Around the Plot Today

It might be murky weather but had to get on with something.



Parsnips are now in under the sheets of glass at the front. The sheets behind are for warming up the ground before sowing Beetroot, Salsify & Scorzonera next week.

Bear in mind that this is on the south coast a mile from the sea.



Found 4 still alive bean roots, have put them in the cold frame. This patch had carpet on it all winter, that and the blanket of snow must have insulated the roots.



Compost Corner




And a bucket of last seasons sieved compost.



The Welsh Onions are coming on well. No idea what the green clump behind them is but its been there a year now & still hasn't flowered & i'm kind of loathed to dig it out till I know what it is:DOH:

 

That top photo looks very much like the beginnings of an A frame trebuchet I saw being built in Tahrir square this week.

Emergency onsite combat engineering aka Scrapheap Challenge- the Massive Riot Special.

Id be wicked in a riot, worth my weight in gold. Ingenuity!

 

hmm, offensive bean pole strategy. This could put a whole new slant on "Just tidying the garden dear"

 

Two of my runners last year where from the previous year..and although seed sown last year raced ahead of the 2nd year roots, the latter flowered first...and I'm certain I got a heavier crop from them.

I wont be growing as many runners this year though, we always have far too many and end up giving them away by the carrier bag full..we still have loads in the freezer now. So this year I'll be growing more french beans and some borlottis too.

Just come back from my plot, and with all the rain we have had there is a small stream running across the bottom of it...all heading down the hill towards the R Derwent downstream of Cockermouth.

Steve...

 

If it doesn't flower this year, its compost. In fact i'll print this thread off & paste it on a lable next to it as a bit of terror encouragement.

Thats usefull to know Steve, I had a runner come up last year & I had assumed it was from a dropped seed, not so sure now.

So, if this works, we could have created a Gardeners Corner completly new gardening technique.

Perenial beans in the U.K.

Cut the beans in the autumn, mulch with 5" of wood shavings or bark chippings, clean it off in the spring & top dress with well rotted manure.

Some of the roots were a foot across so it would mean the plant could concentrate more on seed production rather than getting established.

If we see this appearing on Gardeners Click or Terry Waltons slot on the Jeremy Vine show, we want some recognition guys, ok

 

Also earthed up the celery. spring onions in the backgound.

 

Do you know wot ziggy i wish i had that much space but sadly will have to make do with the little bit at the bottom of me garden, going to looking for a allotment plot for next year but there few and far between around here.

 

Saving & re-planting the roots from the best plants is a method used for seed saving, as these plants can then be well grown away from others the following year.

 

Hi FT,

I share the plot with my Sis, we share the work & the produce, works out quite well for both of us.

Despite me having told her how to grow things for years, she still forgets everything each spring.



This is my garden, which i've been digging over today. Still finding spuds, carrots, onions & beetroot that got overlooked.

Oh, some good news, one of the Globe Artichokes has survived the snow & is putting out new shoots. Other one still looks dead though. Keeping both covered in a thick layer of sawdust till the frosts have gone.






Couple of thoughts about getting you some land. Try putting an ad in the corner shop. Asking if anyone will let you cultivate a veg plot in return for some produce.

Other thing was Huge Furry Whittingstals' land share scheme, don't know if thats of any use to you.
[hr]

Ahh, so we haven't got an exclusive then

 

No, I've seen this method [size=small]written about[/size] in at least 2 of my books.

[size=small]The book I have that mentions this in most detail is ‘Back Garden Seed Saving’ by Sue Strickland:[/size]
[size=x-small] [/size]
[size=medium]“Although runner beans are grown as half hardy annuals, they are in fact perennial plants and it is possible to overwinter the tuberous roots. These are best treated like dahlia tubers, lifted and put in a box of just moist leafmould, sand or coir in a cool frost free place, then replanted in spring. In Victorian times, this practice was recommended to gardeners as a way of getting an early crop, although advice from the seed company Sutton & Sons said it was a ‘ridiculous proceeding’ and that the roots were ‘comparatively worthless at best’ (and of course it didn’t help sell seeds!).[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium]Whether or not it gives an early crop, overwintering roots can be a useful tool for maintaining varieties. The roots will give plants that are true to type even if there have been off-types or plants of different varieties flowering nearby the previous year. In the experience of the Heritage Seed Library members trying this method, the same roots can only be saved for two or three years at the maximum before they become weak”[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]

 

ziggy, I think that unknown clump could be "honesty" ??

 

Hi Stingo,

I see what you mean, but the leaves are quite thick & a bit furry. I seem to recall honesty having thinner leaves, bit like Garlic Mustard.

 

Not knowing much about cultivated flowers, is Honesty a purple flower that produces "silver pennies" for seed ? If so, thats what it was.