Inspired by all sorts of food revolutions and grow your own schemes, I decided to give our tenants some home grown delights this year and get motivated on a sunny bank holiday Easter Monday. The garden at the flats in West Didsbury needed a spring clean, it’s in such a sheltered south facing spot that everything runs rampant if not kept under control. I started a half hearted herb garden last year but way too late, so today got my ass in gear and my gardening gloves out.
The rocket above planted last year was flourishing and tastes absolutely gorgeous, so peppery and nothing like the insipid stuff in the supermarket. The garden is looking especially pretty with all the bluebells out and smells amazing at the moment. I want it to be somewhere our tenants really enjoy walking through and sitting in, as well as being useful in a culinary sense.
Last year’s sage is also blooming, delicious with pork, fried until crispy in olive oil or used as a stuffing for roast chicken…
We nipped to the madness which was bank holiday B&Q and picked up some more supplies… a large coriander plant to give freshness to curries, oriental salads or a zing to jasmine rice…
Three different types of chillis, ranging from hot to, er, very hot 🙂 ….
Some newly planted and rather sorry looking (at the moment) curly leaf parsley, which will be perfect with buttered new potatoes, tabbouleh, fish & seafood summer dishes or just as a garnish…
A bit of an experiment with cherry tomatoes planted in one of our central beds. The garden is quite sheltered so I’m hoping with some care and lots of plant food these might thrive!
And finally an apple tree which had already been trained to grow flat against a wall and we popped behind one of the railway sleeper benches and tables in the garden where tenants can sit and have a glass of wine or read the paper!
I felt a real sense of achievement today, like something good have been done. Just got to prevent Rip Rap from touching any of them now, as he is the kiss of death as far as plants are concerned! What with all this planting and the guys painting all the stone cills and sorting the doors, it feels like I’m actually getting ahead of things at the moment… #dontspeaktoosoon!
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