Killing Thyme but it isn't all bad news!

Continuing on a gardening theme, I thought I'd offer an update on our growing antics this year.

But I am very sorry to admit that as well as being a worm murderer, this year I have also been responsible for killing thyme too as well as a few other green and lovely things.

The problem is I am not naturally green-fingered on account of me having great aspirations but insufficient time to achieve them. And it's been a great lesson to me that I shouldn't invest time in the garden unless I am able to commit regular hours to it its upkeep, otherwise our best intentions just go to waste along with the produce itself.

You see it's not just the thyme that got the chop - or in some instances the chomp - it was the beans & peas in the front garden too. I can now admit that planting a small vegetable garden next to a "snail hotel" in the shape of a Phormium was not exactly the best brainwave I've had this year. Neither was planting lots of salad leaves just because they were easy to grow, when we don't actually eat much of them as a rule, whether they come from the back of the garden or from a supermarket plastic bag.

Seeing a lettuce bolt is not a rewarding sight.

This is why I am taking these lessons learned as the foundation for going forth for next year's garden antics and instead of growing lots of different things next year, we will be focusing on what's worked and leaving behind what hasn't.

Where the Thyme was on borrowed time, at least the runner beans jogged along quite happily as did the tomatoes grew in such abundance, it's only now that I've pulled in the remaining harvest.

You can see the last fruits of our luck and fortune here. This weekend, we even pulled the last of our potatoes from the pots in which they had been planted. Some of the beans have gone to seed, but we're keeping those as presents to share with other novice growers as part of our Thrifty Christmas plans.




So our plans for next year will focus on tomatoes, along with another crop of runner beans, which were resoundingly successful this season.

However, all this talk of reigning things in doesn't stop me from dreaming. I am currently re-reading an excellent book, which was published this summer called "The Alternative Kitchen Garden: an A-Z", written by the wonderful Emma Cooper of www.coopette.com.



As well as advice about beans and tomatoes, the book covers a whole range of inspirational ideas for novice gardeners like me as well as experienced green-fingered folk who want to try something different.

With Emma's advice, there's hope for me after all, but one thing's for sure, next time I'm definitely not going to run before I can walk.

So apologies for my green-fingered failures this year. Next year, I promise I will do better.

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Creating an edible garden in a small suburban space

It might seem like I've been in hiding this week and in truth I have. In fact, I've been busy focusing on the garden, trying to make the most of our space to grow a plethora of vegetables this year.

I know it doesn't look much like a vegetable garden and indeed until now, our little piece of land has operated as a simple "snacking garden" with some rhubarb, blackberries, redcurrants, a pot of potatoes and a couple of pots of tomatoes as well as a few herb plants that have matured into shrubs, such as rosemary, lavender and sage.

But behind the scenes - or should I say behind the bushes - the Almost Average household has been busy greening up our green fingers.

Here's a brief tour revealing how we've managed to fit some growing space into our already-established and multi-functional back yard and to set the scene, here's another photo taken from the back of the garden towards the house.



Bet you can't see much action eh! But trust me, there's a lot happening compared to this time last year. So come and see.

Behind the children's play den, we've reinstated a small veg-patch.


As well as celery, spring cabbage and carrot seedlings taking root under the home-made polytunnel, we've also planted some runner beans and peas, plus a couple of potato and tomato plants growing in pots. It's also encouraging to see the raspberry canes starting to grow. Hopefully soon they will cover the side of the playden. They should have a great start as they've been planted in soil that includes home-made compost from all of our kitchen and bokashi'd waste that was created last year.




Against the wall of the house, we are gradually adding a range of wall hanging containers for cherry tomatoes plus a window box for herbs including marjoram, basil, coriander and oregano.



And on the other side of the kitchen door is our little growhouse, which is currently protecting more tomato seedlings and peppers. It's wonderful to see that the watering trays are now made from recycled plastic, as Mr A announced one day on his return from a visit to Wyevale.




If you look carefully in the border that runs alongside our pergola, you'll see three potato sacks, planted up with a few second-early spuds as well as some main-crop, using most of the smelly old compost handed out by the council last weekend.



As well as planting up the garden, we've also been putting some old things to good use. Here are some runner beans planted up in one of our old tub trugs, seen resting on an old tyre (formerly used as a sandpit when the boys were small). The tub is camouflaged by geraniums which have been planted in the tyre.



And here we have a tray of lettuce and rocket as well as some scattered "cut-and-come again" seeds, planted in an old nectarine box, which I picked up whilst shopping in the market last winter. There are also some annual flower seeds planted alongside the edge of the outer tray, which I can't wait to see blossom and surround the greens with pretty blooms.



All we have to ensure now is that we keep our plants safe from the likes of this little lady, one of our three chickens who are intent on scratching at surfaces, whether planted up or not.



We're so excited with our progress that we've decided to extend further and have also given up some of our front garden to even more fruit and vegetables.


Just behind our fence we've tucked in some more beans, peas, carrots, spring cabbage and broccoli. By now, we'd run out of our own compost so used a bag full of New Horizon, which is made from composted garden waste.




We've also got some blueberries hiding in pots behind the bushes...



....as well as some strawberries and swiss chard tucked into the border.


And there's some delicious Pak Choi and more rocket, growing under our front window.


And I mustn't forget that we've got even more potatoes - some Anyas - planted in an old spare recycling tub, which we brought with us from Hemel Hempstead when we moved about 6 years ago (shhh, don't tell 'em will you, but it's made a fantastic container for growing spuds these last few years).




It's amazing what you can grow in a small space but there's still lots more to do. I'd like some more hanging baskets on the pergola and make even better use of the border alongside it.

We did have an initial outlay, including the new greenhouse cover, but at least we reused the old one as a polytunnel. We'd also run out of old toilet rolls inners for seedlings (a top tip from Mrs G) so we needed to get some more seeding pots, all of which worked a treat to create most of what you've seen in the photos. And although we've spent a fair few pounds on the fruit-bearing plants, the broccoli, some herbs and beans and peas, most of the plants have been grown from seed or seedlings passed on from friends or through my LETS group, which is always a great source for such things. I'd especially like to thank blog reader Mel for kindly sending in some of her spare seeds, which we have already used and have more plans for them over the next couple of months.

Of course with such a lot of plants in containers, I must now ensure they are watered carefully and are nurtured into full production. And with that in mind, we've decided to buy a second water butt, which will be conveniently placed in the front garden.




It's just a shame it arrived with so much plastic wrap, which made me blush like a strawberry and which will probably undo all that plastic we will have saved by growing our own. Aaaarrrgh! But eh ho! I suppose we live and learn and at least we won't have to suffer the same next year. And of course I can take it along with the compost bags to the local recycling centre and then drop off the plastic pots at Wyevale when I'm next passing.

Right, so no rest for the wicked. I'm off to put the kettle on so I can enjoy a cup of tea while watering the plants and planting up more seeds.

And while I'm busy beavering in the garden, don't forget it's still Compost Awareness Week, so if you are inspired to join in the gardening fever and start making your own compost, there's lots of advice over at CompostWoman's Compost Bin blog as well as a whole range of tips and problem-solving ideas at Mrs Green's MyZeroWaste.
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