Maryom's Garden

picked this week

2012-01-29T11:54:00.000Z

Loving the mild winter - more brussels picked this week

and a rather small, slightly frosted cauliflower.

Still using up last week's parsnips.

Frosty Flowers

2012-01-18T13:56:00.001Z

Last week there were calendulas just beginning to flower - totally the wrong time of year of course and I thought it best, with frost forecast, to move their pot to the greenhouse.

Even in there, they've been caught by the sudden drop in temperature. Hopefully they'll survive another day or so till the weather warms again.

The snowdrops have to stay outside - but will be ok.

Frosty Morning

2012-01-17T23:46:00.001Z

picked this week

2012-01-15T20:33:00.004Z

Winter has been very mild up to the last couple of days and things at the allotment are growing well without us putting in any effort! We went down at the beginning of the week and had a busy time cropping - an almost too-far-open cauliflower

autumn broccoli - it's been cropping on and off since autumn, probably only doing so well now as the weather is so mild.

more brussels sprouts - bigger now than those I picked for Christmas

parsnips and italian radishes, if you can see through the dirt. I have to grow more of these radishes next year, they've grown far better than normal round radishes would at this time of year. I also have a packet of blue German Herbst und Winter radishes that I forgot to set and should be good winter croppers.

January flowers

2012-01-11T13:28:00.002Z

The weirdly warm weather continues though slight frosts are forecast for weekend. Meanwhile honesty and crocuses are flowering!

Wind

2012-01-05T23:32:00.005Z

It's been a little windy over the post few days. Not as dreadful here as elsewhere, but today has been a day of blown over dustbins and rubbish rattling down the street.

I, at last, moved the last patio chairs inside to avoid them rolling round the garden but there's not a lot to do with the birdtable.

It's now having a little lie down.
The feeding table has fallen off and one of the legs is broken - again!

The new second-hand plastic greenhouse fell over in the last blast of wind a couple of weeks ago. Look carefully and you can see it just missed the winter cabbages - so I left it lying down. I'm glad I did as this week's wind would have brought it down again and probably not missed the plants.

New Year Flowers

2012-01-04T00:40:00.004Z

It's been a very mild winter so far - especially compared to last year - and a surprising number of plants were in flower at New Year - jasmine and rosemary might be expected but there were (rather tattered) roses, feverfew, buds on calendulas still hanging on from last year and forsythia, bergenia and snowdrop buds turning up early - even daffodil shoots up and strawberries!

Flowers at winter solstice

2011-12-21T13:37:00.003Z

After a cold weekend, the weather is warming up again! So much so that the forsythia is starting to flower. Flowering today - forsythia, jasmine, fuchsia, a bit of antirrhinum, very ratty nasturtiums and rosebuds.Going to try to find time for photos later and what else I can find.

picked this week- and last

2011-12-17T15:06:00.000Z

We didn't get down to the allotment last week and didn't imagine there'd be that much to bring home this trip - but I was pleasantly surprised.

Green tomatoes from the greenhouse at home (I'm hoping they'll ripen indoors but I'm not really expecting them to) and a tiny aubergine from the polytunnel.

a few smallish leeks, but I'm concerned that any colder weather will freeze them

a pair of cabbages - these were all I really expected to find ready at the allotment

brussels sprouts and bits of broccoli - the sprouts won't keep till Christmas so I'll freeze them this weekend - it also makes for less fuss on Christmas Day.

parsnips and two not-very-round turnips

last week's pulling of garden beetroot. In previous years I'd have been very pleased with these but the earlier ones from the allotment were massive. We're now lifting the smaller ones from there too before frost destroys them

A little bit surprised at being able to put together a plate of salad at this time of year - spinach and Italian radish from the allotment, various lettuce, rocket, landcress leaves from the garden and greenhouse and tomatoes still ripening in the kitchen

Biggest surprise of all? There's been a couple of nights of sharp frosts, so never expected to find raspberries. I wish I'd grown autumn fruiting varieties before!

Frosts

2011-12-13T00:11:00.002Z

There's been a couple of nights of white over frosts this weekend - and flowers are looking the worse for it. Nasturtiums and calendulas have been hit most. Still rather oddly have some antirrhinums flowering and the dark outdoor fuchsia. The weather is forecast to turn milder again for a while so they may survive till Christmas.

Snow!!

2011-12-04T23:42:00.001Z

Our first snow fall of the winter - not much at all yet, a few drifting flakes, but it's much colder than last week.

picked this week

2011-12-04T17:00:00.003Z

A quick trip to the allotment earlier this week gave me some raspberries for breakfast (ate them before I got round to photographing them), a lot of very dirty smallish beetroot and some strange shaped parsnips.

Managed to put together a plate of home grown salad - cabbage; baby lettuce, spinach, rocket etc; tomatoes ripening in the kitchen; one of my tiny red onions and home-grown, home-pickled red cabbage. Not bad for the time of year!

Starting to eat from the freezer now - french and runner beans mainly, though using summer fruit for jam.

December

2011-12-01T15:33:00.005Z

Having a rather warmer start to December than last year so prowling round the garden with the camera to catch things still in flower.

No flowers but both poppies and montbretia are sending up new shoots.

The only vaguely seasonal thing is the winter jasmine in flower.

There are even some peppers trying to grow and fruit in the cold frame!

picked this week

2011-11-27T23:55:00.004Z

Made a brief trip to the allotment mid-week and brought back more than we expected to find.

