Things I've Learnt This Year...

Connie, at Smockity Frocks, asks about lessons we've learnt in our vegetable gardens this year. Here are a few of our lessons learnt.

 Onions and Cold Frames

 

Last winter, we planted some onion bulbs in tubs, and left them in the cold frame. We did nothing to them until the days began to get longer and then we fed and watered them. Normally, we'd have taken the 'lid' off the cold frame long ago and left it off, but we've had so many gales in the month of May that the top has been on more than off.

Here's one of the tubs behind the glass. They still have a bit of growing to do, but I have stolen a couple to put in soups over the past weeks. The flavour is too good to resist.

We'll definitely do this again, because it does give us onions much, much earlier in the year that we would normally have.

Potatoes in Tubs

 

Our main crop of potatoes only began appearing in the past couple of weeks, and we are delighted this is the case. Our gales could easily have decimated our crop. 

But the Builder and the Wee Guy planted a few potatoes in a variety of tubs. Here's one of the tubs and you can see how they've grown. You can also see how well protected they are .... hence the growth!

Coriander

I've learnt - bit by bit - about coriander (cilantro).

This herb grows fine and dandy in the cold frame...

 ...or outside, sheltered from the wind.

 My next 'lot' of coriander.... one or two just popping through.

I've learnt that it definitely does not like being inside the greenhouse because, even in our climate, it's too hot for it.

I've also learnt two more things:

- no matter how unsuitable the weather is for plants growing....

....the weeds seem to thrive!

- and finally, that a vegetable garden is a lot of work. There simply is no getting away from it. It's satisfying. I love it. It's worth it. But there is loads and loads of work to it.