Lost in Chelsea

A development broadcasting its greener credentials

Migraines are funny things. As well as the headache, I've spent most of this week with a runny nose, not being able to speak or remember properly and fingers insisting on typing dyslexic looking words instead of what my thoughts are telling them to do.

On Monday morning I discovered a new feature of this condition when I lost my ability to get somewhere directly. Thus I eventually found myself at Kensington tube station instead of the Chelsea Flower Show as expected.

Very early stages of preparing for Chelsea in Bloom

The final stages of preparation nearby combined with a little light window cleaning

It did however, give me an opportunity to explore Chelsea in Bloom and life outside of the show instead of afterwards as planned.

Elsewhere everything is in place ready for opening...

... and there's also the opportunity to have some fun

Chelsea in Bloom officially starts on the first members' day of the flower show (i.e. Tuesday), so I hadn't realised not everyone gets ready in time for Press Day.

If I'd gone after the show, then I would have missed seeing Georgie putting the final touches to her display in the Peter Jones window. A wonderful coup for her and the work being done by everyone involved in promoting British grown flowers.

This dead tree was a stark reminder of the importance of Jo Thompson's show garden

Georgie's husband (who was also in the shop window on Monday) was directly involved with Jo Thompson's Stop the Spread show garden as he provided the poignant ash sculpture seen at the entrance.

Here's hoping it's not RIP

Stop the Spread

Salad Days: Off Experimenting Again

As you can see the windowsill grown lettuces have come on in leaps and bounds over the past month and I've been harvesting them over the past couple of weeks. It's just as well I've been growing these, as the lettuces outside - whilst under various cloches and cold frames - are still shivering away and haven't put on much growth.

The one exception to that is 'Black Seeded Simpson'. Bren said it's a hardy variety and she's right! I'll be starting to harvest those leaves sometime next week, after I've finished with the pictured batch of 'Amaze' for the time being.

Just before I started harvesting, I realised I have the ideal conditions for a little experimenting. There are at least 3 different methods of harvesting: whole plant, cut and come again and picking. It wasn't until last year  that I realised cut and come again and picking are different harvesting methods. The above picture shows you the difference: the picked lettuce in the foreground is left with a central core of intact leaves, whilst the cut one to the rear is cut completely across and left to regenerate.

Both methods are deemed to be superior to the whole plant harvesting method because the yield and/or harvesting period can be extended substantially. Cut salads will regenerate leaves about three times and last year I was able to pick 'red salad bowl' leaves from July until the first frosts in November. It was perfect for growing salads in small spaces. However, I've yet to find any references as to which method does indeed have the highest or longest yield, so I'm off experimenting again - using my windowsill grown lettuces this time :)

I also have some oca to experiment with. The tubers are teeny tiny and Thompson & Morgan have seen fit to issue a notice admitting they're small (owing to huge demand this year), but they should still grow OK. Owing to the cool weather I've chitted them first, which showed one of the tubers isn't viable. The rest are now planted into modules with some coir and are awaiting the warmer weather (at the end of the month - in theory) and planting out time. Oca can be used in salads, so I've added it to my Challenge for this year. NB if you're growing oca (or achocha), you might like to help Emma Cooper out with her M.Sc dissertation project by filling out a short questionnaire.

This month I've also learnt:

• The pictured mustards, pak choi and mizuna were indeed ready as estimated last month. However, they're going straight to seed! Even though the weather is still cool, they're still flowering at their usual time. Luckily the elongated stems and flowers are also delicious in salads. I wonder if this means daylength is the trigger for flowering?
• The difference between hydroponics and aquaponics. Hydroponics is growing plants in water without soil, or with a vastly reduced amount (like my windowsill planter). Aquaponics is the same, with the introduction of fish into the system. This reduces the amount of nutrients needed as the waste products from the fish provide them instead. More on hydroponics to come...
• Putting spiky pruned rose twigs on veg beds (as shown in Veg Street) really does stop cats using them (the veg beds that is) as a loo.

How's your salad this month? Add the link to the URL of your salad post in Mr Linky below, or leave a comment...

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The 52 Week Salad Challenge is sponsored by Greenhouse Sensation.

Note to readers: sponsorship goes towards my blogging costs and does not affect my independence.

The PR Files: Getting the Chelsea 'Look'

My inbox is currently flooded with press releases exhorting me to 'get the Chelsea look' by choosing from a set of products they've put together to cash in on present alongside this week's coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Here's my shortlist of 'must haves', chosen from various emails ;)

#1 Water Features

Separated at Birth? Trailfinders waterfalls vs a slate fountain

"A key element [in the Trailfinders garden - Ed] was waterfalls and natural stone to create a tranquil and relaxing garden. These slate monoliths (from £139) are undrilled from quarries and each one is unique, standing from 2ft to 8ft." 

#2 Bedding

Actually, this look from the WaterAid garden is very achievable, but Tagetes wasn't available in the selection on offer. A surprising amount of bedding was seen at Chelsea this year - the WaterAid ones symbolise the income Indian women are able to earn from growing and making ceremonial garlands, once there's a reliable source of clean, local water

"Why not add some Chelsea style with xxxxxxxxx’s Geranium. Alternatively choose from a Begonia, Impatiens New Guinea, Dahlia, Petunia or Osteospermum."

#3 A Greenhouse

There were a lot of greenhouses to choose from at Chelsea, but I only saw one of these two. Gnomes are optional.

"Every budding garden expert needs a greenhouse to maximise the protection for their plants throughout the year. This large walk-in greenhouse is simple to build and doesn’t require any tools to assemble."

#4 Topiary Balls

Now, which one shall I have? Roger Platts' or...

..."Artificial topiary balls are perfect. They are UV and weather resistant, can be used in pots or as a hanging decoration and never need watering."

I suppose in its widest sense, anything you do in the garden this week could be interpreted as 'getting the Chelsea look'. For instance, any plant you choose to grow is very likely to be in an exhibit or show garden somewhere if you look hard enough. Actually, the easiest transformation you could do is to sweep your patio. They do an awful lot of that at Chelsea ;)

Are you getting the 'Chelsea look' this week?

Update 24/5: 'News' just in from a major supermarket - "We have found that the nation have been inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show and decided to get green-fingered with sales of hanging baskets set to flourish by 700%."

Wordless Wednesday: Electric Chelsea