Friday 14 September 2012

Vegetating

Veggies out of the poly-tunnel and garden
Today I've been doing what I like doing best - working in the poly-tunnel and picking and digging. The wet, cold weather earlier in the year has made everything late. A couple of the apple trees are loaded, the rest of them have hardly got a leaf between them, let alone any fruit.  I've not seen any wasps buzzing around either, perhaps the blossom didn't get pollinated this year and the buds just dropped off - I don't know.  The first  sowing of runner beans outside was a complete disaster. They either rotted in the ground or the slugs polished them off just as they came through. I sowed a second lot of beans in June and they're just coming into their own. Bagged a few for the freezer. The tomatoes are ripening at long last. I saved some seed from a beefsteak plant last year and pretty near every one of them germinated so I've got loads of great big funny shaped tomatoes, but they don't half taste great. And they didn't cost anything.  I tried growing some Kohl Rabbi this year too. Never eaten Kohl Rabbi, so will cook some for dinner tomorrow. The slugs obviously like it - they've bitten a smiley face all along the bottom - durr.


There's an artichoke growing in the front border.


I wish I could have had a slow motion video camera to watch it opening.


The electric blue flower today is gorgeous.


I took this picture today. Compare it with the header - same hill, same trees, same hedges, same fields - that was last week, but it can't ever be the same because now everything's moved on.

16 comments:

  1. What a great haul from your garden Molly.

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  2. Oh my goodness Molly...that artichoke flower is amazing! I so wish I could be dedicated like you with vegetable gardening...it takes so much work!
    and you are so right...it all changes because it all moves on...just like us...

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  3. Molly, your veggies all look so healthy. Love the header photo and the lovely colour of your artichoke flower.

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  4. We had great weather for the gardens, but for some reason, it turned out to be my worst gardens ever. I think it was a better garden for the bugs and pests. It was a very disappointing season for me and my neighbors.

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  5. Lovely time of year for us veg' gardeners. The fruits of our labours are now to be enjoyed, preserved, and donated. Then next year we do it all again!

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  6. You have a lovely variety of veggies there Molly. Colourful, tasty and good for us.

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  7. Looks like the lovely harvest festivals we had at school :-D

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  8. Your vegetables look wonderful, I need some lessons! This time of year is my favourite - especially when the sun shines and the air is clean and fresh.

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  9. Gosh, Molly, you've got an entire Harvest Thanksgiving all to yourself there. :-) Beautiful veg and I bet they taste wonderful.

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  10. Molly, your vegetables are beautiful. The artichoke is big and gorgeous. I thank you for your prayers for my recovery. Yesterday was tough. hugs, olive

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  11. You've got some fine looking produce there Molly!

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  12. I'm terribly impressed with your garden Molly! Beautiful produce! Oh, my manly man would be very jealous of your artichoke , it's lovely. He babied a couple all summer but they never did do anything much. The countryside picture is so pretty, such a nice view. xxoo

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  13. What a beautiful harvest! I recognise everything except that purple thing in the middle, so is that the kholrabi?

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    Replies
    1. Kohlrabi - yes it is - it's a funny looking veggie, and tastes a bit like a mixture of swede and cabbage. It would be good in stir fries - I boiled some and I quite liked the taste so hoping to grow more next Spring.

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  14. Thanks all for your kind comments

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  15. I hope you've eaten your Kohlrabi cut in narrow strips (like chips), boiled until tender but still a touch crunchy and drenched in a hollandaise sauce. delicious. Kohlrabi is a very common German vegetable.

    We are picking tomatoes (outdoor plants) by the ones and twos. Fantastic trusses, but green, green, green.

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