Trowel and Error

[Mountain Goat]

Oh no. Have you caught the culprit yet?!

I am at the stage where I am no longer in charge of this garden, it is feral. I went away for ONE NIGHT and not a single plant had the sense to behave sensibly and now I'm just hacking at jungle and wondering what on earth. I was in a nice rhythm of picking sweet peas and general tidying in the morning, deadheading and harvesting for dinner in the evening, feeding on Sundays, and now there are not enough hours on earth to keep up with the deadheading or the sweet peas or the weeds or the rampant veg, and yet some random plants (the more expensive ones, of course) have decided they cannot possibly work under these conditions and are collapsing for reasons known only to them. My veg is no longer growing in an orderly fashion, but anywhere it can reach, which means I keep finding monster peas/courgettes/cucumbers hidden in the undergrowth despite my best efforts to pick early and often. My hydrangeas are bigger than my head but cannot cope with rain or wind despite ardent staking. My tomatoes and sweetpeas are stronger than their stakes and staging a coup. I can barely get to the other side of the dining table for indoor peppers and tomatoes. I need a free weekend so I can spend a few hours properly going at it rather than my measly after work drop in the ocean efforts but this is looking unlikely.

[absley]

I still don't know who the culprit is but I'm resigned to harvesting half munched courgettes - it's just another form of connection with nature, right?!

I'm enjoying the feral nature of your gardening, Goat - my vegetables are still very sedate, with a few tomatoes appearing, still no sign of tomatillos, the borlottis have mostly given up and the cavolo nero is valiantly battling being munched (despite apparently butterfly proof netting). The blackberries are speeding up though and my flattened rhubarb seems to be recovering. We are about to be away for a few days though, so maybe it's all ready to take a turn...

[Demelza]

My garden has also turned feral – I've had to be away for a couple of weeks and in that time the courgette plants have been completely eaten, the tomatoes haven't really done anything, the redcurrant has no fruit at all and only the two random bean plants I was given are thriving. In the meantime, the rest of the garden has gone wild. Everything needs cutting back and sorting but there's too much to do all at once, so I think I'm going to enjoy the chaos for now (especially as I'm going to have to be away again) and then try to take back control in the autumn.

[Mountain Goat]

I think that's the right approach! I broadly feel like the period to early summer is getting everything on the right path and after that it's stepping back and letting it do what it must, and just intervening when things get too out of hand. It's reached its late teens, it needs to make its own mistakes now. However I have my sister coming over for the first time next weekend so I want the garden to be at its best.... Just now I popped out after breakfast to feed the birds and came in 40 minutes later, having made a significant contribution to the brown bin.

I like your abs. Yes, it's as much their garden, whoever they are, as it is yours?? That's what we're supposed to think, but I don't think these slugs contributed anything to the cost of compost. My cavolo nero is being munched too, which is really annoying as when it was in pots out in the open it was doing well, now it's planted under netting something's feasting on it. I have a first head of broccoli forming though which is exciting.

I don't know if any of you have read or listened to the podcasts by Alice Vincent? I went to see her "in conversation" at our bookshop last night, talking about her book Why Women Grow, which is based on 45 interviews she did with women about why they garden. I know I have a very strong emotional resonance with gardening that I don't fully understand and it was interesting to me to hear her talk about what other women expressed. There was a lot of stuff about matrilineal lines (honoring the forgotten work of mothers and grandmothers, recreating memories or creating experiences that never happened, or nurturing with children), space (freedom to express yourself fully, a lot of stuff around women and land ownership and the politics of not directly owning land, or seizing control of public spaces or rented land) and control, although I don't think that's a word you could use to describe my garden now. I haven't read the book yet but am keen to as talking about it was firing off all sorts of unexpected responses for me that I want to think about. Anyway I was interested to see if anyone was familiar with it, and if not it's a cautious (given that I haven't actually read it!) recommend.

[ParisGal]

Ooh, I read this thread out of idle interest and do not do nor really want to do any gardening. But that book sounds fascinating!

[Mountain Goat]

Oh good! I spoke to some women there who had read and loved it.

[Derek Nimmo]

Yes, thanks Goat - I've just sent it to a friend who I haven't seen for ages as it has her name all over it, and thought it would be a good way to reconnect. That's your good deed for the day!

Weirdly enough, my garden has calmed the fuck down since the madness of the spring. The lavender, fuscias, sedums, crocosmias and all-fence-encompassing passion flower are going great guns and flowering nicely but nothing's going mental. The upside to not even vaguely attempting to grow any fruit and veg!

[Mountain Goat]

Oh lovely - what a nice idea.

I'm envious. I'm also glad I didn't put the sweetpeas around the front of the house, it's quite enough to do the deadheading in my pyjamas with a coffee first thing, if I had to get dressed it wouldn't happen.

