Wansteadium’s gardening blogger, Ron, 90, has been cultivating his own little patch of Wanstead for well over half a century. Here he offers his thoughts on the summer to come.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll be looking at the blue skies we’ve had over the past few days, rising temperatures and lighter evenings and you’ll be thinking that something within you is awakening once again. For one reason and another I’ve not been able to go into the garden very much over the past few weeks, but I can see the signs of Spring as well as anyone. I can’t wait to get back out there.
So this is a great time of year to be thinking and – literally – plotting what you’re going to do this year. Think what worked last year, what you wished you’d done, or think of something you’ve never tried before. Now’s the time to be planning.
And here’s a thing. I am still eating last year’s produce. These are the last of my parsnips which really need to be dug up now. Parnsips are the first things to plant, and the last things to dig up. They don’t mind the cold and snow, and taste just wonderful however you cook them. It’s best to sow them in soil where you haven’t put anything in the way of compost or fertiliser – you get much neater single roots that way. If there are lots of nutrients in the soil you’ll probably find lots of smaller roots all shooting off, not knowing quite where to grow.
If you are planning your garden this year, why not let us have a photograph of it now, and then send in another one when it’s in full bloom? I’d be really interested to see what my fellow Wanstead gardeners are up to. Our address is wansteadium@gmail.com. Do let me know what your plans are, if you have any.