A few photos of the garden

[Galina]

The beds so far mostly planted up with peas and some potatoes, also transplants.



We inherited a large strawberry bed at the fence, which is flowering, At the end of this bed I stuffed in my transplanted perennials. We have continued from there with several more beds. The ideal is to have the paths properly separated from the beds with edging in the future. As I had to get peas in quickly, new beds were made just by skimming off grass and then planting up. This is quick but it does rob an inch or so of topsoil.

For the more demanding crops like squashes I am making a lasagna style bed at the top with upturned turfs from the beds, newspaper on top, a thin layer of soil on the top and now also a thick layer of grass. I will plant through this and hope that weeds will be moderately under control.


I hope this will not become a problem, but we seem to have any number of cockchafers and also plenty of the smaller rose chafers in the beds that were grass until now.

[Galina]

The transplants.

Touch wood my transplants and cuttings seem to be doing ok. Some wintered on the windowsill, others were unceremoniously stuffed in at the end of the strawberry bed.



Rhubarb, lamb's lettuce, Minogue and Multiplier Onions also Babington Leek and a very small variegated Daubenton. Just out of shot are the celery, rooted gooseberry cuttings, red veined sorrel, Turkish rocket and fennel. Taunton Deane and the perennial Portuguese are also looking ok.



Welsh onions in bud, lamb's lettuce, the small variegated Daubentons (I have a better one in another spot), flowering lamb's lettuce and just off shot flowering landcress and salsify. Multiplying leeks at the far end.



The chards were tiny but they are very winter hardy and have survived down to -16C one winter so I want to keep this strain going. They are now starting to put on biggish leaves. To the right two rooted grape cuttings which have come through winter are in bud too.

[Jang]

Your rhubarb looks astonishingly healthy for a recent transplant.

I’d be interested to know how you cook your salsify. I love the flowers and keep it going mainly for those but I rarely use the roots. Do you harvest yours at this time of year?

[Galina]

The greenhouses.

At the moment nothing has been planted up yet, just the skimmed ground has a thick layer of cut grass and seedlings are hardening off in a box and on a growbag tray.




Seedlings hardening off, in the foreground the physalis in a pot, which has put on enormous growth in the last week.




Inside the bucket inside the plastic bag (which was tied shut over winter) are the runnerbean roots. It was only a few weeks ago that they showed the first sign of life after overwintering and now they are really busting to be planted out. Still a bit early and I don't want to lose them now, so they have to wait a bit longer. I have added a little bit of soil, but those roots will take some disentangling when I finally get them planted up after the danger of frost is over.

[Jang]

A lovely way to have runner beans well ahead. Are they a special sort?

Two greenhouses? Greenhouse envy!

[Jang]

And a lovely long fence goes grow things up.

[Galina]

Greenhouses are 6' x 8', but very useful growing space. The runnerbeans are nothing special. All runnerbeans can be overwintered as they are short lived perennials. Second year ones are definitely worthwhile, third year not so much. Better to sow again.

[Jang]

Wow, Galina that’s amazing progress for such a short time.
It already looks wonderfully orderly and highly productive.
It’s lovely to see things developing so well and it looks like you have lots of space for as much further development as you might want.
Good luck with those pesky chafers.
Looking forward to more progress reports.

[Jang]

Fewer bottles than previously? Won’t it be great if there’s less - or even no! - small rodent problem!

[Galina]

Indeed Jang. Very limited amount of bottles available atm (but all cleaned and sparkly), so I used them more on the earliest plantings and pull them off now bit by bit. I have seen at least 2 cats prowling and they are welcome. If bottles are no longer needed apart from frost protection or slug protection, that would make my pea and bean growing much simpler. Fingers crossed.

Up to two weeks ago the rhubarb grew a leaf in the centre and lost one from the outside. Suddenly it took off and there is a small shoot off to the side as well, hidden by the leaves. It developed a flower which was removed to strengthen the plant. I think it is going to be ok. I hope the plants I planted in MIL's garden have also taken, keep forgetting to ask her.

Salsify roots get harvested late autumn and over winter. At this time of year they are getting woody. A few years ago I dug up all Salsify roots and only replanted the largest for seed for the seed circle. With a little bit of selective breeding you can increase the size of Salsify very easily to at least carrot size. To cook, just scrub or peel, cut into chunks and steam. You can also steam first, put in cold water and rub skin off with hands, same as with Scorzonera. Both nice with cheese sauce.

Scorzonera is different because it grows for two years without getting woody. In fact two year old Scorzonera roots are much larger and more useful than first year roots, unless you garden on fertile and sandy soil.

