我的菜園六月在種什麼？What Am I Growing in My Vegetable Garden in June?
今年的天氣好奇怪，到了六月仍然乍暖還寒，日間和晚上的溫差很大，弄得那些需要高溫才長得好的瓜菜，都一直獃在那裏，不肯長大！幸好我有「什麼都種種」的實驗精神，故花園裏有適合不同季節的農作物，近日「一日四季」的天氣，對某些植物來說始終是合適的，所以總算有點收成，不至一無所獲！
The weather has been really odd this year. Even in June, it’s still cold, with huge temperature swings between day and night. The warm-weather veggies in my garden just refused to grow. Fortunately, I have a spirit of experimentation, so my garden has crops suitable for different seasons. As such, some plants still strive in this ‘four seasons in a day’ weather. Now at least I still have some harvest and don’t end up empty-handed!
士多啤梨 Strawberry
這個月最令人興奮的是士多啤梨。以前在香港我曾玩票性質地種過一下，但不大成功，因它喜光卻不耐熱，不適合香港的氣候，但英國的天氣則十分適合。我買了多個不同品種，每種都採收了一些果實。我把每粒都切開一半，和老公像wine tasting那樣，每人每個品種都嚐一口，逐一試味。
The most exciting thing this month is the strawberries. Back in Hong Kong, I had tried growing them for fun, but it wasn’t very successful because Hong Kong’s climate is not suitable for them. They love sunlight but can’t stand heat very well, so UK’s climate is perfect for them. I bought a few different varieties and have been harvesting some fruits from each. I sliced each strawberry in half for me and my husband to have a taste of each variety, just like wine tasting.
蘋果樹 Apple Tree
英國的氣候也非常適合種蘋果。兩年多前種植的小蘋果樹今年長高了不少，也長出了不少果實。今年我為它進做了些保護措施，希望果實不會像往年一樣被蟲蛀爛，九月可以進行一次apple tasting。
The UK climate is also very suitable for growing apples. The small apple tree I planted over two years ago has grown a lot this year and is bearing a good amount of fruit. I have taken some protective measures this year, hoping the fruits won’t be ruined by bugs like in previous years. Hope we can have an apple tasting in September.
芥蘭 Kai Lan
上個月收割芥蘭時，我留下了根和主幹，讓它繼續生長，約三週後，它長出了第二輪菜苗，摘來做了油菜吃。這批菜苗比第一批細小，吃完了這一輪，我把主幹拔掉，不種第三輪了，反而另外培了一批新苗準備落土。
When I harvested the Kai Lan last month, I left the roots and main stem to keep growing. About three weeks later, it produced a second batch of shoots, which I used for cooking. These shoots were smaller than the first batch. After this harvest, I didn’t grow a third round. I pulled out the main stem and planted some new seedlings.
菜心 Choy Sum
種了51天的菜心苗，開始抽苔開花，得收割了。近日除了氣溫飄忽，鼻涕蟲和蝸牛也非常肆虐。我培了一批新苗，把它們「吊高來種」，希望能避得過鼻涕蟲的耳目吧！
The Choy Sum seedlings started to bolt 51 days after sowing, so it’s time to harvest them. Besides the fluctuating temperatures, slugs and snails have also been rampant lately. I have prepared a new batch of seedlings and hung them on the fence to protect them from these pests.
紅葉白菜 Red Leaf Bak Choy
我把餘下的少量種子都種了，以免放得太久不能再發芽。
Seeing that I had a few seeds left, I decided to plant another batch of this easy vegetable rather than waiting too long to see the seeds go stale and lose viability.
油麥菜 Indian Lettuce
本來一直留着打算用來留種子的兩棵油麥菜，被潛葉蟲嚴重破壞，拔掉了！我另播了一批種，放在花園較陰的位置，留着陽光充沛的位置來種對光照要較強的菜。
The two Indian Lettuce plants I left to save for seeds were severely damaged by leaf miners, so I pulled them out. I planted a new batch in a shadier spot in the garden, reserving the sunnier areas for plants that need more light.
