Veg & herbs & flowers & soil... Tales from an Amateur Gardener I have to confess, I am a little disappointed... not one helpful tip from Causeway readers to help me in my endeavour to become a more knowledgeable and competent gardener! I thought the villages would be full of experienced gardeners just bursting to share their tips with a novice. Ah well, I shall struggle on! My latest project has been to turn a small, previously paved area at the end of our long narrow garden into a vegetable patch. This has taken longer than I thought it would as once we (well Andrew!) lifted the paving, we discovered that it had been used as a dumping ground for all sorts of building rubbish. Fortunately, we didn’t discover any bodies, but then nor were there any valuable artifacts either! Sorting it out and digging in some good manure, in between the rain and cold (I am strictly a fair-weather gardener) has taken several months. Optimistically, I had planted some peas and broad beans in the greenhouse, and my daughters bought me some gooseberry bushes. So I had something to plant out once we were ready. We had lifted our rhubarb crowns, and over wintered them in the greenhouse as we wanted to build the new avian flu compliant chicken run where it was previously planted. So we transferred it from the pots into its new home. Sadly this means we won’t get a crop this year. Fortunately a friend has a very productive crown and is happy to trade eggs for rhubarb! I have also sowed potatoes out in this area, previously I have only raised these in containers, where they do surprisingly well given the small space. Once the danger of frost has passed, I will also plant my courgettes here. Although, having learned my lesson last year, I will plant fewer this year!
I am also hoping to establish an asparagus bed. I have planted these in strict accordance with Monty’s instructions, but as yet have not seen any sign that they are doing anything - fingers crossed. Although like the rhubarb, it will be a couple of years before I get a harvest from these.
All of which will give me a little more space in the raised beds for salad crops and herbs. As the girls gave me six asparagus crowns for Easter, 24