Surprised to find so many autumn raspberries, even after slight frosts.

Lifted beetroot, some Italian radish and a small swede

picked a couple of cabbages

and at home found peppers ripening. I wish they'd grown a bit larger first!

Aliens!

2011-11-25T10:21:00.000Z

Ok - not really aliens, but I was surprised to find these shooting up alongside a small pepper plant. I think they're sweetpeas but suppose they could possibly be edible peas - they're really still too small to tell.
The pepper has recently been potted up and brought inside in the hope of keeping it alive over winter on the window sill. I don't know where the pea seed has come from - it certainly isn't deliberately set but may have been drying for next year's seed in the kitchen, though even then, how it got in the plant pot is a mystery.
I'll pot them up separately soon and see how they grow.

over-wintering crops

2011-11-19T15:12:00.006Z

We haven't been down to the allotment this week - just pottering round the garden and picking the odd salad leaf or two and some late strawberries - I picked these while still unripe and let them turn red indoors away from the slugs and snails which have been eating them.There are still flowers on the plants but I don't really expect to get more fruit.

There are still some tomatoes on the plants in the greenhouse - but have more ripening in the kitchen that were picked earlier from outdoor plants.

Meanwhile I have things growing ready for Winter and/or Spring -

Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Spring cauliflowers

Brussels Sprouts, I think. As always the name tag has got lost and these could be cabbages......will have to wait and see....

baby cabbages and cauliflowers (still with name tags) - these may get planted out at the allotment soon if we don't have a hard frost

picked this week

2011-11-14T00:56:00.005Z

My first trip down to the allotment for a while and quite a surprise with the amount of picking and lifting to do.
Raspberries for breakfast

parsnips, beetroot and Italian radish - all covered in mud!

probably the last beans - some rather tough looking runners and french 'lazy housewife' beans which have grown really quickly.

surprise exotics from the polytunnel - courgettes, a tiny pepper, chilli and baby aubergines

lots of green tomatoes - and a few red

Autumn broccoli - side shoots growing almost as big as the main bit - and some small cauliflowers

Home grown lunch - spinach, tomatoes and radishes from allotment pickings, lettuce, rocket and beet leaves from garden, red cabbage from the cupboard (grown on the allotment and pickled)

....and not forgetting lots of mud!

Two experiments

2011-11-08T16:52:00.000Z

Overwintering tomatoes

Yes, I know it just looks like any old tomato plant but it's actually a cutting, or rather the top, of an old plant that was being thrown in the council recycling bin.
In summer, these cuttings strike easily to give extra plants, generally cropping later than their big brothers. What I'm trying to do here is see if I can keep it alive over winter in the house and maybe even get some fruit from it.
Who knows, it might work.

-----------

Grow Your Own

A month or so ago I was the very fortunate recipient of some quinces through Freecycle. I haven't used them all up yet but I'm thinking long-term and don't expect quinces to be given away every year.
I've grown apple trees from pips and eventually they flower and fruit - our best cropping tree is a 25 year old pippin - and we even have self set apple trees growing in the garden, probably from pips in the compost. So, I'm hoping that I can grow some quinces from seed. This first batch I'll keep inside and see if any grow. If there's no signs of growth, then the pips from the remaining quinces will go outside, probably in the greenhouse, for a little chilling over winter and hoprfully some growth in spring.

picked this week - and last.

2011-11-05T23:52:00.000Z

a mixed bunch from the allotment - cabbage, a small butternut squash, a courgette and a chilli

more Italian radishes, getting rather hairy and needing to be peeled

tomatoes and green chilli from garden greenhouse

back to a time of year when it's possible to get excited about a few fresh runner beans.

yellow pear tomatoes which have ripened outside after being lifted from the greenhouse to make way for peppers

...and a fresh supply of small spinach leaves

November flowers and things

2011-11-02T23:56:00.004Z

I can't quite believe it's November already. We're back to a run of sunny days with chilly but not really cold nights. Only one frost so far but the leaves have all changed dramatically this last week. The rowan has turned golden and the blueberries a stunning red as the light shines through.

The mild weather means there are lots of flowers still .... a solitary red rose..... calendulas, cosmos, fuchsias.........even a poppy bud!

picked this week

2011-10-23T18:07:00.000+01:00

This week's picking has been mainly about clearing green tomatoes and beans before the frost hit. Now have lots of dry beans to shell and store somewhere for winter stews.

I've also managed to lift a lot of Italian radishes, our single kohl rabi and some more beetroot.

Probably the last of the crystal lemon cucumbers and a bolting cabbage but the most ENORMOUS parsnips ever! - well, ever for us!

First frost - Wednesday 19th October

2011-10-22T17:55:00.006+01:00

Well we did have frost Wednesday night. Not heavy at home - and outdoor tomatoes here seem ok but down at the allotment it was much colder. Tomatoes are blackened, both french and runner beans look bedraggled, even the cucumbers inside the polytunnel were frosted. Courgettes and peppers that I covered with fleece seem ok for now.
It doesn't seem to have affected the whitefly much unfortunately - they're getting to be a real problem on brassicas and a cold snap might kill some off.
These are just a small number of the tiny green tomatoes picked on Tuesday. I need to find something useful to make with them but now moving on to eating parsnips, carrots and other cold-weather veg - and waiting for snow.

