The Good Life

We received the layout plan for the garden at the end of January, 3 crisp white A3 sheets for perusing and drawing on any amendments we wanted.

A shed and greenhouse we had requested had been positioned and so Dave started to make the foundations for these. In the snow he erected the shed like a man possessed and then I measured out and positioned the space for the greenhouse. It was purchased and erected.

Dave really enjoyed watching the TV program The Good Life ( perhaps because Felicity Kendal ) in the 1970s/80s and so with aspirations to produce lots of food to eat we chose to start the vegetable and fruit part of the garden first.

Tons of building rubble, old tree roots and grass/weeds were dug up, sieved and taken away to the tip.

Dave planted potatoes, spinach, beetroot, purple sprouting broccoli, broad beans, kale, radish, swiss chard and leeks. We had attempted to grow some vegetables in our city garden but were very disappointed with everything but the potatoes. Too many slugs, snails and the poor soil dampened our enthusiasm for growing our own.

I had sown seeds for tomatoes and peppers and my son who is a chili fanatic had gifted me rather a lot of chili plants. The green house became very full.

We went to the Spring fair at the Giffordtown Hall with the express remit of passing on some of these extra plants. Well it was a very wet morning and lots of people didn't turn up to get plants. At the end of the morning I came back with everything that couldn't find a home.

More not less! Some were given for a donation to NHS folk via my sister and the rest ....well I planted them outside.

Plus I had lots of exotic type courgette and squash plants that Doug had raised. They managed to find a home by the south facing fence.

The results were fantastic. The only thing that we had a problem with were cabbage white butterflies and our dog. Holly needs to learn not to run through the vegetable beds. The kale and broccoli were decimated but we have managed to coax 4 broccoli plants to flower despite the voracious wee caterpillars.

Crown Prince and Turk's Turban

So the good life it was for most of the summer, I gave my vegetarian recipe books a good run for their money.

Doug gave me a favourite recipe for using courgettes. ( hope it's OK to share?)

1lb courgettes

2 tbsp chickpea flower

1 tbsp dill

Shred courgettes, put in colander and sprinkle with salt.

Leave for 1 hr and squeeze out as much juice as possible.

Mix with above and fry(about a tbsp at a time)

Once you've ,mixed everything up don't hang about or they will go soggy

Sorry I don't have any pictures of the result...they didn't hang around for long.

The tomatoes and peppers which we grew outside fared quite well until blight kicked in and I pulled up the plants and ripened the fruits inside.

For those of you who who may find this unremarkable I apologise but this has rekindled an enthusiasm, which had been well doused and almost snuffed out, for growing food to eat.

Yesterday I picked for our evening meal my first lettuce leaves of the year.... sewn in the greenhouse about the end of February and now in pots so that I can put in and out until frost has gone, picking the leaves as we need......perfect.

We also planted some Blackcurrants, White currants, Red currants, gooseberries, rhubarb and strawberries.

I was particularly keen to have some fruit trees as our house was built on an old orchard.

I visited Andrew Lear The Apple Tree Man in Perthshire in February and acquired some 1 year old apple trees to train as cordons.

I bought:

Red James Grieve A red version of James Grieve, an early eater

Red Astrachan Tasty eater, very hardy

Tower of Glamis Green conical cooker

Sunset Best Cox type for Scotland

A good start and if not The Good Life certainly a healthier one.

Which part of the garden to tackle next?