We are trying out these T&M, Kew Garden Collection seeds as the varieties have been selected for their performance in container gardens. We are limited to our three 1.8m x 0.9m raised beds and are keen to harvest the maximum number of beans and peas we possibly can.
While we didn't get to plant out our potatoes this Easter weekend we braved the gales to plant two rows of peas: Bingo and Avola, let's hope they are good eating. We sowed courgettes indoors.
A happy hour was spent peeling the seed coats off these kalamansi seeds before laying them in dampened paper towel and sealing them in a zipper bag. Another project to justify having the propagator switched on.
The Seedy Sunday Brighton event is a white stone day in our gardening calendar. The day approaches with a slow, pleasurable accretion of anticipation over the growing year: seeds sowed; seeds collected and dried; seeds sorted and packaged. The event never fails to exceed expectations and culminates in a friendly scrum; seeds swapped.
The swag - for the plot57b pollinators. May 2016 be floriferous.
Not put off by last year's returns we are chitting up these Vittelotte, early main (waxy) and Shetland Black, 2nd early (floury). Yes that is a yacon start, an unassuming little lump - looked it up on the internet back at plot57b HQ and nearly fell over backwards on seeing pictures of the size of the plant. We may have to negotiate with the neighbours to grow this one out in their garden.
Imogen was braved to plant the purchase of Wild Ramson starts immediately on return home. These red artichokes & some comfrey bocking 14 will be dug in on the weekend.
This week the sweet peas and some Purple Cayenne and Peruvian Lemon drop chillies will be sown.
Our Heritage Seed Library parcel arrived today: Blue Coco climbing french bean, Long scarlet radish (relished by Peter Rabbit), Geurnsey parsnip, Red Elephant carrot, Perfection cucumber, Kaskinaurus turnip, aren't we lucky.
A serious read & heady debate for today's tea time. Christmas cake was needed.
We look forward greatly to the annual Heritage Seed Library "lottery" of Garden Organic's collection of open pollinated land-race, heirloom varieties and other seed that has been dropped by popular seed-sellers.
Speckled bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima
We've started collecting seed for future seed swaps.
Our stash to swap.
This was our first jolly to #seedysunday Brighton. We arrived early enough to purchase entrance tickets and get our hands stamped without having to queue so we were surprised to see the hall crowded so soon after opening. Our stash burning in our pockets we shuffled into the throng around the shrine of #seedsovereignty that is the seed swap table and marvelled at the abundance of choice.
We were thrilled by the assortment of stalls, informative stands and schedule of talks (including a spot by Christine Walkden). We were overawed by the offer: heritage rhubarb, snow drops in the green, cyclamen, hellebores, interesting fruit bushes, canes and trees (we spied Chilean guava and quince), wasabi, purple asparagus and artichokes, tubers, garlic and onion sets. We'll have to make plans for next year.
Our haul: we enjoyed picking a motley selection of flower seeds by whim and the flourish of handwritten labels as 'tis written in our 'to do list 2015' that we will try our hand at blooms this year. Frankly, we didn't have the stamina to continue the shuffle around the table to leaf through the boxes of vegetable seeds.
The seed swapping was smoothed by the helpful volunteers immediately to hand who explained the process and pointed out where types of seeds were laid out. If you had seeds to swap you could exchange a packet of your own seed for a packet from the table, if not you could donate 50p per packet.
Another of our 'to do list 2015' directives: 2nd Early: Shetland Black, early main: Vitellote & Salad Blue, main: Mayan Gold, late main: Kerris Pink. We indulged in the profuse pick and mix assortment of tubers from @Pennard Plants. Oh joy!
We learnt a great deal and endeavour to collect seeds with intent this year - not only for landrace and largesse but to swap for lots and lots and LOTS of lovely flowerage and herbage for Plot 57b.
A big thank you to @SeedySundayBton for organising such a profound event.
The deliberation and slow-savoured selection of 6 choices from the Heritage Seed Library catalogue has become one of our much anticipated favourite activities.
We potted up our Brian Hood pail with Mrs Pollock as she was a little of what we fancied.
We took the snips to the parsnips and snipped off the leaves riddled with celery-leaf miner.
"Off with their heads!" We snipped the tops off the broad beans,snip, snip, in the hope of thwarting the black fly.
We snipped the leaders of the 'Old Fashioned' to promote side shoots.
We planted the last of the beans: 'Bob and Mary' a climbing bean and our lucky dip 'Snake' dwarf bean.
All the while this crab spider (?), Philodromus albidus (?) marked our every move.
Here is an update on how our garden grows:
The first of the 'Kelvedon Wonders' are rambling, the perforated 'Purple Top Milan' are persevering.
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| The bean bed |
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| The root bed |
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To be frank, this coir seed compost takes a good half hour to crumble and reconstitute. If mixing up more than a brick at a time it is worth wearing gloves as the material is fairly abrasive, even after soaking the brick in approximately 1.5l of water.
The first of the peas.
The first of the beans. 4x Cobra climbing bean, 4x Bird's Egg climbing bean, 4x Magpie dwarf bean, 4x Soya bean; the race is on.
For the record:
The root bed today; the Christmas dinner Tender & True parsnips we
sowed on 20/2/14 have all come up and the radishes are looking like a
prospect for Easter breakfast :) Bring on the festivities.
We're trying to introduce more diversity to the nettle wilderness at the back of the garden.