First frost forecast

2011-10-18T09:16:00.002+01:00

Part of my idea when I started this blog was to keep track of how well things were growing and cropping year on year - to be able to predict when we might expect the first runner beans or tomatoes - but another was to keep an eye on the weather, particularly late Spring and early Autumn with thier unpredictable cold snaps. There's a long held family tradition that snow is expected November 17/18th - my mother's birthday/grandma's wedding anniversary, so notable dates for us - and it often holds true, even when the week before is mild. I was surprised to discover though that the first frost for this year - predicted for Wednesday night - will fall same date as last year - http://maryomsgarden.blogspot.com/2010/10/frost.html Looking back through the blog, I can't find dates for previous years, but generally would have expected the first frost to come sometime in September, rather than as late as this.

picked this week

2011-10-17T09:20:00.006+01:00

We've been making the most of the continuing warm weather but frost is forecast for this week, so now starting to lift things for storage.

a mixed tray of all sorts from the allotment - including a small butternut squash, too many cucumbers and the long thinItalian radish which are growing a lot better than the 'normal' ones set at the same time

we've started to lift some parsnips as we want them despite the lack of frost but this batch of leeks is done now. Hopefully the smaller ones will grow for a while yet.

a very pretty bunch of 'wild' tomatoes - these are some of the self-set ones which were growing crazily in the polytunnel and had to be moved outside. The fruits aren't very large, probably Gardeners Delight, but the quantity of them is making up for that.

more baby aubergines

and ALL of our pumpkins/squashes - these haven't done as well this year. Previously they've done best when growing among the runner beans but unfortunately the ones set with the bean row this year didn't grow at all.

picked this week

2011-10-10T16:13:00.000+01:00

I think we've seen the last of the warm weather now. Much colder this week with high wind, thunder, lightning and hail!
because of the exposed position of the pippin apple tree, I decided it would be best to pick the apples before they fell. I wasn't really ready for this and didn't have boxes ready for storing them so for now they're mainly in containers in the kitchen.

Surprisingly there were a lot of blackberries and the autumn raspberries down at the allotment this week. I'm not sure how long the raspberries will continue to crop for but they seem to be increasing as the weather turns colder.

Runner beans still flowering and cropping well - starting to have a freezer full of them and tomatoes.

Still picking LOTS of the weird yellow cucumbers - these have definitely grown better than the normal green ones.
Courgettes have been having a second growth spurt with the warmer weather - much smaller now, but unexpected at this time of year.
The autumn broccoli - Ironman - is forming but the heads are rather small - probably again because of the unseasonal warmth.

flowers and weather

2011-10-08T16:20:00.004+01:00

Today is a proper damp October day. It's hardly believable that last weekend was so very hot. Temperatures have plummeted this week, easily by 10 degrees though it feels like much more. We've also had terrific thunder, lightning and hail one evening

Flowers are still going strong though, maybe starting to look a little battered as can maybe be expected.

Starting to get ready for a threatened arctic blast by bringing in geraniums and small cyclamens which were outside over summer.
Trees and shrubs are full of berries, so expecting another long, cold winter.

picked this week

2011-10-02T11:59:00.000+01:00

We've had an absolutely scorching week, temperature in high 20s, very strange for the time of year.
At least it means the later runner beans have a chance to crop and the pumpkins to grow.
More runner beans this week than last.
Lots of tomatoes though I've found the first signs of blight at the allotment

What will be the last of our cabbages for a while. The next row won't be ready for a few weeks, though the weather may confuse them.

A totally mixed up bowl of autumn broccoli, french beans, semi-wild blackberries and autumn raspberries

Italian radish growing well, picking them slighter larger at the size of a small finger carrot.

Peas!!
The pods and plants are covered in mildew but at least the peas inside are ok.

Leeks
We've ended up with too many needing to be picked at the same time (what's new?)
Some should have stood till winter but have flower buds developing so need to be lifted now.

Borlotti and Tendergreen french beans ready for drying. Hopefully they, at least, like this late burst of summer.

picked this week

2011-09-25T12:19:00.001+01:00

We've been busy again picking allotment produce before threatened snow for next month (!), though I've read today that there will be a heat-wave over the next couple of weeks so presumably the weather men have changed their minds!

anyway, have picked LOTS of tomatoes - green and red

the runner beans have been damaged a bit by wind but we're still getting enough for dinners from them, just not such an enormous surplus to freeze
picked the first of the cobra beans - a shiny black bean to dry - along with more borlottis and tendergreen french
our first red cabbage - not very large but I decided it was time for pickled cabbage

pulled some Italian radishes - wasn't very sure how long to let them grow. Some are very strong in taste and give quite a kick to salads

this is the total of my red onions from the garden, but I'm really pleased with them - possibly my best crop of them ever!

picked this week

2011-09-18T11:38:00.000+01:00

lots of usual suspects - runner, french and borlotti beans, beetroot, carrots, lettuce leaves.

discovered some long thin white radish among a sowing of mixed type radishes. I expected it to be very strong in taste but it was rather mild.

still picking lots of cucumbers - both long green and these strange yellow ones. have picked the first pepper - but it seems to be turning purple as it ripens!

rather pleased at this time of year to still be able to pick a plate of salad from the garden/allotment. the tomatoes are tiny gartenperle variety and some have grown in a hanging basket.
the far larger beefsteak tomatoes are ripening well but we're picking lots of all sorts while still green before they're damaged by weather or blight.

drying out

2011-09-15T00:02:00.003+01:00

some of the peas and beans drying out -

broad beans with their pods looking like wrinkled cucumbers

a mix of borlotti and tendergreen french beans - some of these aren't drying too well and have started to sprout!

and a mix of various peas along with what is so far the only chilli.

picked this week - stocking up for winter

2011-09-11T10:56:00.003+01:00

An absolutely crazy week of picking things at the allotment and freezing or storing them. Now have a freezer almost full of runner beans, courgettes and blackberries! (and a lot of overgrown courgettes have gone into chutney) Now have quite a hoard of borlotti beans, broad beans and peas drying on my kitchen windowsill - some are for dinners and some are for next year's seed. There are 4 spare cabbages hanging in the garage - not sure how well they'll keep as the weather is still quite warm. Lifted all the onions but they haven't grown very large so may just end up pickled.

