KEEP CALM AND CARROT ON!

We understand how stressful these times are for everyone not only in the U.K. but around the world amidst the COVID-19 outbreak and we hope all our treasured Signature Statues customers are safe. We know many of our customers are both bedding plant and home-grown produce enthusiasts, so this blog today aims to provide a little bit of reading, advice and guidance on herb and vegetable planting! Please check Mondays blog for bedding plant guidance. 

Something to be slightly more positive about, the sun is shining! The first few days of sunshine are the perfect time to begin herb and vegetable planting. Think of those future rewards; being able to pop out to the garden and pick a sprig of rosemary to flavour a leg of lamb, a bunch of mint to add to a summer drink, or a handful of herbs to enhance a salad truly it is a gardener's delight. For this reason, we recommend placing your herb wooden planters near the kitchen! So where to start? Well, herb and vegetable beds require a lot of sunlight, so before preparing your bed we recommend selecting an area that is both sheltered from the wind and has access to sufficient sunlight. As a rule of thumb, if you can sunbathe there, you can plant there! Once you have selected your patch you need to begin preparing your Herb and vegetable bed or planting troughs.

Next, designate which you herbs and vegetables you would like to plant in which area. You can do this by marking out using wooden stakes in each corner, then carefully placing horizontal wooden markers formulating square and rectangular planting patches. Now, you have a delineated planting patch, then dig up the soil in these areas using a garden fork, allowing plenty of air in the soil before you add your compost. This will create the perfect planting conditions by ensuring the soil is rich. Now you have sucessfully prepared your plot, begin planting! Get those seeds at the ready and lets get sowing! As the good lord once said, you reap what you sow, so make sure leave enough space between each seed to prevent competition for resources between plants. The greater the space between each the seeds the healthier the batch you will grow! It might also be wise to label your area for future reference. Spring is the perfect time for growing a huge variety of delicious and healthy vegetables: carrot, beetroot, kale, tomatoes, radish and cauliflower. Enjoy!

So go on, get up those garden steps breathe some fresh air and have a great spring! Look back soon for our next blog next week on supporting your local birds and with feed, birdbaths and birdtables.