Now I have gone and Done it

Gardening is one of my loves in life I get so much joy from actually pottering on my own sowing, pricking out, transplanting seeds and growing them on and of course growing the crops to maturity. I had made a decision at the end of last year that this year I was going to grow a garden again, especially after having not grown anything last year.  So in accordance with my plan I have been trawling through some of the websites and making certain purchases. 

I have really done it this time though, despite deciding myself not to indulge in too many seeds and plants, I have taken the view that I need to have some fresh food for the house and also some for preserving although I will not be able to cover everything.    I have therefore gone and done it, ordered more in for the garden than I had anticipated.  I intend to use a lot of containers as well as the garden itself for growing.  Might also use some potato sacks as well.  Just going to try and do a bit for some fresh seasonal eating and also some preserves.  I am rather tempted to do some hanging baskets this year and growing the plants myself.  This is something that I have always done in the past quite successfully.  There has therefore been a lot of planning and plotting going on in order to source those items I do not have.  I am still thinking on what to do on the hanging baskets and planters though.

I would also dearly love a small cut flower garden as well.  I have been looking at some Dahlia Tubers, Scented Freesias and Gladioli in the first instance.  I am also considering some old fashioned Pinks and Carnations.  I am thinking that one through as well at the moment.

I any event I have placed orders for the following, the first of a couple of orders to be made.

2kg Charlotte New Potatoes for Salad - thought it would be nice to have fresh potatoes to have with salads which I also intend growing.

2kg Rooster Potatoes for Main Crop; hopefully a few potatoes for a little while although I know that potentially they will not last for long.

A Collection of 36 Seasonal Strawberries Honeyoe, Cambridge Favourite and Pegasus.  These cover Spring, Summer and late Summer (12 of each plant).

12 Florence Strawberry plants  - late season.  I have added these extra plants as I would quite like to be able to make a preserve or two from home grown Strawberries.  Fingers crossed and toes plaited.

15 Asparagus  - I have decided to start an Asparagus Bed as we do love Asparagus.  This pack also covers Spring, Summer and late Summer.  Should be able to do a light harvest next Spring, and then proper harvests from the year after.

Part of the Order (i.e the Florence Strawberries are on the way) already.

I have also ordered in 3 Lemon Verbena plants and 10 Pot Marigold plugs.  

The Lemon Verbena is intend for some planters; it is a wonderful herb very aromatic and useful for flavouring fruit salads, making syrup, and homemade pot-pourri as well as for teas, ice creams, and for cakes too.  

The Calendula/Pot Marigold is good as a companion plant good for the bees, and also can be used in making soft cheeses , pot-pourri and homemade toiletries.  Marigold oil in particular is very gentle for the skin.  The petals can be dried and used like Saffron.  Marigold is also known as poor man's Saffron.  

Both plants are good for the Bees and you need the Bees to pollinate your plants.

I have every intention of scattering Nasturtiums, Chives, Marigolds throughout the vegetable patch this year. Companion planting that will also hopefully pretty up the garden a bit in the process.  Maybe some Cornflowers too. 

I have also ordered in three French Tarragon plants.  I love Tarragon especially fresh for cooking making dressings, using with chicken.  However for me it has to be the French Tarragon.  I make my own Tarragon vinegar every year and store it on the Pantry shelf.  In turn it is used in homemade Thousand Island Sauce which I use with Prawn Cocktail. Lots of lovely flavour that lifts the sauce that little bit.

There are also three standard green Sage plants.  I use a lot of Sage in my cooking for "stuffing mixes" and cooking with, adding to homemade sausage rolls and other meat cookery.  I store it after it has been hang-dried in the rubbed form (which is the tiny particles left over from the leaf after rubbing the herb together between your hands).  Hence it is called "rubbed".   I also keep it in whole leaf form in my condiments cupboard in the kitchen.  I personally feel that it retains more of its flavour stored in this way.  The kitchen always smells aromatic after I have been "rubbing" sage.  There are also three purple sage plants which you would use in exactly the same way.  There is just one more version of the sage which I wish to get hold of and that is a variegated version a green the same colour as normal sage, mixed in with a limey green colour.  It is very attractive to look at and just as flavourful as its counterparts. 

There are also three Chocolate Mint plants which I intend to use in puddings and a cordial.  I have also purchased a full season Courgette Collection.  These will be delivered from the end of April.  Another time I will probably send for Thyme, Lavender Blue, Lavender White, Apple Mint and Summer Savory.  I am intent on getting the Herb garden sorted out this year and the bulk of it is going to be re-located into the main part of the garden in a border.  I am also looking for Angelica seed and Quince Japonica (I am after the fruits from growing Quince Japonica to make a highly flavoured jelly).

I need to go to Waitrose this week to see whether they have their Chive plants in.  I need to finally replace the Planters that I lost to the fire - it has been a slow old job.  I had two Planters with three Chive Plants in each which I dried for winter use and used fresh in cooking.  It was handy just being able to go and chop a few herbs as you needed them.  Chives go so well with eggs too.

I have also ordered the following seeds:

Bean: Blue Lake Climbing

Cucumber: Burpless Tasty Green

Pak Choi: Joi Choi

Pea: Early Onward 

Tomato: Garden Sunrise

Calendula: Pot Marigold "Poor man's Saffron".

Melon: Charentais 

Chilli: Trinidad Perfume

Sweetcorn: Goldcrest - late season

Squash: Crown Prince

Tomato:  Cuor Di Bue

Water Melon

I still have a couple of more orders to place one of which is predominantly for seeds.

I also know that somewhere I have more seeds as I have not found some of the seeds I was looking for last night.  Quite a few are missing so will have to go rootling for those.  No more orders until I see what I already have.

So I really now have to get cracking and order the compost in, so that I am already to plant up as soon as the plants arrive.  I have some planters which are nice and deep which I am going to use for the Strawberries.  Greenhouse needs sorting then and can then start to get things planted up and into the poly houses.  Need moving and sorting out.

It is surprising what mischief you can get up to on the Internet.  I shall never go to heaven, although good food is always a heaven of its own.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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