Meanwhile have picked - and eaten - some small untidy cauliflowers, more running-to-seed lettuce, spinach leaves, french beans from some of the later-set plants, tomatoes and both long green and round yellow cucumbers.

picked this week - well, last week really

2011-09-06T23:52:00.003+01:00

Losing track of what day it is which is why this post is late.
Mainly clearing up after the holidays still - lots and lots of runner beans, enormous beetroot, lettuce that is running to seed and courgettes that need keeping in order to stop them growing into marrows. Starting to pick some of the borlottis and blue lake french beans for the beans rather than the pods, Also have the last peas from early rows and broad beans drying - either for eating or for seed, depends how many look edible. Lifting potatoes and carrots as we want them and had to clear out some cabbage that was ready to burst.
Very pleased to have strawberries fruiting again - they've not fruited continuously but in two distinct phases - not many ripening though as there's not much sunshine at the moment. Slugs are being kept down by a frog - saw him (her?) quite clearly one evening just after returning from holiday, now about the size of my hand. Also have a wren living close to ground in shrubs near the kitchen and flying out when least expected.

Holidays

2011-09-02T10:55:00.002+01:00

Back from a fortnight away to the normal sort of neglected chaos. Beans and courgettes going wild. Pumpkins and roses spreading over paths. Little treasures of autumn strawberries under it all. And the frog has grown! Now the size of my hand. I think he's got used to having the place to himself as he's around and about and quite easily spotted in the evening.
No photos of anything as the camera is absolutely full with holiday pics and there's no space on the pc to download them!

Saving seed

2011-08-16T22:53:00.000+01:00

We're finding this year with an allotment to plant up that we're buying far more seed. There's only so much to be found in sales and cut price stores so I'm thinking we need to try and save more of our own.

Alongside 'normal' things such as peas (a bit blurred), sweetpeas and broad beans, we're trying some broccoli that accidentally got carried away and ran to seed and rocket which is perfectly capable of self- setting in areas it isn't wanted.

picked this week

2011-08-14T21:36:00.002+01:00

an exotic feel to this week's harvest - crystal lemon cucumber, the first baby aubergine and ripe tomato, sugar snap peas (from the allotment so NOT eaten straight from the plant) and yet another courgette!
We've so many courgettes, that they've been turned into jam and chutney, grated for muffins, roasted, added to curries and pasta - and I've still frozen loads.

Also busy freezing runner beans - this is one morning's picking - and blackberries from the side of the allotment.

Thinned the branches and fruit on the apple tree this week, so I've a basket of smallish apples.

picked this week

2011-08-07T01:14:00.004+01:00

busy, busy times merely getting the picking done!

Cucumbers have started cropping this week - several from each plant. I think the normal cucumbers are marketmore, the strange round one is crystal lemon.

Courgettes are getting out of hand - these are one day's worth. So we've decided to lift one of the polytunnel plants to make room for everything else and to take the cold frame off the ones in the garden and put it over some small flowering pepper plants.

The cheap packet of mixed type radish is starting to crop. The cream ones that look like turnips are surprisingly milder than the red.

picked a couple more cabbages this week
some lettuce

more peas - the tall Aldermans are now cropping though not many yet
have finished picking broad beans for now - we've left a couple of pods on each plant to dry. Some for next year's seed, some to eat over winter hopefully.
french beans and now runner beans - another glut may be on the way

still picking enough alpine strawberries to top my breakfast and some of the other plants are flowering again - so they are perpetual fruiters and hopefully will fruit soon.

Friday - going in circles

2011-08-05T10:55:00.001+01:00

A day of solid rain on Wednesday breaking a week of hot dry weather. In hope of more weekend rain, I spent today digging over some patches of garden, pulling out running to seed rocket, generally clearing it out and sowing more seed. As usual, weeding turned up some interesting plants, including oregano and antirrhinums which I immediately replanted, so I had to weed the flowerbed patch they were going to go in. I so often end up in circles like this - set out to do Job A and end up sidetracked into B and C.
Anyway, at last I got the ground cleared and Offenham cabbage, multicoloured radish, white chard and bordeaux spinach set - most for Autumn but the cabbage is for Spring. Also collected the rocket seed for next year.

