Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Courtyard Garden Harvest

 Now I am growing my veggies in a small courtyard garden, I have to make the best use of space and aspect.  The main area is this South facing wall.  Companion planting is working well here.  Cucumbers and climbing beans are growing together.  These are Blauhilde purple dwarf beans.
 This cucumber is growing in a large pot on the patio.  It is climbing up a trellis against a South facing wall.
 It is amazing!  I'm making sure it is tied back and well fed and watered here.
 In one of the small soil beds here I am growing my Italian Romanesco Courgettes.  This is doing really well, but the space and spread of this plant - nearly 6 ft across - takes quite a bit of my precious space in this small garden.
 One way you can use all the space possible in a small garden is to grow UPWARDS.  This is one of my favourite climbing courgette Black Forest.  Doing well in a large planter container growing up against a South facing wall.
 I do love growing pumpkins and squashes but many of them take up too much space.  This year I am trying a smaller squash 'Uchiki Kuri' and climbing the plant up a tripod and winding through other plants in the garden and up walls.
Runner beans usually enjoy deep, fertile soil and lots of food and water.  These runner beans are in a container on the balcony climbing all over the hand rails.  I am waiting to see if they enjoy being in a container, or whether I will try a dwarf container variety next year.

3 Comments:

At 5:33 PM, Blogger Midmarsh John said...

You have really worker wonders with your courtyard 'allotment'.
Daisy looks so cute in the previous post.

 
At 3:55 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Have you tried munchkin pumpkins? They climb, so are a good space saver, and each pumpkin fits in the palm of your hand so doesn't require supports.

 
At 10:09 AM, Anonymous Emma Cooper said...

Your climbing courgettes look great! I intended to grow Tromba d'Albenga up a trellis this year, but well... things didn't work out. Never mind, there's always next year! :)

 

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