Digging, horse poo and proper gardening

Oh dear, a bit overdue for an update...

Got back after Easter trip to find lots of Sprouting Things on the windowsill, all v exciting. In fact I think some may be a bit oversprouty - the lettuce seedlings are a bit leggy but we'll see how they do. I also had beetroot, spring onion, sweet william and sweet peas coming up.

So, yesterday it was time to do some Proper Gardening. I'd got a bag of "well-rotted manure" from Auntie Annie and Leasa (who have a livery yard), and my own Mum came round to help - she's been veg gardening ever since ever so is Fount Of All Knowledge. We dug over the little triangle and the big one, and dug in the horse poo, and Mum proclaimed it good soil as there are still lots of worms and a robin came and sat on one of the markers a couple of feet from us, which we took as a good omen.

We've made a bit of a plan now for what's going where - the strawberry plants have gone in the pointy bit of the smaller triangle, with the leggy lettuce seedlings in a row behind, and the beetroots behind them, which pretty much takes up the space back to the wall. In a couple of weeks I have to remember to put another row of each in so (theoretically) I'll be able to harvest for longer.

In the big triangle, we've decided to put runner beans up the "trellis" I made a couple of weeks ago to cover the end of the garage, so have built a cane wigwam for the sweet peas to climb up with a sort of cat's-cradle of string around to help them up. We've planted leeks along the back as they're winter, carrots in front of them, and put the lavender plant on the corner into the bed so it'll smell nice when brushed against. We've also planted the chives and mint (still in its pot) in the pointy corner, and put the rest of the free-from-Lakeland salad leaves in a pot against the wall.

I think that's everything, must try to take some pictures. My Dad has made me some beautiful markers (as in the things you write "carrots" on and stick in the end of the row) out of split twigs (only way I can think of to describe them!) so I've put those in and they look great. There's still a bit of a space in the big triangle that I'm not sure about but will see in inspiration strikes. Might put the sweet william in there - the seedlings are too teeny to go out yet. The sweet peas are sprouting in the kitchen - one variety (patio) are about 2" high but the other sort aren't really doing much yet.

Jobs for this week are to take some pictures of the triangles, and to get some runner beans to plant under the trellis. And to keep an eye out for slugs. :)

So, the preparation begins. I decided that the first thing I needed were some proper grown-up tools, so went to Homebase on the way home and bought:

• Big spade
• Big fork
• Trowel
• Small fork
• Green string, labels, anti-poke-your-eye-out things for canes kit
• Canes
• A blueberry bush
• Strawberry plants
• Propagator trays
• Big bag of compost that I can't really lift

All I've really done today is dig over the patch (with the big fork) and poke at it in an attempt to assess the soil. Results: soil is full of worms, ivy roots and pebbles from the beach. I assume that the worms are a good thing (something about aerating the soil??), the ivy roots I keep yanking out and the pebbles are just plain irritating. I should probably sift them all out but not sure if I'd have the patience.

I've also attached some green string to the garage side and made a cat's-cradle type thing, where I'm hopefully going to grow some sweet peas, which I love. Once I've finished typing away I'm going to sow some of the sweet pea seeds in a propagator and put them on the kitchen windowsill to get growing. The other seeds I've got are: sweet william (not a vegetable either, I know, but I love those too), leeks, lettuce, beetroot, spring onions and carrots; so I'll have to read the instructions for whether to put them out or in the kitchen first. I've also got peppers, chives and a mint in pots, which will probably stay there as Carol Upstairs says that mint tries to Take Over The World if you let it out of its pot. The strawberry plants I'm not sure about yet, I just like strawberries so a bit of an impulse buy. I might have to get one of those things that's a bit like a chimney with holes in?

I'll try and take some pictures of the patch to properly chart progress! But for now, seeds to pot.

In The Beginning...

Without getting too David Frost about it: Hello, good evening, and welcome to my blog, about the small triangle of earth I have recently commandeered to grow some veggies in. It (the blog) exists for two main reasons: (1) Sally told me to; and (2) So I can record what happens and when and hopefully learn from the inevitable many mistakes!

A bit of introduction... I live in a converted Victorian house on the seafront that's been chopped up into five flats. There's a biggish garden for everyone to use - last year Carol-Upstairs asked if anyone would mind her having a bit to grow some veggies in, which we all thought was a fine idea. Then Sally-From-Work got a proper Allotment so is growing some serious veggies, so I thought I'd have a go. Plus, I come from a very long line of veg-growers (not quite a farmer's daughter, but a farmer's granddaughter and farmer's niece several times over), so if it's a disaster I will bring shame on the family! (Quick plug - go and see Uncle Tim at Sandwich farmers' market, last Saturday of the month; or Uncle Richard at the Goods Shed farmers' market in Canterbury)

SO, having sent the message round to fellow garden-owners (and subsequently bumped into Carol-Upstairs and Sara-Across-The-Landing on the way home tonight), I've got a triangle of bare earth with the back of a garage and side of another on two sides, and path on the other, as well as a smaller triangley-bit on the other side of the path. My friend Heather has given me some veg seeds to get going, my Mum has given me some herbs, and Sally has told me that now I have a veg patch I have to have a blog. So, here goes.