The plot unfolds
Back in February, when rumours of a strange new virus barely made it on the national news, I wrote a post about my plans for a vegetable plot. How little we knew about how much life would change within weeks. If I had started my plans any later I'm not sure it would have been possible, with the population at home and normal gardening shops closed for the duration its been impossible to get anything from seeds to compost. My windowsills have been crowded with a multitude of recycled pots from paper, to loo rolls to empty tins, each with a tiny incumbent, lavished with my daily attention.
Two rows of lettuce, one a bright crunchy Little Gem, the other a red lettuce called 'Mordor' and bought totally because it reminded me of Frodo's lengthy quest have emerged from the soil. Two rows of radish, separated by a few weeks have also eagerly grown, their lush growth can be measured in hours as I check several times a day if they have enough water and to tease away the occasional weed. With no gardening supplies easily available, a stray pallet has been re-purposed as a planter for the tender tomatoes, still languishing indoors. With time on our hands, even this became an education, who knew there were so many regulations for pallets? Seriously, before up-cycling a pallet do some research on the codes to stay safe, especially if you are going to use them to grow food.
Potatoes will be grown in large tubs and a cucumber is planned for the trellis against the fence. Strawberries are already in flower in a terracotta pot surrounded by smaller pots of parsley, rosemary and chives. Inside, the windowsills are still crowded with a forest of tender plants, several types of beans, flowers and baby tomato plants compete for space, spilling out across the dining room floor. Each night I rush outside ready to cocoon everything in a blanket of bubblewrap should the temperature dip too low. In my haste to fill every receptacle I can find with seeds I keep forgetting what is where but repurposed a plastic yoghurt pot into re-usable markers so now I can tell what new set of leaves unfurls.
It's intensely satisfying watching life burst forth and I'm constantly surprised by the miracle of it all. I was desperate to grow some courgettes but could not get seeds anywhere, then found an old packet of long forgotten seeds at least 6 years old in the darkest, dampest and most spidery corner of the leaky shed. I planted them all, thinking nothing would come of it but days later, each elderly seed has burst open into a sturdy little plant. It looks like we'll be eating a lot of courgettes later in the year.
The weather warmed briefly over Easter and my baby broad beans were transplanted to the plot after a few nervous nights watching for frost as they adjusted to their brave new world. They doubled in size and are now covered in striking black and white flowers, each a potential pod full with beans.
Two rows of lettuce, one a bright crunchy Little Gem, the other a red lettuce called 'Mordor' and bought totally because it reminded me of Frodo's lengthy quest have emerged from the soil. Two rows of radish, separated by a few weeks have also eagerly grown, their lush growth can be measured in hours as I check several times a day if they have enough water and to tease away the occasional weed. With no gardening supplies easily available, a stray pallet has been re-purposed as a planter for the tender tomatoes, still languishing indoors. With time on our hands, even this became an education, who knew there were so many regulations for pallets? Seriously, before up-cycling a pallet do some research on the codes to stay safe, especially if you are going to use them to grow food.
Potatoes will be grown in large tubs and a cucumber is planned for the trellis against the fence. Strawberries are already in flower in a terracotta pot surrounded by smaller pots of parsley, rosemary and chives. Inside, the windowsills are still crowded with a forest of tender plants, several types of beans, flowers and baby tomato plants compete for space, spilling out across the dining room floor. Each night I rush outside ready to cocoon everything in a blanket of bubblewrap should the temperature dip too low. In my haste to fill every receptacle I can find with seeds I keep forgetting what is where but repurposed a plastic yoghurt pot into re-usable markers so now I can tell what new set of leaves unfurls.
Comments
Post a Comment