Who is winning now?
Couch Grass: 0, Me: 1 (and 10 sore fingers)
Believe it or not, I did it! After 4 days (not whole days, but a couple of hours each) and generous help from my husband and son, I did it! The whole plot is weed-free, the compost has been dug in everywhere, almost the whole rock border has been renewed, and the paths are cleaned. I am so, so proud!
Kelvedon Peas
And that’s not all—our beautiful spring Peas are in. Are they growing happily? Hopefully! My boys planted them and built them a support (ok, ok, the support is not really "supportive" so far as it’s easily blown by the tiniest wind, but we will fix it eventually :D).
The Red Stem Scallion Bouquet Hack
Apart from them, I planted Scallions. Pro-tip from my AI: plant them in bunches! Every 15–20cm, I put 7–8 seeds in one hole. They are apparently supposed to grow in clusters and push each other to the sides. You can then harvest them as a bunch and eat them together. I can't wait to see if it really works!
Carrot Therapy: The 20cm Deep Secret
And there’s more! The Radishes also went in. And not just in one place, but two! The first spot is my planned plot (14.5m – 15.0m). I planted them the old-fashioned way: crumbled the soil, put them in, tapped the soil on top, and watered them.
The other place is the 1.3m – 1.8m section near the lake side! Remember, I have 10 additional meters where I’m following the gardening club’s plan.
There, it’s Radishes mixed with Carrots. I tried this last year, but I ended up with only two carrots—really! I tried planting them three times and failed.
So, this year, I again asked my AI... is there a secret to growing carrots? I always thought anybody could grow carrots; they are so cheap in the store!
Guess what AI said?
Yes, there is a secret. The soil has to be very, very fine and deep (at least 20cm). If the tiny carrot seed hits a rock or a big piece of soil, the root will split, and you end up with either no carrot or a weird, twisted shape.
So, that’s what I did. I dug a big hole and loosened the soil again and again with my hands, my hoe, and the rake until it was the finest soil possible. I made big mounds and finally put the tiny carrot seeds on top. I added some radish seeds too—I didn’t question it, the gardening club said to grow them together! I covered it with even finer soil, watered it, and voilà!
It seems like such a laborious way to get a few carrots :D. I can’t wait to see if it works.
Will the radishes in my experimental part grow better or worse than the club’s plan? We will see! I’ll post pictures as soon as they sprout from the ground (if they do! :D).
Spinach: The Slug's Favorite Restaurant
Is that’s all?
Not at all! :D I also planted one “Chou Pointu”, a couple of Onions, and 6 Shallots. Oh, and the highlight—nice, green Spinach. I had to put “anti-limace” (slug) protection around them because, according to our gardener, snails love spinach even more than people do. If we don’t protect them, we won’t harvest a thing!
Uff, a lot of work! But what satisfying work. I just love, love how the garden is starting to look.