Torbay gardener
Digging for Victory 22
Posted on Jul 07, 2010 at 05:37 PM
7 July 2010.
Its been a while since I've either been online or even updated the blog, for which I apologise.
The fruits of my labours are coming in thick and fast with a bumper crop of peas, broad beans and courgettes. My strawberries have been a great success, both the wild and cultivated varieties have produced succulent & tasty fruits.
Last night I picked a huge bowlful of peas and beans and spent a happy hour shelling them and freezing them in 1 portion batches. Of course quite a few ended up in my dinner as a side salad........ The second set of seedlings is almost ready to be planted out to give me a late summer/autumn crop. My tomatoes and courgettes are enormous, indeed I now have some difficulty getting around my deck to water them. I've already picked some courgettes and they were simply delicious. I don't know if you can freeze them, I suspect not so if anyone has any ideas on preserving them....???
In September I go back to college to start my course in Sustainable Horticulture. It is 3 days a week and I've been fretting about getting enough work to tide me over. Fortunately the school I currently work at may be coming to my rescue with a 20 hour/week contract to do the grounds. This would include starting 3 allotments within the school grounds. I am being put forward for the job but obviously it will be advertised so if anyone has ideas on what to do with the 3 allotments (within a secondary school environment) I'd be grateful for ideas etc. The area for the allotments is totally unused so it really would be starting from ground zero. Given the current economic climate any other ideas on where to get free seeds etc would be incredibly useful.
Digging for Victory 21
Posted on May 01, 2010 at 11:07 AM
1 May 2010
It's been a busy time trying to get my seedlings to get a good start. In early April I dug over the patch and incorporated all my compost I generated last year and put some chicken manure down. I finally got around to testing the ph of my soil and it came back as neutral.
The chemistry bell jars I saved from the school I work at have worked wonders on my strawberries. I've two types, cultivated varieties that I grow in a stacked tower and wild strawberries that are in the veg patch (and spreading elsewhere too!!). The wild strawberries I seperated from 1 large clump I was given by a friend in London and now I have about 30 plants just about to burst into flower. I intend making some wild strawberry conserve and some cultivated conserve to see if there is a taste difference.
I've protected my pea and bean seedlings from slugs and other pests but using old tonic water bottles as mini cloches. I cut off the bottoms and place it over the seedlings. so far, no loses and of course the bottle creates a nice warm atmosphere for the seedling as well as protecting from strong winds.
After the disaster of last year, where animals got into the patch and ate everything, I've improved my defences. Which is just as well as on Wednesday night I actually saw a badger in my back garden. It was probably as surprised as I was given it is in a town. But now I know what I'm up against in terms of defending my precious veg patch!!
As I had so much success with outdoor tomatoes last year I'm repeating the process this year. The one change is that I am now growing 4 varieties including a beef tomato and an plum tomato from which I'd like to try to make passata.
Last year I saved seed from my peas, beans and courgettes and have raised new plants from them this year. I found some french bean seeds at home that were a bit out of date and out of 20 seeds only 3 germinated. But I'll grow them anyway and keep the seeds so that I can have a decent crop next year. So the lesson is, if it's out of date still try it and see if it does work.
In terms of the long term I've won a place on a Sustainable Horticulture course run by Duchy College that starts in September. I'm so excited at the prospect of obtaining a qualification in sustainable growing as it fits in with my longer term ideas. I just need to find the funding for it but I love a challenge!!
If you'd like to know more about the course (it runs every year) please visit www.duchy.ac.uk and look for the Sustainable Horticulture course.
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Posted on Feb 24, 2010 at 04:50 PM
Torbay - I was wondering if there is anyone on River Cottage who lives in the Torbay area. If so please get in touch as it might be nice to meet and swap ideas etc.
Diging for Victory 20
Posted on Feb 10, 2010 at 05:06 PM
Just as I thought it was safe to back into the garden the frosts have returned, with a vengance. So another weekend spent indoors but it wasn't wasted. I made lots of pots for my seeds from newspaper and cleaned all my old plastic trays ready for the new season.
Recently I've been working in a school that is being demolished. the amount of useful things I've retrieved has been fantastic. The science dept threw out several bell jars and 8 demi-johns. The bell jars are now in situ over my rhubarb and the demi-johns have been cleaned so that I can have a go at making some wine this year. It might turn out to be undrinkable filth but if Hugh can make wine from nettles I'm sure I can make something nice from blackberries.....