August in the garden - flowers

2011-08-02T12:04:00.000+01:00

flowers everywhere at the moment - an unexpected late poppy, the fuchsia I didn't think had survived the snow, a dianthus bought from reduced rack at the garden centre, marigolds and self-set calendulas, nasturtiums, cosmos, deep blue platycodons and oregano pushing out across the path.

picked this week

2011-07-31T11:26:00.002+01:00

probably the largest cauliflower we've ever grown, certainly the largest beetroot and an eaten-away cabbage

a BIG bag of broad beans

peas, french beans, the first 2 runner beans, more courgettes, first cucumber, a much nicer cabbage

mangetout peas which never make it this far

lettuce and rocket

blackberries and alpine strawberries

waiting at the allotment

2011-07-27T21:11:00.001+01:00

we've so much produce looking nearly, but not quite, ready....... beetroot fattening up.......

tomatoes showing the first glimmer of orange
..........

and

blackberries showing the first glimpse of purpley black

and cucumbers just waiting to fill.......

picked this week

2011-07-26T17:29:00.002+01:00

well, actually the stuff picked last Friday from the allotment
Cabbage, broad beans, courgettes (more sensible shapes than the ones at home), carrots

radish, peas and lettuce

I wonder at times how hard it would be to grow all our veg but then realise we'd be eating broad beans and courgettes constantly!

picked on Monday

2011-07-20T19:38:00.003+01:00

Not going to wait for a full week's post - went down the allotment on Monday and picked all these!
lots of broad beans, a few peas, radishes and french beans
the first allotment courgette
a cabbage
and
the best carrots we've EVER grown!!

back home and remembered to check the cold frame for courgettes
Should have done it sooner!

fruit - this year's and last years

2011-07-19T17:51:00.000+01:00

Two of the home trees and the allotment pear are heavy with fruit, so I've been thinning it out a bit. The only allotment apple has cramped small fruit, so I've taken some off that as well. Not necessary to do anything to the plum tree as there's only 3 plums!
Going to try and do something useful with it all though not sure what.

Meanwhile we've reached the very end of last year's apples. There were half a dozen or so, very soft wrinkly apples left - no good for eating, too small to peel, so sliced and semi-dried to add to breakfast.
These were our apples from the large pippin tree but we had lots from elsewhere in Autumn.

picked this week

2011-07-17T00:31:00.007+01:00

a nice dry week ending in a totally wet Saturday! Still produce is growing well. We've lifted all sorts of goodies this week.

still picking alpine strawberries, a small amount of raspberries and the first blueberries - the birds have got their eyes on these.

lifted beetroot from the allotment and leeks from the garden

picked masses of broad beans and the first of the french beans

started lifting allotment potatoes and more cabbage

quite a good iceberg lettuce and lots of bits of a red iceberg

and another batch of beetroot - possibly the largest we've ever grown

picked this week

2011-07-10T13:42:00.000+01:00

our first cucumber of the year

some broccoli that should have been early purple sprouting but.....

not so many raspberries this week and strawberries are mainly down to the tiny alpines

too many courgettes!

more broad beans

flowering this week

2011-07-09T16:28:00.001+01:00

strange black hollyhocks, deep pink cosmos, bright orange marigolds and tomatoes in the hanging basket!

July garden - fruit

2011-07-04T17:35:00.002+01:00

checking out fruit so far and thinking about Autumn -

wondering whether the peaches will grow any more?

raspberries and strawberries have cropped really well but are slowing down now. I hoped that some of the strawberry plants moved from the allotment would turn out to be perpetual fruiters but it doesn't seem likely.

the newest apple tree is getting ready for a bumper crop later and even the old tree has decided to flower at last.

picked this week

2011-07-03T18:06:00.002+01:00

lots more broad beans and peas - for once we seem to have more than enough!
2 cabbages this week - pulling them early as I think there may be a glut soon

lifted the last of the garlic and the first (hopefully) of the beetroot from the allotment

lettuce -though starting to blot - rocket and this amazingly coloured chard
more soft fruit - strawberries and raspberries
and of course more comedy courgettes!

Pests

2011-07-01T13:28:00.002+01:00

Recent rain has brought an increase in slugs/snails and the damage caused by them in the garden. Lost some strawberries to them and some nibbled bits of lettuce.

Still,
it's all at a lesser level than normal, probably due to the severely cold winter.
Could grow to like that.

Heatwave

2011-06-26T18:24:00.003+01:00

Yesterday was warmish but with wall to wall rain. Today the temperature has rocketed and caught us by surprise. Everything in the greenhouse and the broccoli out in the garden were wilting by lunch time. Tomorrow is expected to be hotter!

picked this week

2011-06-26T01:11:00.004+01:00

Busy, busy week of picking soft fruit, more peas, the first broad beans and courgettes (one sensibly shaped, the other not) - at times the more persistent rain showers are getting in the way of picking! Raspberries and redcurrants are going into the freezer for now as the quickest and easiest way of dealing with them - will make jam later. I'm pulling cabbage from the allotment before it's really 'hearted up' because I feel too much may come ready all at the same time. Lifted another batch of garlic - the first hadn't ripened and didn't keep, hopefully having grown longer this week's will.

Midsummer garden - flowers

2011-06-22T18:48:00.004+01:00

picked this week

2011-06-19T12:08:00.001+01:00

Busy busy days with a mix of sunshine and rain. Picking soft fruit every day - mainly redcurrants but strawberries and raspberries have started ripening in the last few days

reaching the end of the first allotment lettuce and the earliest pea row. second pea row cropping well,as are the mangetout/sugarsnap peas - though they rarely make it as far as the kitchen. still picking spinach though it's starting to run to seed. masses of rocket - some self-set - in the garden.
Hoping for broad beans this week

Soft Fruit and Pests

2011-06-16T22:31:00.003+01:00

We've been having more problems than normal this year with blackbirds helping themselves to the redcurrants. Time for some homemade bird deterrents. No unwanted cds around at the moment but lots of foil and milk bottle tops waiting to be taken for recycling. So I've made two mobiles - one to hang on the bean poles, and the other a sort of washing line effect thing in the corner above the redcurrant. The reflecting lights and noise from these are supposed to keep birds away - hopefully the birds will find something else to eat.

