... and you're back in the room

Straight down to business.  The 'plot', or rather the left hand side of it.  In total we have six beds, two of which are raised.  The raised beds I filled with compost and top soil back in 2010; the other beds seem to contain the original soil (they were here when we bought the house in 2009).  The beds have been sporadically cultivated since we got here: success with brassicas (particularly cavolo nero, which I can only assume must be growable by complete fools, given my level of success) and strangely with tomatoes (but as I type this, I recall that actually these were largely grown in a grow bag further up the garden) and some peppers (sweet and chili); abject failure with courgettes (which are apparently fool proof), rhubarb (?!?), radishes (I know...).  This year it will be different....

The first bed is just after compost heap (it is right next to the old heap, which truly is a heap).  It is raised and I'm sure could do with being topped up (hopefully with that much-heralded compost).  It is arguably too close to the compost heap, which may well be a breeding ground for horny slugs.  As in many things (including life), we must deal with imperfection.

The four seedlings we can see at the back are sunflowers that I started in Jiffy 7s (the coir ones).  In addition, on 30 April, I planted rows of:

Radish (summer mix - raphanus sativus, it says on the packet);
Spring onion (White Lisbon)
Carrot (Autumn King)
Parsnip (White King)

I also planted out some of the Swiss Chard (Rainbow Lights) which I had started in the good old Jiffy 7s.

My rotation system is somewhat haphazard, based on a hazy recollection of previous years' activity with the other plant groups.  As of this year, bed 1 is roots and onions (... and, yes, a sneeky brassica, should the radishes decide to grow) plus the chard, which I think I can grow anywhere within the system.

Next, bed 4 contains beans and peas (legumes to you sir).  Broad beans (Masterpiece Green Longpod) around the wigwam; peas (Hurst Green Shaft) to the left of the photo.  In time, there will be runner beans (Benchmaster) on the right (as well as growing in two planters on the deck near the house). 

A line o' peas, just before something had a nibble....

In case you're wondering about beds 2 and 3 (who wouldn't!), we've passed over them on the basis that they are a combination of weeds and cavolo nero gone to seed.  In time, one will contain cucurbits (courgettes, butternut squash, pumpkins) and the other will contain... more cucurbits.  These ones will be pretending to be brassicas this year (for the purpose of the rotation).

My two vines (Pinot Noir, on the left; Kentish Claret on the right).  I think it's fair to say that there won't be any wine made from the grapes produced by these two, er, brutes for some considerable time...

I am undecided what to number the following bed.  It is either 5 or 6.  In any event, this year (2012) it is potatoes (Pink Fir Apple).

And finally, bed 6 or 5, recently planted with asparagus (Jersey Knight).  This might well turn out to be a gaff, since the bed appears to be rather more shaded than I originally thought. 

Our tour concludes with a photo of the apple tree and environs, which look rather messy (and in fact are rather messy).  I have no idea of the variety of apple tree, other than to say it produces a cooking apple and it received a very close pruning in winter 2010/11.  So hopefully we'll see some apples back this year.  It was prolific previously (too prolific...).

There we have it.  A tour of the garden, as of first week of May 2012.  If we ever get sunshine, as opposed to the incessant rain, I might even be able to grow something.  A tout a l'heure...