This week… has mainly been about veg growing – in a rather strange deviation from the norm you’d expect from Potting Bench HQ! Don’t worry…I’ve not forgotten about flower bulbs, they’ll be a special mention for those at the end, but until then I’ll start with onions (they’re all bulbs really aren’t they!). This is the first time we’re growing onions so I’ve got no idea what I’m doing really – aside from all the books I’ve read!
I’ve gone with the Radar variety as they seem reliable, come well recommended and are suitable for planting now. We’re growing from sets, rather than seeds, as it speeds up the process a little and gets things going a little quicker. Either way, the excitement for our first family harvest next year is palpable!
Garlic is also back on the agenda this year after a successful crop last year! The two varieties that are going in this year are Rhapsody Wight and Provence Wight – both reliable (there’s a theme here!) and tasty! We love garlic in our house so these go down an absolute treat.
Now on to something that we love, but aren’t actually growing – pumpkins! We went pumpkin picking this week and although we got a few just for decoration, I’d love to potentially use the flesh and cook something with them so let me know your best recipes and I’ll see what can be rustled up!
And back to the flowers! Some proper tulip planting happened this week with all the pinks and mixes going in – just the oranges, whites, purples and god knows what else, left to go! I’m fighting the urge to just do them all in one go, but it’s a slightly overwhelming thought.
In Podcast news: This week is all about understanding what it takes to be up for being Garden Of The Year….
This week’s episode is with gardener, horticulturalist and judge of Channel 4’s Garden Of The Year, Lachlan Rae. Lachlan tells me all about his training at The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and how his career progressed to television! Click on the picture (or here) to listen to the episode now).
And there you have it for another week my garden friends, join me again next week where I’ll have more updates from our family garden.
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