| IN THIS ISSUE | |
| > | Weather |
| > | Harvesting |
| > | Recipe |
| > |
Recent sowings & plantings |
| > | Pests Corner |
| > | Gardening hints for February and early March |
| > | Fred's shed |
| > | Gift ideas |
| > | Other news |
| > | Customer Survey |
| > | Planning |
| > | Delivery Dates |
Welcome to the February edition of the eNewsletter.
Weather
December was exceptionally cold across the UK, with mean temperatures some 5 °C below the 1971-2000 average, the coldest December in over 100 years. A minimum temperature of –21.3 °C was recorded at Altnaharra (Highlands) on the 2nd. The number of days with air frost was the highest for December for over 50 years. Snowfalls occurred in almost all areas, especially in the first week and from mid-month until Christmas (but we didn't get much here).
December was, however, generally drier and sunnier than normal. Provisionally, it was the driest December over the UK since 1963. It was a very sunny month in the west and north, with over twice the normal amount and, provisionally, Northern Ireland and western Scotland enjoyed their sunniest December on record. In contrast, it was a dull month in south-east England with around 60% of average sunshine.
As I write it is rather blustery, but warm: the air temperature is 12°C . It is always a worry when high winds are forecast; above about 70 mph the glass starts to blow out of the greenhouses, especially if it's not raining at the same time.
Harvesting
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The soil in our garden was frozen to a depth of 6 or 7 inches (15-18cm) and John found it hard to extract the root vegetables for Christmas dinner. As John predicted, all of the lettuces were mush when they thawed out. We have have been eating our own tomatoes since mid January (John grows tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and aubergines in a corner of one of our greenhouses). At least one cricket lives there too, but he is heard and never seen. Commercial crops of winter cauilflowers, Dutch white and red cabbages and purple-sprouting broccoli (PSB) have been killed outright or badly damaged by the severe weather. However, our garden is very sheltered and has the benefit of the vent from the central heating boiler. We are picking Santee PSB which was planted on 1 July and the Claret is looking really good - it should help fill the 'hungry gap' in April/May. Our kales, Brussels sprouts, January King cabbage and overwintered caulis are all thriving. We are also enjoying leeks, parsnips and celeriac (slightly damaged; we should have protected it under straw). The Autumn King carrots are still in good condition (in the ground, with no protection). The brassicas from the winter vegetable selection are fine, as are winter purslane, lamb's lettuce and land cress. |
The chard from last May planting was levelled but is shooting again. The flat-leaf parsley survived better than the curly-leaved variety.
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| Flat-leaf parsley | Winter Purslane | Land Cress |
Recipe
Younger daughter Ele is through to the next round of the Rotary Club's Young Chef of the Year competition in Bury St Edmunds this Saturday. Here is one of the dishes she is making. We have done the taste tests: it is really wonderful.
| Winter vegetable
Dauphinoise: Serves 4 as a side dish (looks good in individual ramekins). 1 small celeriac 3 potatoes 2 medium parsnips 3 cloves garlic Olive oil melted butter 150mls Double cream combined with 150mls milk (alternatively 300ml single cream) Nutmeg |
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Rub round
inside of heatproof dish with mixture of crushed garlic and oil.
Slice
vegetables into very thin slices and layer in dish interspersing layers
with salt, ground black pepper and additional garlic if you are so
inclined.
Brush the final layer with melted butter and sprinkle with
salt and a liberal dusting of nutmeg.
Bake at 150 degrees for 1 hour or
until vegetables are soft when pierced with a skewer.
NB. Be
flexible with the amount of cream. You want to top up your dish to just
below the level of the brim. Every dish is different and volume required
depends on how tightly packed your vegetables
are.
Recent sowing & plantings
If you haven't planted any broad beans Super Aquadulce yet, you can do so in February. Garlic is being sent out this week, still time to order.
It's not too late to order any of these, but stocks of potatoes are limited ~ order to potatoes.
The "Speciality Potato Collection" contains 1kg each of Highland Burgundy, Salad Blue and Pink Fir Apple. 1 kg is approximately 13 tubers, enough for about 4 square metres (5 square yards). Price £13.50 (including postage & packing) ~ Speciality Potato Collection.
