h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The garden is about to burst into production And that's despite anything but good weather recently. It's as though the veg plants get enough warmth and water in May/early June, that gives them a head of steam to go on and produce fruit in June/July whatever the weather is like then

Anyway, I picked a broad bean pod this evening and ate the beans out there in the garden I have some sugarsnap peas almost ready. Ditto peabeans. Courgettes are about 3/4 size. Lettuces are already coming out of the ground, along with other salad leaves. Tomatoes are fattening up. Cucumbers are about 4 inches long.

The runner beans have just set this week, as have a few frenchbeans and borlottis. The garlic are huge and the onions have begun to swell. Cabbages and caulis are all just starting to show signs of hearts

I love this time of year out there in the garden. It is all just about to happen

But before it does, I really do need to finish eating last year's frozen veg

Fb

Oh, Fb,

You took me back to when we used to grow our own . There is nothing like picking home grown and eating it with the soil still on!! The taste and smell is nothing like shop bought tasteless, odourless uniform junk!

I am fortunate that I get a lot of fresh stuff given to me, which keeps me busy. I am sprouting beans and alfalfa at the moment which is fun.

Websailor

This time of the year is so good, and for so many reasons

Well done Fb Your fingers must be very, very green How are the soya beans btw?

Sounds wonderful, Fb! Well done!

I don't really have much of a green thumb, nor do I really enjoy gardening. Oh, I do it sporadically, but that's not what gardening is all about, is it? Gardening needs more energy, consistency and planning than I appear to possess. i think the thing I'm missing most (apart from energy) is the planning element. Any tips about becoming more motivated/productive?

Websailor Freshly picked, homegrown food is the best

Gosho Yeah, I know exactly what you mean about this time of year

ZSF Don't think of it as gardening. Think of it as feeding yourself Start with your absolute favourite veg or fruit and try to grow that. See how it goes and how much you enjoy it. Build from there

Fb

Gosho, the soya beans are looking really healthy, although they're a lot taller than 4ft I had to operate on the supports at the weekend and put in extensions The pods are growing quite slowly, but I think they may suddenly take off once the weather warms up again

Taller than four feet? I don't remember mine getting that tall...

4 feet and still growing

Fb, how do you use the soya beans? Fresh or dried? Pods or seeds?

I'm glad your garden is doing so well.

Hypatia

I haven't a clue how I'm going to use them I've never grown them before. Gosho was talking about it a while ago and I decided I'd give it a go. I'll be asking him what to do in due course


Fb

You can boil 'em the way that you normally do dried soya beans, but of course you don't need to soak 'em overnight or cook 'em for so long. You just treat them like any other bean I guess, although I think edamame is uncooked soya beans isn't it? I've had that a few times at sushi restaurants

Sushi?

H

Sushi

You can also pick them when they're very young, green and tender. Shell and cook them like you would fresh green peas.

I've never had them prepared like that, but friends have told me that they're wonderful. Since we used to eat young green lima beans when I was a kid, I suppose the young soybeans would be similar in texture.

My absolutely favourite fruit or vegetable, Fb? Do you know, i don't know what that is? I can't grow pineapples, and growing something like avocados, (are they possible over here?) peaches or pears sounds a bit difficult - I have a garden that slopes very strongly downwards, with no terracing. Oh, figs, I love figs!

I had a little fig tree
and nothing would it bear,
But a silver nutmeg
And a golden pear.

The King of Spain's daugter
Came to visit me
And all for the sake of
My little fig tree!

Where would I get one from - could I grow it in a container? How much sun and water does it need?

I have grown strawberries in the past (not here), but they have tended to get eaten by slugs and stuff. Around here appears to be slug heaven! I like the idea of home grown lettuces, however again, I have a vision of them being eaten before I get to them. I know that vision is a powerful thing and that if I foresee disaster, that's what's likely to happen. Maybe I need to cultivate optimism first.

Figs are easy. Grow in a pot. Keep indoors in a frost-free but cool light room over the winter. Outside in sun in the summer.

Slugs are beatable


Fb

Slugs.

Odd you should bring up slugs right now...

I've just been lugging some firewood into the garage from the patio. Not that I need it in this heat, that's for sure! But we really don't like to have the patio covered in firewood all summer, and there's still some room in the garage, so I finally forced myself to start moving it this morning.

Anyhow...


There's slugs all over the place in that wood! I've been knocking them off the pieces of wood when I see them, but I missed one, and it landed on my foot as I was placing the log on the stack... and I only have sandals on my feet, so it landed on *skin*!

Ewwww! Icky! Bleh!

I shook it off immediately.

Hi, Keeper of Long Afternoon Naps - can I join you I could do with one!!

It's funny - I can tolerate snails but slugs give me the creeps! . We have such huge ones, and every morning there are trails everywhere when I go out to feed the birds

If I move the timber we use for kindling (we have an open fire in the winter) there are dozens of slugs, woodlice s and s, so I gather them all up with a spade and put them out for the birds . With so many babies to feed they grab every morsel they can

We have had rain and wind for the last two days, causing floods, landslips, trees on cars and flying marquees down south. I have two outdoor events on Saturday and Sunday, so keep your fingers crossed and wish me for better weather.

I am taking refuge from and numerous other sports at the moment , so the weekend will be some respite whatever the weather

Websailor

The best way to deal with slugs is to have a hedgehog in your garden. If one ever arrives, do everything you can to keep him, including offering him plates of catfood (any except fish flavour) and water to drink.

If you haven't a hedgehog, put on a rubber glove and go out after dark with a torch and plastic bag and pick up every slug you see. Mrs G once picked up 4 kg of slugs in one evening. (What you do with the slugs afterwards is up to you). After a few evenings of this you will start to notice the difference.

Sushi

Slugs don't bother me. I pick them off the greens in the evening and put them into a mug of cheap beer What a way to go

I hope the weather holds out for you Websailor. I saw a picture from Glastonbury yesterday -


Fb