What the Fran

Getting growing

Every year with the garden I have to try not to get overexcited and overeager. Not to start too early. But I'm starting now. It's here, we're doing this, come what may.

Which means stinking out the house with vinegar while cleaning all the tools. The real smell of spring (it's definitely not spring yet) and putting the camping table up in the front window for the little nursery. It's east-facing but a large bay. I've got some grow lights too, for later. Also this year I've introduced a heat mat so I can get peppers and chillis and such started a bit earlier. I need to audit my seeds but the table is currently full of other junk.

There are forty-three onions and two pumpkins still left from last year plus butternut squash and tomato sauce in the freezer. Last week we had the last of the beetroot out of the ground. In the garden now there's turnips, leeks, and kalettes. For this year onions, garlic, broad beans, lettuce, and spinach overwintered successfully. Spring onions, cabbages, some chillis have been sown.

Last year I had fun growing aubergines but I don't think I will be doing that again. They took up a lot of space and even with the good weather I only got ten or so very mini-aubergines. Also last year the sweetcorn worked really well, so more of that. The tomatoes got out of hand but I'll probably do exactly the same again. And I might try okra again. I managed to tpk them last year in the space of about six hours.

Also thinking about slugs. We've had some hard frosts and a couple of snowfalls but overall it's been pretty mild - grey and rainy mostly. The slugs might be out in force. I know I'm supposed to embrace biodiversity but last year they hoovered all my carrots up. Will be cracking open the cheap beer for them.

New things I'm trying this year

Here's my pretty varied gardentube roster: Huw Richards. Emma's Allotment Diaries. Charles Dowding.

This could easily turn into a garden blog but I shall resist.