IN THE current crisis, those of us who are lucky enough to have an outdoor space to call our own during periods of self-isolation are going to see them as something of a real sanctuary, I’m sure. As from tomorrow, there will certainly be more daylight to spend time in the garden too, as the clocks go forward overnight.

We are now in a situation where there are no public spaces or gardens open to visit, as we all are required to stay at home. The National Garden Scheme took the decision, along with other charities, to close all its gardens for the foreseeable future earlier this week.

They are trying to keep the garden spirit alive by encouraging garden owners who were scheduled to open, to send in short videos of their plots along with images, to be posted on the National Garden Scheme’s social media channels for us all to see. Lots of social media posts now are offering virtual tours of gardens, museums and the like to allow us a look outside our own four walls in these desperate times.

Back at Driftwood, my injury is certainly preventing me from doing as much as I would normally do to prepare the garden. I’m still on crutches and peg leg due to my Achilles tendon which makes normal gardening quite difficult. I have managed to get out and take down the poly tunnel in the garden this week and with some help, move the agaves from the side alley into the beach garden, from their undercover winter storage area.

I’ve already cancelled all the proposed garden openings for 2020 now, along with the Macmillan Coastal garden trail, so will not be investing in the purchase of all the summer annuals. I will try and make the garden look nice for the three of us who will be using it over the next three months or so in our self-isolation.

I have to confess, I’m not a vegetable grower, I simply do not have the space in my plot but maybe with what is hitting us currently, we should all try growing some for ourselves. Here is an unusual one you might like to try if you can get your hands on any. Kohlrabi is a round-rooted brassica and has a delicious mild, nutty flavour. It can be eaten in a crunchy salad or maybe steamed. Sow it now at a temperature of around one to15 degrees centigrade perhaps even in the ground with a cloche placed over it. What’s more it can be grown in a pot too and is quite decorative. It will cope with dappled shade too once leaves sprout but don’t let the soil dry out.

Read more of Geoff’s garden at www.driftwoodbysea.co.uk