the white plastic drinking cups you can buy  at the supermarket.  I make two or three holes in the base with a skewer and they are just the right size for a single plant, until they are ready to be planted out.


 I have my 'work station' all set out with my favourite dibber - labels, pots, cups, modules - a bag of potting compost at my feet - and away we go.  Hours pass without me realising - it is such a pleasant way of spending an afternoon - just me and the plants in a world of our own.  I can quite easily wax lyrical because it gives me such pleasure.  Maybe you don't have a greenhouse or polytunnel to work in, but wherever it is that you perform these tasks - you have to agree  that is is a good way to spend your time.

Do you love transplanting seedlings and working in the greenhouse as much as I do?

Why not visit me in my flower garden at Ramblings from Rosebank and check out what I am doing when I'm not busy growing veg.

Getting down to the real Nitty Gritty .

The trouble with only posting once a week at this time of year is that things are happening fast as there is so much to show and talk about - so where to begin?

The improvement in the weather has meant getting off my backside, pulling my finger out and really getting down to the nitty gritty of seed sowing, transplanting and planting out.  All time consuming jobs - and that is on top of trying to get the Rosebank garden into shape, keep the home running smoothly and finding the time to write the odd blog post.

Romanesco Cauliflower Seedlings

I'm not moaning though, it is good to be busy again outdoors, forgetting to eat or make a cup of tea, resenting any time not spent in the garden and rushing through the boring chores indoors, so I can do just that.  After weeks of winter inactivity I am beginning to feel more like myself, becoming aware of my surroundings, at every little change of the season, feeling the dirt between my fingers and being in awe of the wonders of nature.

Sungold Tomato

l. to r. 
salad leaves . peas . pickling onions
lollo rosso . broad beans . rhubarb
raspberries . oak leaf lettuce . sorrel

I practice polyculture in my raised beds- that is another name for mixing everything together so that no one plant is dominant, hopefully lessening  decimation and disease of a crop, and when one plant is finished something different is planted in the same spot for a continual harvest.

Top left - leeks and purple sprouting broccoli
Top right - cabbage, lettuce, overwintered onions, feverfew and sorrel
Bottom left - shallots, onions, garlic, chives and sage
Bottom right - the leeks that have been cut off at ground level several times,  still growing and producing after two years.

I now have onions in the ground, potatoes, peas, parsnips and carrots in containers in the Rosebank garden and at the plot the potatoes, onions and peas are in.

Slowly but surely I am getting there.  I am off outside now to carry on where I left off yesterday.  I don't think I am doing too bad for an old gel who is somewhat past her prime.  IT'S ALL GO GO GO!

Happy gardening  - see you next week.

Broad Beans . Salad Leaves and Jack-by-the-Hedge

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.



Seedlings ready for transplanting

 


Chives putting on a lot of growth

 


Oriental salad leaves

  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?

Dig . Sow . Pray and Plant Cucumbers

I have been lying on the bed practically comatose after a severe bout of digging at the plot.  My poor old body just isn't used to such strenuous activity.  And to add insult to injury I shifted a whole compost bin full of horse manure to spread round the fruit bushes.  No wonder I feel like a zombie.  But the sunshine was just too good to miss and I knew I couldn't waste the day, when according to the weather forecast, rain is on the horizon.

I have been sowing lots of seed too like a mad seed-sowey thing - the greenhouse is steadily filling up and I am already starting to run out of space.  But you know what - it feels great to be doing something positive in the garden at last, after all those months being shut in and looking out of the windows longingly.

The cucumber seedlings that I sowed last weekend are through as are the tomatoes

Last year the cucumbers started off okay but deteriorated rapidly so I bought a grafted plant

they are quite expensive compared to normal cucumber plants, but well worth it as I didn't have any problems with stem rot or mildew like I normally do

I always grow them in a mini-grow house inside the greenhouse  which is covered with mesh netting to give them some shade.  Because tomatoes like a dry atmosphere and cucumbers like it humid I spray the plants with water every day when it is hot (fat chance of that last year) but it seems to keep the growing conditions right for them.

