Column: Derbyshire dad says having a garden 'definitely helps mentally and physically'

So it's been another busy six weeks or so over here, trying to prioritise what needs doing between the garden and the allotment while working full time and trying to navigate our way through Oscar's leukaemia treatment. Life always seems to throw these things at us, but having the garden definitely helps us mentally and physically.
By James Martin
Published 29th Sep 2023, 11:09 BST
Updated 29th Sep 2023, 21:17 BST
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It's getting to the end of the season now, so it will soon be time to clear out any beds that the weeds have taken hold of and mulch them ready for next spring. We like to use a mixture of well rotted horse manure and homemade compost.

As the night's are drawing in, the amount of light needed to ripen your tomatoes will be reducing at an alarming rate. It's a good idea to cut any off that have no chance of becoming edible and put all the energy into the ones that will, also if you cut any green ones off, try and ripen them on a sunny window sill at home.

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We have recently bought our garlic and onion sets to grow over the winter. We have started them in cells in the greenhouse by putting them into a little compost and keeping them moist. Once the shoots are between four to six inches tall we then plant them out so they can grow on over the winter months. Don't worry about the cold getting to them though as I had them buried under a foot of snow last year and they were perfectly fine.

James has been trying to prioritise time between the garden and the allotment while working full time and trying to navigate their way through Oscar's leukaemia treatment.James has been trying to prioritise time between the garden and the allotment while working full time and trying to navigate their way through Oscar's leukaemia treatment.
James has been trying to prioritise time between the garden and the allotment while working full time and trying to navigate their way through Oscar's leukaemia treatment.

It's been a great year over here for growing onions and all of ours are nicely stored in the garage. You just can't beat going in there and picking some that you have grown and making a cheese and onion sandwich, it's definitely a favourite in our house!

I can't believe some of the courgettes we have had this year, they have been unbelievable. For me it's one of the most underrated vegetables (or fruits if you want to get technical) as it's so versatile. You can do pretty much anything with them and all they do is soak up the flavour of what you are cooking them in. One of the tastiest ways to enjoy them is slicing them thin and seasoning them and brushing olive oil over them and sticking them on the BBQ, they are absolutely delicious.

Before I go, here's your reminder to get outside this weekend and take any cuttings you can to protect any plants you may have that are susceptible to the cold. Last year we lost so many plants and we learnt the hard way so I'm not taking any chances. Me and Oscar have been busy filling the greenhouse with salvia and verbena cuttings, well, who doesn't love free plants? Right!

I think overall we need to embrace every season instead of just the summer, as they all have something special to offer.

Related topics:Derbyshire