Moveable Feasts

(Speaking of feasts, we cannot wait to devour these) 

Easter has come early this year. It can fall any time between March 21^st to April 18th. As well as a time for worship and reflection, traditionally it's a time to get ahead in the garden. But the wet and cold weather of the past few weeks have meant that tasks such as potato planting will have to wait. Besides, there are plenty of other things to be getting on with. 

Rainy days are good days to decide what to grow and where to grow it. We practice crop rotation to stop any build-up of diseases in the soil. Added to that, some crops require full sun, whilst others prefer more shade. 

Potatoes require soil as rich as fruit cake to produce a good crop, so enrichment in the form of manure or garden compost is added to the ground before planting. The following year this bed would grow legumes such as beans and peas. The legumes leave nitrogen in the soil via the roots, so after that leafy crops such as lettuce might be growing in this bed. 

Rotating crops is a lot easier when you have a large garden or allotment but requires more thought with smaller plots. One solution is the old cottage garden principle, where ornamental plants, vegetables and herbs are planted together. Not only is this (to my mind) one of the most beautiful forms of gardening, but the plants seem to benefit greatly. 

Tomatoes grown beside French marigolds or basil tend to suffer less from whitefly attacks. Carrots grown beside allium crops such as onions and garlic seem to suffer less from carrot fly root, as the alliums are said to confuse the fly. 

But whichever way you choose to grow your crops, the most important thing is to plan, and then plant - if it ever stops raining! 

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