Green Fingers: Accommodating delicious vegetables
Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’ comes with a variation of red, orange, yellow and white stems.
The art or science or both of gardening encompasses quite a divergence of different interests and within this range there is scope for a number of indulgent opinions.
Knowing and recognising the power of nature most people would be quite humble in their occupation but, happily, as in most other activities there can be an element of snobbery of one gardening sector over another.
During the relatively short time I have been involved in gardening, I have come across many people who focus on one aspect of gardening and it can be a total concentration to the point of obsession.
This can include roses, lawns, ponds, conifers, rhododendrons, snowdrops, alpines, perennials and vegetables. These specialist gardeners are fun and knowledgeable and I am always happy to spend some time with them but maybe not too often as I might not share their sole interest.
Growing vegetables would have at one time been regarded as down in the social scale of gardening but it has been elevated to a higher level in recent times as it is considered in fashion and in keeping with the ethical, environmental, responsible and well-being culture that is all the rage now.
For all these reasons there is a growing army of keen and relatively new gardeners who are enjoying growing some of their own food and at the end of the day can enjoy some delicious meals harvested from the garden.
Growing a few vegetables can be one of the most enjoyable pleasures and anyone can do it for whatever reason they wish. For those who wish to show off some of your efforts while walking around with a glass of wine or G & T in your hand, why not try some of the flashy and more unusual vegetables, which can be grown on the patio in pots and of course they taste good too.
For colour the first on the list would include some of the coloured salad leaves, which come in a variety, and all in the one pack of seeds, and you just pick a few leaves as and when you like.
Then there is the Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’ with a variation of red, orange, yellow and white stems.
Everyone has their own opinion on what vegetables and how much to grow for themselves. We grow what we like to eat, both immediately and what we can freeze or store for use out of season but I know of many who grow more than they need just for the joy of giving their surplus away.
What is enjoyable and a bit of a “variation on a theme” is to grow a number of different varieties among the range we would grow, and these include carrot and beetroot in varieties both called ‘Rainbow Mix’ (range of coloured roots), scarlet leaved curly kale, purple kohl rabi, courgette ‘Golden Griller’ or ‘Atena’ (yellow) and in your tomato selection why not try a few different ones in the mix such as ‘Black Russian’ (beefsteak type), ‘Sunrise’(yellow cherry) and ‘Sweet Million’ (red cherry).
A recurring concern with lawns or grass areas is the persistence of moss. Some people just ignore it and that might be a solution but there are many others that just find it unattractive and want to get rid of it, as they can see the golf courses and other lawn areas entirely free of moss.
In the past it was a time-consuming operation with a lot of hard work but now there are many brands of products that just need to be spread on the lawn and then the moss gets broken down organically leaving the grass to infill a few weeks later.
If you have any comments or queries you are welcome to share them with me on 051-384273 or orchardstowngardencentre@hotmail.com and if of general interest I will include it in a future newsletter.