[Jang]

Yes, fingers crossed for the bottle situation. Protection from cold winds and frost has indeed benefitted my early peas too, so an important bonus which I was pleased to discover. I have had slugs inside them though. They seem to lessen whatever bites the neat holes round the edges of the leaves too.

Thank you for the suggestion of selecting salsify seed for thicker roots. Of course, a great way forward which hadn't occurred to me. I need selecting as an approach to get more into my bones!

[triffid]

Is it too late to sow salsify?

[Galina]

No you are ok Triffid. It is fine to sow now.

[jayb]

I'm just loving your new garden and how much you have achieved even in this short time Fun to have old 'friends' and new 'friends' growing.
Greenhouses are up Yayyyy what a lovely O/H you have.
Soil looks great, the plants and seedlings are all looking like they are loving the new location and your care.
Lovely photos thank you for sharing.

[Galina]

Thank you Jayb. Yes he has been working hard. Had to order cement from Ebay because of lockdown. The third is being worked on on and off this week. Base is in, but this one is a very old GH of a more complicated construction and the glass is not the same size as the more modern styles. We bought it the year we got married, so that makes it nearly 40 years old, but I think it might have been second hand so perhaps even older. Frame still very good, but we don't have enough glass or polysheet, so it will have to wait. Can't glaze unless you have all the panes, in case there is a storm.

Yes I am very happy at all the perennials and that they have transplanted ok so far. Still a huge learning process and a steep learning curve.

[Hector1]

Looking very impressive. You must have worked hard.

[Galina]

Thank you Hector, bit by bit..

[Galina]

That very special day when the first pea flowers open. And such an exotic and new to me variety too! Kärrboda with beautiful crimson flowers. cr gene. Thank you for these.

[Galina]

So happy for the seeds and happy to share when mine are ready.

[clumsy]

That pea flower looks amazing very unique colour.

[jayb]

So very pretty.

[Jang]

Wow. Congratulations. They are very beautiful. What a lovely deep colour. And they must be early too if they were planted at the same time as others.
I imagine you will have some very exciting breeding ideas with those.

Do you have any history for them? The name seems to be a small place in Sweden but information about the pea itself seems very scarce.

[Jang]

I'm guessing GB is a gene bank but don't know NGB.

Interesting the 'meagre soil' translation. Is that Swedish? Google Translate reckoned Swedish but didn't come up with anything except 'fen body''

Is earliness as well as colouring something you could hope to breed for? Can it be connected with particular genes?

[Galina]

Nordic Gene Bank. Definitely! The cr gene could give very novel crimson colours and other flower colours to other peas. It is a very striking colour. See also the 'Unity' photos. Unity is however a relatively tall pea, Kärrboda is still very short only about a foot tall, but may well grow a bit taller as the season progresses.

[Jang]

Of course, Nordic. Svalbard etc. How exciting! Have fun. I guess you just need one or two others to flower now.

Do keep reports coming.

[Galina]

We were away for 2 weeks and 2 days travelling, but this is just ridiculous! White Volunteer squash and Golden Marbre. I had picked every last one before we travelled with the exception of the Yellow Straightneck which was handpollinated and is marked with a string.

[triffid]

What a haul!

[Jang]

The White Volunteer looks very productive. Is that from a home produced volunteer or is it a commercially produced variety?

[Galina]

Many years ago it was sold by Real Seeds. I have no idea why they have dropped the variety. Hasn't been in their catalogue for a long time. You blink and a courgette has turned into a marrow, but the skins stay soft for quite a while so they can still be used as a courgette, even when marrow size.

[Galina]

The dahlias are very pretty at the moment.

[Galina]

Golden Bantam. One, two, three
I have never had double cobs, let alone a triple cob. All have developed corn inside. Any ideas?

[Jang]

Like triffid, I've had somewhat undeveloped, partially pollinated seconds and occasionally thirds. If yours are quite well developed though that's a big plus.

[Galina]

It was a bit patchy here too not every kernel was developed by a long way. But I guess having this ten acre agricultural corn field right next to the garden, did help with pollination. Good to hear it happens with you both as well. Just that I have not come across it before.

[Jang]

I’m interested that you see a bordering cornfield as helping with pollination. I have agricultural land all round too and have always thought of that as a mixed blessing. Maize and field beans are favourite crops here with their threat of cross pollination. I also wonder whether early rape releases masses of flea beetles when it’s past being succulent to the beetles, and generally it’s something of a monoculture. I keep bees though and they seem to survive quite well so all in all not bad for pollination.
I’m curious as to the way in which you saw the cornfield as helpful and the type of corn grown.