Cabbage Golden Acre

Time to harvest? I'm ready to make vegetable soup!

The seed pack describes this variety as, "fast growing, early, traditional favourite." This may be one of only two cabbages I manage to get this summer without being devoured by caterpillars. I am definitely a fan of container gardening!

Variety: Cabbage Golden Acre, Homebase, 175 seeds, 39 pence per pack.

Spring Onion (Chives)

These Spring Onions are perrenial as they come up evey year. Not sure if they can be eaten (I imagine) however I generally use them for colour and to deter pests from other plants.... love the flower heads (which can also be eaten). This year I grew Spring Onion White Lisbon for eating (they are delicious) which I've planted in the ground and in containers. They grow better and faster in containers (probably as my ground isn't the most fertile).

This picture was taken in June; pictured left of the spring onion are sunflowers and left again, potatoes - all grown a bit too close together but I still got results. (see 11 August blog for how much the sunflowers grew in 2 months).

Pest Problem - Cabbage Golden Acre

I think this is slug damage... doesn't look very good. This is why I grew potatoes, cabbage and lettuces in pots this year and actually the pot grown cabbage is twice the size already (see 12 Aug posting) with the seedlings all grown at the same time. Variety: Cabbage Golden Acre, Homebase, 39 pence per pack.

Salad Container Gardening (Cabbage, Salad, Leek, Spring Onion)

I seem to have less problems with pests, particularly slugs, with container gardening. And it’s great to pop out the back door for salad and spring onions! Grown from seed...

Variety: Cabbage Golden Acre, Homebase, 175 seeds, 39 pence per pack.
Result: Grows well in pots; those grown in the ground are savaged by slugs.

Variety: Spring Onion White Lisbon, Carters Tested Seeds, 550 seeds, 79 pence per pack.
Result: Taste great, easily grown. Slugs/pests aren’t a problem.

Variety: Leek Musselburgh, Carters Tested Seeds, 350 seeds, 79 pence per pack.
Result: Really yum! They grow great in pots; will grow most anywhere. Slugs/pests aren’t a problem.

Salad Variety: Leaf Salad Lettuce Mixed, Carters Tested Seeds, (Pack contains a mix of Red, Cos, red-tinged Batavia and oak-leaf lettuce varieties, 1,500 seeds, 79 pence per pack.
Result: Easy to grow. I’ve been eating salad all summer from one sowing. The only downside is the red salad gets slightly slim-like when washed, but it looked good in salads.

Salad Variety: Rocket, Thompson & Morgan, 250 seeds, £1.50 per pack.
Result: This is the first time I’ve grown rocket and it bolted very quickly, not sure why? Perhaps I didn’t water it enough.

Variety: Looseleaf Lettuce (crinkly leaves; this variety doesn't grow to form lettuce heads, but instead the leaves are joined at the stem). This lettuce was a gift; grown from seed.
Result: Pictured in the container with leeks and spring onion, I didn't particularly like this lettuce. It looks good but it attracts loads of greenfly!

Pepper (California Wonder)

I love growing from seed rather than buying plants in shops. This year I'm growing peppers for the first time. Sown in May/June indoors, I'm hoping to get peppers before it gets too cold (although they are in a conservatory which helps). Variety: California Wonder by Thompson & Morgan, 30 seeds, £1.50 per pack.