Adam's Garden

A relative of mine with a predilection for becoming swept up in the excitement and hubbub of public auctions, and consequently making bids for items that quickly lose their lustre when required to be put to some sort of use, appeared on the scene several years ago with what can only be described as a monkey cage. It was about eight feet long and four feet in width and height and costructed with heavy gauge wire, and in the absence of any immediate requirement on the farm for such an object it lay in the field next to the garden for several seasons, gradually becoming part of the landscape. The cage was too small for a dog pound and unsuitable for chickens and, with an angle iron frame, very heavy and difficult to manoeuvre. For a time it was no more than a white elephant but eventually I came up with a use for it.

After disentangling the cage from the goose grass and nettles several of us carried it into the orchard where it now acts as a free-standing frame for climbers. One side supports mangetout. The variety is Oregon Sugar Pod, which I have grown with great success for the past two years. The pods get sweeter as they swell and the idea is to pick them at the point where they are at maximum sweetness yet still tender. They can be added to salads or boiled for just a minute and eaten hot. Unfortunately this year they have fallen prey to creatures unknown but suspected to be rodents - the young shoots were repeatedly bitten off just above ground level. I had previously seen rabbits in the vicinity and initially held these responsible but soon noticed a number of mouse runs emerging from under the cage. At this point I should add that there is an old carpet inside the cage to suppress weeds, with the mangetout growing on the outside. The vermin appeared to be holing up under the carpet - the first year this has happened - a perfect place to make dawn raids on the produce. My mean streak surfaced and I felt the only course of action a dose of rat-killer, placed strategically at the tunnel entrances. After several re-sowings the mangetout are recovering but will crop rather later this year than last. I usually stagger sowing to ensure longer cropping.

One end of the cage supports five tomato plants. The main tomato crop is grown in the greenhouse and consists of larger varieties so these five are usually cherry tomatoes and this time I am trying out 'Sungold Red', an F1 hybrid that came free with a gardening magazine. They have struggled a little, due to the slightly cooler conditions of late, yet I am sure they will recover once there is an upturn. The one big disadvantage with growing cherry tomatoes is the urge to pick and eat them straight off the plant as they ripen; the consequence of this is there are none left for the table - a great shame because they are excellent in mixed salads. They also make good canapés hollowed out and stuffed with cream cheese, sprinkled with black pepper.

Over the other side of the cage, opposite the mangetout, are trained climbing French beans. Or rather there should be! This year only one seedling has emerged so far, and the most likely culprits are once again the mice. I think they eat the seed before germination takes place. Slugs love the small plants but there are plenty of pellets down to deal with them, and you can always tell if they are responsible because the stumps are usually left as evidence. Once the plants are established they grow quickly, the tendrils clambering over the top of the cage and reaching towards the mangetout and tomatoes. The mangetout only grow as high as the roof and the tomatoes are kept at a similar height which means that by late summer the whole framework is covered in greenery. One year I tried nasturtiums and Eccremocarpus in place of the French beans but found these a little vigorous and although the effect was pleasing a large degree of cutting back was required.

I have finally finished the pergola. It is approximately twenty feet long by fourteen wide, supported by six large posts and constructed predominantly of six by two treated timber. One end is covered in sheeting as rain cover, the other open in the conventional manner. Already the Cobaea I planted by the fence at one end is racing up the wire trellis. This is a vigorous tender perennial from Mexico, commonly called 'cathedral bells' or 'cup and saucer plant' on account of the flower shape. In the wild it reaches 70 feet but I am only growing it as an annual so it should stop well short of that. In a previous article I did refer to this plant as a half-hardy annual. I apologise for the error.

Adjacent to these I have put in some Cajophora lateritia 'frothy', in this country a half hardy annual climber. The plant protects itself with stinging leaves, but this property disappears by the time the coppery orange flowers are produced. The blossom then changes hue through apricot before fading to pure white. I only came into possession of the seed as a substitute for my original unavailable selection from a mail order merchant. The germination rate was poor so I ended up with only three plants for my efforts, and one of those looks rather sickly.

As my seed-raised plants are coming into flower it is interesting to find out which varieties have turned out better than expected, and vice-versa. In the first category has to go Bartonia aurea, also known as Mentzelia lindleyi or 'blazing star'. The yellow flowers on this low growing annual have five petals that are pinched at the tips, producing an unusually well-balanced shape which is complemented by the toothed leaves. Another success is the annual Nolana 'shooting star' which is suited to containers and hanging baskets. The leaves, not dissimilar to those on a potato plant, spread out well and the blossom is sky blue. My potted lilies have turned out well and fit nicely behind perennials with just the top half visible. Although I haven't grown lilies before I gather they like their feet in the shade, rather like clematis, so the border is a better place than in the open.

Over the next two weeks I shall get into some serious weeding and feeding. It takes a lot of effort at this time of year just keeping weeds at bay because everything is growing so fast that the garden can just get out of hand. The grass continues it's unrelenting progress so I shall be out around the farm with the mower and strimmer for several hours today.

The new-look garden is taking shape nicely, with the borders filling out well. Sadly there is no more space for new plants without overcrowding. The sun isout and the scent of sweet peas fills the air; a gentle breeze is rustling the trees.......time to get going.

You can find more articles in the archive under Soiled Hands.

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