In the Bleak Mid Winter..
This is the time of year when I am really finding it hard to find things to blog about down on the allotment. But on closer inspection there are hopeful signs on the horizon.
I still have a few sticks of brussels sprouts left, but I noticed that my Purple Sprouting Broccoli 'Rudolph' is showing signs of progress. Just nestled at the top of the plant is the first little purple floret. All the side shoots look vigorous and healthy. Fingers crossed for the first harvest of the year. All I need is a few warm, sunny dayt....
My rhubarb is having a lovely sleep. These dormant buds just showing on the surface of the soil will burst out in a few weeks. What I intend to do in the next couple of days is to give the whole rhubarb patch a deep covering of well rotted manure compost. About 6 inches should do it! Rhubarb are greedy feeders, they will repay the gift and will appreciate the luxury!
Last Summer saw my best ever crop of parsley. It is surprisingly hardy, and even under a few inches of snow I could dig down for a bunch of parsley. It is doing just fine right now. I will be able to pick until Spring, but it is a biennial plant, related to parsnip. This year it would send up flower spikes and go to seed. I might just let one of the plants do that - a prezzie for the bees!
posted by Matron @ 5:40 PM
12 Comments:
Your parsley looks great. I intended ot get a cloche on mine but the dreadful cold spell beat me to it.
Oh yes! Let the Parsley seed, I've found it the best way to get new plants. I let mine self seed and then transplant the seedlings.
Must go and check the rhubarb, 12 years and I haven't yet managed to establish a plant here!!!
Celia
Veggies looking good in the garden. Broccoli, rhubarb and parsley all coming along nicely...how wonderful to have them throughout the winter!
I'm going to give parsley a go this year, as my rabbits love it and it'll help reduce their food bills... as well as the plethora of other culinary uses :) If you're open to suggestions for bee-friendly herbs (as most are when in flower), I would thoroughly recommend hyssop as it seems to draw a lot of bees and insects in my front garden.
Another parsley grower, but mine is not as verdant. I've discovered that if you uproot a plant and then put it indoors in water it grows away for several weeks until you need it. Should I rotate it with my parsnips and carrots?
I have 2 short rows (like short planks?) of parsley and like you, I was able to pick it to use by scrabbling under the snow. It looks a bit floppy just now but has new shoots coming. Lovely stuff and much under-rated and under-used.
Bought some rhubard seeds a while ago and am looking forward to trying them out soon... you've got some lovely parsley there...
Hi Matron
The garden does look bit gloomy at the moment but like you I've spotted some positives - bulbs just breaking the surface, Pak choi still surviving despite the snow and some brassicas still hanging on there!
Just look at all of that wonderful parsley...very nice. I am going to have to try growing the cold hardy purple sprouting broccoli again. We tried it once and got lots and lots of foliage, tasted good steamed, but no heads to speak of.
There's lots of promising things to come. I must go check on my broccoli, it's a while since I visited my plot owing to the weather.
I will have to try growing the purple broccoli. It looks very pretty and any color is more than welcome these days.
How fabulous to see signs of tasty life even at this time of year. I love purple sprouting broccoli, and having just got my first allotment, it and broad beans are my number one priorities!
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