5. How Does Your Garden Grow?
This week’s post comes from our allotment. Having not made it down there since November I’ve been badly missing my visits; obviously because of the lack of gardening time, but also because they provide perfect calm time where I can gather my thoughts and slow things down a little. So when my first child-free day of the new year came around this week I was there like a shot!
It was cold and as you’d expect in early January not much is growing, but it was just brilliant to be outside, pottering purposefully and planning this year’s crops in my head while the Winter sun warmed me up just enough to keep me going. And there were signs of new life too…
In my post earlier this week about what to plant now I talked about being desperate to get planting after what feels like an age of inactivity. Mission accomplished!
Garlic is so easy to plant; you just poke it into the ground pointy end up and you’re done. I’m conducting a bit of an experiment with this crop; I’ve planted some outside and also started some off in the greenhouse for planting out later, to see which gives the best result. I’m going to ask Sam to monitor and record the growth of each crop, which he’ll love doing.
I’m going to try forcing some of our rhubarb this year, we only planted the crowns last year and I’ve never done this before. As you can see from the picture, our galvanised bucket isn’t exactly a thing of beauty – especially when compared to the lovely old terracotta pot on my neighbour’s plot that you can see in the background – but if it does the job that’s fine by me for now! I suspect we’ll need a bigger bucket soon though if it works.
Before heading home I dug up the last of our parsnips, which is a workout in itself; every time I do this it feels like I’m acting out one of our favourite stories, ‘The Enormous Turnip’. It’s only a matter of time before I end up sitting in the mud when they finally pop out of the ground! As you can see from the picture, we garden on quite rocky soil which makes the roots split. I do love the fact that homegrown veg looks nothing like shop-bought though – and the kids think they’re hilarious!
It will interesting to see how forcing your rhubarb works out-I tried it last year for the first time but couldn’t tell much difference from the previous year’s crop to be honest! But that’s probably just me and my ineptitude :)
Yes I don’t really know what to expect but with four crowns in the ground I thought forcing one was worth a go. I just know that Lily won’t be able to resist wandering off with the bucket on her next visit though, must keep my eye on that!
I really like your idea of trying two different planting methods for the garlic. I read so much advice but really I think it’s best to experiment yourself. The parsnips look like if they had been left there any longer they would have got up by themselves and run off!
I agree, finding your own way of doing things is more fun even if it goes wrong sometimes. The parsnips have made me chuckle every time I’ve dug them, nothing like silly shaped veg to raise a smile!
Lovely post – I too like just pottering in the garden and having a bit of a tidy up every now and again in the Winter. I’ve been reading about forcing rhubarb so I’m keen to see how you get on with yours :)
I can’t imagine gardening without a bit of pottering, it’s good for the soul! Thanks for commenting :)
It might be planning time for you but for me (reading your post) it’s gathering tips for a future veg garden! Garlic now on the list – I like that’s easy.
Glad to be of service! :)
Home grown veggies always look fun!
Your allotment is just like a giant blank canvas, I do wish we had a plot, can’t wait to see what it produces.
It can feel a bit daunting having so much bare earth but so exciting at the same time. I keep reminding myself just how full it was last year when we were trying to shoe-horn the last few plants in!
Those parsnips look like giants teeth (or in my mind at least!)
That feeling when you have child-free time and get to do something that you love is priceless isn’t it?
Good luck with the rhubarb forcing, I can’t say that I have tried it, but I have eaten a whole lot of rhubarb in my lifetime so I like to think that I am a bit of a connoisseur ;)
Thank you for joining in again and it’s lovely that you have had some you time :)
Giant’s teeth – I love it!
Yes being able to have a precious hour all to myself was fab, I really love gardening with my kids and can’t imagine doing it by myself all the time but sometimes I need the only voice in my head to be mine! :)
I LOVE the rhubarb in hiding! That’s how I feel in the mornings! Can’t wait to see it. And I’ve always wanted to grow garlic but for some reason I think it’d be tricky. You’ve convinced me this is the year to give it a go!
x
Ooh let me know how you get on with the garlic – one bulb goes a long way and I ended up planting loads, if they all grow we’ll be a very garlicky family come the Summer!
Bet those parsnips tasted good what-ever their shape – how did you eat them?
We went for simply roasted with a little maple syrup this time – they were lovely! I made parsnip and celeriac mash for the first time recently, that was fab and the kids loved it too, we’ll definitely be growing celeriac this year.
Ooh lovely allotment and so much tidier than mine. I must get some garlic in soon – not bought it yet and not sure which variety to go for. The best plotholder at our actually plants bulbs from garlic bought at Lidl and it does really well! Funny parsnips, they need trousers :)
It’s not always so tidy! I tend to blitz it every now and then, we were lucky not to inherit any grass to clear or really stubborn weeds though so it does make it a bit easier. When the whole plot was full of crops last Summer there was barely any tidying needed, it was bliss!
Interesting that an allotment “pro” plants supermarket garlic, I feel better about my 50p Morrisons bulbs now :)
Loving those parsnips
Thanks! :)