Sunday 24 July 2011

Fruit better than veg.

Every yer I try to grow veg. Tomatoes, chilies, cucumber, sometimes a courgette plant or aubergines. When we had the allotment I had success. Fahed built us a poly tunnel and we had some many of those little Lebanese cucumbers that we could barely cope (but of course we did, my family are mad for cucumber). We had wonderful raspberries, good crops of potatoes. We were all involved and it was great. When we moved to our current house we gave up the old allotment as it was too far to travel.

We had a closer one for a year or so but it was a new allotment and we just couldn't keep on top of the weeds even with help from the rest of the family. The council built houses on the local allotments and then set up new ones on horses field. All we could grow were 'dung weeds' in the three inches of soil that topped the mounds of clay. My dad, who has been gardening for about 65 years, told us we should get rid of it and he was right. It was unmanageable.

We dug up the fruit trees and currant bushes and divided them between us. My share of those fruit plants is still about the only thing I can grow. This year I plant tomatoes and peppers. I also planted a massive planter of Italian Parsley. The tomatoes look 'okay' but no more than that. The peppers look like they have survived some kind of nuclear attack. The parsley didn't even show its head about the parapet.

I had a good crop of red currants and even more of black currants. The cherry tree is on a quiet year but usually crops more than we can eat. The apple tree is heavily laden.

I have two questions. Why cant veg grown on trees? I seem to be well better able to cope with trees.
Shall I just give up on the vegetables and stick in a couple more fruit trees?
Actually maybe three questions. Is it worth buying a greenhouse? My preferred vegetables, the salad type, need more comfort than my garden offers.

I do like fruit. My black currant crop was fantastically delicious. My love of veg is even greater. Doh!




2 comments:

  1. At least you can grow fruit. I am envious since I can grow neither.

    ReplyDelete
  2. True, we get plenty of rain here. You ahve a whole differnt struggle going on.
    Lizzie

    ReplyDelete

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