A lot has changed over the last few weeks since the last garden update. Firstly, the sunshine has been replaced by cloud and rain which while good for the garden does make it harder to keep on top of things trying to dodge the showers. That said, our veg plot this year is going from strength to strength, with the exception of the French Beans which even after 5 sowings refused to produce any plants!
Working from home has meant an absence of a daily commute, freeing up time to spend in the garden in the evenings (rain showers permitting), to weed or to tie in plants that need it. It’s a great way to end a day to spend this time pottering; tidying bits up, getting some fresh air and clearing your head after a busy day “at the office”. I always find I sleep better after spending time outdoors in the garden.
All the plants that were previously being “hardened off” have now been planted out and we are just starting to pick our first crops of peas, runner beans and courgette with new potatoes and carrots not far away. There is nothing better than eating vegetables for tea that less than an hour or two ago were still growing in the garden. Soon we will be overrun with some vegetables so we’ll look to freeze what we can for later in the year when they have finished growing – this is a great way to keep a supply of home grown veg late in autumn and winter – in fact I think we still have a few courgettes left in the freezer from last summer!
Hopefully you’ve all been able to grow whatever you sowed this year (and had more luck with French beans than me) and will enjoy your delicious home grown veg in the weeks to come.
Chris T (Health Improvement Advisor)