The highs and lows of growing your own dinner 2015

Jazee

Rain stopped, garden looking better. Just had a salad with mostly produce from the garden - lovely. Think broad beans are finished now. Shallots failed so all that can come up next and make room for celery.

Narc0lepsy

I'm following Jazee from forum to forum today!
Just picked loads of redcurrants, some gooseberries, broad beans and basil. I haven't frozen any broad beans yet as a)they are so yummy new and b)there aren't millions of them. However I need the space so I think I'll pick everything left in the next day or 2 and freeze for Xmas day. Managed to plant out my poor winter squash plants which have been waiting for space, I hope they catch up. I also have a whole tray of leek seedlings which need somewhere to live, so those beans will have to go! Need to pick coriander later as I'm putting it in with chicken this evening.

I'd let a load of wild poppies flower in the beans, so I harvested the seed heads to use in flower arrangements.

moneyistooshorttomention I don't know where you are, but how about passion flower for your wall? It's pretty, grows fast, lovely flowers and in good weather will fruit. Comes up every year. Or wall train some loganberries, they fruit off long single canes. Did your plum trees possibly get frost at a critical time?

zafiro1984

Too many courgettes, I think I got a bit ambitious and grew too many. So I took the plunge and fed four plants to the chickens today together with a load of lettuces that were reaching for the sky and blackcurrant leaves. It was hilarious watching them, totally ate everything that was green. I'm just left with a few twigs.

Planted out the swede and celeriac in the space created. The Sarpo Mira main potatoes are looking really good, tall, healthy and no space between plants for weeds to grow. I need to find space to plant out some leeks that have been lurking in amongst the onions. I need to think about doing some strawberry runners then the rest is down to weeding, watering (I do wish it would rain) and clearing the paths.

OH said I could have another solar tunnel, so losing no time (and before a change of mind on his part) I've just put an order in after carefully measuring the space, can't wait - it should be here in September.

unrecordings

No courgette bonanza for me I'm afraid - I don't know what went wrong this year. Think I might try another variety next year, the little hand grenade ones grab my eye :-)
Bumper crop of raspberries, plenty for me, the birds and the little mammals, and on the back of that looks to be a bumper crop of blackberries on the way. The old apple tree is gradually losing fruit - last year I had zero apples, the year before I was still eating apples at Xmas. Peas looking good, and yes, could not resist a quick fumble around the most likely looking potato haulm - and was rewarded with a handful of very respectable potatoes that were promptly washed and turned into a small plate of VERY buttery mash. Nom nom as they say

zafiro1984

It has rained all day here, good steady rain, good excuse not to go on the plot except to water greenhouse etc. Stayed indoors and cooked/baked, strange, but I actually enjoyed a break to the usual routine.

Narc0lepsy

Heavy rain all day today here too; much needed but had to don new walking coat to go and harvest.
Had friends round to dinner this eve:
Starter - home made lettuce, tomatoes and basil (with bought mozarella)
Main - pork in coconut milk with home made coriander, basil, chilli with home made broad beans, spinach and chard
Dessert - home grown gooseberries and whitecurrants (with bought elderflower cordial, oats, coconut & marg to make the topping).
Pleased all round.

Caterina

Hello,

Long time lurker in this forum, but taking the plunge to ask for advice. Our allotment has been neglected due to massive house refurbishments taking most of our time and energy. At the moment I have a good few empty beds, but what can I plant and grow now?

I would also be happy to buy plug plants to grow, to cut corners this year. Do you have any recommendations of suppliers?

Thank you!

zafiro1984

Caterina wrote: »

Hello,

Long time lurker in this forum, but taking the plunge to ask for advice. Our allotment has been neglected due to massive house refurbishments taking most of our time and energy. At the moment I have a good few empty beds, but what can I plant and grow now?

I would also be happy to buy plug plants to grow, to cut corners this year. Do you have any recommendations of suppliers?

Thank you!

welcome Caterina,

I notice you are in London, I'm further south but out in the sticks so the temperature is probably similar.
I'm just about to sow my main carrots to take me into the new year. I use a variety called 'Eskimo' , apparently it's OK to -5 degrees.
You could still get lettuces to grow, and radishes, although from August onwards I'd be looking at the 'winter Gem' lettuce.
I agree with you that plug plants maybe the way to go. Marshalls usually come up with 'bargains' mainly brassicas at the end of August, I subscribe to their news letters by email.
I'm sure other folk will have some better ideas - good luck

Caterina

Thank you Zafiro1984, I will have a look at Marshalls. Meanwhile today I found a few bargains at homebase, a few brassicas, some brosd beans with flowers, a few leeks, enough to fill some of the boxes.

Tomorrow weather permitting I will put down some greens seeds (italian scarola and perpetual spinach). Carrots I tend not yo bother with because they are easily found in organic boxes and not expensive. Will update the results of my efforts at a later stage.

Jazee

Morning all. Just back from holidays. It hasn't rained here but DD was a lovely and came round everyday to water the plants so they're looking good. I'm assuming the garden was judged this week but don't actually know.

Came back to more tomatoes than I know what to do with, same with courgettes. Also intend to make batches of vegetable soup with things like kale and chard mixed in as need to use those too.

Priority today is cutting the grass and weeding.

Have a great day everyone.