Page 40 - Phonebox Magazine June 2006

Grow your own salad bar
If you have a tiny space, however small it is, you can grow your own mixed salad leaves. This year, you could rekindle the simple pleasure we all had as children, sowing seeds, watching them germinate and then serving up a simple salad mixed with a good dressing, knowing it is organic, a fraction of the price of packaged salads, and will crop for the rest of the summer.
Several seed suppliers sell what is known as cut-and-come-again salad under different names. Some are ‘Saladisi’, ‘Leaf salad’ and ‘Misticanza’. These can be sown inside from late winter or mid spring outside right up until autumn, just fill a container, a pot, bucket, window box, or as I have, an old wine box with compost, thinly scatter the mixed seed evenly over the surface and lightly sieve a little compost over the top. Water in and eagerly await germination.
You can expect to be harvesting your first salad within three to six weeks depending on the weather, do this using scissors and cut cleanly across above 5cm above the soil. This way, the ‘stumps’ will re-sprout. You will need just need to keep weed free, remove any brown leaves and water regularly. d
For more garden maintenance, advice, design, and planting ideas, visit www.applegategardens.co.uk
Denton Gardening Club
We are a small group, but have in common a love for our gardens and the associated wild life. We hold a variety of events including regular meetings with speakers, visits, outings and social events. Meetings are held in the Village Hall at 7-30 on the second Monday of each month from September through to May. Topics have included The Cowper Museum Garden, Fuchsias and Gravel Gardens. These meetings also give us a chance to chat about gardening whilst enjoying tea and home made cakes, which are very popular with speakers and club members!
Earlier this year we arranged a trip to Kew Gardens and in June we will visit the garden of sweet pea enthusiast, Sylvia Norton. During
08000 111 222
July, we shall take a walk around some of our members’ gardens then enjoy some wine and cheese together.
On September 10th we are holding our Flower and Vegetable show. This also incorporates an Arts and Crafts Exhibition and will be held in the Village Hall, starting at 2pm. We have various sections for vegetables, fruit, and flowers. A section for under 14 year olds and a domestic section for cakes and preserves and home made wine.
Would you like to join our club, or enter something into our show? Or perhaps just visit our show and enjoy a cup of tea and some of our home made cakes! We would be delighted to see you.
For more information about our club, ring our Secretary, Ian Wood on 01604 891006. d
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40 Phonebox Magazine