My Garden: 17th September 2014

It's only September but my mind is in Spring. Thoughts of the prime planting season reminds me of the garden jobs that cannot be left too late - digging in manures and soil improvers, planting spring bulbs, onions, garlic, broad beans... Vegetable gardening is always about looking ahead and preparing.


Next year I want to make more of an effort with decorative flowers. My front garden has always been reserved for the flowers but its northern aspect, complete lack of privacy and perfect location for the trampling feet of neighbouring children means I am rethinking it altogether. Maybe next year, I'll just plant some vegetables with attractive foliage - beetroot, carrots and some broad leafed green plants perhaps - and make a valiant attempt to bring some colour and pollen to my sun soaked back garden. Right now some deep pink sweet peas survive among the dying, drying mange tout:

  

I am envious and awed and the lavish flower gardens some people have. Is it money or time spent? It has to be one or the other. I don't think I'll ever have the attention to detail required. Maybe in my retirement years when neither work nor children shall command my time...hopefully!

On the subject of time, the next little crop has commanded a lot of it. I've posted photos of my jalapeno pepper plants that I have growing in pots outside next to a south facing wall. I had flower buds on all three plants and on acquiring a small plastic covered frame, I decided to transfer them inside in the hope of giving them an extra bit of heat to help the fruiting process. In the calm balmy weather, the greenhouse was simply standing by the house wall but disaster struck when a sneaky gale blew the whole thing over decapitating two of my precious plants. In a way I suppose I knew this would probably happen. I only have myself to blame. The headless plants have started to grow little buds again so if the mild weather continues they might have something to say for themselves:

Back to my third undamaged plant, say hello to my first jalapeno:

And her younger shyer sibling in the background, wearing a lovely brown skirt:

I am planning a batch of tomato and chili relish with my tomato crop:

The green stink bug I saw wandering around the plants is probably responsible for the patches of scab on this tomato:

We are eating broccoli. I was wondering why the plant wasn't producing many heads when it dawned on me that I wasn't really watering it and there has been no rain in a long time. Ah the obvious stuff that I ignore. We really need to get an outside tap so watering isn't such a pain.

I have some nice borlotti bean pods. My last batch were being attacked by slugs so I harvested them but the beans were tiny inside so this time I have carefully twisted the pods up on to the plant to keep them off the ground. The beans feel a good size but I am going to wait a little longer:











Leeks earthed up with leafmould:





And that's all I have to report!

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.