Gardening Lesson Number 2

Today I’ve been to our second gardening lesson at the allotment, we looked at what we could be planting and sowing now, jobs that need doing and any problems we are having. We had our lesson in the new marquee.

Marquee from orchard

 We started on a fruit bed last week; we were given some autumn raspberries and bought summer raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, strawberries and blueberries. We didn’t realise that blueberries require acid soil so we have not planted them yet. Joyce, our teacher suggests we can add sulphur, leaf mould and pine needles. As there are many pine trees near to me I will collect needles to line a trench to plant the blueberries in.

Barry waters the fruit plants

Planting onion sets

 At this time we can plant outside broad beans, asparagus, early carrots, parsnips, peas, radish, spinach beet, turnips and onion sets. On our plot we have planted early and second early potatoes, peas and broad beans, lettuce and today we planted red and white onion sets. We became interested in asparagus and have decided to dedicate a quarter of our permanent crop to it. We can’t eat any spears this year, can take only one third of what comes up next year and can eat what we want the year after and the crowns can last up to twenty years.

Peas and beans with our homemade bird scarers



 We can sow in trays baby beets, sprouts, kohl rabi, early cabbage, summer cabbage, early cauliflower, tomatoes, lettuce, spring onions and leeks. We can also start to prepare a compost trench ready for runner beans, kitchen waste and newspaper can be put in to line the trench.

 Everyone’s biggest problem was couch grass, I have brought some roots home today as I think “waste not want not” really. Sarah previously directed me to a website here about couch grass as it can be used for bladder infections, cystitis, bronchitis, sore throats and laryngitis. It is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, diuretic, demulcent and an expectorant. The roots are used fresh or dried to make a tea, decoction or tincture so I have brought some home with me to try it out.

 The orchard looks stunning with blossom and spring bulbs and has a new delivery, a bee hive has arrived and we are waiting for a bee keeper to bring in a swarm.  I am hoping I will be able to acquire some honey and beeswax for my herbal remedies if the trust is able to sell some.

A bee hive has been delivered - just waiting for bees

Gardening Lesson Number 1

The Heritage Lottery has restored the wall around the allotment and is funding gardening lessons; we get these for 2 years it seems. Each plot has to be looked after by three families, Steve and I have teamed up with Iain and June and Barry and Debbie, we attended our first class yesterday full of enthusiasm.

 Today we looked at types of soil and crop rotation. Whilst I was familiar with crop rotation it was good to go over which plants go into which groups for rotation. On our plot we have decided on four parts to rotate and a fifth part which will have permanent plants in such as fruit bushes. The herbs are to go by the wall in front of the fruit trees.

 We have been chitting potatoes for a few weeks; earlies, second earlies and main crop but we had a new challenge today. Joyce, our teacher, has given each plot a Jersey Royal seed potato (but it can’t be called Jersey as we’re not there) and started a competition to see which plot can grow the most potatoes from it.

Barry with shiny spade & Iain with our competition entry potato

 Our plots will be ploughed again this week and then we can start digging and planting although it is too cold for most plants. Joyce says it is warm enough for planting when you can either sit on the ground with your bare bum for ten minutes or can comfortably go outside without your coat on, I know which method I shall use! She says that from now on we will be much more in touch with the weather and temperature; I love to work with the seasons.

Our plot includes 45 feet of wall from the original Edwardian walled garden which we had decided to grow cordon or espalier trees against. Our trees had arrived; apricot, greengage and sweet cherry and we had our spades ready to plant them but it became apparent as our lesson progressed that we had ordered the wrong type of trees, they needed to be grown from a different root stock so we have had to send our trees back and need to find a supplier of espalier root stock plants. First lesson learnt!

 The garden is organic; did you know a Blue Tit can eat 800 caterpillars in a day? We need to encourage them, I hope they don’t turn to cabbage once they’ve run out of caterpillars!

 We talked about planting seeds using toilet roll tubes or newspaper tubes and when I got home I started on my collection of toilet roll tubes. I have planted sweet corn, courgettes, peas, cayenne chillies, basil and sweet peas but still have lots to do. I’ve run out of toilet rolls so will be following Kaz’s instructions on newspaper pots next.