Tomato growing

It's February! The month of love, and seed planning!! I've already researched parsnips, which I have never grown before, but tomatoes I have grown a number of times, with varying degrees of success. This year, I'm focusing my attention on Thompson and Morgan's 'vegetable of the year'; Tomato Rainbow Blend F1 hybrid.
They are described as "stunning colour mix of baby plum fruits", which sounded good to me. I'm all for a little rainbow in the salad bowl.

Last year I was a little too excited and planted my tomato seeds in trays in early February, but this year I am waiting until early March because the weather just wasn't conducive to putting in the greenhouse so early. The second weekend of March I will sow the seeds in trays of seed compost and vermiculite. Seed compost has very little nutrients in it, because seeds don't need much feeding at this time, but you must repot them in richer soil later or your plants will starve! Vermiculite helps to stop the soil from drying out, and helps the roots to grow strong. Both are available from all good garden centres or DIY shops, and aren't too expensive.

Once seeds have been sown, keep at a temperate of 18-21c to allow for germination. I put mine in the dark in the warm airing cupboard for the first few days, and then move to a warm window sill. Don't let the seedlings grow too tall, you can avoid this by allowing them as much light as possible so they aren't growing trying to search for light. When the seedlings are big enough to handle, thin them out leaving the strongest, and plant in bigger pots of good rich compost. Transfer to the green house when all risk of frost has gone, or put outside a few weeks later than this, in a very sunny position.



I will put mine in the ground bed of the greenhouse eventually, making sure they are tied to tall canes and that the little side shoots are pinched off. More detail to come later...with pictures to help!

Furniture overhaul

Although gardening is a relatively new found interest of mine, interior design and decorating has always been a passion. I recently found evidence of my 7 year old self being distracted on a week long school trip by the interior decoration of various different places, rather than the history lesson that was intended to be the focus. I remember at an even younger age, cutting out pictures of furniture from the Argos catalogue and glueing them to paper, creating my very own 'mood boards'! (Not that I knew that they were even mood boards at the time). Needless to say, it's quite an obsession now that I am nearly 30!

I recently acquired this little table; salvaged by my Mum from the local dump. It needed a little TLC, but I'm rather pleased with it now.

The colours were inspired by this picture of the Jardin De Majorelle in Marrakech, somewhere I will be visiting in April.

I also revamped a set of drawers while I was at it, using the same paint colours, and finding that they really complimented my satchel (this was a happy surprise; not planned!)

The paint colours are Dulux "Delhi Bazaar 3" (The bright yellow) and 'Azure Fusion 1", in eggshell finish, in their range for interior wood. I sanded down the top of the drawers and the table, but ran out of sandpaper and didn't bother with the rest. I find that perfection is not something I am after, and unless you plan on selling your creations to someone else, this is my top tip; it doesn't need to be perfect! 

Here are my other tips:

1. Why waste paint and energy on parts you'll never see!? I didn't paint the inside of the drawers, or the underside of some of the table, because no-one will ever see this! Lazy yes, but if these projects took me hours, I wouldn't even bother starting them!

2. Use a big brush. It might sound obvious, but it will halve the time the project takes, and the finish is smoother. Use long strokes in the same direction for a smooth finish.

3. Look at the piece from many different angles. You'll be surprised the bits you can miss!

4. Pick up loads of free newspapers from the supermarket; those free local advertisers by the door. Spread these thickly around the floor and you won't need to worry if things drip.

5. Imagine where you'll put the piece before you paint it. Choose your colours based on its future surroundings and something that inspires you. Pinterest is a fabulous place for inspiration. 

6. Go to the tip or dump for your chance to pick up free furniture that you can paint and re-use. Freecycle is also good to pick up pieces that may need a little TLC for free.

7. Wait for the paint to dry to the touch before adding any additional coats of paint. It's tempting to rush it, but the finish just isn't as good.

