Raised Vegetable Beds on Facebook

I take them for two walks a day, have them in the best seats in the house and feed them (what I think) is good food. So why do the dogs repay me in the garden by chewing anything that is within range of their mouth?  Maybe it’s the same principal as a cat bringing home a dead mouse and plonking it on the worktops as a gift. I doubt it though as I’m sure cats don’t look guilty when you ask them “who did this” which is what I have to say to both my dogs every day. They both always look guilty though but I do know that it’s Chips (the spaniel) that does most of the damage.

This week she’s eaten the plastic pots from my chamomile plants and worked her way through the Christmas rose plants that I put outside to harden off. Most of the time it’s just the post she eats leaving the roots of the plants open to the elements. I suppose she has to do something as most of the ground is too wet to dig holes in at the moment, which is something else I can look forward to in the spring.

Raised vegetable beds

I have had an interest in raised vegetable beds for a few years now and built them in the last three gardens I have had. I even wrote an ebook about them. I think it’s still for sale on Amazon, but not sure. When I put it on a while ago there were only two other raised vegetable beds information books on there. Now you have to set aside half an hour to scroll down them all. I’m sure mine is there somewhere but I haven’t sold a copy for over a year, so the time has come to give it away for free I think. As soon as I find it on my computer I’ll let you know.

I did set up a Facebook page called “Raised Vegetable Beds” and for ages it sat there with only one or two contributors, I only looked at the page once or twice a month to make sure it was still there. Over that last few weeks though there has been a renewed interest on the page and everyday there are at least 20 people joining. I know that isn’t nearly the same amount that looks at Ruairi McSorleys “Frostbit” video but it’s good for a start.  For some reason the good folk in America have taken over the site as word seems to spread. Most of the information coming on the page is relating to the US but raised beds as we are finding out are not governed by location. It’s fun to read and I only very occasionally get someone trying to sell counterfeit Ray Ban sunglasses or clickbaiting onto their own sites. Up to writing this there are over 2000 people signed up. Here is just one topic raised this week.

Can I?

“Can I put tea bags in my compost bin?”

“Yup and coffee grounds, egg shells, banana peels”

“Yes!! I have composted for years and I do not have a rodent or pest problem. I just create "black gold!" Your entire kitchen scraps such as potato peels, strawberry hulls, banana peels, coffee grounds AND filter, complete tea bag with string, egg shells, squash skin and seeds, citrus peels and much, much more are compostable. And then, when you start gardening all of your garden scraps should be added. (I exclude evasive weeds and any diseases plants that I have removed from my garden. I have these into a separate pile which I burn.) I have 3 separate compost piles going at all times which are all at different stages ….you can never have too much compost. It is your most valuable contribution to your garden.”

“I don't put potato peels or onion peels in my compost, they spread disease and it irritates the worms.”

“Yes you can. Just make sure they don't have the string and tag if it's herbal tea.”

“Tea bags will go great in the compost bin..... But before that there is another use for them. They can help to reduce sweaty palms. If your hands start to drip when you are nervous then hold the wet tea bag in your hands for 10-15 minutes. The tannin in the tea (regular, not herbal) is an astringent, which has the ability to shrink the pores. If you are shaking hands with someone important, do it a few times over a week or so before the event. There could be a side effect though; your hands might get a bit stained. (Old tea bags have been used to create fake tans!)”

Top tips indeed!

Postcrete No-No....

I had this great idea to make some more pots this week. I wasn’t going to bother with the hypertufa pots, they just disintegrate when you pick them up. This time I was going to make them to last. I went to the local DIY place and found something called Postcrete, which is a ready mixed bag of material that you would normally put into a hole around a wooden post. It says on the bag that it sets within minutes. Just the job I thought.

Panic

I got a bucket and mixed the contents of the bag with water. All seemed to go well as I put the mix into the first pot mould. Then disaster struck, the mix was hardening faster than I could pour it so I panicked, added more water and then mixed it with my hands, so vigorously that the gloves I was wearing tore. I was only filling the remaining moulds for a few minutes but this was enough for the mix to take off several layers of skin and fingerprints from my hands. I should imagine the reason for this to go solid so quickly is that it has a really high lime content, so high in fact that it shouldn’t be touched, just poured directly into a hole. I’ve spent the last few days wearing rubber gloves full of cream to try and grow the skin back. I should have read the label. My lad was unsympathetic as I ran into the house screaming in pain. 

 “This is what happens when you mess around with chemicals” he dryly told me. It’s back to hypertufa for me in future, or shop bought cardboard pots.

Barrack Hill Carndonagh Community Gardens

Barrack Hill Community Gardens

I was chatting to Stephen McGirr from Carndonagh this week and he has been telling me of the new Barrack Hill Community Gardens that have been set up in the town. It’s a bit of a well-kept secret at the moment, but that won’t be for long. As spring sets in there should be a lot of interest as the movement to grow your own continues to get more popular.  Stephen already has tunnels in place with raised beds and a growing number of keep gardeners helping to get everything ready for the growing season. 

It’s an impressive collaboration of four councils along with the North West Region Cross Border Group (NWRCBG) that have set up the NW Healthy Living, Community Garden and Allotments Programme. The Programme has been part funded under the European Union's INTERREG IVA Cross-border programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body to the value of £1,552,411.

