Hardy veg

[sewer rat]

Casting my mind back to when I had just become a Grape, I am sure that Tundra was a variety that Geordie recommended as being hardy and being able to stand out all winter.
Or am I going senile ?
Rat

[sandersj89]

One of the problems we have had this winter her in the deep south is the change from hard frosts one week to meek and mild weather the next.

Very odd winter which has not helped one bit.

We still need loads of rain to fill the resevoirs and are still in a hosepipe ban!

Jerry

[Lesley Jay]

No Rat you are not going senile Geordie did recommend Tundra and he said it stands in the ground from November through to May. Mine didn't even make it to the middle of January. I'll try again.

[Nicos]

Do you think maybe it's the damp that has seen them off then, rather than the frost??

[sewer rat]

Hardy veg for Northern Climes

Birdie wife
The kitchen garden at Castle of Mey grows most things and they're only 200 yds from the coast between Thurso and JOG.
Have read an article on their kitchen garden =- and their biggest problem is cutting down the force of the wind. However, specific varieties that are mentioned are
Cabbages - Red Drumhead, Robinsons Champion, Minicole
Potatoes - Sharpes Express, Duke of York, Premier (first earlies)
Catriona (second early)
Edzell Blue, Pentland Crown, Cara, King Edward, Desiree, Pink Fir
Apple and Rooster (maincrop)
Carrots - Resistafly, Flyaway
Peas - Little Marvel
Broad Beans - The Sutton
Spinach - Vivat
Parsnips - Tender and True
Turnip - Snowball

Hope this inspires

Rat

[JennieAtkinson]

Thanks SR for that. Remember cycling past Castle of Mey a number of years ago and thinking they must get blasted by the wind. Have you been? Do they have a walled garden? I wonder how high the walls have to be to check the wind. My quarter acre plot by the house (which is my allotment) has walls all round to a height of 5 feet, but dont seem to give much shelter. Seem to speed the wind up in certain areas.
Corr really blowing out there today ...... the house just rattled!

[sewer rat]

Jennie
Have not been yet, but plan a trip this year. They have a website - www.castleofmey.org.uk. It has a two acre walled garden - more like a fort really as the walls are apparently 15' high. They do however, like us mere mortals, suffer from the swirling effect that these walls can cause, though they also divide the garden up with hedges of elder, privet and currant and these help to reduce the trouble.
My own garden has walls 7' high and suffers from the swirly effect in some areas, whereas a yard further on, it can be very still !
Rat

[nick the grief]

It's bad when you suffer with Swirly wind, must be all that Haggis, neeps & frozen tatties

[Birdie Wife]

All sounding good, rat, thanks!

The Castle of Mey Garden is excellent, but the big wall does indeed make it quite sheltered. I'm about 15 miles from the coast, which means I get the worst of everthing, it doesn't benefit that much from the milder sea air but we are quite close enough to catch the gales. Fortunatley the garden has a 4' wall around it and is south facing with the house providing some shelter from the harsh north winds. Also last year we had snow on the ground in the middle of May! No polytunnels sadly, but I could try more cloches. I have had a 'stick it the ground and see if it works' sort of approach up to now!

This will be our first summer in the house, so maybe it's a case of experimenting to find out what works best?

Does anyone think it's worth me trying jerusalem artichokes (personal taste preferences not withstanding!) - are they prone to blowing over?

[Nicos]

I think I would be tempted to fasten them up,they do tend to grow pretty tall. A few of mine fell over in the winds last year, and from the sound of things, you are pretty exposed! They will also make a bit of a wind barrier too for the rest of the garden.Their stems are thinner than sunflowers too. How exciting to be able to experiment in a new garden. We moved allotment sites a couple of years ago, and just when we were feeling confident on the plot, we had to relearn and adapt!

[sewer rat]

Birdie Wife
Guess what - they grow Jerusalem Artichokes at Castle of Mey too !! Though I would think that if your wall is only four ft high, I'd be taking Nicos' advice and fastening them or staking them well.

[Birdie Wife]

Thanks rat and Nicos, I'll definitely take your advice. Experimenting can be heartbreaking sometimes but I'm always up for a challenge!