Lessons from a season of bolting leaves, slugs at the salad bar, and courgettes big enough to row down the Thames - where peas ran amok, onions lay in disgrace, and the sweet taste of small victories
Love this! SO funny and genuinely made me feel better about my attempts at growing more food myself. The best bit is looking forward to ‘doing better’ next year 💚
Ah, thank you! Great to hear you enjoyed it. Yes, please feel better. We're all in the same boat really. A very challenging year with a few lessons. We'll be better next year 💚
Having created 3 raised beds to have a cutting garden this year I (a) realised that the cut flower life is not for me. I couldn’t cut the flowers because the pollinators were having such a loverly time with them! I am, therefore, going to grow veg for the first time next year. This article has reassured me that it’s fine if it’s not all perfect! Well. Not entirely the first time. I did buy some Brussels sprouts at a plant sale in our village last year that the cabbage white butterflies thought was a marvellous place to lay its eggs and I then did my bit to support the next generation of cabbage white butterflies… And (b) having purchased 50m of jute netting I can co firm that it is utterly useless. I now have about 40m of it to find a purpose for 🙄😅.
Fantastic comment Natalie. I truly empathise. I think as I have a substantial garden packed with blooms I don’t mind snipping off a few for the house. The decorative dahlias aren’t that popular with pollinators (too many petals) so maybe try those?
Here’s to feeding cabbage whites and finding innovative ways to use leftover jute netting! 💚
Thank you , love the way you write, successes, failures and humour. I used to have an allotment but now attempt to grow just a few veg in containers with mostly fails but I will continue! Blackcurrant bushes are doing well though and rhubarb is looking happier now it’s been moved. Gooseberries not great but I live in hope! Your garden is fabulous,writing informative and fun . Thank you for still having the free option on Substack it’s appreciated.
Thank you! That’s really very kind. Very much appreciated. I’m looking forward to adding fruit to the garden next year. We can compare notes! (There will always be free content. I promise 💚)
Great post! Been a weird year over here too, Stateside in Minnesota. Last year we had constant rains, which resulted in fungus growing on everything - the plants never got dry - followed by a harsh winter. Many of our fruit trees didn't even blossom, even though we had a gentle spring. Everythung just too stressed I think. This summer, we have again had a lot of rain but its been staggered, dumped at 1.5" at a time in torrential downpours about once a week. The tomatoes and peppers have not been loving it. My garlic rotted, but the onions did great! My 1 courgette plant is the size of a small car. One thing I am embracing this year - I planted more Joi Choi than we could eat, and half of it bolted, but the pollinators looooved it when the rest of the garden was light on flowers. It was perfect timing, so I left it!
Thank you! Very interesting to read about your experiences across the pond. We're all faces new extremes, it seems. I think that's a marvellous move… embracing bolted plants. Alliums, the carrot family, and brassicas (in particular) are adored by pollinators. Here's to a new and improved season next year!
Very useful lessons learned! My veg were horrendous this year, even the courgettes! I just couldn’t keep up with the watering, and then the hosepipe ban came along. Only the tomatoes reigned supreme. And the runner beans were acceptable. The main lesson I learned was that having a huge thirsty willow tree right next to my veg plot is not helpful! Onwards and upwards.
Hello - great post. It’s been an upside down year here in Cheshire. My courgettes/french beans/runner beans that are normally prolific have been dismal. Beetroot, carrots and onions have had their best year ever. My problem is I don’t know what to put the success and failures down too! Also I grew my potatoes in big plastic tree pots and they have been good also. Get to harvest a little asparagus for the first time next year - just hope we’re not on holiday in the small picking window!
Thank you very much! Oooh that’s interesting! Almost complete opposite. I think ignore the factors and trying to fathom out the reasons this year as it has been so extraordinary.
Loved this. I inherited a decent greenhouse in the house I bought, my dad promptly brought me 3 tomato plants and two chilli plants. They thrived as long as I watered them twice per day, which to be honest got a little tedious after a while, nevertheless we’ve had plenty of both. Is there a more instructional post about what to sow when for next year at all? I’d like to try a few more things.
Thank you! I would LOVE a greenhouse!! I envy all that gave one. This year was ridiculous to be frank. So much watering for crops and yes very tedious!
I do have this post. But I would highly recommend visiting Charles Dowding’s website. He has a sowing timeline on there. You can also buy a sowing calendar which I do without fail.
I loved this accurate, hilarious yet still victorious narration of a gardening season - so much so that I became a paid subscriber. Thank you for reminding me why we garden and why it’s such a metaphor for this crazy life!
