Pots and Pots of Pots

When we moved to Springfield nine years ago, Doc was unhappy about packing several boxes of plastic plant pots to bring with us.  The removal men didn’t look much happier.  When we arrived and started to unpack, they found a coal bunker under a large rhodendron.  Doc thought it would be a useful, albeit temporary, home for the plant pots.  However, when he fought his way into the bunker, it was full – of plant pots left behind by the previous owners!  He was ready to send the removal men off to the council tip but since the plant pots were brand new and square (a very economical use of space on greenhouse staging!) I insisted we add them to our already large collection.  I have still only managed to use a quarter of them.

Every gardener knows that plant pots breed at an alarming rate and that is because we encourage them.  We buy a plant in a snazzy pink pot and think that the pot will be very useful in the future, when we find something to put in it, which of course we never do.  We are told to be thrifty and re-cycle everything in the garden but the trouble is you cannot put plant pots on the compost heap.  They gather spiders in the shed, the greenhouse and of course, our coal bunker.  They are definitely not an endangered species.

So this year was the year of the plant pot cull because we had reached the point when something had to be done.  I tipped out the small flimsies that come from the garden centre and there were several stacks of pots which were cracked, bent or chipped.  The tall thin pots which are home to young clematis were also sent to the great pot cemetery as were those shallow pots that don’t allow for any root growth. 

The large bucket size pots were much too valuable to throw away.  I use those to line decorative terracotta pots because this cuts down on the watering I have to do.  Clay pots are very nostalgic so I arranged those on a shelf in the shed - not that I use them very much because they are small and need frequent watering.  (I suppose I keep them because they represent the sort of gardener I would like to be, with a dainty collection of auriculars and a theatre on which to display them.  This is a fantasy of course because I don’t have time to potter with such frivolities.  There are veggies to grow for dinner!)

Doc asked me if I had washed any of the pots and I am afraid this task never reaches the top of priorities.  If we had the equivalent of a dishwasher in the shed, I might consider it but life is too busy on the plot for such chores and I don’t have a ‘pot boy or girl’ to help me.  If a pot is infested with greenfly I swill it out with water and put it into quarantine - in a pot behind the greenhouse.  Should there be anything remotely resembling a vine weevil in a pot, I put it in the dustbin.  However, I do often leave pots to sunbathe on the edges of the raised beds.  I don’t know if the heat treatment kills beasties and nasties, but this is my theory anyway.
 
I did a couple of hours volunteering at a local special school yesterday and our leader suggested that it would be very useful if we could tidy up their boxes of pots and throw out the broken ones......  All I can say is that tidying pots in the polytunnel was preferable to working outside in the cold and at least I was recently practised at the task.  She also suggested that maybe we could label the shelves with the sizes of pots so the children could learn about volumes.  Oh dear, I was a bit rusty on how to ‘size’ a pot.  I can identify a litre pot but that’s about it.  I tend to pick one up which looks right, don’t you?  In the end, we agreed that the labels were best left as small, medium and large.....

Despite Doc’s chuntering about the State Of The Pots, he has come up with a very useful way of up-cycling plant pots.  When he planted the new damson tree he had forgotten to buy a plant guard to keep the rabbits off the bark.  He very cleverly removed the bottom of a tall plant pot, trimmed the plastic and then curled it round into a collar which fits perfectly around the tree.   Secured with plastic wire, it cost us nothing and seems to be working. 

Doc has produced a range of sizes and is looking around the garden for other trees and shrubs which may need protection.  However, I doubt we need 436 tree collars, which is probably the number of pots in our shed, greenhouse and coal bunker.  My cull was not as effective as the tree collar.

Thank you Emily

Just as I am lamenting about the dearth of fresh produce this autumn compared with other years, my lovely neighbour, Emily, brings a huge bag of apples from her trees.  They are not pretty, many of the fruits have scab and all are much smaller than usual.  But since we have had no more than a handful of our own apples this year, they are very welcome indeed.  When Doc came home from work and smelled apple and cinnamon crumble, Emily was flavour of the week!  If she had not already toddled off home, he would have danced a 'Strictly' number with her......

