Grow Dome

I have been a bit slothful of late, so I have resurrected the Garden Gym concept, with the idea of spending an hour outside every day (which should also help with potting up and planting out the endless reams of seedlings I still seem to have).

It’s going to be hot today, so I started my hour early. I didn’t have a plan, and rather surprisingly (for me, at least) ended up spending most of it in the Grow Dome.

On my way out I emptied the kitchen caddy into one of the wormeries. It has a bit of a fly problem at the moment (and the tap is blocked on the other one) but I didn’t feel like really dealing with that! So I covered the new waste with newspaper and left the shed door open for the worst of the flies to dissipate.

First stop in the Grow Dome was planting out five Hi Flyer winged bean seedlings, grown from seeds that Owen sent me. They needed watering, and then I gave them a black plastic mulch made from an old compost bag. They should appreciate the extra warmth. Since I had the watering can out I went on to water everything else in the Grow Dome.

There are still a couple of sections that haven’t been planted up, and one was covered in black plastic. When I went to move it, I disturbed a mouse – or it disturbed me! I thought I saw something move in there the other day, but didn’t catch a glimpse. But today it was clearly a mouse. I don’t have problem with mice as long as they’re not leaping out at me, but a couple of years ago one of them did drown in one of the Grow Dome ponds. They’re in water butts, so well off the ground, but it found a way in and couldn’t find a way out. I don’t want that to happen again, so I have given each pond a plastic mesh escape route so that anything that falls in has a chance of clambering out again.

Where I’d moved the plastic sheet I decided to plant out the Stevia plants I bought from Suttons earlier in the year (I also ordered seeds, and have some younger seedlings). They’re not winter hardy, so I just sunk their pots into the border. Two are a bit leggy and I gave them a support – I am experimenting with little Socker plant supports from Ikea, and so far I quite like them. They’re not very tall, but for shorter plants they look like they will do a good job.

When I’d finished in the Grow Dome I had 10 minutes left of my hour, so I potted on my 20 asparagus seedlings (they’re Martha Washington), which have lovely long fronds and so were pretty tangled up.

So I spent my hour bending and stretching, crouching and weight-lifting watering cans. I feel very virtuous, but can I keep it up?