My vegetable patch in spring

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I have quite a productive vegetable patch and by early June it generally looks more like a jungle and I’m struggling to find any space to squeeze more things in. But at the moment it’s pretty empty – just some kale left from last year, a few herbs, and a patch of rhubarb. This winter we had some short but brutal spells of extreme cold, which killed off other plants such as purple sprouting broccoli and Brussels sprouts that normally withstand the winter. Most of the rest of the area has been mulched over winter with whatever I had available – a mixture of grass clippings, home-made compost, autumn leaves and horse manure. That meant that no weeds grew so it was nice and clear. And the worms have been very busy working on recycling all that stuff! Now though, as the weather warms and the days lengthen, many annual weeds are springing up and growing fast. In patches they completely cover the soil. Meanwhile it isn’t quite warm enough yet to plant out the seedlings I have in the greenhouse. I could pull out all the weeds, and make it look clean and tidy. But I decided I would leave them until I’m ready for the vegetables to take their places. These weeds are very easy to pull out, and having something growing there protects the soil from all the rain we’ve been having which would otherwise leach away nutrients or even wash away the soil! I have dug out troublesome weeds like creeping buttercups and alkanet, but for the rest I am enjoying the flowers, and like to see the bees busy there, appreciating the nectar and pollen when there might not be so much else to suit them. There are patches of red deadnettle, forget-me-nots, daisies and three different types of speedwell, covering the soil with splashes of colour. And each patch grows from just one small root, so when I’m ready they are easy to dispose of All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2023.