There were a few Bramleys in the bag which are of course the King (why not Queen?) of cooking apples and these are always on top of my list for baking.  The rest of the apples were Arthur Turner cooking apples which is also an older variety.  This is a heavy cropping apple and it makes a good sauce.  It is a also a good baking apple and cooks down to a soft, richly flavoured puree.  The ripe fruits do not keep well but they can picked from September through to November.  They look attractive too, with blushing pink-brown highlights over the green skin.

Arthur Turner was raised by Charles Turner of Slough. Interestingly, in 1912, when this tree was called Turner's Prolific, it won an Award of Garden Merit for its flowers alone. It was renamed Arthur Turner in 1915, after a relative who sadly died in the first World War.

The fact that Emily's north-facing garden has produced a better crop of apples than our south-west facing orchard, is also interesting.  I think it is because we grow different varieties which flower at different times.  If a tree flowers and then it rains, the bees cannot pollenate the trees as efficiently.  If there are frosts then the fruits cannot set either.  

So, if you are planning to grow apples, it is a good idea to grow as many different varieties as you can.  Trained cordons, espaliers and fans enable you to grow lots of different apples, very compactly.  You also ensure a steady supply of fruits with some apples which can be eaten now and others which will store right through to spring.  We have a row of ten, young cordons along the trellis of Mr Macgregors garden.  Doc has trained them very successfully but the last two cold winters and this awful summer have slowed down their progress.  We are hoping they will come to fruition next season!

Notes from the Kitchen

Autumn is when we start harvesting the leeks and they are a stalwart of our vegetable garden.  They are easy to grow, they stand well during the winter and they are incredibly versatile in the kitchen.

This year the leek bed looks a tatty and the foliage has deteriorated further since this photograph was taken.  It has not been the best of years for veggies but the leeks have delivered and the large bag of them in the fridge shows that you should never judge a book by its cover.  Underneath the layers of unappealing wrappings, there are thick, green and white, juicy stems of gorgeousness!

Doc harvested more than a dozen, cleaned them up and popped them in a polythene bag in the bottom of the fridge.  They will keep like that for up to a fortnight and they are more even more versatile than the humble onion.  They have a milder onion flavour, with a hint of aromatic sweetness and they look very attractive.

Leek and potato soup is always a favourite.  Chopped leeks and potatoes, good stock and milk, seasoning, chopped thyme.  Simmer.  Liquidise.  Fantastically simple.  (Doc likes a swirl of cream, well he would, wouldn’t he?)

Leeks sautéed with diced bacon is a marriage made in heaven.  Drown them in thick, cheese sauce, topped with breadcrumbs and yet more cheese and you have a sure winner.  Sometime I throw in a canned sweetcorn too.  (Saliva activated at this point!)

Add leeks to risotto, pasta dishes, all kinds of soups and casseroles.  If you have eggs and leeks in the fridge, you have a virtually instant meal because leek sautéed in butter is great in an omelette.  Make some pastry and you can have a leek quiche and if you find some baby leeks, you can shred them and add them to a coleslaw salad.  My motto is that if you have some leeks and a decent store cupboard, you always have dinner.....

Now we have had several hard frosts, we have cracked open the parsnip bed.  From a numbers point of view, they are disappointing this year.  Parsnips are very difficult to germinate at the best of times but it was particularly challenging last spring.  The soil took weeks to warm up and then the endless rain washed sowing after sowing away.   But we have a few and those that have grown are just a good.  We get such a sense of achievement when the creamy tap roots are large, un-forked, an unblemished!  As for cooking them, we have limited supplies so we shall roast them.  Nice as it is, there is no room this year for curried parsnip soup, unless I buy some parsnips from the supermarket!

One of the surprises this autumn is that my chilli plant in the greenhouse is still fruiting and the green chillies are all gradually turning red.  However,  there has not been enough warmth to give them their fiery edge, but they are very useful as sweet pepper stand-ins.  We have brightened up several winter salads and they are tasty in pasta sauces. 

