Perennials

Inspired by Mark Diacono - I have his book A Taste of the Unexpected and he was on the Food Programme a couple of weeks ago - I have put in more perennial crops.  This week it is globe artichokes; three baby plants have gone in at the end of a bed.  I hope they make it.  Other plots around me have healthy artichoke plants, so I'm hoping they will settle and produce.  Of my existing perennials, only the gooseberry is showing a crop at the moment - eight tiny gooseberries.  It is only about a foot high. I am investigating other perennials to minimise labour and help fill the hungry gap.  The stony bed which currently houses the first early potatoes is probably a good place to put in some more fruit bushes; I could sieve it until the end of time and still it would be full of lumps of chalk.

I've harvested most of the Aquadulce Claudia beans now, and will be able to lift the garlic soon, I think.  The jerusalem artichokes are definitely up, and some of the leaves and herbs are showing signs of life.  Some of the first early potatoes are in flower and should yield a crop soon.  I picked a lot of mint, which rampages around the compost boxes, and am enjoying a cup of mint tea while I write this.

Shed!

Finally, finally I got sufficiently organised to order a shed, book a van and find a willing friend to help me (thank you Matthew!)  There was a nasty moment in B&Q when it seemed like my order had not been processed, and another one in the car park when we thought it might not fit in the van, but about three hours later it was up and ready to house my meagre collection of tools.  I still have to paint it as it is a terrible glaring orange at the moment; I have sorted inside, however, and there are nails and hooks for tools, a table, and - most important of all - a folding chair.  I can now go up to the plot to eat my lunch in comfort.

Shed ownership has spurred me on to buy more garden tools.  I bought one of the Wolf tool handles, and the hoe attachment; a Burgon and Ball Japanese razor hoe, which is a marvellous thing; and the fairly hilarious weeding finger - ideal for getting at the weeds that come up around the raised beds.  I immediately overdid it with the razor hoe, and gave myself a strained shoulder for a week.  However, the plot looks much tidier.

This week I harvested the last of the PSB, and started to pick the Aquadulce Claudia broad beans.  The jerusalem artichokes are up, as are the Sciabola Verde broad beans; the second early potatoes are also now up, and I've had to earth up the first earlies.  Salad leaves are just starting to come through as tiny seedlings; I've sown several rows of coriander, some lovage, chervil, pak choi, marigolds and nasturtiums; I've also sown an italian vegetable called Salsola (liscari sativa) which can be eaten raw or cooked, and looks a bit like samphire.  Today I put in some French beans - a climbing variety called Blue Lake, and a dwarf variety, Barlotta Lingua di Fuoca.  Tongue of Fire is not really an obvious association with French beans.

The summer bulbs are starting to come up in dribs and drabs; however last year's forget-me-nots came back with added vigour.  I've just sown love-in-a-mist and alyssum which I hope will compete with the weeds.  One weed I'll be keeping is the one on the right; I'm not sure what it is, but it is absolutely lovely.  It was coming up when I put in the various summer bulbs, so I'm fairly certain I didn't plant it.  The borage-like plant next to it is also very pretty and popular with the bees, so I always leave that to thrive when it reappears.