Veggie Growing

Dear All

This weekend I planted several rows of salad veg in one of my nice new raised beds, built by my very kind Husband.  I put in some rows of lettuce, beetroot and radishes, all different varieties, as well as some land cress.  Have taken some photos and will post later on as I need to load them on to the PC.

My rhubarb has really taken off in its new slightly shadier spot and I think it prefers it there.  As for my perpetual spinach, that is doing extremely well.

The seeds I planted a couple of weeks ago are just visible as tiny seedlings (lettuce, carrots and spring onions) and the potato bags are showing the first signs of sprouting!  Hurrah!

This weekend, I plan to get my pea and bean bed ready and I intend to include some sweet peas up the canes for scent, beauty and most of all, for the bees!

Please could I ask you all to consider the bees, whose numbers have diminished over the past few years, along with many insect species, and suggest you all put in at least one wildflower bed or some wildflowers in the corners of your veggie beds, or both.  I always put a flowering plant or two in the corner of each of my veg beds and this year I intend to plant up a small bed of annual and perennial wild flowers too!

I also planted up 3 herb pots with sage, rosemary and time (a Birthday gift) and some pots with chilli peppers and some with sweet peppers but I gave each a plastic bag hat with a few holes in to aid germination as I have not had much luck with these types of plants in previous years.

Pics will be added for all of the above later today, hopefully.

HAPPY SOWING AND GROWING ALL! 

there is a programme on at the moment (series) ON BBC2 about the decline in nectar insects and in bees and wildlife in this country and here is the website link – BBC Two – Bees, Butterflies and Blooms

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b013pw23

Here is a link for plants for pollinators

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Sustainable-gardening/Plants-for-pollinators

8 Spring flowers to feed the bees:

http://earthandhearth.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/8-spring-flowers-to-feed-the-bees-early-nectar-plants/

Wildlife gardening – plants to attract birds and insects

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/uk/indepth/wildlife-gardening.shtml

They are trying to encourage us all to plant more nectar producing plants.  Thought you would be interested.

Hi Everyone!

I don’t if any of you grow nasturtiums but I have  a good sized patch of them.  I like the usefulness of them – they are good as leaves for salad veg, they produce beautiful yellow and orange flowers and bees love them!  Can’t be bad!  I love the really peppery flavour of the leaves and also the fact that the leaves are produced for several months right through from early May to late Summer!  A great plant to have and very easy to grow!

MY NASTURTIUMS!