節瓜 Hairy Gourd
節瓜在忽冷忽熱的天氣下，一直不肯長大，有一棵更死了！嗚嗚，好寶貴的瓜苗就這樣報銷了！為了保住剩下的兩棵，我用透明膠瓶蓋住它，助它保暖，希望它們能好好生長。
The Hairy Gourd has been reluctant to grow in the fluctuating weather, and one plant even died. What a pity to lose this treasurable seedling! To save the remaining two, I covered them with transparent plastic bottles to keep them warm. Wish they will grow well!
蕃薯葉 Sweet Potato Leaves
同是因為溫度不夠，蕃薯也長得很慢。好消息是，第三棵幼苗也越冬成功，開始冒出葉來了！
Similarly, the insufficient warmth this year has led to slow growth of Sweet Potato. The good news is that the third seedling has successfully overwintered and started sprouting leaves.
莧菜 Amaranth
莧菜是夏天種的菜，六月頭是適合播種的時間。去年我在六月頭播種，36日後便有收成。今年天氣不夠暖，播種十天後才疏疏落落地出了些小毛毛，看來今年要稍遲才有莧菜吃了！
A summer vegetable, Amaranth used to grow well in June. Last year, I sowed them in early June and harvested them 36 days later. This year, it hasn’t been warm enough, and the seeds have only sparsely sprouted tiny seedlings after ten days. It looks like it will take longer for a harvest this year.
通菜 Morning Glory
通菜跟莧菜一樣是適合夏天種的菜。我從超市買通菜回來，剪下莖部，用水浸出根後，便可以插枝繁殖。這比起從種子開始種植，省卻不少時間。
Morning Glory, like Amaranth, is a summer vegetable. I bought some Morning Glory from the supermarket, cut off the stems, rooted them in water, and then propagated them from cuttings. This saved a lot of time compared to starting from seeds.
蒜頭 Garlic
本來種蒜頭是為了採摘蒜心，可是至今我只看見兩條蒜心長出來，其他蒜苗卻已倒下，一副不想再活的模樣！我拔了兩條出來檢查，其中一條已經長出完整的蒜頭，另一條則發育未成熟。看來種植蒜心和蒜頭，並非我想像中那麼簡單，但它的栽種期很長，長期佔用了土地，所以我決定待收成後，這片泥土還是改作種葱好了，這樣似乎更加合乎成本效益。
I originally planted Garlic to harvest the scapes, but so far, I’ve only seen two scapes. The other Garlic plants have fallen over, looking like they don’t want to live anymore. I pulled out two to check; one had formed a complete garlic bulb, while the other was still immature. It seems growing Garlic scapes and bulbs isn’t as simple as I thought, and they take long to grow, occupying the soil for a long time. So I’ve decided to switch to growing Spring Onions after this harvest, as it seems more cost-effective.
芥蘭頭 Kolhrabi
由於錯誤估計了蒜頭的生長時期，以致和它種在一起的芥蘭頭一直未能獨佔菜床，唯有繼續在擠迫的環境下生長，無法長得像去年的那麼大了。
Due to misjudging the Garlic’s growth period, the Kohlrabi planted with it hasn’t been able to take the veg bed for their own. Growing in a crowded environment, they are unable to reach the size they did last year.
櫻桃蘿蔔Radish
早前見花盆邊有些空位，種了些櫻桃蘿蔔，今個月收成了。現在我每每看見花盆有空隙，或是有閒置了的花盆，都種一些櫻桃蘿蔔。它收成期快，閒時種一些，可以用來取代又貴又難買得到的白蘿蔔，用來做菜。
I planted some Radishes in the empty gaps around the planters, and harvested them lately. Now, whenever I see empty gaps in the planters or have idle pots, I plant some Radishes. They grow quickly and can be used as a substitute for the more expensive and harder-to-find White Turnips in cooking.
