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We have just harvested our little crop of red cabbages, and I have made several jars of pretty purple sauerkraut.

Red Drumhead cabbages

These cabbages (“Red Drumhead” from Kings Seeds) have proven very hardy and pest resistant in our garden. We prefer to plant them in the autumn. They are not especially large cabbages, but the heads are really nice and compact. Owen has been pointing at them for weeks and saying, “yum-a-num”! It will be fun to give him some purple sauerkraut to try.

I’ve already fertilised the area where the cabbages came out with rock dust and compost, and have planted some cherry tomatoes there — a variety called “Baxter’s Early Bush” from Running Brook Seeds. If these thrive, I expect they will be a very popular snack for Owen, who loves to gather food and flowers from the garden.

Owen and I are busy in the garden this spring. The vegetable beds need to be dug and cleared, and most of them are also being re-located due to the progress we are making with building chook enclosures. I’m also starting lots of seeds for the coming season, with the peas already having been planted out in the garden. This year, we are growing a green pea called “Oregon Trail” and a soup pea called “Tall Capuchjner.” Owen likes to do digging, and helps to prepare pots for the seeds. He knows to be very careful around the trays and pots where the vegetable seedlings are growing. It’s wonderful to be able to include him in some of the work around the garden, and to watch him enjoying the fresh air, dirt, sunshine and plants.

Young red cabbage

Owen is already finding strawberries to eat, and has enjoyed helping me to harvest chamomile flowers from our winter brassica bed. I’ve been really pleased with the mix of plants in the brassica bed. Last autumn, I planted a row of red cabbage and sprouting broccoli with a row of leeks behind them. I put young celery plants in some of the gaps between the brassicas and leeks. I also surounded the brassicas with the following: dill, chamomile, heartsease viola (johnny-jump-up) and cilantro. These companion plants seem to have helped to keep the weeds down. All seem to have done well alongside each other, and I think the effect is pretty. Now, with the brassicas almost ready for harvest, the celery and leeks are just coming into their own and will benefit from the extra space. At one end of the row of brassicas, I planted a patch of swiss chard (silver beet), and at the other end, some lettuces. I also put several calendula plants at either end of the row. I’d certainly like to try this combination (or similar) again next autumn.