OUR FIRST SEASON By Gardener 111
We first saw our plot more
than a year ago – it was 20 feet high in brambles and liberally
sprinkled with nettles nearly as tall!! Somewhere, in the midst of all
this growth, we thought that we glimpsed some sort of structure. Viewing
“Google Earth” we spied the “Red Shed”.
A few months later the
brambles and nettles had been cleared, the soil turned over and fence
posts put in (thanks to Paul and crew). This was our chance. We took the
plot and found that we had a semi-detached shed. Out came pencil and
paper and plans were sketched out—we didn’t have enough room!!!! We took
on the next plot a week later and now had an entire shed. As we cleared
years of accumulated soil and roots we found a small patio area. So we
now had room for fruit as well as vegetables.
So, in went Potatoes, not a
bad crop considering the weather; the Brassicas are doing well and so is
the horsetail. The Broad beans grew a treat, had loads of plump pods on
– come to pick – nearly every pod had been eaten from underneath …..
MICE!!!!!!! Runner beans have done well and, amazingly, so did the corn!
Even Ratty thought that the cobs were good enough to eat and helped
himself to at least 5 cobs (despite netting) before we thwarted his
appetite and picked the rest. Still growing are Carrots and Parsnips,
Celeriac, Swede and Leeks plus some Curly Kale and a few other things
that we have never tried before. We had a good crop of onions, both red
and white and the Jap sets are in for next year as is the spring
cabbage. Coming 3rd in the giant cabbage competition was a
real fillip, oh, and we allowed one apple to grow on the new trees and
very nice it was, too!
What does next year hold?
Hopefully less horsetail and brambles and nettles creeping through and
we’ll try to beat the mice with the beans. The next-door plot has lain
vacant all year, so we have taken that on, too. We are well on with
clearing the huge mound of rubbish and this plot will be host to
potatoes, mainly. Are we mad? Maybe! Are we loving it? You bet we
are!!!!!!!
Barrington and Susan
Published 27th October 2007 |
