Gardening with the family
Being a gardener means that you can be extremely useful to people. If I'm at a friend's house or even down the pub I often get asked gardening questions or problems to solve so I'm used to it, and generally don't mind. Working for friends or family however, is a completely different kettle of fish.
They think they're doing you a favour and you try to do them one too - it rarely works. I have become extremely wary, as if it goes pear-shaped for whatever reason it can sour a relationship for years.
In fact these days I don't work directly for friends or family. I put them onto my company, and we do them a good deal, but to remain professional I stand back, keep an overview from a distance and let others deal directly with 'the client'. Now, having said all that, my Mum has recently asked me to sort some things out in her garden. She is of course my mum, not just any client, but just as important she just lets me get on with it. I went over last week to prune an ancient lilac and try to sort out some of her overgrown climbing roses and really enjoyed myself. The large lilac needed thinning and the crown lifting to let more air and light into its dense framework and I've had to get really serious with the rose with a view to reconditioning it over a year or two. The day went well and everything looked good at the end. You'll be relieved to hear that we're still talking!
In fact these days I don't work directly for friends or family. I put them onto my company, and we do them a good deal, but to remain professional I stand back, keep an overview from a distance and let others deal directly with 'the client'. Now, having said all that, my Mum has recently asked me to sort some things out in her garden. She is of course my mum, not just any client, but just as important she just lets me get on with it. I went over last week to prune an ancient lilac and try to sort out some of her overgrown climbing roses and really enjoyed myself. The large lilac needed thinning and the crown lifting to let more air and light into its dense framework and I've had to get really serious with the rose with a view to reconditioning it over a year or two. The day went well and everything looked good at the end. You'll be relieved to hear that we're still talking!
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Hi Joe,
Hope you're well. Just watched tonight's GW- your allotment looks great!
I've made myself a small (perhaps 1 x 1.5 metre) raised bed in the garden to grow some veg. Just wondered if I can get on and plant anything now (other than the beans which Toby told us about tonight)?
And also, what do you think is the best way to utilise such a small space properly?
Cheers,
Nick
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My question is the same as previous blog - re what can I plant now.
Is there any variety of potatoes I can plant now.
Also when can you starting picking Kale? Mine is about 9 inches high at the moment - seems a slow grower. Can I start picking some inner leaves to cook or am I being impatient?
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Hi BurwashShirley,
Re potatoes. On Gardeners' Question time a couple of weeks back they mentioned that one can plant potatoes now, but that they need to be planted slightly deeper and given some covering (of leaves etc) for insulation.
They didn't say if there is any particular type that is suited to being planted now though, I'm sure Joe will know!
ATB,
Nick
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Nick, check out the RHS website, it has a month by month guide, and may have a couple of suggestions for this time of year. I'm a novice and put in two 4' x 4' beds this year and I've kind of adopted a square foot gardening approach to maximise the use of the space. If you google square foot gardening you should find plenty of info. Best of luck.
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hi joe, loved this years gardeners world allotment slot, and the whole show, i've grown my own veg this year, for the first time, we have a fairly big garden, so i've dedicated a corner to vegetables, bought a small greenhouse, i have to say monty don was a big inspiration to have a go, but watching your allotment pieces on the programme have been also encouraging, i've grown what we eat a lot of as a family, brocoli and carrots, the tomato's didnt work, but the brocoli was spot on, i also put some sprouts in and the last few weeks we have been eating them, it has been really satisfying for me to see them grow then go out and pick them, will be trying more next year , so thanks, and the very best for christmaS, and say hi to monty next time you see him, the guy is a legend and is badly missed, cheers joe.
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Hi Joe
LOVE the show and especially the allotment parts as I am a keen allotmenteer myself, now in my 2nd year.
I was concerned about some advice that the 'allotment holder of the year' gave you about rotation earlier this year when you were starting out, so I checked it out with the RHS. He said that spuds shouldn't follow brassicas because of the risk of scab. I was suspicious of this as all the books say that spuds DO follow brassicas (not sure where else they could go!) This is what the man at the RHS had to say, "Potatoes can certianly follow brassicas with no risk of scab. In fact the anti-microbial properties of brassica foliage might even have some slight suppresive action on soil diseases.
"I expect that the gardener concerned thought that the lime often applied to brassicas to suppress clubroot might increase the incidence of scab. Common scab is worse in alkaline soils. As the action of lime continues for several years after application I don't think this can be avoided and is a necessary, if unfortunate consequence, of having to control clubroot disease."
Phew! Panic over. Hope this helps.
Keep up the great work... looking forward to the next season.
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