Baldock Gardens

By Graham Tapp

It's spring at last, so it's time to start sowing all of those plants you've been dreaming about growing all winter. If, like me, you've been watching Gardeners world and all the other gardening programs. If you are suffering from withdrawal symptoms and can't wait to get back into the garden, then now is the time to get going.

If you only have a small garden or none at all, you can still get somewhere to grow; there are now such things as mini plots available. An innovation founded by the LDGA (The Letchworth District Gardeners Association), these are tiny allotments, small but with enough room to grow flowers and or vegetables; this won't break the bank as the cost is much less than a full-size plot; they allow the gardener to be involved with nature and, importantly, the social side of gardening.

Many people are put off trying by the fear of making mistakes; well, don't be; we all make mistakes, and even the best growers get attacked by pests and diseases and have weirdly shaped vegetables. I thought this would be the right time to write about vegetables and how to grow them simply and easily so that you can have a go, even if you only have a window box or a little border.

I would suggest for beginners that starting with salads would be the easiest, to begin with.

Lettuce is easy to grow, puts up with shade, and grows in cooler conditions than many other plants so that it can be grown earlier and later into the season, be aware that lettuce is not hardy and will not put up with frosts. Plant in row widths and spacing according to the variety; propagation instructions will be found on the seeds' packets. Lettuce can be grown in any container that can hold compost or soil and even grow bags.

The next suggestion for beginners is spring onions; these need to be grown in full sun. It's best to sow only what you think you will need, so I suggest you sow in three-week intervals, following the instructions on the packets. As with lettuce, you can grow spring onions in any container or grow bag. In dry, hot weather, you need to water when required; don't overdo it. I suggest you pull the onions when they get to the size you prefer leaving those smaller ones to grow on.

A good old favourite for beginners and experts alike are runner beans.

Runner beans can be grown on the same piece of the garden year after year without any problems; they are not hardy, so do not try and get them growing too early; mid to late April is quite soon enough around here, and they will need covering with fleece for the cold. Spacing should be about 30 centimetres apart. Please don't get too carried away with complicated frames for them to grow up anything that will hold canes vertically to a height of two metres will do for your first go. If you get into the second and third years, you can look at all sorts of complex structures. Pick your beans often, so they are soft and stringless; many new varieties claim to be stringless, so go for them. When hot and dry, the flowers may not set or will fall off, just as the small beans are just forming; my Granddad always told me to spray the flowers with water from a hose pipe to increase the humidity and keep them cool. Newer varieties don't need it, and it's probably just too cold or windy for pollinators to do their job, don't panic; you will get beans eventually; even I still get frustrated when there are no beans on a plant that's two meters plus high.

One of my favourite vegetables to grow and suitable for beginners is courgette. Grow in fertile soil with lots of organic material mixed in; they will benefit from a high potash fertiliser, and don't let them dry out.

Courgettes can also be grown in any suitable container pot or grow bag. They might suffer from powdery mildew in hot, dry weather, making the leaves look silvery. Don't worry particularly it happens to the best of us. Courgettes will sometimes get all sorts of virus problems that will make the leaves go strange colours; many varieties are resistant, so look for them when choosing your seed, but don't worry; if it happens, you will still get some to pick. If you are feeling very adventurous and have a nice bit of fine soil, try growing some root vegetables, parsnips or carrots. Parsnips do not like being started in seed trays and then transplanted, so sow them directly into the soil, where they will stay until harvesting.

Parsnips like the soil to be warmish to germinate, so don't sow them around the Baldock area until at least the end of April. Sow them about two and a half centimetres deep and about five centimetres along the row; seeds will take two to three weeks to germinate; a tip is to make sure you leave a line of string where you have sown them to remind you where they are. When the seedlings are about five centimetres high, thin them out to a distance of 20 centimetres between each plant. Water is needed when it is hot and dry to stop the roots from splitting. Parsnips store well left in the ground, so there is no need to dig them until you require them.

Parsnips do not like nitrogen-rich soils, so be careful when feeding them, or they will split.

Another root vegetable that is good for beginners is carrots. There are any amount of varieties and colours, so the choice is yours. You will find descriptions and instructions on the packets, so spend time looking or asking someone at the garden centre. Carrots also need to be directly sown as they do not like being transplanted; they are likely to take up to three weeks to germinate, so don't expect instant results. Thin the plants to about five centimetres apart once they are large enough to pick out, do not hoe them out, or the scent of the cuts will attract carrot flies. The carrot fly can be kept off your precious plants by using a horticultural mesh; make a cage just higher than the plants and drape it over, ensuring it is sealed to the soil.

Beetroot is another of my favourites to grow; treat them much the same as parsnips and thin them as soon as they touch together; unlike parsnips, small beetroot can be harvested and eaten directly or pickled and eaten later.

Until next month, enjoy your garden

Too much choice out there? Spend more time deciding what to watch than actually watching something?

LET BALDOCK'S RESiDENT TV GLUTTON HELP YOU ON YOUR MiSSiON!

Shrinking – Apple TV

Harrison Ford and the small screen are not a combinaon you would put together. Yet here he is in only his second ever tv show playing a psychiatrist passing on his world weary ps and advice to his fellow shrink, Jimmy, played by Jason Segel. Jimmy has had a lot to deal with over the past year with the loss of his wife, leaving him distant with his teenage daughter. Addicon and a lapse approach to his work (psychiatry/paent ethics are not his thing) see the series start with an episode that holds a clever twist at the end, seng it up nicely for the next 9 episodes. Wrien by the same team as Ted Lasso (also an Apple TV staple), Shrinking is an easy going watch with Jason Segel's high energy nicely combining with Harrison Ford, leaving you wanng one more bite out of this feel good drama.

The Last of Us – Now TV / HBO

Another zombie apocalypse drama would not usually peak my aenon, but The Last of Us is not your typical dish of undead ancs. With its origins hailing one of the most lauded computer games of all me, this adaptaon is first class from HBO. Pedro Pascal is Joel, a Texan construcon worker in his 50s and a semioutsider in the Boston quaranne zone, where he does grim maintenance jobs and has a side-line in the hidden market. Eventually, he meets Ellie (Bella Ramsey from Game of Thrones), a 14-year-old girl whom he must transport west across the ravaged US. Her body holds clues which might just save mankind. Episode 3 side-tracks to tell the story of 2 survivalists over the course of 10 years – as a standalone episode it might just be the best 60 minutes of TV you'll see this year. A tearjerker of an episode is not what you would associate with a zombie apocalypse. As usual HBO producon values are solid, and staying true to its computer game origins means there is a strong authencity. The protagonists may be the undead, but it is the living which show the true horrors of society on its knees.

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