I have three new dahlias, one is out and much lovelier than I expected (not that I bought something I thought wouldn't be lovely, but it was more to tone with the others than for its own virtues), another is just starting to open and the third is now growing fast (after a troubled start) but no buds yet. This is the most dramatic one that I really need centre stage to set off the others so I am staring at it and willing it.

[absley]

I am also envious of Derek. And I hope the drama appears soon, Goat.

I love Alice Vincent - I saw her recently too and have all her books; I bought my gardening neighbour WWG when it was released in paperback, as she was meant to come with me to see her, but couldn't make it due to health stuff. I like Alice's substack/ newsletter and she's just restarted her podcast.

[Mountain Goat]

Oh thank you! I knew about the podcast and have added it (thanks to someone I spoke to last night) but had no idea about the newsletter which I've now subscribed to. I also invited my gardening neighbour (who couldn't go). I thought you would like her: there was something about the calm/considered thoughtfulness of her approach which made me think of you.

[Mountain Goat]

Goodness, this version of the cover is powerful:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjprWDcKhye/

[Mountain Goat]

I'm thrilled to report that I had my first tomato from the garden at lunch and it was absolutely delicious! Even compared to the Isle of Wight ones I've got in the fridge. Skin slightly too tough is my criticism (I think that's inconsistent watering?) but only slightly: last year's were tough skinned and tasted of nothing much so this was at least 10 times better. They're just ordinary Gardener's Delight, nothing exciting.

In other news, this weather is shrivelling everything. I am overwhelmed with deadheading tasks. And my peas have gone mildewy and are over, they haven't had enough water.

[absley]

That's exciting, Goat. I have baby green tomatoes atm, nothing that looks close to eating. My peas may also be going the way of yours but I have a friend and her two small boys visiting this week so I want to leave them for the kids to pick . I did cut back my spent raspberry canes though, to try and give my still struggling rhubarb, which they have swamped, a bit if space in case they are savable. Blackberries are ripening well and I have no freezer space - all the gooseberries - predictable!

And, very excitingly, my sweet peas have had a spurt and I came home to a decent collection of flowers after a few days away. My nasturtiums are similarly happy

Did anyone know how feral fennel is? I have an increasing amount which I love for the height and froth but read (Alice Vincent, I think!) something about paying later for such indulgence....

Plus, should I be watering my veggies daily? I'm only really doing it on hot days but think maybe that's why I'm not yielding much... I don't water the rest of the garden unless something is really struggling, but maybe that's not how I should approach growing edibles?

[Mountain Goat]

I have my sister, who is famously very keen on a freshly picked pea, this weekend too, but I've had to let her down gently. I think there's about one pod but the plant looks ropey enough that I don't think she'll fancy it.

You have all the best fruit. I don't eat much fruit really but I love brambles, gooseberries, rhubarb and raspberries (also blackcurrants - basically fruit my mum grew).

And my sweet peas have already peaked I think! There's two wigwams (each with multiple plants) and the one more in the sun is really slowing down and also starting to look mildewy. I'm picking pods more than flowers now. The other one is still very flowery but the bed will look imbalanced with just the one.

My nasturtiums are doing well and don't have any caterpillars yet, but I picked some off my cavolo nero. You're supposed to be on the nasturtiums!

I have feral fennel. It self seeds EVERYWHERE. But it doesn't seem especially problematic to remove. I want mine primarily for the seeds (and a close second for aesthetics, fronds and pollen/flowers, it's all good - in the right place) so I'm not going to stop it going to seed so that's just the way it is. It's a lot of pulling out but no terrifying rhizomes or neverending tap roots. It's everywhere down a street near me.

I'm not sure what the correct procedure is. I think mine are wishing they had more water, they are less enthusiastic than they were - for some it's just lifecycle but I do think they've been gasping a bit. I do the same as you but noticed yesterday how madly dry the soil looked despite that, even a finger down. I have skipped feeding recently as I've been away at weekends and messed up my schedule which hasn't helped.

Oh I had my first borlotti bean harvest last night (and probably the last that yields enough to make an actual dish!), again I found them startlingly delicious. I've bought fresh ones before but I don't remember them being as good, and it was the beans themselves (not just the flavours with them). I need an allotment so I can grow enough to have them more than once or twice.

[absley]

Oh, borlottis My few plants that are hanging on are really not happy.

This year has been interesting to think about what do I really want to grow and they are definitely up there, so maybe fewer things that I can nurture and, as you say with the borlottis, get a decent enough harvest from. I may end up with just three things (borlotti, pink fir apples plus a tbc) in my three free beds, and rotate. Tbc with the greenhouse too (currently tomatoes). Plus the fruit which I to really love amd mustn't neglect/ take for granted. It's a lot of mental work too,all l of this gardening malarkey!

