Little Helpers

Our competition pumpkin is growly well in an aerial position.  Long may she hold

 I took my little helper Beau who is 3 to the gardens..  I asked him to first pose by the community pumpkin patch as a height guide to show how high the pumpkin foliage has grown.  

Next job was to harvest the Cobra runner beans that have restarted producing thanks I assume to the smattering rain over the past weeks.   Beau loves to eat the beans alfresco and au natural.  He also approves of the Pean flavour - a cross in taste between a bean and a pea.

Richard was today harvesting the last of his Peans to add to his seed stock.  He intends to distribute Peans around the country.  Richard is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to plants and the history of these gardens.

When I asked about the origin of the Pean I was quite surprised by the answer.  I thought it was an accidental recent cross but no its a heritage vegetable.  The Pean was first brought to Banks Peninsula in Canterbury by a Dalmatian family in the 1880's.

It was such a hot day that we decided to spend some time in the shaded end of the glasshouse planting some seeds.   Beau liked the job of filling the seed tray with a potting mix base that I topped up with  some seed raising mix.

As my little helper was having a well earnt lunch break I planted some parsley seed in the hope that it will germinate for our proposed communal herb garden.

A few weeks ago  Liz, Bev, Sarah and I all met  and came up with a plan for a herb garden in the perennial planting area that had been over run with fennel.   It's thanks to Liz that our previous hopeful talk about a herb garden has taken a leap forward.  Over her summer holidays she decided to take on the fennel and began to clear the site for what will become our perennial herb garden.

At the last community work day a team cleaned up the pathway so now we can clearly see the Rosemary plants that will create a hedge running the length of the perennial herb garden.

We  compiled lists of herbs that we felt would be useful either as a culinary, medicinal or scented herb.  The garden will be divided into three separate areas so that those in the community and those visiting the garden can clearly see what herbs are used for culinary, medicinal or for their scent.  All of them will provide an important habitat for beneficial insects and good for bees and this will positively affect all the plot holders.

Every posting I will  profile one the herbs we are hoping will flourish in our gardens.

First a culinary herb I am really keen to have in the garden, Lovage.

As you can see from the above photo it can grow into a giant.  I am a little worried that it may be too dry for Lovage as it is quite thirsty.  It's such a useful kitchen herb and it's size is perfect for the community area as it is just too large for individuals to have growing.  It looks a little like a giant Italian leafed parsley and quite a bit like the true Angelica.

It's nickname is the Maggi herb - because it adds a savoury flavour to soup and stews.  You can use it in moderation to replace celery in recipes and every part of the plant can be used.   Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall of River Cottage fame is a real fan of this herb and gives you lots of ideas of its uses.

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall on Lovage

Sarah is contacting the local herb society to see if we can access cuttings or seeds for our planned gardens.  But perhaps you can help too.  Do you know someone with a good herb garden?  Most herb gardeners are only too happy to share plants or seeds.  We are also open to any suggestions of herbs you would like to have included.  You can either send a message via the comments or email me on Jeanniehayden5@gmail.com.

I have been admiring the plots belonging  to VJ and Clement.  I love that their tomatoes are living a truly urban lifestyle with their  many companions including basil, parsley, petunias, marigolds, cosmos and geraniums... all so tightly packed that you can't even see the soil.  It's a garden equivalent of central Auckland.  The plants seem to love it, they thrive and its a plot that's a joy to look upon.

VJ told me  everything they are growing  has been grown from seed.  It's an outstanding effort.  They share the load of tending the garden and it's visited perhaps three to four times a week.  But they have other helpers in their plots.

At the gardens we are all encouraged to plant flowers and herbs amongst our vegetables to host our beneficial insect helpers.  You may alsosee flowers in amongst the vegetables for companion planting reasons.  VJ and Clement have produced a show plot for companion planting.  One of the more unusual companions are red geraniums that you usually find in window box.

VJ said he saw online they were a companion plant so he gave them a go.  I checked up on this and he's right.....

GERANIUM: -Repels cabbage worms and Japanese beetles, plant around grapes, roses, corn, tomatoes, peppers and cabbage. Geraniums help to distract beet leafhoppers, carrier of the curly top virus.

VJ has grown three varieties of tomatoes in amongst these herbs and flowers.

First row are a very large cherry tomato that is an old favourite in British gardens called Gardeners Delight.   

 The next row has a newer mid sized but hardy and prolific grower called Tommy Toe.   

The third row has the large Beefsteak tomatoes.

 While chatting to VJ he told me of a hint for growing tomatoes.  Plant them out  lying down on an angle close to the soil rather than upright.   The tomatoes will quickly set more roots and the more root structure there is the stronger the plant will be.   

VJ and Clement have been disappointed with their eggplant progress this summer - until they enlisted the help of some rocks.  Placing rocks around the plant increased the available heat for the eggplants and retained the soil moisture.year.  After placing the rocks the plants just took off.

My little helper Beau wisely said it was just too hot to be in the garden so found some shade. He was joined by Latika who had been helping Ramesh harvest their chillis.   I never realised that chillis are in the same family as eggplant, tomatoes, and petunia.

So next posting I will be exploring chillis with Latika and Ramesh.

Another community work day this Sunday the 2nd of March when the community helpers will be planting out more of the autumn and winter greens in the community patch.