葱 Spring Onion
剛看了一個YouTuber介紹如何用蔥頭種植出一年所需的葱。我想打算嘗試。畢竟平日煮食用很多蔥，但在英國不像香港，沒有在菜檔免費拿一把葱這回事，要用錢賣，價錢不便宜，買回來的蔥還要是剪了一半的，顏色又青！自己的種的蔥，終究較為符合我們對葱的要求。
I recently watched a YouTuber demonstrating how to grow a year’s supply of Spring Onions from Shallots. I plan to try it out. We use a lot of Spring Onions in cooking, and unlike in Hong Kong where you can get them for free from the vegetable stalls, you have to buy them in the UK, and they aren’t cheap. Worse still, the store-bought ones are cut very short and their colour are usually pale. Homegrown ones definitely meet our requirements for Spring Onions a lot better.
韭菜 Garlic Chive
這批韭菜種了兩年，長得不錯，從一盆分株成兩盆，然後三盆，大概每個月都能收割一次。上個月另外發的一批種子，也長出健康的幼苗來。
The Garlic Chives I planted two years ago are growing well, having been propagated from one pot into two, then three pots. I can harvest them about once a month. Meanwhile, the batch of seeds I planted last month has also produced healthy seedlings.
芫茜 Coriander
芫茜的葉片近日長得比較細小，種得久的會抽苔開花，所以我每隔兩週左右播一些種子，以持續保持供應。
The leaves of my Coriander have been rather small, and the older plants have started bolting. I sow some seeds every two weeks or so to maintain a continuous supply.
生菜 Lettuce
之前那棵吃了兩個月的生菜死掉了，買了一棵新的回來，是菜檔那些連根發售的原棵生菜，種在泥裏，繼續逐少逐少摘來吃。
The Lettuce I had been eating for two months died, so I bought a new one from the grocery store, one of those living lettuce sold with roots. I planted it in soil and continued to harvest it bit by bit.
辣椒 Chili Pepper
天氣一直熱不起來，辣椒無法長大。唯有把它再次收進溫室內，它才終於長出一些新葉。
My Chilli Pepper plant hasn’t been able to grow in the cool weather. I had to bring it into the green house again, and it finally started growing new leaves.
薑 Ginger
生長速度緩慢的薑苗，終於有點像樣的發展！
The slow-growing Ginger has finally shown some decent growth!
葵花籽 Sunflower Seeds
今年種了一些太陽花，看見它含苞待放的樣子，才猛然醒起其實它不只可以觀賞用，其種子也是一種食物，變相為我的菜園添加了一個食物品種。
I have planted some Sunflowers this year. As I observed their buds which were about to bloom, I suddenly realised Sunflowers aren’t just for viewing; their seeds are also edible, adding another food item to my garden.
九層塔 Thai Basil
種植香草，我很少從種子開始，多數是買盆栽回來繁殖。然而我一直以來都不見有九層塔盆栽發售，超市只有已摘下的枝葉。我試過買那些枝葉回來，浸根後種到花盆，效果卻不大理想，很快便抽苔開花。今年我決定試用種子種植，4月29日播種，到今天仍然很細小。然後有天我突然發現ASDA有九層塔盆栽出售，連忙買了幾棵回來移植到花盆中。
I rarely start herbs from seeds, usually buying potted plants for propagation. However, I haven’t seen potted Thai Basil in any shops. They only sell cut stems in supermarkets. I tried rooting these in water and potting them up, but they quickly bolted. This year, I decided to try growing Thai Basil from seeds. I sowed them on April 29, and they are still very small by now. Then I suddenly noticed that there are potted Thai Basil in ASDA. I quickly bought some and transplanted them into pots.
各式香草 Herbs
做菜時直接從花園採摘香草，是很美好的事情。除了九層塔和芫茜，我還種了刁草、羅勒、番茜、薄荷、鼠尾草、百里香、迷迭香、牛至、馬鬱蘭。
It’s a wonderful experience harvesting fresh herbs from the garden while cooking. Besides Thai Basil and Coriander, I also grow Dill, Sweet Basil, Flat Leaf Parsley, Mint, Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Oregan and Marjoram.