While we were away my lovely neighbour popped by as he thought everything might be gasping, and as a result I've been reminded I have a hosepipe so have watered everything for the past few days.

Eta, thanks for the fennel info, I shall relax and mentally add removal to D's list of garden tasks later in the year (pulling stuff out is one of the things he most enjoys with gardening - it's usually ivy ).

[Mountain Goat]

Can I borrow D please? How lovely of your neighbour. I was similar with the hosepipe as it wasn't there for ages and even when it was, I only really needed to do spot watering with a watering can on unestablished plants as I'm trying to bring up tough plants that can cope. So now I keep forgetting and going back and forth with the watering can until light dawns.

I'm thinking about this too. One thing I need to do is better succession planting with quick crop things like lettuce. I sort of intended to keep sowing but then I used up all my pots on the first sowing of everything so there was nowhere to do a back up crop. I need to keep some sections free initially so I can sow second crops a few weeks later. As it is, I'm getting everything at once and once they're picked, that's it, as it's too late to sow more now the space is free. I did manage to sow a second lettuce crop a couple of weeks ago but I still have a long gap between the last lot finishing and this lot being ready as I used the same planter.

I can't decide about what takes priority. The easiest and heaviest cropping things, the ones that have the biggest taste benefit compared to bought, the ones that are convenient to be able to pick at whim rather than making a trip to the shop, the ones that are hard to find in shops? All of them? Plus they vary year on year, so this year's delicious tomatoes may not be any better than the shop ones next year. I've really enjoyed the bran tub aspect of potatoes but the taste isn't anything special. The peas are really delicious but haven't lasted long and soon I'll have a big gap that could have been used by something that would produce for longer (though that may well be my lack of skill). But they'll have improved the soil for whatever goes there next year so have they earned their spot? The beetroot are great but I'm finding myself just not going through them very quickly. I like beetroot but I guess I don't eat as many as I thought.

[absley]

D's v good if you just need some labouring doing - point and press go!

I've learnt a lot this year, so lots to ponder, but as you say it is definitely all changeable regardless.

D only wants fruit he can pick and eat, so raspberries, strawberries and the plums. Gooseberries, rhubarb and blackberries are all dismissed as cooking/ preserving produce. The strawberries were tasteless last year but good this, so I'll leave a full bed of those; we only got one crop though, I need to see if that's standard. My raspberries seemed to finish quite early and weren't heavy croppers compared to what I see others reporting - but I failed to cut them back and they're definitely feral so maybe next year will be better and perhaps some autumn fruiting canes would be good. Plums were similarly neglected and will hopefully do better. I love and will look after the rhubarb and gooseberries; am unfussed about the blackberries as I've yet to find a jam I like, but they are good for smoothies (and occupying small boys).

For veg, I think I need it to be stuff I'm excited to eat, which means hard to find or more delicious. I'm interested to see what my tomatillos and tomatoes do this year - I finished all my seeds, so maybe it will a final hurrah for them. My kale is so slow, so that might also be another lesson, assuming it survives the munching pests.

But, I've learnt I get bored with sowing from seed and nurturing on an ongoing basis - the early sowing in spring is fine but I then become neglectful. I think I need to try more direct sowing for legumes and am sure succession sowing is completely beyond me.

I might look and see if I can squeeze a damson anywhere, as I'd really love to have access to them.

Ramble, ramble, ramble!

[Mountain Goat]

I just saw this reel (?) and I think this sums up very nicely how we both feel at the moment.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/499081879186328

[absley]

Absolutely!

[Mountain Goat]

I don't know much about raspberries but I do know that whenever there's a question about them on Gardener's Question Time, there's a fierce argument about best practice.

Things you're excited to eat sounds like a very good metric. And you have tomatillos! I'd be excited about those.

My brassicas are getting madly munched, I picked at least ten caterpillars off them at the weekend. *gestures wildly at netting cage*. I pulled out my mildew-y peas and the last of the broad beans, but the borlottis still look pretty happy (I'm not sure they'll produce any more flowers/fruit but there are some pods that aren't ready to pick yet).

I had my sister over at the weekend and the garden managed to hang on to looking nice for her, it's just on this side of being a feral mess. There's enough that's still in full flush to make you not notice the stuff that's looking tired and straggly, but by the weekend I think tired and straggly will be winning and I'll be ripping a lot of things out. And I managed to do dinner with all the veg being from the garden, except one onion. (Greek salad, courgette and mint salad, lemon potatoes, tzatziki. (and some chicken on the bbq)). OH and I was walking home the other day and there were a couple of people walking in front of me and they were pointing and gesturing at my garden, and then at gardening neighbour's garden. I am choosing to believe this was positive.