I had great success with my lettuce grown from seeds over summer and a friend suggested I keep growing them during winter. Which I have done; also successfully. But who feels like eating lettuce in winter? Not us.
I also started trying to grow carrots from seed around the same time. Quite difficult – who knew. Lots of people actually. I’m now trying sand to ensure they stay relatively straight. Which has been good, but the crowding has been a problem. I can’t bear thinning them out by pulling up tiny things. Still, we’ve got a few decent size ones. You can see all the carrot tops have been eaten – by snails or by rats – more likely one suspects – the encircling sticks have been no deterrent.
In an attempt to protect the tops I’ve enshrouded these pots in netting; I’ve also tried propagating sand. I’m told best to plant seeds in stages to ensure a constant supply of carrots. don’t think I’m up to that point yet – but am trying!
Radishes are meant to be the easiest and quickest thing to grow. I’ve had some success but think these ones have had two much fertiliser – some long-life pellets and then water from the pond pump. Which has meant growth is going into the leaves not the bulbs.
AS was evident when I finally pulled them up. They’re meant to be ready in 12 weeks – this was after longer than that. Disappointing. Such is the life of the cottage gardener. I shall persist.
I’ve planted some turnips – why? I don’t even like turnips! That’s what lockdown does to you – or delusions of garden grandeur! Seeds have sprouted so am hopeful of little turnips emerging.
I’m now also trying onions from seed. I have them in pots around the place and am prepared for a long wait.
I’ve been collecting the odd potato from plants that have self sown from compost. They’ve been little fir apples and quite delicious. But I’ve decided to get serious. I bought these bags for growing potatoes whilst at the Garden of St Erth recently. And have sowed Kipfler potatoes (that I love) in one and Salad rose potatoes (that I’ve never heard of) along with a couple of my harvested fir apples in each bag (without marking which is which!) A mixture of compost and potting mix in the bags so I’ve put wire to protect from the birds – they like the worms from the compost. The potatoes will be ready to harvest in 90 to 100 days so I must be patient! Not an attribute I’m afraid. We wait and see.
And here’s an exciting development. My blueberry plant finally looks as though it might be producing some fruit. I’ve had it a few years with no indication of flowers or fruits. It looks as though this is about to change – I’ll have to think about how to protect the fruit, if any emerges, from birds.
After loathing them for years I’ve come around to liking brussell sprouts – thanks mainly to the Cumulus cookbook! So am attempting to grow our own. This one is in a pot in the back garden; the other in the planter box out the front. They’re both going okay at the moment. Little sprouts forming along the stem.
Finally, it has been a great year for citrus trees. Our little lime tree that produces yellow limes, a gift from Martin, has been prolific. And yes, they are limes not lemons.
And like everyone else in Fitzroy, we’ve been astonished at the abundance of lemons – finally! I used to come out and count the lemons on this tree and get excited if I saw six or seven.
Even now I am excited to see just one lemon on Patrick’s lemon tree – so called because I gave it to him in a pot when he moved out to Falconer Street five years ago. Where it did nothing. And which has continued fruitless since being planted in our garden three years ago. The very first lemon.
Here is a bowl of limes and lemons picked in August. They are all very juicy and the lemon is both tart and aromatic. I think it’s a Eureka lemon, but I bought it a long time ago.
Leave a Reply