This year I may try to grow one or two in bottomless containers outside as well (see YouTube video below) and see how they fare.  Any spare cukes are made into Cucumber and Onion Sandwich Pickle and a Chilled Cucumber Summer Soup, although this didn't happen last year as the weather just wasn't conducive to large harvests.

Will you be trying your hand at growing cucumbers this year - indoors or out - if you have a growing method that you have perfected I would love to hear about it.

Peas on the Plot and in Containers

28th May 2011 - Plot Peas

It's time to think about sowing peas.  I sowed some early ones a couple of months ago but germination has been pretty poor so I will have to start over.

Every year since I have been growing my own vegetables I have always sown a row of peas on the plot.  I just love picking and eating fresh garden peas straight from the plant.  Mixing two or three different varieties together gives you a long harvesting season.  But one year when germination wasn't very good I sowed an extra lot in troughs in the Rosebank garden just to make sure of getting at least a few helpings for dinner and they were very successful, I may even try some trailing from hanging baskets this year as well.


12tth June 2012 - Plot Peas

 I'm afraid I don't have enough room to spare to be self-sufficient in peas, but one row of mixed varieties gives me plenty to harvest over the summer, I know it's easier to open a bag of frozen peas which are of excellent quality, but there is just something about picking peas and podding them and popping them into your mouth to eat raw or in salads or cooked with mint and dressed with melted butter, that to me, is what veg gardening is all about.

27th June 2012

This time last year they were growing well - I started them off in pots in the greenhouse at the beginning of March and they were planted out by the middle of March, you may remember that last year March was gloriously sunny.


19th March 2012



28th March 2012

14th May 2012

23rd May 2012

I hope this year, when spring decides to get off its backside and start being springified, and the soil warms up a bit, that I will be able to plant out.  One of the benefits of growing in troughs is that you don't get much mice damage, it is always touch and go when you sow direct into the soil.  So I will adopt the same belt and braces technique again this year, one row at the plot, the rest in containers.  Just thinking about the fresh green growth and those little clinging tendrils and juicy fat pods lifts my spirits, and no matter what anyone says there should always be room to grow a few peas - just for the sheer pleasure of it, if nothing else.

Do you love growing peas as much as I do?

Spring Greens - Are They Worth It?

 Every summer, about the end of July/beginning of August  I sow the seeds of Spring Cabbage or Spring Greens, as they are more commonly called.  If you want to be able to harvest something from the veg plot in early  spring, when there is very little else to eat, then growing spring greens is a good plan.

The only downside to this is that you need to have space to grow quite a few plants as they are a loose-leaf cabbage that doesn’t form a tight heart.  So if you only have limited space then this plant isn’t for you.

Different varieties mature at different times – I grow Wheeler’s Imperial and Durham Early but you can also overwinter Hispi in a cold frame and plant it out in early spring for a succession of leaves.  If you leave them in the ground long enough they will eventually heart up, the idea is to leave one in three plants to develop,  using the others for the leaves.

Because they are a loose-leaf type it means the leaves are fully exposed to the light and so they are dark green, coarse and often tough, and more strongly flavoured than most people prefer.  It is considered to be closer to a wild cabbage in taste.

They stand up well to the ravages of winter, but I keep mine cloched as an extra protection as well as a deterrent to pigeons.

So – are they worth it?  Well, it is an expensive veg to buy in the supermarket, almost £2.00 for a pack of four cut plants, which only provides one meal.  So for me personally I say yes it is worth growing because I absolutely love the strength of flavour, lightly steamed with butter and nutmeg added – I  am almost addicted to it.  I could never grow enough to feed my addiction though – but when there is very little else to eat on the plot, I can always fall back on my favourite brassica of all – the lowly Spring Cabbage.

Do you ever grow it – or am I on my own here?

Thinking Vertically for Strawberry Growing

“Nothing speaks of summer so eloquently as a dish of strawberries, eaten warm and richly glowing, straight from the garden.”  (Anna Pavord)

I don’t have much room for strawberries in the veg garden so I usually think vertically for planting.  Hanging baskets, plant pots on the greenhouse staging or troughs raised off the floor.  There are a few reasons for this – one is that it stops slugs and  birds attacking the precious berries and the other is that when they start fruiting they look decorative trailing over the sides of the containers, plus it makes them easier to harvest.  I have just transplanted my overwintering plants into larger pots in the greenhouse in the hope of getting an early crop.