I also got several large woooden drawers from old desks that I'm adapting to make seed trays. They come with handles so storage will be a dodle. I've drilled holes in the bottom for drainage and lined them with some of the acres of bubble wrap I saved from the skip. Regretably there was lots more I could have saved but without a car it was a difficult to haul stuff home!! I even got stopped by the boys in blue as I walked home with my bell jars.
The school demolition is part of a nationwide programme to replace all state secondary buildings, so there may well be a school in your area that is being demolished and the amout of stuff they are required to throw out is quite stunning (we filled 6 20 ton skips with paper!!), most of it is free but for larger items, like desks etc you may be asked to make a small donation to the school.
So with all my 'treasures' safely home I feel I'm ready to face the new season, once the weather warms up! My seeds will be planted indoors this weekend and kept on a large table in the spare room. Fortunately I kept a portion of last years crop as seed so that I haven't had to go and buy any seeds as yet. But I have bought a fig that it going to reside on my south facing deck.
Digging for Victory 19
Posted on Dec 10, 2009 at 05:21 PM
The year is close to it's end andI've been preparing for the new year. The compost heap has been dug into the patch along with loads of ripped up card board and eggboxes. The card should rot down and provide mulch. in fact I now compost anything organic, oncluding my loo roll holders.
It's the time of yrear to spend ages browsing seed catalogues and my favourite is from Original Organics (shameless plug!!) as I like the older varieties that they sell amongst the newer stuff. By buying Victorian varieties I feel, in a small way, that I'm helping to retain genetic differences in the way we grow things.
The patch is now surrounded by loads of chicken wire that will hopefully prevent a repeat ofthis years disaster. I'll just have to see what happens.
Both of my neighbours do nothing with their gardens at all and I think the next time I see them I'll enquire about letting others grow things on their land. I have to admit that if they say yes it would be a brave person who took on either space as they are 100% overgrown. But with a bit of team work I'm sure we can sort that out.
The Xmas cake is marzipaned and iced, ready for me to munch away at it. The amount of brandy it has consumed it quite alarming but as I don't actually drink brandy what else can I do with it?
Seasonal greetings to all on here and I look forward to reading everyones blogs and comments in 2010.
Digging for Victory 18
Posted on Nov 02, 2009 at 04:02 PM
2 November 2009
As the nights draw in I've been thinking about the sucesses and failures of the past few months.
On the one hand my crop of veg was very badly affected by animal attack, reducing yields by at least 65%, but I have learnt that there are animals around so now progress is being made in securing the patch. It doesn't look pretty (and I've never met anyone who thinks chicken wire IS pretty) but I'll do almost anything to stop a repeat of this years failures.
On the sucess side my composting is going great guns, basically if it is organic it gets composted, including my cotton face flannel that finally had had its day this weekend. I'm always amazed that my neighbours throw out at least 3 bin bags a week, my average is one bag per month. The pile of compost should help improve my soil no end and the liquid I get from my wormery is fantastic for feeding my plants. Why buy expensive liquid feeds when a wormery can get you all the liquid you want for nothing?
Another sucess has been my tomato & courgette plants that I've grown outdoors on my deck. I've been awash with tomatoes and it is only last week that I picked the last green tomatoes off the plants. The gro-bags have all been broken up and the contents spread on the veg patch, and of course the plants are on the compost heap. I can't wait for the new year when I can restart the whole process once again. Hopefully by then I'll have got a greenhouse so I can start a bit earlier. it would also be nicer not to have every windowsill covered in seed pots, although it has its charms!!
My wild food has increaseed hugely, loads of blackberries and elderberries have been made into jams and jellies. The freezer has fish I've caught and I've learnt the simple pleasure of standing on a rock by the sea trying to catch my dinner.
So all in all I'm reasonably happy with the year, I didn't get everything I wanted but I learnt a lot which stands me in good stead for next year. But I suppose the best lesson is to keep at it, despite setbacks and muntjac deer!!
Digging for Victory 17
Posted on Oct 02, 2009 at 04:40 PM
2 October 2009
Another month has passed with its sucesses and failures. I've dug the patch over and planted some winter veg. The rest of the patch has been sowed with green manure plants like clover to protect the soil and help mulch it. This time the cabbages are protected heavily from the local wildlife so with any luck I'll get to eat them!!
My tomatoes are still groaning with fruit, even tho they are outside. I expect to get another 5 or 6 kilos off them before the weather really turns and even if it does I'll make green tomato chutney. My cupboards are full of chutneys and jams as well as a salsa. Next I think I'll try the ketchup receipe in my RC coookbooks. I don't use much ketchup but a bottle or two will last for a whole year.
