Sunday 15 June 2014

Five-a-day


The thing I like about gardening is that you can see where you've been. I could spend hours digging and sowing and weeding and I probably do. After one of the wettest winters on record and gales which ripped our poly tunnels to shreds we survived. I sowed the broad bean seeds in little individual cardboard pots and then planted them in a row once they were 2 or 3 inches high. The mice usually polish them off, but these made it through and have quite a decent crop.


Two lots of tomato plants. 'Shirley' at the top end and 'Alicante' near the front of the picture. The 'Shirleys' have got fruit on them already, but have also got a few brown spots on the leaves. Could be 'blight', hope it isn't, but I'm feeding them up with tomato feed and hoping for the best. The 'Alicantes' look OK so far and have started to show yellow trusses.


I sowed a few rows of carrots too. We don't usually have much luck with carrots, must have the wrong kind of soil or something. I bought some carrots from the supermarket last week. You know the kind - all washed and wrapped up in plastic. Why is everything wrapped in shrink wrap when we're supposed to be trying to save the planet not annihilate the ground we walk on! Anyway they've all gone black and stink and I've had to throw them out so I shall be growing successions of Molly carrots for a few weeks.


D'you like sweetcorn? I love them. I cook them in a table spoon full of boiling water for about eight minutes in the microwave, then plaster them with lashings of butter. They're usually ready about August. This variety is one called 'Incredible' which has a fantastic taste.


The beetroot is coming quite well. I started those in plug trays and then planted them out in the soil when they were big enough to handle. I find they're a lot less work as you don't have to bother thinning them out which is a bonus.



The runner beans are in flower so we should have our first runner bean meal, the beginning of July.
I've harvested the first of the onions and garlic and have got them drying on the runner bean supports. They were planted as 'sets' last October.


Our first early potatoes are ready for eating which is just as well. The potato tops started to go brown so I had to whip them off quickly. Thought they'd succumbed to blight as well, but the potatoes in the ground don't look as if they have any sign of the disease so that's good news. These are a variety called 'Rocket' They don't keep very well but they taste good. Only got two short rows of them so we wont waste any.


I sowed some purple sprouting seeds last October. We've had quite a few meals off them.  Some of the plants are starting to go to seed, but that's how it is.


17 comments:

  1. Beautiful garden Molly...lots of good eating there.

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    1. I'm not a very organised gardener, but I love dabbling in the soil.

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  2. Beautiful produce! Look at those parsnips! It's wonderful you could repair the poly tunnels; and the mice thank you, too.

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    1. Thanks Sue. Going over to your blog now. Hope things are going OK for you.

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  4. Those Broad Beans look wonderful; I really must grow them again. Great crops.

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    1. Yes, quite pleased with them. Got loads left, it must have been the right weather conditions or something.

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  5. Poly tunnels seem a great idea, but do you have to change the soil every year or so? I have trouble with 'ground pests' and have been told I should not grow the same crops in the same soil year after year. I have now given up on root crops except for spuds and leeks.

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    1. I don't change the soil, but I do rotate the veggies round where I sow them and dig lots of compost in as well. Blight seems to have been the problem this year. Great to catch up with you again Bernard - when you going to put another blog up? Really missed them.

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  6. Wow, Molly, your vegetables look wonderful and they must be so good for you. i too hate the way carrots go off when washed and encased in plastic. I now take them out of ther bag straight away and keep them in the bottom of the fridge.

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    1. O/H has diabetes so we eat lots of veg. So nice to pick them straight out of the garden. Hope your hand is recovering nicely.

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  7. Gardening is a great joy. We will feel happy when we spend time in it. And more happy when we get veggies and cook it. I have experienced it. Nice to have a garden!

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    1. Thank you for visiting my site. Yes we're so lucky to have a little patch of earth to tend.

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  8. Talk about five a day.
    A splendid selection. When will you open your market stall?

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    1. Friko, thank you. I think my 'market stall' days are over, but it's nice to give away any we have surplus.

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  9. I'm a little envious of your homegrown goodness.
    Okay, I'm a LOT envious.

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