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| Red Cabbage |
Got loads of green tomatoes which don't look like ripening.
And two marrows on my marrow plants. I grew them from the seed I saved from last year so well chuffed with those. I've got them supported on cardboard boxes which according to the writing originated from Greece - and I would imagine it's not much fun there either at the moment with their economic situation like it is. I saw a documentary not long ago about people my age, scrabbling through the garbage bins looking for something to eat. That is awful. We love to share our surplus veggies with anybody who hasn't got any. I read somebody's blog over in America where they were setting up food banks. People who'd got room in their gardens were planting an extra couple of rows of veggies to donate to the food bank and then it was distributed to anybody going through a hard time. I think this is a brilliant idea. I love planting and gardening and I wouldn't find it any trouble at all. My father-in-law used to sow an extra couple of rows of potatoes in his field and at harvest time, the local children came to help pick the potatoes - they didn't get paid in money but they had their share of potatoes from the extra rows and loads of laughs and fun while they were doing it.
The upside of all the rain is the abundance of fruit. The apple trees and currant bushes are loaded this year. I made a whole load of red currant jelly yesterday which even for me is pretty good.
Have a good weekend.
You vegetables are wonderful. I think sharing a bountiful harvest is just the natural thing to do. We finally started to get some rain. I have not weeded anywhere in about five weeks due to triple digit heat. We had some volunteer potatoes in our neglected compost pile and Joe got to dig potatoes for the first time. I am going to make a gardener out of him soon. hugs, olive
ReplyDeleteI remember living in one suburb here in Adelaide where the back yard was huge. An old chookhouse and yard was along the back fence, the entire right side was fruit trees and grape vines and on the left of the path I planted a large veg garden in soil that was so dark and rich and easy to dig. In just a few short months I was feeding my family, some of the in-laws and taking excess produce to work to give away. I was sad to leave, but the rent on that place just got too high.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't plant a garden this year, for other reasons, but this drought would have limited the yield, so it worked out, for once.
ReplyDeleteI work (volunteer) at a food/ service bank. About 1/4 of the people are elderly, another 1/4 are ill. It breakes my heart. Every week people who have means and a garden bring in their extra veggies that they have grown in their garden for those less fortunate. It was an excellent growing season around here until two weeks ago when the heat and lack of rain happened. It is bad here and we need rain. Meanwhile my garden which I water every day is producing more than I can ever use because I also grew more tomato and pepper plants than usual.
ReplyDeleteThe gift of sharing is the best feeling in the world.
Arleen, I remember you saying how much you enjoyed your job and I can see why. Hope you get the rain you need soon. The sun came out here today.
DeleteWe are in a heat wave and hoping for rain for the farmers....one seems to get one extreme or the other. I wish you a weekend with sunshine.
ReplyDeleteMolly, even if your tomatoes don't look like ripening the rest of your produce looks great. Love those red currants.
ReplyDeleteSad to think of people rummaging through trash for food. What a tough year for growing. I had a couple of tomato plants that were doing okay, but when the heat hit over 100 for a week straight, I just couldn't keep up and they died. I still have my flowers and herbs though, so that's good. Let's all hope the fall plating will turn out better.
ReplyDeleteIt is. Amy - just read your 2nd book review - brilliant!!
DeleteThat cabbage is a beauty. Obviously a very different variety to mine. I'm growing a few giant Pumpkins this year, I think I'll have to lift them off the ground too; any ideas? Maybe large quarry tiles under them would do.
ReplyDeleteCan't remember the name of it - they have pointed heads. Are you putting your pumpkins in a village show? Put some pictures up of them when they're ready to cut. I would think quarry tiles would be ideal.
DeleteOur veggies in the allotment are coming on slowly in this continually wet weather, but doing better in the covered yard
ReplyDeletein between the house and the garage. Community allotments are a good way of sharing surplus produce as well as the monthly church coffee morning plant and produce stall.
Love that cabbage Molly.....great colour.
ReplyDeleteGlad there's something happening in the garden in spite of the weather!!
The food bank is a great idea, doesn't take much time or effort to grow a few more veg. to give away ....
Hope the rain eases up and you get some sunshine soon.....
Claire :}
We actually had a sunny day here today which was great.
DeleteOur local Salvation Army has an area where it grows vegetables for their food bank. They have young unemployed people doing the work learning about growing food - a win/win situation.
ReplyDeleteThat's really good
DeleteGuess what? No rain here today, Sunday. There's time yet . . . . .
ReplyDeleteMy currants aren't ripe for picking yet. How come yours are?
Don't know. The birds seem to have left them alone this year too. Perhaps they know something I don't :)
DeleteI love the photo of the red cabbage plant, and there's so much bounty there, it's unbelievable. I guess when you have enough rain nature delivers. We're still in severe drought here but did get a thunderstorm the other evening. first I've heard thunder since a year, and it was lovely. I wish you were my neighbor, I'd be over in a flash for a jar of that currant jelly! Happy week to you Molly.
ReplyDeleteI wish you were my neighbour too :0)
ReplyDeleteFood banks sound such a good idea. I haven't grown any veg this year as I was hoping for some new raised beds which haven't materialised, but when I do I usually get too many especially runner beans and courgettes.
ReplyDeleteMy apples haven't done very well this year which I'm surprised at because it was dry and still when the blossom was out so it didn't get washed and blown off like it usually does. I've got eight apple trees and I should think I'll be lucky to get one bucket of apples. Having said that though last year they were laden so they could do with the rest!
One of my blackcurrant bushes died in winter but the other is loaded. The only trouble is they're not very sweet at all this time. I wonder if it's because they haven't had much sun.
My strawberry yield was mega this year Molly. They loved the rain - quite odd really I thought ...
ReplyDeleteYour red cabbage is a thing of sheer beauty!
Hope you are steadily drying out over your way. Sunshine is forecast for this weekend I hear.
Jeanne
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