Most things are growing quite well in the garden, although we aren't eating much from it at the moment because we were so bad at overlapping the harvesting of different plants. We tend to have feast and then famine, floods of beans and then nothing. We are really working on trying to stagger the planting better to prevent that problem in the future.
Little green caterpillars are attacking the broccoli leaves like crazy. They did the same last season as well. Luckily they don't eat the usable part of the plant, so we just let them go. It makes the plants look ugly but it's better than spraying them. Perhaps you have some way of getting rid of them using natural products? Does the soap and oil spray work on this little grub ? Please share a recipe if you have one.
The basil is fabulous and brings a lovely fresh flavour to past sauces. I love being able to go and grab handfuls of leaves as I need them. Before growing our own basil I used to buy a plastic wrapped pack of fresh basil from the supermarket. It would be fine for the first dish but would be soggy and lifeless when I needed it again three or four days later.
A herb garden is a great starting point if you don't already have a garden established. Even if you don't have much space, you can have a few pots of herbs growing on the front porch or even on the kitchen window sill. I use basil, shallots and coriander the most. Once you taste the fresh flavour in your food, it is hard to go back.
7 comments:
I'm going to go out and get some herbs and some pots next week. I want a vege garden, but I've got a habit of doing to much too soon, without planning it properly. So I'm going to start with herbs.
So for a newbie, I'd like to have Basil, Coriander, Flat Leaf Parsley, Green Onions, Thyme, and some chilli. Would that be a reasonable start, and is there anything I should know?
Have you tried a nicotine spray to help with the bug on your broc?
It has worked well for me. Just make a tea by steeping some chewing tobacco. Make the same way you would make tea in a pot of boiling water and then just let sit overnight. Pour off into a spray bottle and then spray away in your garden. Bugs hate the stuff, and it's natural(ish).
Have a look at David Borthwicks Productive Garden website he is encouraging everyone to plant just one seed a day to keep the "feast and famine" thing from happening. I was them same now I have little seedlings at all different stages and one a day always seems to become two or more!!
I brush the eggs from the underside of each leaf to stop the caterpillars developing. It needs to be done every few days as those darned white butterflies are extremely persistent! A bit labour-intensive but well worth the effort to avoid nasty sprays and buggy vegetables.
You have a lovely blog!
Love your garden heard the comment this morning on life.
matters we have been doing this on an off for years since the early 80's now 60 and we have moved on to an acre.
Wish more young people would see this as a way to go and you dont have to be a green type person just enjoy life.
wonderful garden we have done this for years on and off
we live on an acre now and 60
wish more young ones would see how wonderful this life is.
it is not stressful I rarley have to go to the suppermarket which is wonderful.
this is the first time i have done this and i dont know if it works love your site
so inspirational is the book with your granmothers thoughts available.
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