Since last Thursday I’ve only been to the plot on Sunday, on the way home from the trading shed, and this morning.
It’s good to be harvesting, and eating, the first few vegetables as I’ve picked a couple of lots of broad beans Medes and lifted some first early Vales Emerald potatoes.
The sweetcorn and tomatoes are now showing some signs of growth, and the two cucumber Bedfordshire Prize I planted out a couple of weeks ago are still looking okay. I’ve never succeeded in growing the later and I’ll be rather surprised if I do this year.
There are plenty more flowers, like these yellow nasturtiums, which I’ll hopefully post about on Sunday as I need to take some photos of most of them which I couldn’t do this morning
Have a good weekend!
[Click on either picture to see a larger image]
You always seem to do well with broad beans – I remember your pictures from last year – I must admit the weather has kept me away from the plot as well – I am just about able to keep on top of things in the snatches of time between the showers.
Elaine not really as last year was an exception.The year before that I pulled all the plants up as they were very badly blackfly infested. I didn’t do any plotting during either visit. xx
Its always a wonderful feeling when you pick your first veg!!! There is nothing more satisfying! Apart from eating them of course!Enjoy!!!!
Ann it sure is, and as you say eating it is even better. Thanks I did, and I will. xx
I don’t think there’ll be any plotting this weekend, the rain is so bad again here. I think a few of my broad beans will be ready to pick now, if only I could make it to the allotment. My sweetcorn has sulked and hasn’t grown very much at all since it was planted out, it looks like it’ll be failing again this year.
Jo nor me, apart from a look round. If we don’t get lots of sunshine I doubt if anyone’s sweetcorn will be much good. xx
Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment, Flighty. When there is a break in the rain and I can get to the plot it feels like there isn’t enough time to keep on top of everything. This isn’t what summer is meant to be like. Anyway I’m glad to see you’re getting some produce. I’m loving my first year of broad beans and I’m planning to do more for next year. I’ve got a few tiny, tiny fruit on my cucumbers but this is my first year growing them so not sure how they’ll do without much sun and all this rain. Fingers crossed. Have a great weekend. WW
Welly’ I’m not surprised. It sure isn’t. There was more rain here yesterday and today so it’ll be next week before I’m there again.
Fingers crossed for your, and my, cucumbers.
Thanks, and you too. xx
A frustrating year so far, with gardening therapy non-existent, so it is even more worth it when you get to eat your own grown veg. Have a good weekend – looks like it is sunny at Wimbledon right now, so fingers crossed you can do some plotting this weekend. x
Ellie it’s been a real let-down so far hasn’t it. Thanks, but it’s looking unlikely that I’ll be doing any plotting until during the week. xx
One of the things which I am learning here in Egypt is that I cannot change what naturally grows here. I have tried all my favourite herbs and veges from the UK but the climate just doesn’t co-operate with me. I am slowly having to accept that nature here supports certain growth but not others so I have to let go of what I want in order to grow what does grow here…well!!!
The summers have been getting very erratic elsewhere and so maybe the best thing to do is see what grows well in the wet and grow lots of that. Yes it means limitation but then that’s life! Then, when things settle into better weather patterns, remembering that during the mini ice-age, which only really ended less than 200 years ago, agriculture went through massive changes and some of those changes contributed to better farming practices in the present. Maybe we need to consider what nature is doing and go with her flow? Or change the way we grow food in order to deal with the weather patterns? The Victorian gardeners were pretty good at that!!!
Ann thanks for an interesting, and perceptive, comment.
I sympathise that you can’t grow what you want but we really have to work with nature don’t we.
The weather, everywhere, has certainly become more extreme and unsettled in recent years making it more difficult to garden as we are used to doing so. I agree that we’ll have to change our ways. xx
Yay for your beans and tomatoes and even corn! I concur with gaiamethod in the above comment. I’m done pining for crops (or flowers) from other growing zones.
Nikki fingers crossed for the sweetcorn and tomatoes. I think that we all want, or even try, to grow plants that we know in our hearts won’t. xx
I hear another deluge is on the way… say it isn’t so!
Nikki it wasn’t too bad here yesterday unlike other parts of the country -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/07/torrential-rain-wreaks-havoc-britain?CMP=twt_gu
It’s dull and raining again this morning, and the forecast into next week is for more of the same. I’ve spent more time at the library browsing for books than on the plot in recent weeks! xx