The climate here is moist....and that is putting it mildly.

But I think we have the most flavoursome strawberries.

Nothing much is happening in the garden here yet.....when the snowdrops appear next month...I'll post a pic.

We have apples, and damsons....much later in the year.

Puts some pics on Camacho, of your harvest, yes?

I can't figure out how to put pictures on here....but I'm going to put some on my blog....although, I've only got ferrets at the moment....adorable, but useless, you can't even eat them......

oblivion....I've just seen your post - so I'm editing this....LOL -

Transport manure overseas? I'm sure that's got to be illegal. If not, it should be. Thanks for the offer lol.

P, I like the word Flavoursome very much. I haven't any pictures just yet but I will post some if there is a good quantity of plants. I have some pictures of previous gardens but I don't know how to post those pictures from my phone. I saw the ferrets and I love'em. Very cool pets!

President Camacho wrote:I'm thinking leeks, lettuce, and broccoli.

No tamaters or peppers? Leeks take such a long time to mature that starting indoors even in the south is prob. a good idea. But what I do is buy a a little peat pot of leek seedlings that the Southern States store sells for about $3. There's 50 0r 60 little leeks in there and I just transplant each one into the garden. I've never bothered starting lettuce indoors, though. I'd think it would be a challenge to grow broccoli in your climate. It never works for me. The weather gets too warm, and unless you keep the plants covered with row covers, the cabbage moths get to them and they get chewed up by the larvae.

Leeks are so hardy though. We've been for a walk in the park this morning with grandaughter, and the path runs along by some allotments. About the only thing left growing are Leeks. They look magnificent and we have just had a really cold snap. It went as low as -12degrees - but the leeks are still doing OK.

There will be parsnips too, but I just couldn't see any today. I always think parsnips are better and sweeter after they've had a frost.....but I'm told this is a fallacy.

We are just digging over the soil right now, to prepare it for the spring plantings. Although if you read books on permaculture, it seems you just chuck straw over the beds and don't dig. It don't look so pretty but it is an easy way to keep down the weeds, keep the soil moist and deter those birds and caterpillars from savaging the seedlings.

The way we start leeks here in Germany (which grow very well over here, btw) is to plant the seed in the bottom of a toilet paper tube or paper towel tube (which is better). They grow to a nice height and stay pale. Then when you transplant them, just dig the whole paper tube with leekling into the ground and let it begin trying to reach the surface again. They become strong and stay white this way. Plus the paper tubes disintegrate in the soil.

That's a good tip, thankyou oblivion.

We live near to the Welsh Border and the Leek is the emblem of Wales, along with the daffodil. Did you know that the older Welsh people, eat leeks fried with rhubarb? It sounds unlikely, as we always have rhubarb as a sweet dish. But I tried it as a savoury fried with leeks, and really liked it. I served it with gammon.....although I can't think what else it could accompany.

I've changed my mind about starting the leeks. I think it's going to be best to start them in the fall so I'll save them for that time. It takes 2-3 months for the seed to germinate from what I've read. WOW that's a long time.

As for the broccoli, I've already had great success with it!!! Just need to be planted as soon as possible. I'll start the broc and lettuce next month. I need to do the lettuce because it just bolts so fast - before it has time to develop a head. You're right about the cabbage. I've never had any luck with cabbage at all.

I'll show some pics of the broc once it's formed a head - it's pretty awesome but you're like.... all that plant for that little bit of broccoli??? hahaha. Well, the fun is in growing it I guess...

I've made this thread the Featured Article on our Home page at http://www.BookTalk.org.

President Camacho wrote:I'll show some pics of the broc once it's formed a head - it's pretty awesome but you're like.... all that plant for that little bit of broccoli??? hahaha. Well, the fun is in growing it I guess...

Just make sure you check them regularly for long green caterpillars. I didn't the first time I grew them. Instead, I proudly picked the broccoli, washed it, cooked it, made a salad of it. At dinner, my 2 daughters, who normally loved vegetables even as children, started screaming and refused to eat. Turns out the salt vinegar and oil washed dead green caterpillars outside of the rosettes which were not to be seen otherwise. I had served my daughters broccoli salad with caterpillars. Since then, I have learned to soak freshly picked broccoli in salt water for ten minutes before cooking and then pick out the live caterpillars (these may then be served separately as a meat dish).

oblivion wrote:

Since then, I have learned to soak freshly picked broccoli in salt water for ten minutes before cooking and then pick out the live caterpillars (these may then be served separately as a meat dish).

You cruel Mummy!!! LOL -

Have you ever grown garlic? It is great to grow. I buy garlands of garlic from France and then, before I use the whole string, it often starts to sprout green shoots.....which I then divide into separate cloves and plant in the garden in a sunny, sheltered spot....and it grows into love garlic bulbs, but I often leave it to flower because it's gorgeous.

Peas are my favourite thing to grow. They are delicious and pretty.