Pests Corner
Continue to feed wild birds whilst the weather is bad. I counted eight long-tailed tits finishing off the bird pudding yesterday. (Not the one I put out at Christmas but the next one).
The more birds that survive the winter, the more there will be to eat greenfly and other pests in the spring.
Gardening hints for February and early March
If you have any stored produce - onions, squashes, potatoes, apples, etc. - check them over and remove any that show signs of rotting.
If your parsnips are starting to sprout, you can dig them up and then 'heel them in'. You need to bury them on their sides in a shallow-angled trench. Joy Larkom recommends leaving one or two to run to seed: "They grow into exceptionally handsome umbelliferous plants, often 2m (6½ feet) high. Masses of beneficial hoverflies are attracted to flowers." However the seed from our parsnips won't be true to type as Gladiator is a canker-resistant F1 hybrid.
Dig over any areas that you clear but only if the soil conditions are suitable. There is no harm in waiting until the weather is warmer. If you have it, scatter wood ash over the soil, especially where you intend to plant alliums (garlic, onions and leeks). On no account put coal ash or cinders on the garden - they contain heavy metals which are toxic to plants and animals.
Begin to chit seed potatoes: place them in a
clean box or tray - old egg boxes are ideal - with the rose* end upwards
in a cool (8-10°C), light place. This process, known as 'chitting',
encourages the tubers to produce strong, sturdy sprouts, and gives an
earlier maturing crop.
* the end where the tiny buds can be seen
Fred's shed ~ essential tools
| Those of you just starting to grow your own vegetables may be wondering what tools you really need. These are my father's trusty collection. Some of them are over 80 years old and still have their original ash handles. So before you rush out to buy shiny new tools, ask around your family and friends to see if anyone has any spare items, or try local bygones shops or car boot sales. You can also look online, but it is crucial to get the feel of a tool before you buy it - is the handle the correct length and diameter or you? Does it feel right? Does it sound right? (hand-forged spades 'ring' when they are struck); how heavy is it? If you are small or not particularly strong, you can buy smaller versions of spades and forks usually described as 'border'. |  |
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Digging Spade This spade was given to Dad (new) as a wedding present in 1954. Notice the wear on the bottom corners - you can tell he is right-handed. He had just got his first allotment behind the swimming pool (now a housing estate). If you are buying a new spade, choose the best you can afford. I bought John a stainless steel spade less than 15 years ago and already the plastic handle has broken. Gardening Which Best Buy was the Joseph Bentley Stainless Steel Digging Spade £26.99. "Suitable for people 5 feet 2 inches to 6 feet tall". It has a sharp blade - the thinner the blade, the easier the spade pushes into the ground, but it means you have to wear thick-soled boots or shoes to use it comfortably. Also it has a D-shaped handle instead of a T-shaped one, so check it feels comfortable. See also Burgon and Ball stainless steel digging spade with ash handle £29.95 + £4.95 postage & packing. Link to Burgon and Ball stainless steel digging spade with ash handle (Burgon and Ball website). |
Garden Fork This garden fork is known as a
'vor-grain prong' in Wiltshire dialect (vor = four). It is
useful for removing deep-rooted weeds such as couch grass and for
lifting potatoes. It belonged to Dad's father. This sort is
probably not available as it has very sharp tines. Which Best
Buy for people under about 5 feet 2 inches was the Draper
stainless steel garden fork £24 and for taller people the Joseph
Bentley Stainless Steel Digging Fork £26.99. Again Burgon and
Ball do two sizes: digging fork £29.95 and border fork
£27.95.
