Phil Mizen turned his back on a long career in the electronics industry to grow herbs and seasonal vegetables in a 2 acre walled kitchen garden in the heart of rural Suffolk. From there he operates a home delivered vegetable box scheme, and grows culinary and decorative herbs that he sells at his local Farmers Market. Phil believes passionately in the ‘chemical-free’ approach to food production and is a member of the Wholesome Food Association.
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The sweet smell of rain
May 13, 2009
Crickey, it’s hard to believe, but it rained in East Anglia this afternoon! I have spent so much time in the last couple of weeks lugging hoses about the place that I feel more like Fireman Sam than a market gardener. It has been necessary though, just to keep everything from giving up the ghost. The raindance that I was about to perform in my last blog did not have its desired effect, but fortunately someone else appears to have rather more rythm than I do (not difficult!), for which I am grateful.
Last night I appeared on the panel of ‘experts’ on a ‘Gardeners Question Time’ type of affair hosted by the Suffolk Organic Gardeners. I have to say that I was a little nervous, because the members are pretty experienced gardeners, and have probably forgotten more than I know. However, I needn’t have worried because I actually managed to find an answer to all of the questions put to me - not necessarily the correct answer, but an answer nonetheless. I was happy to participate as a favour, because 4 of the group help me one morning a month in the garden on a voluntary basis (bless their hearts), so it was the least that I could do.
I finally managed to finish planting the Tomatoes in the polytunnel today, some 2 weeks after the job should have been completed. the fact is that it has been so warm and sunny here that I have not been inclined to spend hours under a big sheet of clear plastic in the mid-day sun sweating my nuts off. It came to the point though where I couldn’t put it off any longer, so I bit the bullet and did it….and then wondered what all the fuss was about. Tomorrow I am going down the lane to cut a load of comfrey leaves which I will lay around the base of the tomato plants as a mulch. Comfrey is a herb containing high levels of potash, which is the perfect food for tomatoes. I also make a liquid fertiliser from the leaves by stuffing a bucket full of them, I put a lid on the bucket and leave it in the greenhouse for a few weeks. It produces a fantastic super-concentrated liquid feed - but by golly it stinks……like an open sewer! You can do the same thing with nettles.
This coming sunday I will be having a stall at a ‘Local Food Event’ at a nearby watermill. A number of local food producers and growers have been invited to promote themselves to the visiting public. It is the first time that they have put on an event like this, so it will be interesting to see how popular it will be.
The vegetable box scheme that I run is billed as being seasonal veg. I am a firm believer in consuming fruit and vegetables in their proper season; though I obviously try to extend the season of some things by using the tunnel and the greenhouse. The problem comes at this time of year in the middle of ‘the hungry gap’, when the things in season are limited and frankly boring, so it’s quite difficult to keep the punters interested, because they are so used to buying whatever they want from the supermarket at any time of the year. I will be standing by my principals though, because it will not be long before the Broad Beans are ready to pick, then we will know that the hungry gap has closed and the time of plenty is about to begin.
For more information on what I am all about visit www.langhamherbs.co.uk or email me at phil@langhamherbs.co.uk
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