The plant factory
After suffering yet another bout of parsley rationing, this year’ production is the biggest ever. In fact every single seedling that appeared from the whole packet of ‘forest green’ seeds is in my garden somewhere. To break up the sea of petroselinum crispum in the Potager, I also planted some of my old favourites; courgettes, dwarf French Beans, sweetcorn and rhubarb chard ‘rainbow mix’. I’m also trying a few different edgings including dwarf sage and some blue alpine asters, both homegrown.
The thought of hollyhocks transports me back to family holidays in sunny France, where the soaring spires are grown in tiny patches of concrete like soil, in towns and villages everywhere. Being well aware of what a spell of heavy rain and an easterly wind can do to tall stately plants I have sensibly resisted growing them in my West Cork plot. Then a brief Spring shower while visiting a nearby Garden Centre saw me take cover amongst their extensive range of seeds. Before I knew it a packet was purchased unwittingly transforming me into a neurotic plant minder, oh dear. Now here I am seeing off frisky dogs and fighting cats, thinking up the next level of support for my althaea rosea, fashioned out of bamboo canes and enough twine to knit a scarf. Deep down I know it’s never going to be enough, these flower towers want sunshine not string. I told myself so, in future I will simply get out my collection of holiday ‘garden’ snaps, for memories the pain free way.
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My latest best friend is, amaranthus, what a glorious plant. My “love truly does lie bleeding” for this dramatic specimen and I don’t understand why it is not more widely planted. It’s easy to grow from seed and an eye catcher like no other. I want to plant them everywhere but now appreciate the value of restraint in the garden. Moderation was also used when planting out the cosmos ‘psycho’, candytuft, and the aster ‘ostrich plume’ which were all meticulously grouped in different beds to accentuate their individual charms. This means that I can really let my hair down with my mate, amaranthus, what about a large heart shaped bed stuffed full for the ultimate wow factor!
After a long wait, the first of the raised beds were suddenly ready for planting back in early summer. Edged with funky yellow treated timber (the Builders Merchants choice not mine!) the two beds measure in at 16 foot by 4 foot. One of them has been lined to stop weeds and being used as storage for my expanding stock of perennials in pots. For the other I used all my stock of spare seed packets including various annuals, wallflowers, a tall fragrant flower mixture, lettuce, radishes and carrots. I also found a range of “mini veg” seeds, ideal for the lonesome vegetable eater, which even had cooking tips on the label too. I’m having a go at cabbage, parsnip and turnip knowing if I forget about them they won’t become inedible. This left just enough room for a bit more Parsley… for emergency use only.
Written 9th May 2005
