I planted some seeds a few weeks ago in my little plant house. Broad beans, sun flowers, rudbeckia and French marigold. I also planted my shallots in trays to bring them on. The seeds are starting to come up. The shallots haven't started growing yet, but there is time.
My plan for my 3 raised beds this year is; Plot 1, I will grow 3 tomato plants, I cheat a bit and buy the plants from the garden centre and bring them on, we normally go for 3 different cherry tomatoes, also in this plot we will grow a row of French marigolds, they looked beautiful last year and they were massive plants, this is the best plot as it gets the most sun, I also have herbs in this plot, I gave them an smart crew cut at the end of last year so think I might need to buy more. Ha ha, just like the daffodils and they haven't flowered! If I have room I might have a row of shallots in this plot as well.
Plot 2, is broad beans and peas, we love risotto and it's an easy dish to make and nice that the peas come from the garden, the broad beans we either cook with choritzo or have with my favourite, boiled ham and parsley sauce yum! When they have gone, in the summer I will plant out the rudbeckia and they will give the whole plot a beauty bright glow of yellow daisy like flowers right through to autumn.
Plot 3 I may put potatoes in there, I have a few chitting! Chitting what a funny word! We used to take chitting very seriously when we had the allotment, making sure each variety were chitted and planted out at the right time depending if it was an early, main or late potato. To chit or not to chit that is the question? Some people say that chitting is not necessary, chitting for those of you who think I have gone mad is letting the potatoes sprout shoots, to bring on the growth of the potato plant before planting them. We used to chit them, dig a channel for the potatoes fill with compost, put a few slug pellets in the ground put the potatoes in, sprouting up and keep them earthed up and watered well when they start growing. One year Mr H decided to dig a hole, throw in potatoes any old how, and they grew, but regardless we still stuck to the potato growing way,chitting way! This time of year we would of had a lounge full of chitting potatoes, certainly couldn't now as Tom and Gerry would think they had a few new cat litter trays to choose from!
We also have two barrels in the garden one will be French beans and the other sweet peas, I love them they smell so lovely and are a real summer favourite. We don't grow runner beans, we don't eat many, so will pinch a runner or too from the ones my mum has grown. We used to grow 50 runner bean plants, ha ha crazy and used to pick two carrier bag full every other day!! I haven't a clue what we used to do with them, I know mum froze a load, I remember when I lived at home I had pizza for tea with runner beans, mum loves runners! My favourite variety is Enorma, and I always grew them, last year I thought I would have a change and they didn't grow, can't remember the name of them now but if you are thinking of growing runner beans buy enorma and don't forget, water water water or you will have a stringy bean and they are yuck!
