Sunburned beans and gardening by Google
At our rented house, we have what estate agents describe as "low-maintenance gardens". The front is gravel and the back is decking. I'm not so sure about the "low-maintenance" bit, given the amount of weeding the gravel requires, but it also means that any planting we do has to be in containers. Being rather fond of gardening I have been gradually filling the garden with container fruit and vegetable plants, with considerable assistance from my (in his opinion) long-suffering husband. I think the LSH enjoys being long-suffering and moaning about the price of compost, but he is brilliant at remembering to water the garden (much, much better than I am) so it's a good trade-off. We also have two small rabbits hutched in the garden, who get to look out at the profusion of vegetable leaves like Tantalus gazing at the fruit tree.
The only flaw in my grand gardening plan (apart from not having any soil. OK, the second flaw) is that I don't actually know very much about gardening. So I am kind of learning it mostly off the internet. My parents, who have an allotment, are also very helpful but I am loath to tell them that I don't know how deep to plant tomato seeds or that I can't fathom the concept of pinching out. I aspire to have a natural knack for these things, or to look as if I do. So Mr Google is my friend. A friend that gives bafflingly conflicting advice, for sure - but hey, isn't that what friends are for?
So, we are now growing:
The only flaw in my grand gardening plan (apart from not having any soil. OK, the second flaw) is that I don't actually know very much about gardening. So I am kind of learning it mostly off the internet. My parents, who have an allotment, are also very helpful but I am loath to tell them that I don't know how deep to plant tomato seeds or that I can't fathom the concept of pinching out. I aspire to have a natural knack for these things, or to look as if I do. So Mr Google is my friend. A friend that gives bafflingly conflicting advice, for sure - but hey, isn't that what friends are for?
So, we are now growing:
- Potatoes. Many, many potatoes. The story of these potatoes is one for another day. They are triffid-like and taking over the garden. I secretly suspect they are all stalk and no potato.
- Tomatoes. Many, many tomatoes. We were given some seedlings by my brother and his fiancee (can't remember what they are called - that's the tomatoes, not my brother and his fiancee), and have grown some others from seed (Pannovy and Tigerella), some as plug plants in a hanging basket (Tumbler) and one seedling from a colleague (Cherry tomato). My brother and his fiancee are growing some, and my folks are growing some and we are going to see whose is the best. We must win!
- Broad beans (aka fava beans). Bizarrely these plants have got sunburn. How they have managed this I do not know.
- Runner beans. Well, two tiny shoots. | and | .
- Beetroot. These I cannot comment upon, as they are Out of My Hands. LSH has demanded total control of sowing, watering, feeding, thinning out, and whatever else you do with beetroot. They look good. Too good!
- Strawberries in a hanging basket. We get about one strawberry every five days. Mmmm!
- Physalis. Otherwise known as cape gooseberries. These are growing from seed and there are loads of them - will be interesting to see how they turn out. Apparently they become great bushes, but I am managing not to think about that. Also a bit of an acquired taste, I'm managing not to think about that either ahead of our hopefully Bumper Crop.
- Kumquats. Yes, another good old garden favourite. Another tiny, orange sour fruit, anyway. But I love them and have always aspired to grow them since seeing my great-aunt's kumquat plant many years ago. OK, that was in Australia, but I'm sure Yorkshire is a great place to grow citrus.
- Olive. I think this plant has conclusively proved that Yorkshire is not a great place to grow olives. Or that our garden isn't, which might just possibly be my fault.
- Herbs - rosemary, thyme, mint, sage, chives, dill, oregano, basil, bay. They are all ok except the basil which is mostly dead. I have cut it down to little stumps and am hoping it has learned its lesson and will start behaving.