I am still cheerfully pretending I am a gardener and can grow stuff that doesn't immediately go brown and crispy or limp and slimy. The main indicator of this is the grass in the front and back garden which has not been cut for ages. We are now in real danger of losing the cat if she strays too far from the kitchen door. Maybe I should tether her with some string so we can haul her in if she gets in over her head?
My little herb garden is also thriving and I even planted garlic. Someone at work told me you can just......plant garlic cloves, and they'll grow and stuff. So I did and now promising little green spikes are poking out of the ground. I can't believe I might be able to eat garlic I grew myself! (By the way, come the time, how do you know when it's ready, short of digging it up for a look-see?)
There is also a basil plant on my kitchen window sill - one of those ones you buy at the supermarket and which usually die in 10 days. But this one is flourishing. I have had it for weeks, have had many wonderfully squashy cheese, tomato and basil sandwiches from it (just the basil part, obviously, not the cheese and tomato. I'm good but I'm not that good) and it is still growing and is now flowering! Another flowering plant in my house! My mother is frankly astonished. (Oh and, by the way, if flowers appearing on your Sainsbury's basil plant is a sure sign of imminent plant death, please don't tell me. I am enjoying the pretence of being a capable gardener.)
Last but not least, my mint which I re-potted all by myself continues to sprout, vigourously trying to escape the confines of the pot. Unfortunately, the aforesaid cat, who used to content herself with eating grass, has discovered the joy of mint ("It's in a pot! On the patio! Like a little gift! I don't even have to get my paws wet if I want a wee snack!) She has been having a fly chew when I'm not looking. Or rather when she thinks I'm not looking. She hasn't quite grasped the concept of windows. So my mint is looking a little nibbled at the moment. On the plus side, when she throws up what she has eaten on the kitchen floor, as she most surely will, it might smell a little fresher than usual.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
My supermarket herbs always die within a week, so you're doing well Loth. I envy your basil tending. What's your secret?
ReplyDeleteMrs B once spent a summer tending to some runner beans. She planted about 12 of the damn things and her return........One tiny little bean, Not per plant either, one bean between the 12. Thankfully I'm not a fan so she did not have to share it.
ReplyDeleteYou can tell when your garlic is ready cos the leaves start to die back, they go yellowy and limp. Keep your (green)fingers crossed for a bumper crop!
ReplyDeleteWell done with the basil too, I think flowers are a sign of a mature, healthy plant.
Mint is from the same family as catnip I believe. I am planning on buying some catnip for a wee pot on my deck. You can take a leaf and rub it on one of your cat's toys for a bit of fun.
ReplyDeleteAll my seeds have sprouted and I've re-potted my tomatoes, eggplant and brussel sprouts. Just plant a clove? Hmmmm. Will have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteI have a basil planting kit, you know, some seeds, a pot and some earth-type material. Not having much success as of yet, but I suppose I have to put the seeds and the earth into the pot and water it. Which I haven't done yet. So I guess no squashy cheese, tomato and basil sandwiches for me yet. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteOh, I just looked at your sidebar. I LOVED 'A Distant Echo'! V. v. good book.