The Project will develop a targeted response to local health, social and economic needs through the development of allotments/community gardens in Strabane,Magilligan, Maghera town and Barrack Hill in Carndonagh, where Stephen is.

The allotments and gardens will be used:

·         To create a sustainable source of food;

·         As a resource for health through physical activity;

·         As a resource to practically impact on 'food poverty';

·         As a community resource which brings people together;

·         As an educational tool; and

·         As a source of creating open space and encouraging biodiversity.

The need for the project has been proven by the research completed by the Institute of Public Health funded by the Public Health Agency (PHA) on behalf of the North West's INTERREG IVA funding application. The health impact assessment provided a mechanism to inform the planning for the development of the four demonstration community garden/allotment sites and ensured that improvement of health was at the core of the programme. 

Research has identified that local community garden/allotment projects appear to be quite exceptional in their ability to address a range of health and liveability issues for all ages. They provide people with an opportunity to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.

There will be training courses setting up for budding gardeners and there are also other ideas such as the “Healthy Eating Lifestyle Programme (HELP)” With Ian Corr our local celebrity chef already doing classes.

For information about the whole of the North West initiatives go to the www.nwcommunitygardens.com website.

More information

If you would like to have a look around the Barrack Hill Community gardens or would like to participate in this fantastic idea then Stephen will be very happy to hear from you.  Check out the Facebook page : Barrack-Hill-Park-Community-Gardens-Carndonagh or phone Stephen McGirr on 0862745886.

Herbs Indoors

My cacti are surviving the worst of the weather under protective cover. The mother-in-laws tongue (Is it politically correct to call Sansevieria trifasciata that nowadays? ... probably not) has suffered with the frost and gone as limp as a soggy digestive biscuit dipped for too long in a hot cup of tea. 

The main reason, other than not covering it up well enough is that I just don’t have the room to put plants inside. The ledges are not really wide enough and anything larger than an egg cup gets caught on our clothing as we walk past leaving a soily mess on the floor. They also make cleaning the windows a very timely job  when they need moving out of the way(well once or twice a year when I get around to it) And that’s time I could be spending doing more important things like social networking or sleeping. There is space for putting frost hardy plants on the windowsills outside though so I probably should be looking there to expand.

Windowsills are the hidden spaces for growing all manner of things.  The National Trust estimates that there are 600 acres of growing space going to waste nationwide in the shape of unused window ledges. And with DEFRA statistics showing that one in three of us want to take up DIY food production, window boxes are the perfect way in for frustrated urban gardeners or nervous beginners.

Herbs Indoors and Out

I think herbs will do well on window ledges. Home grown herbs can transform your dinner, they are low maintenance, robust and high yielding, which means you can keep going back. Shop-bought alternatives are often transported long distances and are subjected to artificial light, which kills most of their flavour. The conditions in which supermarket herbs are kept reduce the plant's lifespan and results in wilted leaves. They're expensive too, with most pre-packaged herbs costing around 80 pence a pop. Growing your own saves you money and enhances the flavour of even the blandest of dishes. So how do you keep them growing? According to Jackie Day, herbalist and keen gardener, it's easier than you might think.

'My culinary herbs well and truly take their chances amongst the weeds and literally get hacked down with secateurs to keep them under control,' says Jackie. 'But, they seem to come back year after year. Herbs don’t generally need much in the way of fertilising and some do better in poor conditions but in window boxes I’d give them a bit of new soil or potting compost (but easy on the potting compost as it’s usually pretty rich in nutrients) each year. Aim for about 30 per cent new soil or compost.' Some herbs, including mint and lemon balm, can grow extremely prolifically so plant them in individual pots in order to prevent overcrowding.

Five Fabulous Herbs to Grow

Mint

Mint is almost as bad as ivy in the rampant growth stakes but if you plant it in moist, rich soil and hack it back regularly, you should be able avoid catastrophe. Wonderful first thing in tea form, it helps to improve digestion, and can be used to make a restorative essential oil.

Parsley

Parsley thrives with only a moderate amount of light. It calms the digestive system while also promoting good digestion. High in iron and vitamin C, it can help to reduce bloating thanks to its diuretic properties.

How to cook it: Try parsley pesto for a pleasant change from basil or use as a simple garnish.

Sage

With anti-catarrhal properties, it helps to remove mucus from the airways and boosts the digestive system. 'Sage is great for the brain,' says Jackie. 'Hence the use of the term 'sage' for knowledgeable people.'

How to cook it: Sage butter is perfect with pasta or used in risotto.

Rosemary

Plant it next to sage to help it flourish. A natural form of pest control, rosemary's insect-repelling properties benefit every plant in its vicinity. In humans, it helps to relieve headaches, muscular pain, neuralgia, and dyspepsia.

How to cook it: Rosemary tastes great on potatoes, pizza or in vinaigrettes.

Thyme

Thyme is best sown in shallow soil because of its tiny seeds. Extremely bee-friendly, it also helps to treat coughs and asthma by loosening phlegm from the bronchial tract. It's also a good remedy for indigestion and is a great liver cleanser.

How to cook it: Do it like the Greeks and season your lamb with fresh thyme for a fragrant feast.

There are plenty more herbs to choose from, buy good specimens or grow them from seed.