8. Choose some good music and use this time to relax and enjoy being creative. It feels good!

9. Allocate enough time to complete the whole project, or a number of them, to avoid excessive cleaning up each time. If you're like me, if it's not finished the first time around, I'm a lot less likely to finish it at all.

I'm lazy, impatient and impulsive. If I can do it, anyone can.

Every year I find I cling to winter. I love the snow and the cold, warm mulled wine and hearty comforting meals. I've never been a hot weather person; probably something to do with living in Texas for 10 years and fantasising about wearing a jumper for a change! The snow from last weekend has now melted, and been replaced with lots of wet greenness, and while a lot of others rejoice in this, it makes me feel sad! So in an attempt to prepare for a new season, I bought a little piece of spring this morning from my local market. I didn't like the black plastic pots these narcissus were in, so tied some ribbon around the middle and popped in some fresh bay leaves from the garden. A little something to add to my table.

 When living in Edinburgh my husband and I would pop to the farmer's market on a Saturday morning and treat ourselves to a hog-roast roll. Delicious moist shredded pork with a little crackling, stuffing and apple sauce. Tucking in and looking up at the castle was pure joy. We loved this tradition so much that we had a whole hog roast on our wedding day! I recently tried to recreate this at home with fantastic results. The pork shoulder just fell apart in all its yummy goodness, with all the delicious juices soaked up in the crusty white bread that it was served in. To recreate this yourself, you will need:

A medium sized pork shoulder joint
A small bottle of cider, preferably a still kind, like a local scrumpy.
2 Onions
3 cloves of Garlic
Pork Seasoning (I used a pre-made bottle from the supermarket, but any combination of your favourite pork friendly herbs will do)
A slow-cooker (or a lidded casserole dish on a low heat in the over).

I cut the thick fat off the top of the joint and put this to one side ready for grilling later for crackling. Cover the joint in the herbs/seasoning mix, and brown in a pan on a high heat to seal the meat. Whilst the joint is in the pan, add the cider and let the liquid heat a little. In the slow cooker, put the onions (I left mine chunky, cut into quarters) and the garlic cloves (cut in half). Add the joint and the cider into the pot and cover with the lid. Leave the cook slowly, on a low setting, for as long as you can. I left mine for 8 hours. It may look like there isn't enough liquid in there, but don't worry, this helps the meat cook in its own juices instead. Don't be tempted to lift the lid as this sets back the cooking time.

Insert photo

Remove the shoulder joint (in one piece if you can, but I had trouble as it had all fallen apart!) and put into a dish, ready for shredding with a fork. Add the pork to crusty rolls, with some sage stuffing and apple sauce. To die for!

A new year

I took an extended break from the blog but it's a new year and things are starting again. An unexpected snow day has provided me with the perfect time to get organised for the growing season ahead.

While the snow falls outside, my amaryllis bulbs look ready to burst into flower.




They were potted about 3 weeks before Christmas, and while they seemed to take longer this year to sprout their promising green shoots, they've done well on the sunny windowsill of my dining room. I've found it helps to rotate them regularly to keep the stems straight, and as little water as possible to avoid them growing too tall and then flopping miserably.

Although you can't see them, the front garden has hundreds of tiny green heads popping up from bulbs. In October last year I planted daffodils, tulips and Iris and I can't wait to see what they deliver. They are somewhere under all this!



So what's on the menu this year? All this!!



I've opted again for some interesting varieties of the good old classics, including purple carrots, yellow courgettes and a 'fruity, mulled wine' basil. In the greenhouse this year will be poblana ancho chilli peppers and a rainbow blend of tomatoes. I hope we have a lot more sun this summer to really boost the yield...last year was a bit of a let down.

There are some things I've decided not to grow again this year. Potatoes proved to be very difficult to maintain in my raised beds and although I did get some very delicious king Edwards, I didn't feel they were worth the effort. I'll stick to buying from supermarkets. I'm also not attempting the pumpkins this year. Although I have a dream of a small harvest festival on my kitchen counter, with numerous different bumpy pumpkins, the patch I have just doesn't get enough sun or warmth for them. Perhaps I'll try one plant this year and see if anything comes of it.