Meanwhile, I have plenty of redcurrants...

and some strawberries and raspberries starting to ripen

picked this week

2011-06-12T12:48:00.001+01:00

really getting into the swing of eating home grown produce now

lettuce and peas from the allotment

a spring cabbage,
salad leaves, the first few mangetout and radishes from home

Dodgy Veg

2011-06-11T17:47:00.002+01:00

I've been very disappointed with this Spring's broccoli. Not because it didn't grow or was eaten off by pigeons but because what grew WASN'T broccoli!

The packet clearly shows a picture of green 'heading' broccoli........

but the plants are something completely different - nearer to field rape. One at the front of this photo looks like broccoli, most are strange yellow flowered things and two seem to be cabbages.
I don't know where the seed came from - it was part of a bundle of packets found in the polytunnel of our allotment when we took it over - but it's clearly some discount store. 4 packets of seed for 99p may seem like a bargain - but not if it doesn't do what it says on the pack!

Ginger

2011-06-08T12:37:00.004+01:00

I grew some ginger from sprouting roots a couple of years ago and thought I'd have another try, especially as I now have more greenhouse space. I've seen packs of roots on sale in garden centres but I've picked mine up, as before, from the supermarket.
Look carefully and you can just see it starting to grow.
Potted a couple of pieces up in normal compost and put them out in the greenhouse where it should be warm and humid.

picked this week

2011-05-29T12:24:00.001+01:00

exciting times in the garden!!

the first peas.....

the first strawberries... alpine ones and a little 'pippy' but tasting wonderful

and

almost full-sized lettuce

picked this week

2011-05-22T19:14:00.001+01:00

a bit of variety along with the normal salad leaves and radishes this week - we've started lifting some of the garlic. It's very early but the tops were drying and turning brown with the lack of water lately, and I needed the space as a seed bed for winter cabbage.

weeds - again!

2011-05-21T19:58:00.004+01:00

More in the 'weird weeds' category.

The greenhouse has been moved into a spot where potatoes have been grown for the past couple of years - looks like we didn't lift them all as they're growing again!

Also, springing up in the greenhouse, I've found several tomato seedlings and a pumpkin.

May Flowers

2011-05-16T10:06:00.001+01:00

This is the time of year when the garden looks fullest and most colourful. I have lots of perennials in the flower beds as they bloom year after year with minimal effort on my part, and most of them flower about May/June time.

There are delicate drooping solomon's seals, bright brashy oriental poppies, irises, peonies and frothy london pride.

Unfortunately, after a hot dry April, May has turned showery and cool. The rain is undoubtedly needed but I wish I could sit outside more and enjoy the flowers.

picked this week

2011-05-15T09:16:00.003+01:00

clearing some more ground at the allotment and found this mix of leeks, garlic and some that we weren't quite sure about.

thinnings from the first of our real lettuce (rather than baby leaves)

plenty of radishes to go with the lettuce

more rhubarb, which is growing again with this week's rain.

aquilegias

2011-05-11T09:25:00.001+01:00

Starting many years ago with a small number of pale-flowered ones, I now have a garden full of aquilegias in many colours. They're all self-set - some in the flower beds but many spring up in the veg patch and have to be moved.
Favourite colour this year is the plum/maroon

the last of.....

2011-05-10T09:19:00.002+01:00

cut into the last of our pumpkins for last night's dinner
- thankfully, no seeds sprouting inside this one!

...and just used up the last of the previous allotment tenant's beetroot.
Hoping ours will grow as well this year.

picked this week

2011-05-08T17:41:00.002+01:00

Guess what?? Radishes again!!
some rhubarb, though it's rather floppy due to lack of rain
some early purple sprouting broccoli
and
salad leaves - mainly rocket

Weather

2011-05-07T17:57:00.000+01:00

A bit of panic here on Tuesday evening as the weathermen were predicting a ground frost. Dashed round everything, covering with fleece or propagator lids - even inside the greenhouse. Not sure if we really needed to but with tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and beans getting quite large, it seemed better to be safe than sorry.
Haven't had rain for several weeks - slight drizzle about the beginning of April was the last. Everywhere has been dry and dusty. Rhubarb flopping over with lack of water. Seedlings needing to be watered twice a day. A change at last this weekend - lots of rain, followed by sunshine and everywhere now looking much healthier.

weeds

2011-05-05T09:13:00.000+01:00

All the usual weed suspects have grown again in the veg patch -

foxgloves, feverfew and welsh poppies -
most of which will be moved to the flower garden

the little forest of sycamore seedlings is just destined for the compost heap though!

We always have masses of 'helicopter' seeds spinning down in Autumn from the parent tree just outside the back fence but not normally this number of seedlings!

Blossom

2011-05-03T08:34:00.001+01:00

Back from a short break to find all the later-flowering trees covered n blossom - rowan, lilacs and laburnum

picked this week

2011-05-02T13:52:00.006+01:00

After a week's holiday - returning to an empty fridge - I felt very lucky to be able to lift radish and salad leaves straight from the garden for lunch!

