Andrew Oldham writes about gardening at Pig Row. Pig Row is split into three gardens over a quarter of an acre in Scouthead. Visit at: www.lifeonpigrow.co.uk
JUNE HERALDS the start of summer. You may be sat there reading this column and rolling the word around your mouth: ‘summer’.
It may even puzzle you as something you distantly remember but you just can’t put your finger on it.
Summer is traditionally warm and sunny, it makes you smile and the mere mention of the word ‘sunny’ should get the sides of your mouth twitching upwards. ‘Sunny summer’ should result in a beaming grin but we all have been robbed of those grins over the last two years.
The last few summers have sulked, and we have sulked with them. Our plants have sat in the ground sulking, our vegetables have gone one step further and simply keeled over and died.
Let’s get it out there: 2012 was a bad year for gardeners – probably the worst on record, enough said. Let’s move onwards and upwards. We simply have to get over it.
No matter what the weather predicts in 2013 we have to deal with it – and in a bid to get over it and to move onwards and upwards at Pig Row we have invested in a polytunnel.
You may not have room for the greenhouse or a polytunnel in your garden but have you ever considered that windowsill? You know the one; it’s full of nick-nacks, curios, ornaments, and dust magnets.
You could do something radical with it this summer and plant it up. A few ornamental pots with drip trays to save the paintwork and you could have a windowsill full of salads and tomatoes.
No matter what the weather you will still find yourself smiling at a window full of produce. It will be like a harvest festival and if every house in your street copies you, there may some bartering to do.