My courgettes have finished so a task for this weekend is to empty the gro-bags and put the plants onto the compost heap. I found I have somehow managed to kill my worms in the wormery so I've sent off for some more.
In terms of wild food I've not had that much recently due to time committements. I picked lots of elderberries and made jam and have about 20k of blackberry jam, which will make excellent presents for when I go visiting my friends around the country. I've found a good patch of sloeberries so will await the 1st frost to see if I can make some sloe gin. Tomorrow is the 1st day I'll be fishing for a couple of months, I guess the mackerel will be over but I might get something else that I can eat.
The employment situation here in Torbay is dire and finding any work is a real pain, so living cheaply is an absolute must, But I've found I can survive of very little in terms of ££ if I plan ahead and cook everything myself. A large boeuf bourgignon can last me a week and frankly gets tastier as the week progresses. The BBC series on economy gastronomy is really useful for tips and receipes. I was shocked at the waste some people indulge in. One guy would eat the breast of a whole roast chicken and then claim there was nothing worth left on it!!
Living in a town means that keeping pigs is impossible but chickens are a real possibility that I'm actively looking into, I have a couple of terraces at the top of the garden I can convert to runs for them. I'm gradually collecting wood to create the runs and will them get loads of chicken wire. I don't anticipate getting any birds until the new year but by then my own version of chickenopolis should be built.
The festive season is upon us in terms of making the Xmas cake and mincemeat. My cake is already baked and is receiving a weekly libation of brandy, one slice and I'll be over the limit for driving and it is terribly fattening but it is my one weakness.......The Xmas mincemeat is also maturing gently in a dark cupboard.
Until next month it's a bientot and thanks to those who have responded to my questions on here.
Answer this question
Posted on Sep 28, 2009 at 12:30 PM
White pudding receipes I'm looking for a receipe for the above. My local organic farm makes it using cereals and it is delicious but they won't reveal the receipe to me. So if anyone has one please either reply to this question or send me a message. Many thanks
Digging for Victory 16
Posted on Sep 07, 2009 at 02:29 PM
7 September 2009
I've found the guilty party!! Yesterday morning I saw a muntjac deer saunter into my veg aptch and push over a sweetcorn plant and munch on the cobs. I chased him of and now at least I know who was responsible for eating my patch bare.
The patch has now been redug over and I'm on the lookout for some chicken wire (actually quite a lot of it) to go all around it to prevent a recurrence of the problems.
This weekend was mainly taken up with making chutney, something I've notdone before but it was a real joy. I've made green tomato chutney as well as a hot mango one. Now I'll leave them in a dark place to mature for a couple of months. They can join the mincemeat I made recently using the Delia Smith receipe which is the best I've tried. It isn't suitable for veggies as it contains real beef suet but we can't all be perfect!!
I've also noe decided that Iwant some chickens so I'll need to create a space for them. I have 2 terraces that could be fenced off and they would be ideal so another few weekends hard labour will sort it out. I'd want a couple ofegg layers and some eaters so I'll consult my River cottage guides as to the best breeds.
Digging for Victory 15
Posted on Aug 26, 2009 at 12:59 PM
26 August 2009
Disaster has struck my veg patch.
On Friday night my cats were desperate to get back into the house and when I let hem in I could hear something crashing about in the undergrowth next door. My neighbours garden is not overgrown, it is a small wood and there is a wooded hill not morethan half a mile away. It being 3.00am and not exactly equiped to go a hunting I went back to sleep. On Saturday I woke up to find my entire veg patch had been eaten. All my cabbages and broccoli, the carrots and worst of all my 16 sweetcorn plants that had 3 or 4 cobs on each reduced to matchwood. A years worth of work completely destroyed. I was so looking forward to eating fresh sweetcorn, now all I have left is one rather sad looking plant with 3 cobs on it.
I looked carefully to see if I could identify any tracks but the ground didn't reveal anything that I recognised. It is SO heartbreaking to have to spend a day redigging the patch and throwing all the plants onto the compost heap. Now I'm planning some defences, lots and lots of chicken wire and post. My patch will look more like Stalag Luft 3 than a garden!!
I think it must have been a family of badgers coming off the wooded hill nearby, I can't imagine a fox would have done it and I haven't seen any deer around as it is far too built up. Perhaps I'm wrong. I can't even get a shotgun to defend the patch as there are flats behind my garden.
Now I'm off to drown my sorrows in the pub........
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