We're on the West Coast too, very close to the sea so get some rough weather at times. I'm not growing this year as still trying to sell the house but my suggestions for easy stuff would be tatties (if you have room earliest and main crop), carrots, leeks, parsnip, swede and runner beans. Lettuce, radish and beetroot too. I tried cabbage and brussel sprouts last year but to be honest it wasn't worth the hassle of trying to stop them being eaten.
I can't wait to see the vegetables grow (cabbage, leeks, turnips, parsnips, etc.) and if there's room for Sunday dinner, I'm in. Can’t wait to read the ”behind the scenes of the dinner’.
Don't worry about DIY, you do so much better than me
I just love your sense of humour! 😂 I also feel your DIY pain... I have what my husband calls my 'hollywood head' which convinces me we're capable of very ambitious projects, when we're blatantly not!
Your veg beds are going to be fabulous - squash are one of my favourite things to grow and they store well too - Honeyboat and Uchiki Kiri do well for me but I have to grow them in tubs up obelisks due to lack of space - I also love growing beetroot, garlic and onions.... Oh and peas although they get eaten straight off the plants and never make it to the kitchen!
Hope you manage to source the oilcloth - Abakhan sell a waterproof tablecloth fabric that's quite reasonable! xxx
Huge task ahead gentleman. I think you are up to the challenge. You will not get instant gratification however slow & commited gets the the job done. Carrots, cabbage, turnips, asparagus (will take a couple of years to give fruits) but are an early summer feast & like cool damp weather. Radishes are also great for your climate. Leeks , onions & Rhubarb if you like. We have a postage stamp now however my husband build a frame for a steel/aluminum sheep dipping tank & placed in a sunny spot closed to the back door & we grow all our herbs in the tank. That’s all my brain can come up with right now. I will try to remember back. It’s early here & I haven’t had a cup of tea yet.
Don’t get put off, it takes time. There is no instant gratification in a well planned garden. 🐾
Cheeky! 🤣 As usual, I have really enjoyed reading your blog. How frustrating to have a drill which played up! But, hopefully today will see your planters sorted and ready for sowing and planting.
Personally, I love an old house, they ooze character, even though they think money grows on trees.
I get rid of all my unwanted weeds. I have plenty in the garden to compensate for the removal of weeds. The paths around the raised beds I mulch in shredding to keep the weeds down.
Your space by the river sounds idyllic. The sound of the water crashing over those rocks is beautiful.
Leeks are a good thing to grow, along with pumpkin for your soups but I dont know how they would do in your climate. They need to be started early in the season.
However, a couple of years ago I found what is (to my arthritic hands) the Goddess of can openers: Kuhn Rikon Can Opener - absolute GAME CHANGER (yes, shouting, it is that good!) and works for both left & right hand.
As I said on IG, I've had to slap many a bottom for it's drill to work. In saying that I'm glad my memory still works! As for the choice between new and old houses Gareth believe this ol' boy. They all need work and titivating! Anyway Keepers is beautiful and a credit to you both. Your veg planters are stunning, please do line them as we learnt from our mistake. We've had to do some repairs to ours this and last year, and it's only been 5 years. Looking forward to hearing about the communal lunch next week. Crikey I came all over with envy when I wrote that last line! Have a great week.
Definitely blame being left handed on the tin opener! Also serrated knives and scissors to name a few. As a fellow left hander I had to adapt - in the 60s there was no time for such nonsense, 'if you can't cut a straight line with your left hand then use your right' the teacher would bellow! Also, during weekly 'writing practice' the two of us left handers who had dared to invade her class were told to sit on our left hands and use our right, as the fountain pens would only work with a right hand. Dreadful teaching, but accepted then, the only saving grace is that I can write with my right hand too! You can see, that now in my 60s, I am totally over my primary school teacher! 😂✒✂️
I was lucky that my mom is also left-handed, so she knew the "pain" I was enduring. Also luckily for me growing up in the 70s and 80s, there started to be a new realization that left-handers *did* need modified tools, and those became more and more available.
Good luck with the lunch guys!
