Tuesday 28 April 2020

GYO - fun for the kids


I love to see children getting keen about growing.  So, here is an idea for you if you have children or grandchildren (you might even borrow the kids next door). To do what? Grow a Turk's Turban - a really bold, colourful squash plant. They are amazingly easy. Every year we grow a few for our Harvest Thanksgiving and they always look good. I'm told, too, that they are good for eating. At home, they last the whole winter as decorative additions to the conservatory - they look just great! To grow them, just choose a sunny spot but beware - they can grow like crazy. That's the fun of it for children - they get away fast and don't try the patience


We have five plants looking for good homes and they are ready to plant just as soon as you are ready. As we say, they are extremely easy to grow. Absolutely no expert knowledge is needed although, as always, further advice will come with the plants. More than one child? Great! Run a competition for the biggest, the most squashes, (one plant will produce many fruits) or most colourful - I think they look spectacular

Your choice today, folks. Why not go for both?
Broccoli too!
The photo shows not only the five squash (Turk's Turban on the right) but also, to the left, some ready-to-plant broccoli. So, here's another opportunity to get growing and stay healthy. This is not the supermarket type of broccoli - rather the more old-fashioned sprouting type. Broccoli is a long-term crop that gives you something to look forward to next year during the winter months. The plants are available under our LPNPL deal: (Lockdown-Plant-Now-Pay-Later) and full of natural goodness!

Rather than take space in this column, good advice there is available out there on the web. You can find a good video here

Garden Codger: recycle, reuse, reduce
Yes, you've noticed. The Garden Codger is keen on recycling - spot the ice-cream tubs and bottom half of milk containers in the photo? Plant pots aren't to be had for love or money at the moment so it's also a matter of needs-must. Look out for a blog post on this topic in a future edition - we might have some ideas you can use. Ironically, gardening can have an adverse environmental impact - but it can do great things, as well. And, it's good for you!


Happy reminder of harvest
And, finally ...
... a thank you to everyone who has made donations. In case you are new to this site, let me explain. Over the last year I have been growing plants for a charity garden sale which is run in the summer by good friends. With the national lockdown and the prospect of no sale I was wondering what I could do and hit upon the idea of supplying ready-grow-plants to anyone interested locally. In return I simply ask for a donation to be made to the charity we support - Birmingham City Mission. (Click here for details of BCM)

Giving can be done online by clicking here - or by putting cash in an envelope which I then bank (eventually) and transfer (immediately!) but with multiple veg plantings I am happy to supply on tick - hence the Lockdown Plant-Now-Pay-Later idea

Along with all this, I very much hope that these Garden Codger pages will encourage others to get involve in gardening and growing - there are definite health benefits, you know.  And by providing a creative outlet I hope that it will be of help to older folk, especially to the many who are beginning to find lockdown difficult and tedious.  But I also wish to provide families with growing ideas - things that actively involve their children, or grandchildren.  Why not run a Turk's Turban competition. Or, think long-term and try planting broccoli.  The choice is yours, there are many more options - see tomorrow's edition ...

With best wishes from the Garden Codger


Turk's Turban squash growing in a corner of Garden Codger's patch. There are great fun - scrambling all over the place


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