So here's to 2013!!

A touch of spring with my coffee

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Surrey

Anticipation

At present I am restricted to either sitting up straight, or laying down completely flat. My lower back has given in and rendered me a slave to pain, involving a day off work to try and get better. When at work normally I fantasise about being at home, using my time to clear out the greenhouse, or dig in manure, instead of reading files on murderers and rapists. I can barely make it to the loo...let alone go outside!

This doesn't stop me from being excited about the little bursts of spring occurring in the garden...and inside my house. Outside a carpet of green leaves have burst through, teasing me with the future promise of little twinkling bluebells. My silvery green tulip leaves are protecting little pale pink buds, and little glimmers of blossom are poking through the trees and hedges.

Inside my seeds are forming into real plants:














And there are promises of pretty flowers




Like this lily of the valley





And this White and soft pink amaryllis.

It's enough to make skip through the garden....*ouch...yelp*....another time!

Location:Home

New gadgets!

I now have an iPad app that let's me 'blog in bed'! That'll make life easier!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I've been thinking about what I would write for my first post for some time. I've been outside in the greenhouse with filthy dirty hands, surrounded by dirty stacks of empty pots and thinking about introductions and trying to sound clever and eloquent. Unfortunately, due to my excessive thinking about something other than what I'm doing, I've had a few disasters.

I've never really gardened before. When I was a child my parents had a lovely garden in every house we ever lived in, and I would wander around with the hose before I went to bed, watering the garden and pretending I was presenting an episode of gardeners world, chatting away to myself. I moved to the US with my parents when I was 13. Texas heat and humidity was not the prime conditions for a pretty garden, and we all gave up really. I moved back 8 years later, and student houses and small rental flats in the centre of various cities were also not the best place to cultivate growth in any kind of form besides the occasional fresh pot of basil. And so here I am, 28 years old, with my first garden.

My husband and I moved to Wiltshire for his work. I am lucky enough to have also found work in my chosen field of criminal psychology in the area. We rent a house, but this one comes with an enormous garden, greenhouse, vegetable plot, and countryside soundtrack. Who could not be inspired to grow something!?

I've recently been increasingly impatient with it all. English winters leave a sense of desperation; "I need sun", "I need green, and flowers, and juicy tomatoes and lettuce and basil and barbeques and sleeping with the windows open....". We haven't even hit March yet....

I'm champing at the bit to grow something, and some developments have been made so far, but as I said, a few disasters too!

Disasters)
1) I planted seeds about 4 weeks ago (impatient me...that was FAR too early). I put the neatly organised little seed trays in the bottom of my airing cupboard. I checked on them regularly, and one day I went, and they had gone berserk, thin, leggy little seedlings that had overgrown their little plots and hung over the edge. I tried to rescue a few, and threw away most of them.

2) Today I went out to greenhouse to plant a few more seeds. Much better timing I think. Again, I made neat little organised seed trays, filled with seed compost and vermiculite, and little tags telling me which exciting little seed was in which segment. I went to take them inside the house, to nestle them in the bottom of my airing cupboard (for a few days...and no more this time!) and as I went in through the back door.....crash. Seed compost, vermiculite and mixed seeds in a large pile on the floor in my kitchen. I swore out loud...then swept the lot up and headed back out to greenhouse. I've replanted them, but god knows what will now be sprouting up where...a mixture of chilli, striped tomatoes, and regular tomatoes. What a mess.

I know this is all a learning curve....but already I'm doubting if I'm cut out for all this!

In my mind I have visions of baskets of multi-coloured tomatoes and chillis, home grown garlic and onions, small vases of sweet peas and a table centre piece of autumn pumpkins and squashes, like an image in an autumn edition of Martha Stewart magazine. A bit like this....











We'll see how that goes!