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Small Fork This is a small fork on a long handle made by Spear & Jackson and given to Dad by my mother. It is useful for cultivating between bedding plants and easier than using a small hand fork. |
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Hoes
Hoes can be confusing as there are several different sorts designed for different purposes. The one on the left is a Dutch hoe, useful for weeding between rows, but can be tricky to control near plants as you push it away from you. Burgon & Ball's Dutch hoe was a Which best buy £24.95 + £4.95 p&p. In the middle is a large draw hoe which we think belonged to my maternal grandfather, Victor John (Jack) Brinkworth, another keen vegetable gardener. This has had several new handles over the years. Dad's tip is to put it in the water butt before use - this makes the wooden handle swell up and stops the head from falling off. This sort of hoe is easier to use close to plants because you draw it towards you (hence 'draw' hoe). It is useful for hoeing off weeds and earthing-up potatoes. Draw hoes seem less popular nowadays, but if you look at old photos of agricultural workers this is the sort they will be using, and they would be hoeing for days on end, singling and weeding. The little hoe on the right is know in the family as a parsnip hoe: the width of the blade = the distance between the plants within the row, which makes it easier to thin out parsnips evenly. It belonged to my Great-Grandfather Palmer and was given to my gran, Lois Palmer when she was a little girl. It is at least 100 years old. Great Grampy Palmer grew enough carrots and parsnips on his allotments to pay the rent on his cottage. |
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Soil Rake Soil rake used for making a seed bed and for removing weeds after hoeing. You can also use the back for making a 'drill' (shallow trench) for sowing seeds into. Which Best Buy was Spear & Jackson Select Stainless Steel 3145EL c.£20. This is lightweight and has a long handle so would suit most people. |
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Dibber Finally, you will need a dibber to plant your veg plugs - ours is scored at inch intervals to aid with spacing. Most should be planted with the top of the compost level with the soild, but leeks abd brassicas from planting more deeply. |
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Gift ideas
Our sundries and gift tokens make useful presents for birthdays, weddings, garden or allotment-warming presents (or even Valentine's Day).
 Hessian Hanging Bag |
 Hand-made Ash Dibber 10" |
 Hand-made Ash 'Wigwam' top |
I am off to the Soil Association's annual conference in Manchester this Wednesday and Thursday.
Customer Survey 2011
The people who get our paper catalogues have been invited to take part in a survey this year. We have made the same survey available on-line, if you are interested in completing the survey, please follow the link below, All completed surveys will be entered into a draw to win a £30 gift voucher.
Planning
For new readers of the newsletter: you can order all the plants you need for the whole season and they will be delivered at the correct time for planting. There are useful cropping plans and other info to download from the website ~ download zone.
There are 4 ways to buy plants from Delfland:
- Pick & Mix ~ single variety, 3 - 5 plants per pack.
- Mini Packs ~ mixed varieties of single species (e.g. lettuce), 10-14 plants per pack.
- Selection Packs ~ mixed varieties of single species; excellent value for larger gardens (50 - 70 plants).
- Collections ~ small numbers per pack, but contain additional
varieties to those available above.
The 'Pot-tastic' section brings together all the varieties that are suitable for container gardening ~ visit ''Pot-tastic' section.
Find suitable plants for schools on our Plants for Schools page.
Delivery Dates
| Dates | Delivery Period |
| existing orders: 7 Feb; continuing until stocks run out | Seed Potatoes |
| planned for w/c 7 Feb - end of Feb | Garlic |
| 14 - 24 March | March ~ brassicas, beetroot, peas, cut & come again salads, strawberries, tomatoes*, peppers* (*for heated greenhouses) |
| 4 - 14 April | April ~ aubergine, cucumbers, melon, peppers, tomatoes, onions, leek, rhubarb, strawberries, sweet peas |
| 3 - 12 May | Early - May ~ globe artichoke, asparagus, beetroot, cardoons, celeriac, celery, chard, leek, salads, strawberries |
| 16 - 25 May | Late May ~ beans, courgettes, pumpkin, squashes, sweetcorn, herbs, leek, strawberries |
| 6 - 16 June | June ~ beetroot, brassicas, fennel, leek, cut & come again salads, strawberries |
| 4 - 14 July | July ~ beetroot, Savoy cabbage, calabrese, leek, salads |
| 4 July - 11 Aug | July & August ~ kales, sprouting broccolis, caulflowers, leek. |
| 1 - 11 Aug | August ~ Oriental vegetables, cut & come again salads |
| 5 - 15 September | September ~ winter purslane, corn salad, land cress, lettuces, rocket, broccoli, cabbage, calabrese, chard, perpetual spinach, mustard, bunching onions |
| 3 - 13 October | October ~ winter purslane, corn salad, land cress, lettuces, rocket, broccoli, cabbage, calabrese, chard, perpetual spinach, mustard, bunching onions, Japanese overwintered onions, garlic |
Don't forget to let us know if you are going to be away and we will try to fit our deliveries around your holidays ~ email your holiday plans.
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©Delfland Nurseries Limited 2011