THROUGHOUT the last month I’ve been squeezing in as much work as possible during our sunniest days. All my beds are prepared, I’ve laid the last of the weed-resistant material for my stone pathways and I’ve even been able to do a bit of sowing as well.
Radishes are up, early carrots have been sown as well as leeks, peas and mange-tout. I’ve even experimented with planting very early spinach which miraculously survived a frost and seems to be thriving. At home my husband built me a cold-frame one afternoon using an old window and wood we found at the Western Amenity Site.
So now I’ve got modules of cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts and lettuces springing up in its cosy protection. It’s amazing what you can do with a bit of free material and some cheerful determination.
Though all my sowing is coming along according to plan I’ve come to realise that perhaps my direction is a bit too conventional. Though I’ve been following the old mantra of ‘Grow what you Eat’ and we did have a fantastic harvest last year, I feel we could expand our horizons a bit more.
Having led more international and urban lives before moving to the Island, we do like eating foods that one might not think to grow in a British allotment. It would be a wonderful thing to be able to grow herbs, grains and vegetables that ordinarily are expensive or even cannot be found in the supermarket.
All this came to a head when several of us from the Laxey and Peel allotments decided to take a trip over to visit the Edible Garden Show two weeks ago. In its very first year ever, the show hosted numerous stands for seed companies, nurseries, beekeeping, artisan bread and cheese and even a smallholding area for farm animals.
A lively and informative show overall but probably the best presentation was given by James Wong, whom I knew from watching the programme ‘Grow Your Own Drugs’ on the BBC.
His presentation was quite brave for both the show and the audience but I think that is why it will stick in many people’s minds long after the fact. Standing in front of a group of both amateur and professional growers he tried to coax us to stop growing veggies which are dirt cheap in the shop.
Fair enough to enjoy eating spuds and cabbages but he poses us with the question of why not grow fruits and vegetables that are harder to come by or which are expensive to buy and leave the spuds, caulis and cabbages for the checkout?
He presented us with alternatives for the usual garden suspects that not only sounded intriguing but would be compatible with our weather. We learned, for example, that our climate is perfect for growing bamboo shoots and that we could easily grow exotic fruits such as the petite ‘Cocktail Kiwi’ which is a sweeter, grape sized kiwi with a smooth edible skin.
Or how about growing ‘Sichuan Buttons’? Neither spicy nor sweet, these small yellow flowers set off what seems like a mild electric shock on your tongue. Maybe not mine nor your cup of tea but fascinating all the same.
And speaking of tea, we were told that green tea bushes thrive in Britain and to sweeten that tea you could grow and use the virtually calorie free herb ‘Stevia’ which is a thousand times sweeter than sugar and safe for diabetics. Go easy on it though!
The presentation was inspiring to say the least and though some of the proposed plants might not make it into my garden, it’s encouraged me to look into ‘exotics’ that are already on our menu. So this year, alongside my cabbages and calabrese will be ‘pak choi’ and squeezed in with peas and carrots will be ‘okra’.
With any luck the packet of ‘cape gooseberry’ seeds I bought at the show will emerge into gently rambling shrubs at the back of my flower border and I’m committed to getting some lemongrass growing in a pot I can move inside during the winter.
One other challenge I’ve set for myself this year is growing the grain, quinoa. Although not yet a British staple, it is a delicious and healthy grain that tastes fantastic when mixed with white rice. Owing that it’s extremely resistant to pests and some varieties do well in our climate I think it will become even more popular in years to come.
Though the rain and wind is back menacing my gardening plans for the weekend, I’m feeling all in all very motivated to try something new this year. Because I’m not fully convinced to give up planting early potatoes the only real challenge left to me is trying to find places to grow everything!
Though some new plants may not do so well but it never hurts to give a plant a go, especially when you have everything to gain from it. And, truth be told, it’s the successes you’ll remember and enjoy on your plate for years to come.