Doc picked the last bowl of raspberries on the 18th November which was good going but they were a little tasteless!  There are a handful of strawberries left on the plants in the greenhouse but I am not sure they will last the course.   The pots of fresh parsley still have lush growth but that is just about it for produce from the garden.  Apart that is, from the other herbs in the garden.  Even a handful of thyme, rosemary and bay leaves make me feel there is ‘freshness’ around.  We have green beans and lots of fruit in the freezer but it is not the same as picking fresh produce.

Perhaps next season, the harvest will be better and we will also have carrots, beetroot and pumpkin to take us into winter.  Maybe even a few cabbages, who knows?  That’s one of the wonders of gardening.  We always have the next season to look forward to.

The Lake District in November?

Doc and I hesitated about visiting the Lake District for a weekend in November.  Rain, mist and cold temperatures were three good reasons to book a mini break in Tenerife but we know of a lovely hotel which overlooks Lake Windermere, so we thought ‘what the heck!’ and went anyway.  We packed the travel scrabble, our reading books as well as the obligatory anoraks, boots and waterproof trousers.  Who was it that coined the phrase: ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing......’?

So last Friday we travelled up the M6 – in driving rain though Doc remained as positive as ever.  He was sure it would clear up later.  However, in Kendal, the rain was even heavier!  We ate a lovely lunch in a cute cafe, did some shopping and by the time we had dinner at our hotel that evening, the oracle (a.k.a. iPad) advised us that all would be well for the rest of the weekend.  We thought sunshine and showers was perfectly acceptable.

And indeed it was.  On Saturday, the autumn landscape glowed in the sunshine and the light breeze was occasionally accompanied by a drizzle.  We took the Keswick launch across Lake Derwent to Hawes End and from there we walked for two hours, swallowed up by beauty of it all.  November is dreary month - but not always.  

Sunday morning began with a brooding, low mist and it clung to the fells during breakfast.  But the forecast was still good and we set off undaunted, for a more challenging walk around Lake Rydal.  We were not even half way round before the sun burned through the cloud.  The views were magical and proved to us that the Lake District is the wonderful Lake District, whatever the time of year. 

The colours were a rich palette of copper, red and yellow hues, softened by the evergreens, rocks and lush grassy fields. I don’t think we have ever seen such drama in hazy mist and dark brown, withering bracken.  It was breathtaking and I immediately regretted tidying up our garden quite so much!  There is so much interest and texture to be found in the dried, skeletal forms of our common garden plants.  However, Doc reminded me that after one good heavy downpour, the interest would turn to a soggy mush which would do nothing for the perennials and shrubs bedding down for the winter.  The debris would be the perfect cover for viruses and pests.   As for the soggy leaves which cling beyond the power of the leaf blower, I agree with him that it is far better to rake them up and turn them into nutritious, life-giving mulch.  

It is a gnawing irony that no matter how we gardeners try to manipulate nature in our gardens, they remain forever contrived spaces and as such they never match up to Mother Nature herself.  Left to her own devices, she can be cruel and unforgiving but she creates beauty which is unmatched by anything man could achieve.  Thank goodness we have National Parks which are protected from too much of our interference!

Digging Revisited

We don’t dig, it’s as simple as that.  We haven’t time to spend hours toiling with a heavy spade.  Doc spreads a thick layer of compost in October or November and that is that.

Not digging protects the soil and there is substantial research to prove this.  The more the soil is disturbed, the fewer worms are found in it.  With regular surface composting (mulching), the worm population increases and it is the worms that improve the soil structure.  They create tunnels which aerate the soil and allow rainfall to penetrate and their casts are rich in nutrients.  Not digging also maintains important fungus-like networks and this increases the plants’ ability to resist pests and diseases.

Adding compost on the surface does introduce a few weed seeds but it covers up those already there which means they have no light and cannot grow.  We have very few weeds in our raised beds.  The no dig method works for us and it is noticeable how the worm population has increased year on year.  It is also noticeable how a thick layer of compost helps to retain the moisture too.  It is a win win situation.