Also picked - early purple sprouting broccoli - still only from one plant though I'm hoping 2 others will crop soon - and running-to-seed brussels

and another handful of radish from the allotment

picked this week

2011-04-24T19:25:00.001+01:00

a scorching hot week with no rain and night time temperatures up above 10 degrees. planting tomatoes and cucumbers out into greenhouse floor and keeping my fingers crossed that there's no evil late frosts.

meanwhile, we at last have some REAL broccoli to eat rather than the bursting brussels mock broccoli.

also still lifting radish from the allotment and the first from the later sowing at home.

picked this week

2011-04-17T16:52:00.000+01:00

actually a real amount of produce this week - two batches of rhubarb for muffins

two batches of radishes from the allotment - our first own-sown crop!!

more bursting brussels bits and leaves

chives, rocket and small spinach/lettuce for salad

and oregano, lemon balm and thyme for the dressing

blossom

2011-04-16T22:10:00.006+01:00

flowers and fruit on the redcurrants

lilac in bud

two colours on the flowering cherry - the flowers should be pink but sideshoots low down on the trunk, below the grafting point, have white flowers

two out of three apple trees are in flower - the pippin and the B+Q tree, now in its 3rd year here and covered in flower again after so few last year

spring borders - red and purple.

2011-04-14T13:18:00.001+01:00

apeldoorn tulips and honesty - clashing or complementing?

Tulips

2011-04-13T13:55:00.001+01:00

from the allotment

2011-04-12T17:46:00.002+01:00

the first sown-by-us crop from the allotment.

Went there today to plant out cabbages, cauliflowers and onions and thought I'd check on the radishes, originally sown inside the polytunnel, but I was totally surprised to find them ready to lift!!

picked this week

2011-04-10T15:46:00.001+01:00

starting to get a few more bits and pieces from the garden -
a mixed batch of salad leaves - lettuce, two types of rocket, spinach, chives, lemon balm and oregano.

'mock broccoli' or, as it's more commonly known, bits of brussels running to seed.

April in the garden - veg

2011-04-07T15:52:00.001+01:00

lots of life in the vegetable patch now - most of the vines from the allotment are alive...

..tomatoes and cucumbers growing well and waiting for warmer weather...

...rhubarb nearly ready to pick...

I've planted out sugar snap peas and broad beans this week - both still protected by yogurt cartons and fleece

lots of little salad leaves coming on in the greenhouse....

and lots of flowers ...apple blossom.....

strawberries......and dog violets.

picked this week

2011-04-03T15:46:00.003+01:00

pulled out some more brussels sprouts plants this week. eating the opening sprouts, the leaves off the top and giving the stalks to the dog as pretend bones!

bits of young lettuce and rocket, and snips of chives for a small salad.

April in the garden - flowers

2011-04-02T15:22:00.005+01:00

Still have lots of daffodils flowering but heading towards tulip time with small Red Riding Hoods, a tiny yellow Tarda and the first of the tall Appeldoorns in flower.

everything else racing to catch up - honesty, forget-me-nots, muscaria and even dwarf rhododendron in bud.

picked this week

2011-03-27T18:36:00.000+01:00

another week of parsnips from the allotment and small brussels from the garden.

Flowering now!!

2011-03-26T12:49:00.004Z

a wonderful week of sunshine - feeling hot enough for Summer at times.

Everything is racing to catch up with Spring.

All the daffodils are in flower - even the later white ones

early flowering shrubs - kerria japonica, forsythia - in blossom

pale pink hyacinths that used to be indoors, short Red Riding Hood tulips, grape hyacinths, polyanthus, all flowering - even have blossom on the peach tree.

Shoots of Spring - Red

2011-03-22T15:59:00.000Z

new shoots are supposed to be green
but these, peonies above and rhubarb below, are
red

Getting ready

2011-03-21T19:14:00.001Z

Hubby has been busy digging down on the new allotment and now we're sowing our (almost) first seeds there - we'd set radish and lettuce in the polytunnel which blew down and luckily they've both survived.

Anyway last week we had a sowing session - broad beans, peas, carrots, parsnips and radish - and also planted sprouting bits of the dinner potatoes. All of them have been covered up with plastic or fleece but now the weather is warming up rapidly and the covers can soon come off.
The fruit trees are showing lots of buds so hopefully there's a lot of fruit to come. We're still not sure which tree is which - there's a mix of apples, pears and a plum.
In the home garden, I'm trying to lay it out in a more formal, less cram it in everywhere, way.
Strawberries edging the paths for a start and maybe some small lavender plants.
For now, I've set radish and spring onions here and planted out the broad beans started in the greenhouse. I intend having wigwams of runner beans and sugar snap peas in soon.

picked this week

2011-03-20T20:01:00.004Z

reaching the last of the brussels and starting to cut off and eat the tops as well.

managed to find some very small salad leaves for one lunch - they're not really ready yet.

also down to the last box of apples. they've kept quite well, a little soft but fine for stewing or drying out.

picked this week

2011-03-13T11:42:00.003Z

lifted some of the parsnips from the allotment - about half the row sown by the previous tenant.

more small brussels from the garden

Re-organising

2011-03-08T16:19:00.001Z

Now we have an allotment, it isn't necessary to have quite so much of our garden turned into a vegetable plot. I still intend growing quite a few things here at the house - primarily things that are wanted on a spur of the moment decision, lettuce and other salad leaves, radishes, or things that need a close eye kept on them and possibly picking every day, sugar snap peas and strawberries.
I'd also like the veg patch to be more ornamental and certainly tidier.
So, with these 2 things in mind, we've lifted all the strawberry plants from the allotment (where there is a problem with birds taking fruit) and planted them as path edging. The overall plan is to have square-ish plots with maybe wigwams of peas and some french beans with edgings of strawberries and/or salad leaves. For now I've set some radish and spring onions, and planted out the spinach which overwintered in the greenhouse - not sure if this will grow properly or not but it's better planted out of the tray.

picked this week

2011-03-06T19:19:00.004Z

Back to picking things from the garden - wow!

