Friday, 6 March 2009

Raised beds

After a day of gentle pottering outdoors and eating alfresco on the deck for the first time this year I didn't think I would have much to blog about today. Pottering seems to be all I'm managing this week after a bizarre turn of events earlier in the week which have left me tossing and turning till the wee hours, anyway, that all changed with a phone call not long ago....

Remember I told you a while ago that I'm cultivating an extra patch this year? Well, that still is the plan but the couple who own the patch have decided to have raised beds put in. Now, anyone who shares my passion for growing veg will understand the excitement that brings.

There are to my mind few disadvantages of raised beds - the effort of putting them in and perhaps their suitability for some root crops (although having said that they are better than standard beds for other root crops).

This is wonderful news - particularly in view of the fact that we have concerns about rabbits, moles, mice and other field dwelling wildlife in that area. Hopefully with the help of netting on the raised beds like this one below we can make the patch much more productive. We won't just be confined to growing hardy roots and can have salad beds, brassicas and more. I've been pondering all this week where to grow my pumpkins this year - this may be the solution.

Broad beans are doing well in my patch, beetroot will be ready for hardening off when these heavy frosts pass, chillies should be almost ready to go out in the greenhouse when it appears and I'm going to put some pea seeds in to soak tomorrow after reading an article about that increasing germination rates.

Off now to find out more about raised beds. Things are certainly hotting up on the gardening front!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

did I comment? Would you mind sharing the raised bed info with me?

Claire said...

Of course, I'll sort it out for you later on

Bridget said...

I would love raised beds and we've talked about having them, but I feel they waste quite a bit of space by having all the space around them, ifkwim! When we have our rows you can use more of the soil. Maybe it would work in a bigger garden like you seem to have! ( No envy in that comment at all!!)

Claire said...

Yes, there is that space issue. I have a standard patch at my place - partly because I wasn't up for the effort of putting in raised beds, partly because we are on a slight slope and partly because even with a big garden I'm always hungry for space :-)

Anonymous said...

Gosh, didn't realise it had been quite so long since I'd been here, my mum told me about the peas a few years ago, never thought that the tip might help someone else. Thoughtless person that I am.