31) That Gardening Itch

The gardening itch.  It strikes me every year, and every year I go nuts for a short while, get overwhelmed, get distracted and whirr off to other things that don't require me to stand up so much.

This year, I've dug one and a half veg beds, ordered forty quid's worth of seeds, and am at least still raring to go.  I am *determined* that we should be eating a significant proportion of our veggies from our very own garden this year, and hopefully through into next year,  too.

I've been intrigued by, and attracted to, the idea of square foot gardening for a while; the thought that an average family does not want or indeed need a whole row of radishes all coming ready at once is so obvious and yet so far-out in terms of normal gardening practice that, when I first heard it, it pretty much blew me away.  And the beds look pretty, too.

Well, they will.  Our garden is large (this is maybe a quarter of it?) and currently a complete tip, thanks to dogs, chronic fatigue and the aforementioned gardener's ADD.  My  vision, however, is *gorgeous*.  The sticks and bits of pampas grass do actually mark out beds; the bits I've dug so far are the obvious bit to the left of the photo, and the less-obvious bits to the far left of the photo, directly in front of the fence and flanking the shrub.

Yesterday, I looked through my seeds (delivered astonishingly quickly, thanks, Real Seeds!) and found I'd ordered three varieties of cauliflower, two of carrots, three types of tomato...  Have I gone mad?!  Well, I suppose it's always possible.  But the method behind my madness, in this instance at least, is that they are all varieties which harvest at different times.  J and I actually eat a fairly restricted range of veggies (onions, potatoes, broccoli, peas, cauliflower, some carrots, green beans) unless we're cooking something that absolutely *demands*, for example, baby corn.  At this time of year, precious little in the way of vegetables is actually in season, meaning that it's well worth the effort of ensuring some winter and spring crops.  At least, that's the theory!

So, now I've outed myself, and at least hinted at the grandiosity of my plans, will I stick to them any better than in previous years?  Only time will tell gentle readers; only time will tell!

Comments

[Tempewytch]

Go for it Ota! We need to think about getting some beds made if not for this year then next.

[Toni]

I love the square foot idea!

[Ruth]

It must be hard work digging over grass to bare soil....black plastic covered over it helps to kill it off quicker. I totally understand the being so enthusiastic, and then it not really happenning, I'm just the same. But, similarly, I'm determined not to let our allotment go the same way - well, we'll get chucked off it if we let it go too bad!!

[m]

Last year's sprouts and cabbages came to nothing, as I didn't pick off the caterpillers fast enough.
However, having overwintered they are now supplying us with great spring greens.
We still have the last few of our potatos too.
Beans and peas that matured unnoticed have been dried, and after soaking make for good soups and casseroles at this time of year.