We're on the West Coast too, very close to the sea so get some rough weather at times. I'm not growing this year as still trying to sell the house but my suggestions for easy stuff would be tatties (if you have room earliest and main crop), carrots, leeks, parsnip, swede and runner beans. Lettuce, radish and beetroot too. I tried cabbage and brussel sprouts last year but to be honest it wasn't worth the hassle of trying to stop them being eaten.
I can't wait to see the vegetables grow (cabbage, leeks, turnips, parsnips, etc.) and if there's room for Sunday dinner, I'm in. Can’t wait to read the ”behind the scenes of the dinner’.
Don't worry about DIY, you do so much better than me
I just love your sense of humour! 😂 I also feel your DIY pain... I have what my husband calls my 'hollywood head' which convinces me we're capable of very ambitious projects, when we're blatantly not!
Your veg beds are going to be fabulous - squash are one of my favourite things to grow and they store well too - Honeyboat and Uchiki Kiri do well for me but I have to grow them in tubs up obelisks due to lack of space - I also love growing beetroot, garlic and onions.... Oh and peas although they get eaten straight off the plants and never make it to the kitchen!
Hope you manage to source the oilcloth - Abakhan sell a waterproof tablecloth fabric that's quite reasonable! xxx
Love the planter boxes! Looking forward to seeing the potatoes sliced into an au gratin casserole 🥘
Huge task ahead gentleman. I think you are up to the challenge. You will not get instant gratification however slow & commited gets the the job done. Carrots, cabbage, turnips, asparagus (will take a couple of years to give fruits) but are an early summer feast & like cool damp weather. Radishes are also great for your climate. Leeks , onions & Rhubarb if you like. We have a postage stamp now however my husband build a frame for a steel/aluminum sheep dipping tank & placed in a sunny spot closed to the back door & we grow all our herbs in the tank. That’s all my brain can come up with right now. I will try to remember back. It’s early here & I haven’t had a cup of tea yet.
Don’t get put off, it takes time. There is no instant gratification in a well planned garden. 🐾
Cheeky! 🤣 As usual, I have really enjoyed reading your blog. How frustrating to have a drill which played up! But, hopefully today will see your planters sorted and ready for sowing and planting.
Personally, I love an old house, they ooze character, even though they think money grows on trees.
I get rid of all my unwanted weeds. I have plenty in the garden to compensate for the removal of weeds. The paths around the raised beds I mulch in shredding to keep the weeds down.
Your space by the river sounds idyllic. The sound of the water crashing over those rocks is beautiful.
Leeks are a good thing to grow, along with pumpkin for your soups but I dont know how they would do in your climate. They need to be started early in the season.
Have a great day xx
I share your can opener pain.
However, a couple of years ago I found what is (to my arthritic hands) the Goddess of can openers: Kuhn Rikon Can Opener - absolute GAME CHANGER (yes, shouting, it is that good!) and works for both left & right hand.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000I7GRUM?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1
As I said on IG, I've had to slap many a bottom for it's drill to work. In saying that I'm glad my memory still works! As for the choice between new and old houses Gareth believe this ol' boy. They all need work and titivating! Anyway Keepers is beautiful and a credit to you both. Your veg planters are stunning, please do line them as we learnt from our mistake. We've had to do some repairs to ours this and last year, and it's only been 5 years. Looking forward to hearing about the communal lunch next week. Crikey I came all over with envy when I wrote that last line! Have a great week.
Bob
Definitely blame being left handed on the tin opener! Also serrated knives and scissors to name a few. As a fellow left hander I had to adapt - in the 60s there was no time for such nonsense, 'if you can't cut a straight line with your left hand then use your right' the teacher would bellow! Also, during weekly 'writing practice' the two of us left handers who had dared to invade her class were told to sit on our left hands and use our right, as the fountain pens would only work with a right hand. Dreadful teaching, but accepted then, the only saving grace is that I can write with my right hand too! You can see, that now in my 60s, I am totally over my primary school teacher! 😂✒✂️
I was lucky that my mom is also left-handed, so she knew the "pain" I was enduring. Also luckily for me growing up in the 70s and 80s, there started to be a new realization that left-handers *did* need modified tools, and those became more and more available.
I do love being left-handed though !