Add a horticultural challenge to your planting
Spring is an exciting time on the plot. New growth is triggered by temperatures edging up and longer daylight hours. When I order seeds each year I aim for varieties known to flourish in our soil and our region. Peas, beans and salads are always much tastier than shop-bought ones when they are freshly picked. Soft fruit loves the Scottish climate so I make plenty of room for strawberries and raspberries. But I crave a bit of excitement as well and it often comes from choosing some eyecatching cultivars. It can be purple mangetout, yellow courgettes or tall pinkflowered heritage peas. Lettuces come in shades of crimson red as well as green. Swiss chard looks good, but mixed with rainbow chard, it’s pretty enough for a flower arrangement. This year I’m trying a variety of kale called Emerald Ice. It has ruffled cream leaves edged with green.
There’s nothing new about enjoying some horticultural challenges as I discovered recently when visiting the National Trust for Scotland’s Pineapple near Stirling, (www.nts. org.uk/visit/places/the-pineapple) built in the late 18th century. Here the Earl of Dunmore’s stately home is now a roofless ruin and all that remains of his chapel is a tower.
As was common in those days, the kitchen garden was built some distance away from the house and its walls have been preserved. With a bit of imagination you can get an idea of the former grandeur of this establishment from the Earl’s remarkable summerhouse in the shape of a huge pineapple flanked on either side by the former gardeners’ accommodation and tool stores.
In times past these walls supported heated glasshouses and hot pits where exotic fruits such as pineapples were cultivated. Melons and peaches were grown there too.
Not many plotholders have greenhouses or polytunnels so our excitements have to come from growing hardy plants. If you have enough space in a sunny position, towering globe artichokes, cardoons and lovage are all guaranteed showstoppers as well as having flowers attractive to bees. Some plotholders
Artichokes, cardoons and lovage are all guaranteed show-stoppers
have their eyes on prizes at the late summer shows. One of our Musselburgh plotholders grows an amazing array of gladioli. On a site in Peebles last summer, I admired some stunning chrysanthemums. If children or grandchildren are joining you on your plot – when coronavirus allows – they will appreciate it if you sow some sunflower seeds. Wigwams of sweet peas are guaranteed to keep you in gorgeously scented cut flowers all summer. ■