Love this! SO funny and genuinely made me feel better about my attempts at growing more food myself. The best bit is looking forward to ‘doing better’ next year 💚
Ah, thank you! Great to hear you enjoyed it. Yes, please feel better. We're all in the same boat really. A very challenging year with a few lessons. We'll be better next year 💚
Having created 3 raised beds to have a cutting garden this year I (a) realised that the cut flower life is not for me. I couldn’t cut the flowers because the pollinators were having such a loverly time with them! I am, therefore, going to grow veg for the first time next year. This article has reassured me that it’s fine if it’s not all perfect! Well. Not entirely the first time. I did buy some Brussels sprouts at a plant sale in our village last year that the cabbage white butterflies thought was a marvellous place to lay its eggs and I then did my bit to support the next generation of cabbage white butterflies… And (b) having purchased 50m of jute netting I can co firm that it is utterly useless. I now have about 40m of it to find a purpose for 🙄😅.
Fantastic comment Natalie. I truly empathise. I think as I have a substantial garden packed with blooms I don’t mind snipping off a few for the house. The decorative dahlias aren’t that popular with pollinators (too many petals) so maybe try those?
Here’s to feeding cabbage whites and finding innovative ways to use leftover jute netting! 💚
Thank you , love the way you write, successes, failures and humour. I used to have an allotment but now attempt to grow just a few veg in containers with mostly fails but I will continue! Blackcurrant bushes are doing well though and rhubarb is looking happier now it’s been moved. Gooseberries not great but I live in hope! Your garden is fabulous,writing informative and fun . Thank you for still having the free option on Substack it’s appreciated.
Thank you! That’s really very kind. Very much appreciated. I’m looking forward to adding fruit to the garden next year. We can compare notes! (There will always be free content. I promise 💚)
Great post! Been a weird year over here too, Stateside in Minnesota. Last year we had constant rains, which resulted in fungus growing on everything - the plants never got dry - followed by a harsh winter. Many of our fruit trees didn't even blossom, even though we had a gentle spring. Everythung just too stressed I think. This summer, we have again had a lot of rain but its been staggered, dumped at 1.5" at a time in torrential downpours about once a week. The tomatoes and peppers have not been loving it. My garlic rotted, but the onions did great! My 1 courgette plant is the size of a small car. One thing I am embracing this year - I planted more Joi Choi than we could eat, and half of it bolted, but the pollinators looooved it when the rest of the garden was light on flowers. It was perfect timing, so I left it!
Thank you! Very interesting to read about your experiences across the pond. We're all faces new extremes, it seems. I think that's a marvellous move… embracing bolted plants. Alliums, the carrot family, and brassicas (in particular) are adored by pollinators. Here's to a new and improved season next year!
Great writing, thanks.
Thank you!
Very useful lessons learned! My veg were horrendous this year, even the courgettes! I just couldn’t keep up with the watering, and then the hosepipe ban came along. Only the tomatoes reigned supreme. And the runner beans were acceptable. The main lesson I learned was that having a huge thirsty willow tree right next to my veg plot is not helpful! Onwards and upwards.
Thank you Clare. It was such a challenging year! I think part of my fave up when the hosepipe ban landed. Ooooh, a willow? Ooof!
Hello - great post. It’s been an upside down year here in Cheshire. My courgettes/french beans/runner beans that are normally prolific have been dismal. Beetroot, carrots and onions have had their best year ever. My problem is I don’t know what to put the success and failures down too! Also I grew my potatoes in big plastic tree pots and they have been good also. Get to harvest a little asparagus for the first time next year - just hope we’re not on holiday in the small picking window!
Thank you very much! Oooh that’s interesting! Almost complete opposite. I think ignore the factors and trying to fathom out the reasons this year as it has been so extraordinary.
Loved this. I inherited a decent greenhouse in the house I bought, my dad promptly brought me 3 tomato plants and two chilli plants. They thrived as long as I watered them twice per day, which to be honest got a little tedious after a while, nevertheless we’ve had plenty of both. Is there a more instructional post about what to sow when for next year at all? I’d like to try a few more things.
Thank you! I would LOVE a greenhouse!! I envy all that gave one. This year was ridiculous to be frank. So much watering for crops and yes very tedious!
I do have this post. But I would highly recommend visiting Charles Dowding’s website. He has a sowing timeline on there. You can also buy a sowing calendar which I do without fail.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thegardeningkind2024/p/marks-get-set-sow?r=48136u&utm_medium=ios
Thank you super helpful
I loved this accurate, hilarious yet still victorious narration of a gardening season - so much so that I became a paid subscriber. Thank you for reminding me why we garden and why it’s such a metaphor for this crazy life!