So here we are: January 2010.The London Vegetable Garden may not be under several inches of snow like its northern compatriots, but the scene is equally bleak, as demonstrated by the picture above! I've finally got around to cleaning up the balcony and sorting things out in preparation for the year ahead – wherever that may be...
Inspired by dreams of a better way of life (and hopefully, somewhere with a tiny garden!), my girlfriend and I are looking at moving from Hackney in the spring / summer time. From a gardening perspective, with everything starting to bloom and get going, this may not be the most ideal time of year to move, but I'm not one to shy away from a challenge, especially if it results in some actual garden / patio space!
Domestic affairs aside, I plan to crack on with the London Vegetable Garden project as normal. One of the great benefits of growing in 'crops in pots' (Bob Purnell's book of the same title is an excellent resource) is that mobility is a very real, and useful, feature.
When the move does happen (whenever that may be), I'm confident that I'll be able to pack up the London Vegetable Garden and take it with me – how many gardeners can say that! This may mean that I'll have to sacrifice space-demanding plants such as my runner beans this year, but I'm eager to experiment with new vegetables and to apply my learnings from last year this time around.
In the meantime, I've carried out my first balcony gardening job of 2010, set in motion by a visit to London's inspiring Columbia Road flower market. This Sunday, I purchased some early flowering daffodil bulbs, requesting 6 bulbs at £1 for 3. I forget which variety they are – the eagle-eyed amongst you can comment when they have grown – but it's nice to be back on the balcony and planting things after some dreary months of inactivity, as well as having a good old tidy up!
I've planted these in one of my faithful balcony baskets, which of course, is outside. We're experiencing freezing temperatures in London this week, so I hope that this will not have an adverse effect upon their growth! Mind you, these are hardy annuals, so hopefully we'll have something to blog about in a few weeks.
Until then, why not tell the London Vegetable Garden community what you're currently up to in the garden? Simply leave a comment on this post, or visit the London Gardeners' Network, to share your January gardening exploits with the rest of us!
Eek! you're starting early, over the last few years I have failed miserably at not starting to early. This year though I am really going to sit on my hands and try to wait till the end of February to start sowing anything.
ReplyDeleteBut when fellow gardeners start to talk about what they are doing it gets increasingly hard to remain discplined.
I still have my rotation plan to complete and in all honesty I have been draging my feet about it because I know once its done it will take all manner of self control to not start sowing.
Hmmmm?????? maybe I should at least start the aubergines and the sweet peppers they do need a long growing eason after all... Oh dear!!! I don't think I'll last till the end of February. Help!
PS I do look forward to reading up on what you'll be growing this year.
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