So being a no-digger I wasn’t sure how I felt about digging over a bed yesterday.  A group of us volunteer at a local special school and a bed containing soft fruit bushes had been severely neglected.  The grass and weeds were a spade deep so there was nothing we could do other than set to work, with grim determination.

I had forgotten how back breaking digging is!  Conversation was brisk and light hearted for the first hour but as we dug on through the next hour, there was quite a lot of heavy breathing.  Since we have had a lot of rain recently, our spades cut through the soil relatively easily but moisture adds weight and the soil seemed to get heavier as the afternoon progressed!  It was a quite a work out but there was an impressive pile of grassy clods to put on the compost heap.

When I got home, my tea and chocolate digestive biscuits were restorative rather than a treat.  Perhaps I would not be able to get up tomorrow...?  I ran a hot bath and enjoyed a good, long soak.  But however tired I felt, we had got the job done and with some weed suppressing membrane on top, the bed will be as good as new next season. 

I expected to feel pain when I woke up this morning but everything was in full working order.  In fact, I spent a couple of hours in the garden.  Suddenly, digging feels cool, virtuous even and, yes, I feel a teensy weensy bit smug!  Not that long ago I worked in an office and could not have contemplated such heavy work and now I can dig for 2 hours.  That feels like progress.  Doc says he is relieved that the money I have spent on the garden, my pilates and keep fit sessions, has been worth it. 

But do be careful.  Digging can seriously put your back out.  Unless you are fit, stick to the no dig method and avoid overgrown fruit beds!

Autumn is associated with scooping up leaves and tidying up.  Apart from planting bulbs and spreading compost many gardeners do not regard November as a month for productive gardening.  However, if the rain holds off, it is the perfect time to plant new trees and shrubs, divide and re-plant perennials and move plants to new homes.  The ground is moist so new plants do not dry out like they do in the summer and the soil easy to dig and is still quite warm.  The plants have time to establish before winter sets in and they are ready to put on a spurt of growth as soon as the weather warms up in spring.

So having got ahead with our own tidying up, we have managed to do some 'real' gardening this autumn.   You can get a lot done in a couple of hours here and there, grabbed between rain storms.  There has been plenty of sunshine during the last couple of weeks which helps the psychology along although it has definitely been gardening gloves weather.  There is a real nip in the air and by 3.30 pm, the light starts to fade and mugs of tea and a nice warm Aga become increasingly attractive.

Doc has filled a huge builders bag with leaves and next year we should be rewarded with rich leaf mould.  He planted a new damson tree called Merryweather, to compliment the Shopshire Prune he planted last year.   It will take a few years before they produce fruit so we are praying the old damson trees keep on providing until then.  Doc also spent an afternoon weeding the grass in the rhubarb bed, lifting the rhubarb crowns and splitting them as he went along.  He finished the bed off with a couple of bags of manure and hopefully the rhubarb will be pinker and frutier next year.   

Berberis thunbergii Atropurpurea escapes relocation - too many thorns!

Meanwhile, I have been re-shaping the ornamental borders and beds.   My grandmother was a rare character, full of gusto, spirit and independence.  (Okay, she was a battle axe!) In her defence, my granddad was a trawler man so she had a lot on her plate, bringing up my Dad and uncle on her own most of the time.  Anyway, she was a serial ‘flitter’ which means she moved house a lot.  I think I have inherited her ‘flitting’ gene because when shrubs and perennials see me coming, they groan and start packing their suitcases.

I never seem to be able to plant up a border or bed and it grow on successfully just as I planned it.  Every season, I have to move this, that and the other.   And it isn’t finished there.   No sooner have I got everything in place, than everything is overgrown and needs moving again!  I find it very frustrating (and time consuming) that I cannot seem to achieve the planting scheme I have in my head, first time round.   Does anyone else have this problem, I wonder?  I cannot imagine that professional garden designers faff around like I do.  They would soon go out of business!