Early May - looking back, looking forward

As the itch for the new growing season becomes almost unbearable, I'm reviewing last year's pictures. May.

Seedlings. New wire baskets with amaranth and coriander seedlings. And the lovely concertina  shredded cardboard packaging the baskets came in - perfect for the compost bin.

A brassica seedling under protection.




 

Strawberries in flower

Blueberries in flower

Berries to be.  I had contemplated pulling out the strawberries, as they only give a handful at a time and are a slug magnet.  Better to support our Kent growers who always seem to have to discount enormously at the supermarket? But they look so lovely here. Blueberries. Originally I planted three varieties for successional, but this one bush has done best on London clay. I haven't been able to bring myself to add peat for the acid conditions preferred. Would have been handy to leave the labels on...

Honesty - Lunaria annua

May flowers

Cottage garden flowers for wildlife. Honesty, a biennial despite the latin name, had self seeded and provided a gorgeous display for the best part of a month.  I grew it because birds are supposed to eat the seeds in the 'moon' pods (not!). I 'allow' myself this section of herbaceous perennials in a section with a wildlife attracting aim.  Here, white and violet honesty, with colombines in the foreground. Also, the blue-flowered weeds of forget-me-not and alkanet which persist however much you pull them out - the former by seeding profusely, the latter by having a brittle tap root.

Growing on a window sill

The yields are not high but there is nothing like a few really fresh leaves to add to a salad or a sandwich.  I have already pinched off some tops from these pea shoots (right). The little plants keep growing. The fresh green leaves and tendrils are a delight to look at. 

Use fresh compost. Here, the module tray sits inside another tray.  Water into the green tray and the compost will absorb what it needs.  Keep an eye on how sunny it's been as parts can dry out very quickly. Monitoring every day feeds your need to grow stuff when outdoors growing is slowing up.

Here (left) are some mizuna seedlings.  I've got rocket, too, and you could grow any lettuce or oriental leaves thickly like this to cut and come again.  I took these seedlings away from the window to a less sunny spot for a few days and you can see how the stems have elongated unnaturally.  They are back in the sunny spot now but it's not certain they'll make strong enough plants to get decent sized leaves.

Later editing note - these seedlings would have definitely benefitted from a reflector box see here for instructions on how to make
However, you don't have to have a lot of sun. Sprouting seeds are harvested in less than a week and take nearly all their energy from the seed itself.  You eat them before the leaves have a chance to photosynthesise.  Here is alfalfa.  I've had these sprouters for a few years. I think they're a German make. 
Rinse the seeds twice a day (say, while waiting for the kettle to boil am and pm). When the sprouts have grown, keep them in an airtight containeer or plastic bag in the salad compartment of the fridge for a few days.  Mind you, this lot got wolfed in a sandwich direct.  Lovely with wholemeal bread and butter.I encourage you to grow seeds for the wonder of germination - for your children and your inner child!

Most seed catalogues and garden centres carry sprouting seeds and sprouters but you can try organiccatalog.  You get a discount if you are a member of gardenorganic.

Please leave comments on the nutritional value of sprouts (very high in minerals and vitamins, I believe).

Sweet peas

The scent of sweet peas is spicy and exotic - really heady, especially in the evening. The colour and texture of the petals is like oriental silk. Sweet peas hide under a reputation of belonging to Victorian ladies, but they're a full-on sensual treat.These are from a mixed packet by Thompson and Morgan called 'Elegant Ladies - highly fragrant heirlooms'. Half the plants look to be 'Matucana': bi-coloured flowers with blueish-purple wing petals and reddish-purple flags or standards (the two petals that stand up at the back of the flower).This variety is
particularly fragrant and free-flowering. It's thought to be an old one, close to the species, that was somehow naturalised in Peru (Matucana is a town there) and brought back by a Jesuit monk to Europe. Lathyrus odoratus originates in Italy, including Sicily.

There are many sweet pea cultivars with frilly edges, for instance, in a range of gorgeous colours (whites, pinks, blues, purples). My white ones are in a separate vase - they have a simple elegance that is entrancing.

Growing. Without a green house or a decent coldframe I can't sow sweet peas in October to get early blooms. I sow mine in April indoors and plant out mid-May. If you soak the seeds overnight, they don't take long to germinate. The seedlings get tall and floppy so I put them out, even though it seems to check their growth for a couple of weeks. This year I had some pea-sticks from a Surrey coppicer and placed these against a wigwam of canes. I also put in some climbing French beans which will have lilac flowers. Anyway, they were flowering by mid-summer's eve, which is good enough. They are half way up the wigwam and I am cutting regularly to keep more flowers coming. Once the flowers set seed the plant stops making new flowers. I hope to show you the wigwam in full glory next month.

Trug shots

I was given this trug a long time ago (it had a ring in a box in it , ah). Anyway, I've only just started using it and it is perfect for going to and fro the allotment - seedlings on the way out and produce on the way back.