My Garden: 5th September 2014

Things have slowed down in the garden and progress is slow and steady. Things are happening quietly under the thick canopy of foliage. This cauliflower head is hidden away under the expansive leaves of the neighbouring broccoli, only revealed during a caterpillar hunt. I had forgotten it was planted there! For a vegetable that doesn't inspire a second glance from me in the supermarket, this small head is filling me with culinary ideas that can only be borne from your own garden:

In other dark and shady places, tiny brussel sprouts are forming like pimples on a teenager:

Out in the open we have the light and pretty flowers of the borlotti bean plant. I have only two plants, it being my first year growing them, and so far it is all style without substance. The beautiful large red pods were being devoured by slugs so I harvested them, only to realise that the pods were too big to be eaten and the beans were too small! Hopefully it's not too late for a second harvest.

One by one my tomatoes are ripening. I have masses of fruit on my plants and we are experiencing another flush of good weather which seems to be turning these green cuties into red beauties:

Red hues can be seen appearing on all five plants:

Some more leeks have been transplanted into the ground and as you can see, I have not covered them completely with soil but will do so gradually, letting the rain naturally wash earth around them thus helping them to blanche white. I have only five leeks in the ground and really wish I had more. The plant has such a long growing season that it took ages for them to transform from an grass like stalk to a possible plant. It doesn't really inspire you to plant many of them but this is my first year and I'll be more positive next year. I do love the sight of a big patch of leeks growing. They are hardy and can withstand frost so I hope to have twenty or thirty plants this time next year.

I have been fighting with slugs and caterpillars for so long that I am amazed to see that my cabbages have actually managed to develop good thick hearts. I am almost afraid to harvest them for fear of revealing an army of grubs hiding inside.

Finally, I am delighted to say that my outdoor grown jalapenos have flowered so I am really hopeful of a late pepper. Just one is all I ask for.