Veg, the plot thickens
For those of you who listened to Sunday's Beechgrove Potting Shed you would have heard us be-moan the fact that we all lost an hour's sleep when the clocks went forward. But boy-oh-boy, any grumbles we may have had soon disappeared by evening when we were rewarded with a glorious hour of daylight hailing the advent of British Summer Time. Oh what to do with all this extra time? It's too late to plant those desiccated tulip bulbs languishing in the shed since 2007, but there is one thing I can do - and I'm going to urge you all to follow suit; and that's to prepare a plot for growing veg. It doesn't matter if you have a window box, a balcony with a few pots, or acres of billowing flowers worthy of Gertrude Jekyll, there's always room to squeeze something in. There's nowt to beat having your vegetables from plot to plate in a matter of minutes, and this week I was blessed (and I don't use that word lightly) when Carole Baxter presented me with a bundle of fresh asparagus, picked from her garden just an hour before. Oh, I just can't tell you how wonderful it was. Now, I've tasted asparagus more times than I'd care to think - well I've eaten it about half a dozen times if truth be told - but never have I tasted any as sweet and as succulent as Carole's crop. Lightly boiled for a couple of minutes, dressed with melted butter, and I was in heaven!
I know Carole is the Queen of Scottish Gardening, and everything she touches turns to gold, but she assures me that with a little care and preparation, anyone can grow this fabulous vegetable. And a decent plant can last up to 20 years, not a bad yield for an initial outlay of around a tenner. So that's top of my list for this year, what's yours?? Email me at the usual address and let me know. And to raise the stakes a bit, why not try something you've never grown before! I'm really keen to hear the results.
Which leads me neatly on to our brand new 'Get Gardening series', where we send our experts out to give you much needed advice with any problem area you may have. We already have a few visits under our belts in the Glasgow and Edinburgh area, the first of which will be featured on the programme on the 10th April. But there's still time to get involved, just get in touch either via email, or write to The Bechgrove Potting Shed, BBC Radio Scotland, Beechgrove Terrace, Aberdeen, Ab15 5ZT, tell us a bit about you and your garden and we may be able to help.
As we gallop toward April, gardens up and down the country are bursting into life. Each year it never ceases to amaze me how quickly patches of brown earth and bare branches come to life, and it's not just day to day the garden changes and develops, it's every minute of every hour. You may think I'm exaggerating (as if I would), but just take a look at that ground-elder, sniggering at your futile attempts of eradication as it snakes its way through your precious plot. This time of year I daren't turn my back for a moment but it's forcing its way onto centre stage of my herbaceous border. In fact last week our lovely guest Sinclair Williams said the only sure fire way to get rid of the blighter was to move house! But if that's too drastic a measure (although don't dismiss it out of hand - it's less stressful than weeding!!) you could always try container-planting. And this Sunday the multi-talented Jim McColl joins me in the Shed, to give the dos and don'ts of creating the perfect patio. I also plan to pick his brains about what to do to revive my now sorry looking lawn. And don't forget the Beechgrove Garden starts again on the 4th of April on BBC One Scotland, in a brand new slot, Monday evenings at 7.30. Also joining me on Sunday is our resident lounge lizard Colin Stirling, and between them I'm sure there's not a garden problem the boys can't answer!
Look forward to speaking to you on Sunday....
Take care and happy gardening...
Theresa
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