Rhubarb
Higher Ground
I was recently talking to someone who was interested in getting an allotment. As the conversation ensued it came to light that they had the impression that once all the digging and planting was done it was just a case of popping back once a week to harvest bucket loads of lovely fresh veg.
After pointing out that it was not that simple, the talk turned to vegetables that could be planted and left to get on with it. So as time went on the list started to get longer and longer.
As a matter of fact there are dozens of perennial vegetables from every corner of the vegetable world to choose from - including salad leaves, brassicas, roots, onions and edible flowers - which would suit all sizes of garden.
If you’re looking for something architectural, you could do worse than globe artichokes, with their ragged grey/green leaves and towering flowers. They not only look impressive, but the flesh of the immature flower heads is also delicious.
There are also wonderful alternatives to staples like onions, of which my favorite is the Welsh onion. Similar to a spring onion but a real perennial prop forward of an onion!
And if you’re looking for an alternative to the potato, try Oca, a South American tuber. It resembles a new potato but tastes a little lemony when just picked and sweetens if matured in the sun. It also has the advantage of being immune to blight. Beware though - Oca is a member of the Oxalis family and though having pretty flowers it can be invasive.
Jerusalem artichokes are a member of the sunflower family though the flower is much smaller. I once grew these as a wind break to help shelter an exposed plot – an ironic choice as they are prone to breaking wind of a different kind!
Ruby or rainbow chard can bring a splash of colour to a garden plot and it makes a good alternative to spinach.
Most of the herb family are generally considered perennial or of course shrubby with bay, rosemary and sage giving colour to the garden in winter.
Then there is the matter of soft fruit. Rhubarb, an old favorite of mine gives one of the first harvests in the spring. Then on to the berry and currant families and not forgetting the queen of summer fruit - the strawberry.
Of course there is no point growing food that you don’t eat or even like but with some planning and initial ground work followed by copious mulching one can have a plot that needs minimal care throughout the season. Vegetables can also be a thing of beauty and even be planted amongst the flower border.
Sowing and planting
• Sow french beans, runner beans, squash, cucumbers and pumpkin seeds directly into prepared beds outside. Be alert to late frosts (for which a covering of horticultural fleece should provide sufficient protection).
• Sow sweetcorn outside in blocks, at least 45cm (18in) apart, with two seeds per hole. The strongest seedlings can be selected later.
• Sow purple sprouting broccoli for harvesting next winter.
• Other young plants can be planted out once conditions are suitable, and once they’ve been hardened off
General care
• Earth up potatoes when the shoots are 23cm (9in) high, in order to prevent the new tubers going green
• Start to remove side shoots from cordon tomatoes as you see them. The side shoots develop in the leaf axils (i.e. between the stem and leaf) and if allowed to develop they will sap the energy of the plant and reduce the quality of the yield.
• Peas need staking with pea sticks, netting or pruned twigs from the garden.
General tasks in the fruit garden
• Make sure fruit isn’t drought stressed, especially those in containers, against a wall or newly planted.
• Make sure bees can access caged and cloched fruit flowers to ensure pollination.
