My sweet peas raise charity cash
Sweet peas are providing buckets of flowers to sell each day. I put them in jam jars on the village green, with an honesty box to raise money for Rainbows Hospice for children. I grow highly-scented, old fashioned ‘Painted Lady’ that dates back to the 1700s, and modern types such as ‘Wiltshire Ripple’, with a maroon stripe on a white ground, and pink and white ‘Mayflower 400', launched this year to celebrate the Pilgrim Fathers' sailing to the New World in 1620.
I made my sweet pea A-frame from hazel rods in February. To maximise space, I’ve planted gladioli and white calendula ‘Snow Princess’ down the middle. I help the sweet peas climb by adding offcuts of twisted hazel. This saves time and money as I don’t have to use string.
I’ve got a matching frame for the climbing French beans. I’m growing new variety ‘Sunshine.’ There are squash plants down the middle and dwarf borlotti beans in front.
I’m harvesting edible peas too. I sowed new variety ‘Valido’ in seed trays in February on the kitchen windowsill and harvested pea shoots three times when the stems got to 12cm (4¾in). The shoots taste like peas and can be used in salads and stir fries. I let plants grow on and planted them outdoors in May.
In March, I wrote about creating a ‘fedge’ around my garden. It's a cross between a fence and a hedge, made from brushwood laid horizontally. Wrens have nested in the twiggy structure and reared two sets of fledglings! Hedgehogs shelter there too, and we’ve seen four hoglets at dusk. I’m remembering to put out water for them, as it’s been dry this summer.
I’m sowing biennials in half seed trays – foxgloves and sweet Williams for next year. I’ve ordered organic seed potatoes from Skea Organics, Dundee (www. potatohouse.co.uk). Planted in bags the first week of August, we'll have new potatoes for Christmas. I’ve joined in with the #GrowSome Sunshine social media campaign by growing sunflowers and donating to the NHS. Sunflowers are good for bees, and seed will provide bird food in winter.
Read more at bramblegarden.com and on instagram at karengimson1.
lMy bucket mini-pond has a gold iris ‘Bengal Tiger’. Damselflies land on the flowers – a constant delight.