The Humble Potato

 

This was my  original vision of a veg patch: a forest of chard and nasturtiums

The idea of wilding this garden is based on encouraging  insects primarily, which should gradually bring in birds, and other creatures, providing as much diversity as possible. Even so, I really like to include some vegetables purely for myself because it's such a pleasure to step outside and pick something to eat which hasn't been treated with pesticides or hanging around in storage. 

There's a limit too what's possible in a city garden and I have plenty of failures (anything fancied by slugs for example and two containers of cucumbers and peppers this year (perhaps because of the the drought?). But I am ridiculously pleased when things work. Last month I picked five large shiny aubergines and made a ratatouille. 

             

                 Aubergines and tiny 'House' tomatoes                 Bush plum tomato 'Gruschovka'

I also successfully grew two varieties of sturdy bush tomato, originally from Real Seeds, but now I save the seed  myself.

Early in the year I planted some beetroot plugs in the flower bed. They haven't grown very big but make good salad additions including the leaves. 

Beetroot growing in a flower bed next to wonderful African Blue Basil 

The most successful though were the two containers of Desiree potatoes. I've tried potatoes before but they've always been eaten to extinction by slugs. This year, drought, no slugs and the potatoes throve. 

One morning I found the squirrels had investigated during the night and scornfully cast their find (two good sized Desirees)  onto the patio so I knew they were ready, large, unblemished and tasty. You can do almost anything culinary with a Desiree: boil, fry, bake, mash  - I really like them. 

                               

A healthy un-slug-eaten head of green leaves on my potatoes and the resulting Desirees, scorned by the squirrels, thank goodness