In the Beechgrove Garden episode 4 2018, after the success of the no-dig observation of last year, Jim is extending the trial into the polytunnel, comparing conventionally grown vegetables with easy-grow no-dig vegetable plots. Brian is in Armadale, helping Lesley Welsh and her two children to create a bespoke vegetable plot for the family. Lesley wants the children to be able to easily grow their own and take their own home-grown produce from fork to fork.
Brian is also in Tranent, visiting Wattie Russell. Wattie was nominated as one of Scotland’s Garden Heroes, and Brian visits to see why. Wattie’s inspirational, but tightly packed, garden in Tranent is full of spring beauties with around 500 different pots of colour.
Beechgrove Garden episode 4 2018
Planting New Strawberries
Some Beechgrove archive from 08/05/1987 showed Jim nipping off the flowers on some newly planted strawberry plants to encourage further fruiting. Back in the present day Beechgrove Jim was setting out and planting up a new strawberry patch. We have not had this for quite a while at Beechgrove. There were 6 new pot grown varieties being planted – 2 early, 2 mid- season and 2 late varieties and Jim is growing them in a traditional strawberry patch style.
Winter Damage
Carole was assessing her Hebe Trial. The first selection of Hebes were planted here in September 2016. Some of the plants did not make it through the winter and were replanted in spring 2017. Hebes come from New Zealand and normally enjoy a seaside location and after a hard winter this year we have had some interesting results.
Dig or No Dig
A couple of years ago Jim and George took 2 neighbouring plots at Beechgrove to compare a conventionally dug vegetable plot with no-dig vegetable growing. Jim took the dig plot which was turned over overwinter every year – and George took the no-dig one. Jim was not convinced about not digging but the no-dig plot has produced better results for the last 2 years.
