It's what friends are for...

Friends have been nothing but supportive over my little project to create a vegetable plot in the garden.

Marianne and Steve know a thing or two about this as they have a thriving allotment near their home in Ramsgate, freely admitting they practically live there. (That's it above).

They're thinking that the space I'm planning might soon expand once I get in the swing of things. Their offer of seeds of crimson-flowered broad-beans and Magnum Bonum is one I might well take up once I know what I'm doing and what produce I need.

My friend Kate suggests I may have left it a little late to plant most things in the veg patch - adding that I should go for salad stuff and could also try spinach beet.

I'm a little worried about animals getting too interested in the plot once it gets going. My daughter Dorothy had a close encounter with a badger at the weekend, which scampered off into the garden, and I saw a fox walking up the lane last night. Are they interested in this sort of thing (foodwise I mean, not in a philosophical way).

Kate says badgers like digging up lawns to look for worms most and hers ignores the veg patch. Jan, a long time friend from Leeds who now lives in Bingley, thinks the rabbits are the critters to keep away from the veg garden - so no lettuce/carrots.

She also says: "Beans are really good to grow - runner beans as well as broad beans - bugs seem to pass them by and bees love the flowers. Ten to a dozen plants don't take up much room - supported on canes they produce a glut of beans that means you can put loads in the freezer for t'winter."

A salivating thought. All that's needed now is a bit of action on my part.

It's coming, it's coming.

My vegetable patch

I have decided to create a vegetable patch in our garden.

It's a big step for someone who doesn't know a seed from a pip (are they the same?) or anything about planting and maintenance. Or, indeed, likes work. Nevertheless, the decision is made. 

Why I've said it, I just don't know. It just came out in the pub - we hadn't been talking about that sort of thing and I hadn't even had it in my mind on that day. Now I'm declaring it publicly on this blog and to my friends, so I've got to do it.

Hard digging is the first task, as I plan to use about one-third of our garden. Some lawn will have to go, along with bushes, and then the earth turned over (is that what they do?)

I'll try to be as organic as possible. Don't know yet at this stage what I'll be planting, but broad beans, rhubarb and potatoes are on the list.

This is a picture of our garden from the front bedroom. I intend to dig up the section at the rear on the left.

Today I have booked a week's holiday next week to start doing it. Got to follow through now or will look a fool.

By the way, daughter Dorothy proved industrious today and repainted the green shed you can see. Good job.

Wish me luck