Micro-talent Vs Microgreens. A Battle For The Ages!

Ambition should always be applauded. That’s not to say it won’t occasionally lead to one biting off more than they can chew. Sadly, following a first foray into growing my own vegetables, nothing I managed to produce appealed in terms of either biting or chewing!

Cast your mind back to March 2020 and the initial Covid lockdown. It seemed that large swathes of the population became inhabitants of one of two camps. Namely, those baking banana bread or those turning corners of their garden into miniature allotments. I fell squarely into the latter camp. This was partly down to the fact that I’m no great fan of bananas but primarily down to the fact my garden was home to a woefully-underused greenhouse. I’m ashamed to admit that this glazed edifice had remained unloved and unused for many years.

So, this was my chance. No excuses. With the gusto of a much younger man, I set about tidying the old place up. There was an impressive amount of gardening paraphernalia in the old place. Surely that had to come in useful? I was to start growing my own veg. I’d seen The Good Life, how hard could it be? I ordered some tomato seeds. The stage was set. Stand aside Alan Titchmarsh, there’s a new king in town!

So, it turns out that growing your own tomatoes is a far-easier pursuit when viewed through the lens of Instagram, than it is in real life! One thing I most-certainly did get, was growth. What I didn’t get was tomatoes. Not one! I had single-handedly created my own urban jungle. The stalks hit the roof. Huge flapping leaves. The scene was reminiscent of Day Of The Triffids / Little Shop Of Horrors / Stranger Things (delete as age-appropriate).

I was clearly out of my comfort zone. In fact, so far out that I needed a flight back, possibly preceded by a taxi! I was so chastened by the experience, that the greenhouse was given a wide berth for over a year..

Well, to incorrectly-paraphrase Arnold Schwarzenegger, I’m back! The journey continues, just this time, with more modest ambitions. My initial mission? To grow some microgreens.

‘What are microgreens?’ I hear you ask. Basically, they’re just the young seedlings of various salads and vegetables that we’re all familiar with. The key difference here is that they are eaten earlier in their life cycle. Often this is after just a couple of weeks or so. They provide a perfect garnish for sandwiches and fish. The best bit? Word-on-the-street has it that growing them is practically idiot-proof.

To quote the powers-that-be, the Superbloom is a ‘walk-through naturalistic landscape’. Twenty million seeds have been planted around a series of pathways which now populate the moat. As well as offering a stunning floral vista, the whole installation will provide an additional urban home for pollinators, insects and birds alike.

As a committed idiot, I feel perfectly placed to put this to the test. What was once the preserve of hipster restaurants, is about to go down on my kitchen windowsill. That’s all that is required so no need to venture back into my greenhouse just yet! You can even buy starter-kits so that is exactly what I have done. In my case, I’ll be growing Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Mizuna and Mustard. A micro-talent being put to the test once more. What could possibly go wrong?