Some more tiny brussels

and even some salad leaves -
bits of chives, american land cress, smaller bittercress found in the coldframe and some very small bits of lettuce.

March in the garden - vegetables

2011-03-02T19:11:00.005Z

lots of seedlings growing in the greenhouse ready for transfer to the allotment - cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli,

broad beans - the holly leaves deter mice -

and peas

outside, at least one clump of parsley has survived,

garlic is growing quite well

but only one lonely autumn sown broad bean

March in the garden - flowers

2011-03-02T18:52:00.005Z

Under the dampness of last week the garden has started to come back to life.
Lots of bulbs suddenly in flower in today's sunshine.

- hopefully some daffodils soon

Half - term

2011-02-27T19:11:00.002Z

February half-term holiday is when we expect a last cold blast of winter - possibly with snow. Well, there's been no such thing this last week. It's been damp and fairly warm every day except one - and that was sunny and really warm, warm enough to sit outside without a jacket and eat lunch!
Under the murk and damp, the garden is slowly coming back to life. Crocuses have suddenly appeared while no one was noticing, the forsythia is heading towards full flower and daffodils are looking ready to burst open any time soon - all that's needed now is a little more sunshine!

Sunny day's work

2011-02-16T20:50:00.002Z

A sunny morning today so decided to do some pottering in the garden and greenhouse. Set some merveille des quatre saisons lettuce and a tray of rocket. Pricked out the onion and leek seedlings which started to numb my fingertips.
Then went outside and started to plant out the wallflower seedlings which should have gone in the flower bed in Autumn - still better late than never and the awful cold winter would probably not have been good for them - hopefully they'll catch up soon, but as I tend to treat them as perennials, it's ok if they don't flower this Spring. They should be a deep red to contrast with bright yellow daffodils. Didn't finish them as the ground was too wet and cold for my fingers at least, if not the plants.

New Life

2011-02-16T17:13:00.003Z

Things are starting to very gradually wake up in the garden - vibrant green chives

shoots on the clematis montana

and honeysuckle

bud on bergenia

and another excuse for some snowdrops

Signs of Spring - yellow and white

2011-02-07T15:57:00.001Z

Very windy still so went out in front garden to tidy up the flown in rubbish - and found crocuses hiding beneath it.

snowdrops have been quietly opening while no one was looking

even buds on the polyanthus and still flowers on the jasmine

Picked this week

2011-02-06T15:34:00.004Z

At last!! Back to picking dinner from the garden. Only a few rather ragged brussels but something nonetheless. These are the first I've picked from this year's plants. They haven't grown very large and some are starting to burst open but it's nice to be able to grow something, anything, through winter.

Candlemas / Groundhog Day Weather watching

2011-02-02T13:48:00.002Z

"If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
But if Candlemas Day be clouds and rain
Winter is gone and will not come again"

Gardeners need to know when they can risk planting outside, when they dare move the over-wintered things out of the greenhouse without losing them to the next cold spell, so every February 2nd I watch the weather and try to predict the likelyhood of late frosts. I don't have a groundhog to help me so it's back to the old European tradition of standing a candle in the window to see if it will cast a shadow.
So far this year, Spring is slow in coming - snowdrops are up but not flowering yet, there are no crocuses to be seen and only one lonesome bud on the forsythia. As for the Candlemas prediction - today is cold and overcast but if I'd put a candle in the window it certainly would have cast a shadow!

Was that really helpful?

I'm not sure. Even without the candle, I'd have bet on more frosts and probably snow to come.

aliens

2011-01-25T17:29:00.002Z

chopped open one of our homegrown pumpkins yesterday. It's skin hadn't hardened properly and it was starting to go soft - even so, I was unprepared to find seeds sprouting INSIDE!!

it's like something from Alien

there were three of them but I only managed to lift out one without breaking it - this is now in a small plant pot and hopefully will grow to make next year's pumpkins.

Getting ready for Spring

2011-01-24T07:52:00.002Z

Last week started mild so did some tidying up of leaves and weeds - and can now see the snowdrop shoots peeping through.
Lots of seedlings growing - leeks, onions, moneymaker and big boy tomatoes, baby aubergines, antirrhinums, rodeo cabbage inside - lettuce and cauliflower out in greenhouse.

hard frosts again though at the end of the week.

Picked this week

2011-01-23T17:50:00.000Z

picked the small red cabbage which I thought had survived the frosts well but it had a patch of rot running through it. Pickled the good bits but there was nothing like the amount I expected.

Weeding

2011-01-18T22:25:00.002Z

Sunny day today so spent most of the afternoon out in the garden trying to clear up the weeds that really should have gone into the compost bin in Autumn. Can now see snowdrops as they come through.
Lettuce and cauliflower are starting to grow in the greenhouse, leeks and onions in indoor propagators.

Sign of Spring?

2011-01-17T09:10:00.003Z

first glimpse of snowdrops