Thursday 28 July 2011

Split pea troupe

I vividly remember this time last year. A growing clamour in the reaches of my mind, the sense that summer was coming to an end; August bank holiday weekend - the traditional glorious finale galloping into view.

I am burdened with a childhood memory that associates September with the sky turning grey in late afternoon with winter shortly following.

Last year, I thought I'd reached the end of the growing season and that it followed that gardening was over for another year. I was clearing the debris from my successful broad beans and peas thinking about hanging up my gloves trowel and retiring indoors. I've reached that point again as demonstrated by one final picture of my abandoned peas:


Yet, last year I remember using the space to regrow - I put some leeks and celeriac in, and tons of rocket. Runner bean plants started to flourish, and I learnt how to row. Like, proper rowing. Steve Redgrave (sir) not Billy Bunting on a boating lake. And to me rowing was the whole summer. Ok, that's a bit random but I'm heartened that this time last year, I'd only just begun.

So, reflecting on my split peas and the end of summer the truth is that the joys of long evenings, bbqs and fresh picked veg are all still to come. Among my many hopes and tasks next week is to finish clearing the garden weeds, flower and bean corpses and set in train some autumn or winter planting so that I don't reach a dead end. Except, I haven't really planned anything. Or thought about what is possible to grow, if anything.

So, I'm putting a call out to anyone with some winter veg experience. What is there to grow? My garden is pining for inspiration...

5 comments:

Carl Legge said...

How about Kale, lots of different varieties and colours will give you cut & come again through to spring, as will chards and perpetual spinach? You could still sow carrots and these will overwinter in the ground nicely. And there are loads of lettuce types that will over winter, along with mache and land cress & endive. Should keep you going :)

hanzy said...

leeks. onions.fruit bushes for next year. broccoli. i'm not a huge lover of Kae but its nice picked as baby leaves.

hanzy said...

and parsnips!!nom nom nom

elaine said...

carrots, beetroot, chinese greens, pak choi, spinach and chard to name but a few. get sowing.

Hapless gardener said...

Thank you guys, you've given me new hope that the garden can be a haven for veg through the colder months. I'll be off to a garden centre later with a good long list!

The Hapless Kitchen Gardener

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Bristol
I only feel hapless because some people make it look easy to grow 10 ft marrows or a banquet of greens whereas my courgettes got nabbed by killer slugs and I only got one raspberry. So tips and stories from people less hapless than I are more than welcome. As a disclaimer though, none of my comments should be taken as expert advice on which you can rely! © Unless stated otherwise, and with the exception of guest content where that guest retains copyright, all photos and posts are the copyright of Tom Carpen and may not be used without permission.