The great, good and not so good bits about growing your own dinner 2017

Birthday yesterday 3 score plus 10, I was asked what I wanted so I said memories. To be honest I thought he had forgotten (not the first time) as nothing emerged over breakfast, however at 11am a strange woman arrived called Mary.

I had been moaning over the last few months that the veg/fruit plot was getting out of hand - too many weeds, too much to do even though I call it my hobby. I have been so busy this year, all I'm doing on the plot is harvesting but I need to get the winter veg in.

Mary is going to get my plot sorted starting with the fruit cage. She was found through a group called 'Local Treasures'. It isn't like employing a gardener, they are a group of 50yrs+ that do specific jobs and her remit is to get the plot back into order with an option of doing it again a couple of times next year.

I can't explain just how fantastic this is - it couldn't have been a better present, much better than my usual piece of bling. I'm quite enthused again but today it's - jet washing and steaming a turkey house that holds 100 birds - that's what I call work.

My first year in this garden, I went berzerk with a spreadsheet and had to weigh everything that came into the kitchen. I don't bother with that anymore apart from the odd check - 5.3kg of Red Duke of York potatoes a couple of weeks ago. I picked my only three damsons today before the squirrels had a go. I think it was a little early, but better than having nothing.

Turns out I was mistaken on the fennel seed front, it was my lovage next to it that was ready - so I picked those instead. Apparently there's something alcoholic you can do with lovage seeds, and I've got a lot of them...

zafiro1984 wrote: »

Birthday yesterday 3 score plus 10, I was asked what I wanted so I said memories. To be honest I thought he had forgotten (not the first time) as nothing emerged over breakfast, however at 11am a strange woman arrived called Mary.

I had been moaning over the last few months that the veg/fruit plot was getting out of hand - too many weeds, too much to do even though I call it my hobby. I have been so busy this year, all I'm doing on the plot is harvesting but I need to get the winter veg in.

Mary is going to get my plot sorted starting with the fruit cage. She was found through a group called 'Local Treasures'. It isn't like employing a gardener, they are a group of 50yrs+ that do specific jobs and her remit is to get the plot back into order with an option of doing it again a couple of times next year.

I can't explain just how fantastic this is - it couldn't have been a better present, much better than my usual piece of bling. I'm quite enthused again but today it's - jet washing and steaming a turkey house that holds 100 birds - that's what I call work.

A belated Happy Birthday to you!! What a lovely lovely present!!
I always think something like that is much more welcome and remembered than the run of the mill present.

I have a birthday coming up at end of the month and I am thinking of asking for a pear tree.

zafiro1984 wrote: »

Now that's a great idea although I've never had success with them.

Have you considered an apricot tree. Depends where you are in the country but down here in the south they are quite hardy.
There was one bred/found in the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire which is 'up north' from here so they are not as exotic as you would first think.

Im up north....lincolnshire so maybe not a good idea. A few of the plots near me have pears growing and they seem to do quite well.

Just been to plot to water greenhouse and picked another load of toms. Have been making them into a sauce to go on my homemede pizzas so another batch will be heading into freezer.

My sweet peppers havent done brilliantly and wondering whether to not bother with them next year.

Chilli peppers doing well though so will have to have a look at chilli jam.