Started sowing the first veg

Sorry Armandii,

That wasn't me that said that. Its these confusing new post/quote thingers, I did the same last week.

I'm really sorry to hear of your loss, but that is a wonderfull way to honour her memory. Really uplifted to hear that.

Swiss Chard would go great in a border, it comes in bright mixed colours, i've grown red & yellow together.

Pak choi ( If you can keep the slugs off ) Has bright white stems & dark green leaves.

There is an edible chinese lantern (Physalis) but check the seed packet as there is a toxic one too.

Globe artichoke & Cardoons, big showy plants, need a bit of space, eat the unopened buds of the first & the stems of the second.

Jerusalem Artichokes, need stem support, about 6/8 foot tall with small sunflowers on top.(see post on todays sink for the edible tubers)

Don't forget french beans, available with many diferent coloured flowers, some grow them as much for the flowers as for the pods. Dwarf or climbing.

If you like herbs, Rosmary, Sage (comes in different colours), Fennel (Feathery foliage)

Oh,no....

I'm going to have to grow an entirely edible herbaceous border now arn't I :DOH:

 

Thats good, grow em early seems to be the way forwards down here.

Oh, don't forget the Walking Stick Cabbage too :D

 

Aren't they supossed to be red?

 

:D 2 weeks later & they all would have been, the foliage had already been dropped by the blight.
It was only a matter of days before the fruits would turn to mush.

Serveral jars of green tomato chutney is better than brown slime thats not even fit to compost.

 

Nice one John

Sowed 8 Dwarf French Beans yesterday. Broccoli, leeks & onions out in the cold frame now with the lettuce.

 

Variety perhaps John?

My thinking is that an early sowing risks them bolting. And I don't want Leeks in Autumn as we eat them as a Winter veg.

I read of someone who sows them in a cat litter tray (with added drainage holes; a polystyrene box would do). Painstakingly places each seed 1/2" or so apart ... so they can grow on with enough space until transplanted later on. I throw a handful of seed into a pot and the come up like a forest, so no wonder they they are now the requisite "pencil thickness" when transplanted

 

I've grown Mussleburgh for as long as I can remember ... got a free packet of Carlton F1 last year, so I grew that too. Had a bit of a disaster with the pot they were in (can't remember, porbably forgot to water it ...). Anyway, we only have 4 or 5 of them ... but they were much fatter than the Mussleburgh (sown at the same time)

 

Blimey! There are only 40 F1 Carlton seeds in a packet costing £2.99

I got two packets in the Seed Sale last year, 50p each. I'll send you a few to try.

 

Ought to enter my Mrs in a fatty competition, she'd win hands down.

The dwarf beans are a window sill/greenhouse crop. Wouldnt grow dwarf varieties outside when I can use the airspace to grow as tall as possible & then harvest off a ladder.