In Beechgrove Garden episode 16 2018 – The ideal for all gardeners is to have year-round colour in the garden. Carole talks to Martin Barker from Aberdeen University School of Biological Sciences about the science of colour, finding out how and why plants are the colour that they are and how plant colour affects us.
Meanwhile, the harvest continues, and Jim’s big beef tomatoes are bearing heavy fruit. Colin and Catherine Lockhart in Carnoustie are no longer able to keep their garden the way that they would like, so Brian steps in to make their garden low-maintenance and wheelchair-friendly while still having year-round colour.
One of Jim’s favourite phrases is ‘every day is a school day’ and he is always trying to find the ideal tomato-growing system. With that quest in mind, Jim visits retired engineer Steve Engel in Fettercairn. Jim learns how Steve has engineered a homemade invention that keeps his precious tomato crop at the optimum temperature day and night while producing an extraordinary and impressive yield.
The weather has changed at Beechgrove and it was a lot cooler than in previous weeks and a bit damp. In the Rose Garden Jim and Chris commented on the second flush of growth in the herbaceous borders and the lawn. Everything has freshened up in the cooler, damper weather.
The Beechgrove Garden episode 16 2018
Main Veg Plot update
Jim was reviewing the brassica crop this week in the Main Vegetable Plot. The brassica bed has done fantastically well this year. They were planted out in the spring when the soil was moist and they have done well in the summer heat. Jim reckons the summer purple broccoli would not look very attractive on the supermarket shelf but it tastes delicious and is ready to harvest.
The same went for the Chinese sprouting cauliflower. Jim felt that this vegetable should be promoted a little more. It may not look much but it is absolutely delicious.
