The Second Box to Grow

Last Thursday our Riverford box to grow arrived. We got one last year so we knew what to expect: tough as nails plants that keep on giving. I ate many meals last summer courtesy of our box to grow. This year I don't expect a difference although I was a little disappointed that there are fewer herbs this year.

The Box Arrives

This year we got:

6 Lettuce (two different varieties)
2 Rocket
2 Pointed Red Cabbages
2 Courgettes
3 Mustards
3 Rainbow Chard
3 Tomato
3 Khol Rabi
3 Beetroot
3 Spring Onion
1 pack of radish seed
1 pack of pea seeds
2 bags of seed potatoes
2 pots parsley

The CD rack when it was first brought home

Luckily we weren't too short of space. A couple of weeks earlier we came into some luck. Stephen found some old wooden CD racks in the server room at work. His boss let him take them home. Stephen though we could use them to sort out CDs but, before he even got them home, one of his co-workers suggested planters.

With the addition of Danish oil, chalkboard paint, compost and plants

I'm glad she said that. It meant I didn't have to. Considering I'd read about planting up CD racks in The Thrifty Gardener it's not that much of a crazy idea and with a little bit of weatherproofing and a coat of blackboard paint along the top I don't think it scrubbed up too bad. Besides, it's adorable.

And its twin

The CD planters are now full of quick growing khol rabi, beetroot to be picked young and salad leaves. Elsewhere I've stuffed things where they can fit with rainbow chard, parsley and tomatoes together in a medium size tub (growing leafy food under tomatoes keeps the pot from drying out as well as giving more room).

Lettuce is keeping the roots of the blackcurrant cool and the courgettes are left to scramble under the passionflower. I've still got the potatoes left to plant although Good Friday is the traditional day for that.