July 2012

Once you have the main plants you need never buy any more as you increase your stock by potting up the strawberry runners, so they are perfect for frugal gardeners.  I am not into growing strawberries for huge crops – just enough for a few pots of jam a few desserts and plenty of freshly picked to eat raw with cream or ice cream.  The thought of picking punnet after punnet daily and then wondering what to do with them all until I get sick of them, is not the point.  I treasure each berry, maybe picking just a saucerful each day, but that is enough for me and my needs.

29th May 2012

Apparently there are more than 600 varieties of strawberry that differ in size, texture and flavour and cultivation has been taking place for over 300 years.  Wild strawberries are known to have existed for more than 2,000 years.  In the 18^th c. a French engineer working in Chile found a native strawberry larger than those grown in Europe.  Cross-breeding occurred naturally between this and a N.American variety.  The result was a hybrid strawberry that was large, juicy and sweet and it grew in popularity, but was regarded as a luxury item until the 19^th c.  It is now the most popular berry in the world.

Hanging basket - 23rd June 2012

“The modern strawberry is a tale of disappointment and delight.  I have learned to treat each punnet of really good berries I encounter as a box of fleeting, precious jewels, a treat to be enjoyed with unalloyed pleasure; no cream, no sugar or splash of Beaujolais, just the warm berry in all its scarlet glory.  That perfect fruit is a rare find, but once you chance upon it life seems, for an instant, to stand still.  Eyes closed, you are briefly lost in buttercup meadows, with bees buzzing on the heavy afternoon air.” (Nigel Slater)

Greenhouse strawberries 12th June 2012

Is the strawberry your favourite berry?

The Frugal Veg Garden

This year I am on an economy drive - trying to be as frugal as I can in all aspects of my life - and this includes the vegetable garden.  The fact is that I usually get a bit carried away with spending money on the garden and growing veg is supposed to help save money. 

Some might say that it is a false economy to buy cheap seeds but I have never had a problem with them - admittedly you can't get exotic choices in the cheaper ranges, but they still germinate well and taste just as good when they are harvested.  The Kale packet holds 150 seeds and has a two year shelf life - and let's face it I am certainly not going to grow 150 Kale plants.  So the 40p that it cost seems to me to be a good deal.  I have only bought a few packets of seed including carrots and parsnip - which don't keep very well from one year to the next - the rest are leftover seeds from last year and seed that I have saved. 

Most years I get through several bags of potting compost, more than I care to admit too - I have noticed over the last couple of gardening seasons that even if you buy good brand names the quality is nowhere near as good as it used to be - so I have opted for the Homebase own brand this year - four bags for the price of three - saving £5.49 plus a bag of John Innes Seed Compost for £2.50 and that's it - I won't be buying any more.  Once it has gone it has gone.  I am hoping to make it stretch a bit further by adding my own compost into the mix.

The other economy I shall be making is not to sprinkle seed willy-nilly over a seed tray, but using modules instead, with only two or three seeds per module, so much gets wasted the other way and when you only have limited space to grow - it is pointless sowing masses of stuff and then throwing it away.

If anyone has any frugal veg gardening tips I should love to hear about them - anything to help make my money go a bit further.

 

Seedling Success - To Sow or not To Sow

The sun has got his hat on - hip hip hip hooray.  Well, for today anyway.  It probably won't last - but I'm hoping that a little warmth will help the broad beans and peas that I have sown in the greenhouse to start thinking about  growing.  There's no sign if it yet, but since I sowed them it has been pretty darn cold in there.  Still, there's no rush - the bed where I am going to plant them is in no fit state to plant anything - all will come to those who wait.

  I haven't sown anything else yet as there doesn't seem much point.  I always get in a bit of a dither at this time of year - shall I, shan't I - but I think seeds will germinate a lot better a little later on.  So I shall wait a bit longer.

On the other hand the tomatoes have now been transplanted into their own pots and kept on the windowsills in the house till they get a bit stronger.

