Land of plenty

Land of plenty

Things have been reaching a bit of a peak in the Genus vegetable garden in recent weeks.  Last month the strawberries cropped well and are now delivering the odd bonus fruit.  The autumn-sown broad beans, one of our favourites vegetables, were a great success and have now been either eaten or put in the freezer.  Our mange-tout peas are giving us a daily crop and the brassicas are all putting on rapid growth under their ‘tents’ of enviromesh.

One member of the brassica family was a problem from the start - our sprouts - refusing to germinate.  We didn’t give up and sowed a new packet of seeds into a couple of 3 litre pots.  Both came up like cress and this week we transplanted nine plants into the bed vacated by the broad beans.  Our first early potatoes have produced several meals for us and the onions have done well with all beds cleared and the crop spread out on the greenhouse staging to dry off.

What’s for afters you ask?  Our black currants and red currants are just reaching peak ripeness and we’re planning on picking them today.  Summer pudding should be on the menu before the week is out.


Wildlife in the garden - the tawny owl

The tawny owl (Strix aluco), is a medium-sized owl species widely distributed across Europe and western Siberia.  It’s a common sight in woodlands and has successfully adapted to urban environments...
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Gardeners' notes - what to do in November

Clearing Borders   With many plants now beyond their best it’s time to consider clearing your borders.  Although an operation that many are choosing to leave until the spring, we...
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Plant folklore - blackthorn

The blackthorn or sloe, scientifically known as Prunus spinosa, is a well known countryside plant and appears frequently in Celtic folklore and mythology.  This thorny shrub is intrinsically linked with...
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