Old Factory Lampshades being recommissioned.
For the last few weeks I’ve been falling behind on the
gardening work. Mainly because I don’t like getting cold and wet, but also a
bit of complacency set in. I was feeling that I could leave seed sowing and bed
preparations until June, but that’s taking procrastination just a bit too
far.
The seeds I have sown are now outgrowing their containers
which has forced me to get a few beds cleared and ready to plant.
So today, the sunflowers went in and the lettuce and rocket
were planted. I’ve also re-commissioned some old industrial, aluminium
lampshades, turned them upside down and filled them with composts and
strawberry plants. I think they look fabulous, although it might not be to everyone’s
taste.
Most of the summer bedding has been planted into pots and
containers so this is sparing them from being root/pot bound for too long. I
still have the stocks to put out, and a few more geraniums but they are proving
to be very undemanding and still look quite happy in their confined multipacks
for now.
It’s actually amazing how much progress we can make in one
day after getting stuck into the garden. From that heavy feeling in the morning
that there is just so much to do, to this evening where I am sitting relaxed,
aching, but with a sense of satisfaction.
I’m feeling that at least for now, the garden is looking like I am on
top of things, although I have just picked up the big bag of seed packets and
realized I have loads more to plant up and out.
I haven’t put in the peas or beans, coriander, spinach,
basil or parsley. I’m thinking I’m going to be busy tomorrow as well, the
feeling of satisfaction was very short lived.
Asparagus
My asparagus seeds have sprouted really quickly and although
their fine stems will take some time to mature, it’s great to see them looking
so healthy. Just think, in four years’ time, I’ll be able to have some of the
fresh shoots for my tea. I hope it’s worth the wait. As I am on updates, the
tadpoles have now got their back legs, are full up on lettuce and minced beef
so will soon be crawling out of their small pond in the tunnel and going on
slug hunts in the evenings for me. My time spent looking after them will
hopefully be rewarded as they keep the pests down in the garden. It can be fun
also when they jump out at you when you are weeding.
Not another one
The Raised Vegetable Beds Facebook page has now got over
23,000 members and although not everyone posts, there is a healthy stream of
questions and solutions to a lot of gardening problems. Some of them are
factual or fun, some of them full of old wives tales and some, well, let’s just
say – totally misinformed and sometimes dangerous for both people and the
planet.
As the only moderator of the group, members do have to put
up with me being in a grumpy mood sometimes. Occasionally I will get totally fed up of the
same misinformation being posted, especially when it comes to coping with
unwanted weeds, insects or animals.
Just recently I have seen a huge wave of people saying they
are putting vinegar, salt, Epsom salts, coffee grounds and flour onto their
plots as well as other ‘natural’ chemicals. These are to get rid of anything
from a dandelion to a deer.
I used to post replies
with facts about why most of these things are useless in the garden even dangerous,
but now I just let people post away. I was told that I was a moderator, not an
educator which has kept me in my place and I’m happy to oblige.
I made an exception this week though when members started
posting about how they now add cinnamon to the garden, either as another
strange way of keeping rabbits away or to stop seedlings damping off. The two major types of cinnamon are Ceylon
cinnamon and Cassia cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon, native to Sri Lanka, is also
known as “true cinnamon.” It’s the Cassia that’s often put on the garden
because it’s a lot cheaper.
It is said that ingesting a lot of the Cassia cinnamon can
be bad for the kidneys but the Ceylon cinnamon possesses more health benefits
and less of the blood thinning ‘coumarin’ that’s in Cassia..
The debate continues as we speak and maybe one day there
will be a lot of gardening products made with cinnamon.
In the meantime, I’ll
stick with fresh air, rainwater and compost, at least for now it’s free and
devoid of any FDA health warnings.