The sweet peppers have finally decided to push through the soil as well

So we have made a start at least.

The potatoes have chitted nicely

Now I think I will have to move them into the cool greenhouse for fear of them growing too fast in the warmth of the house, but they won't be planted out till the soil warms up a bit.

So that's my gardening news - there is still plenty to be getting on with at the veg plot but as I don't find it much fun working outdoors when it is freezing cold, everything is still on hold.

Have you been braver than me and ventured out to do a bit?

Oh and one more thing Chel at Sweetbriar Dreams has been kind enough to forward
 the Liebster Blog Award to me.  Thank you Chel - not sure when I'll have time to do all the necessary requirements - hopefully sometime in the near future.


 

The Last Cabbage

Hello, my name is Savoy and I am the last cabbage in the patch.

  I have had a hard life.

 Instead of enjoying the summer putting on plenty of growth in the sunshine I was rained on for weeks on end, then as autumn came I was frosted to a crisp and if that wasn't enough I found myself under a few inches of snow several times - it is tough being a cabbage.

 I have struggled against slug attacks and marauding pigeons - so was put under cloches for protection, which helped a little - but then I had to watch whilst my relations in the adjacent rows were given the chop and taken away before I had hardly got to know them - I like to think that they went to a better place.

  But all is not lost - today is my day  - my reason for being - all that has gone before is forgotten as I am gently levered out of the earth and carefully taken to my final destination.

 This is my nirvana - to be cut into fine slices, smothered in butter and black pepper and eaten by my carer.

  This is what every cabbage dreams of - this is my destiny.

I do love a happy ending - what say you!

Tomatoes - Stirring into Life

Last week I sowed the first of my tomato seeds - a difficult choice at this time of year when it is still so cold and inhospitable outside. 

Here they are a week later, stirred into life in a warm propagator.  When I transplant them I will put them into their pots a little deeper so that roots can form further up the stems to give a stronger plant.

I have been turning the pots everyday so that they don't get too leggy, but they really need potting on so that they can develop fully. 

It is still very cold in the greenhouse so I will have to keep them indoors a little longer and make some space on a windowsill somewhere so I can nurture them and make sure they survive.  This is always my first task of the year and always gives me hope that the growing season has begun.  The peppers I sowed haven't made an appearance yet perhaps I need to buy some fresh seed - come to think of it I am sure I saved some seed last year - I'll have to have a root through my seed box to try and find them.

This is the beautifully carved box
that I use to store home-saved seed

 Ah good news - checked out my seed box and found some Ramona (long) peppers seed so I'll get them sown this week.  Whilst I was rummaging I found some kitchen paper with seeds inside.  The label has come adrift along the way and I have no idea what the seed is - I know they are flower seed - can any of my learned friends help me out?  I must have liked the plant or I wouldn't have bothered to save them - this is going to bug me now - what on earth are they?

To Preserve or Not to Preserve - That is the question

Last Autumn was the first time in years that I hardly did any preserving.  A few jars of redcurrant jelly, some pickled beetroot and some ratatouille and mediterranean chutney and that's it.  Usually I spend hours in the kitchen making jams and chutneys at the end of the gardening season, trying not to waste anything.  Last year was an exception as the fruit harvest wasn't very good and there wasn't an awful lot to preserve. 



Preserves 2012

 I have been clearing out my store cupboard and found jams and jellies going back to 2006.  There are only two of us and we just don't eat enough of that kind of food - so it sits in the cupboard, year after year, and I keep adding to it mindlessly, because I hate waste.  The thing is, it is all still perfectly edible.  There is no fuzz on top, it tastes just as good as when I made it, the picalilli that used up all the spare cauliflower and beans still has a fresh bright colour, but it sits unused in the cupboard.

So what will I do this year if there is a glut of plums or blackcurrants?  There are only so many plum crumbles you can eat.  I pack the freezer full of rhubarb and gooseberries when there is really no need - we only eat puddings at the weekend and I do prefer to eat things in season.  I am not sure what the answer is - with fruit and veg gardening the harvests are so unpredictable that I always feel that I should use it all up when I have worked so hard at producing it in the first place.

Anyone out there got any answers!