Planting Out

 This is the first growing season in my new courtyard allotment garden.  This weeks weather forecast looks like it is going to heat up, so I have started planting out some of my tender veggies.  These are a dwarf bean called 'Royalty'  way back in about 2003 I 'liberated' a couple of dry beans from the compost heap at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall.  A beautiful purple bean that I have kept going over the years. I have let them tumble out over the edge of my planter.

 This South facing planter gets sun most of the day so I have planted a couple of climbing courgettes 'Black Forest' up the trellis on the wall.  These have been a brilliant variety for a garden with limited space.  Growing UP is a good use of space.

 I have been hardening off these courgette plants over the past couple of weeks, but there should be enough warmth in the soil now to get going now.

 I need to provide support for my veggies, so I have been setting up vine eyes and wire supports along the brickwork.  I can tie in sticks, trellis or any plant supports here.  A South facing wall should provide lots of heat for tomatoes, chillis and cucumbers.

 Some Hurst Greenshaft peas in a large planter supported with a tall wigwam of canes and a few peasticks.

The Epicure and Rocket new potatoes are doing really well in these planting bags.  Every few days I earthed up the shoots with a bit more compost so as to protect the potato from some overnight frosts. My garden here is quite sheltered and the warmth of the brickwork seems to have protected them quite well.