"How goes the work?" is a favourite phrase from the Farmer Duck book. Having read the book numerous times to small children, it's become a rhetorical question - a sort of milestone to judge progress - or maybe just a pat on the back - that gets asked when I've spent time working in the garden ... or elsewhere.
The answer after yesterday's toiling in the soil, is Yes, the work is underway. But there's still a lot to do, especially in the veg garden.
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| Yes, this IS the 'veg' patch - covered in self seeded pollinator attracting flowers. |
Having spent most of last year ignoring the veg patch garden (no time, no tap, dry summer, excessive heat, dry water butts), it was all just too much overwhelm. So much easier to buy food from the shops.
But that's missing the point, for me anyway. The satisfaction gained from ticking off a long list of jobs to do is huge. Plus the excitement of watching seeds become leaves become veg become something tasty. And just being outdoors, working, watching, listening - it's hard to beat, especially when the sun is shining and bees are buzzing.
So do we see the garden as hard work ... or ongoing surprise, gently unfolding?
I guess it depends. I'm trying to be realistic about what I can get done in the time I have. Work/Life balance as they say.
An egg box of chitted potatoes, broad bean seeds and onion sets stared accusingly at me every time I opened my car boot (aka the travelling shed). I'd put them there so they were available to plant whenever I had five minutes to spare. Hah! - who am I kidding! (It was definitely not a five minute job.)
So I finally cleared my diary for a day to be spent in planting, digging (yes, I know ... No Dig, etc, but I have to break up the lumps in my clay based soil), and sowing seeds. No distractions - well, nearly none but a small yellow breasted Great Tit popped in now again to feast on bugs. Hard to resist standing still to watch.
It was glorious.
The sun peeked out occasionally, as did the rain clouds, but I was determined not to lose focus. I worked and worked and then when I knew I'd exhausted my energy levels, I worked some more - fetching a can of water and sowing a few rows of beetroot and carrots before closing the garden for the evening.
The potatoes were planted in the space where I had grown Jerusalem Artichokes. Just to be certain, I dug over the patch again just in case any tiny moochers had escaped my previous forensic excavation. They had ...
... and all starting to sprout.
I'm tempted to replant a fair few - this time in a raised bed so that they're more controllable. They are delicious after all!
But I also have a small bag of Dwarf Jerusalem Artichokes given to me by Suttons at the Garden Press Event earlier this year. These are allegedly less invasive than the ones I've grown in the past - obviously a popular choice as they're now sold out online. Mine are now planted in a marked bed; it will be interesting to see how they grow and taste, but I'm most curious to see if they flower!
And just in case they don't, I'm pushing a few sunflower seeds in as well. Not in the same spot though!
What's Next? Back to the seed box, clearing weeds in the Veg Trug garden and filling those water butts as there's dry days ahead (allegedly).
It's all go!
