Its harvest time!

As hard as we work all year round it really is this time of the year that I love the best.  Long days spent doing what I love best and reaping the rewards.  Lots of dinners with stuff I can point to and say "I grew that!", "and that, and THAT too!"

I have at last realised my dreams of actually having too many peas and I have some gently freezing on a tray, ready to be bagged.  I made my first batch (of hopefully many) of courgette and feta muffins (although I didn't have enough feta so bunged cheddar in instead) as we are rapidly approaching a courgette critical mass.  Mr B will shortly be heard darkly muttering "one more courgette and I will explode".  But until that hits I can still quietly enjoy my new potatoes, peas, courgettes (beans soon fingers crossed).

I actually gave away a cucumber and some chilli's yesterday!  Spread the love!  :o)

I leave you with a pic...

Not that I'm showing off or owt.....



Okay maybe just a little!  :o)

Now I'd better go, I'm at work (yes again on a Saturday) oh Joy!

Chat soon X

From the Sublime to the ridiculous

In  month that has featured some of the worst rain, hail, quick build me an ark or I'll float away days, to the sunniest of heatwave, flip flop wearing, sunburnt nose, get me an ice-cream now days.  The same extremes can be seen in the veg patch.

from the tiniest of tomatoes
to the largest of the radishes!

Yes that IS a 5p!  The variety is sweet pea current and the plant is enormous, sprawling everywhere in the conservatory.  I knew they would be small but I thought they would at least be a blueberry type size!

I have also Picked one of my Black cherry tomatoes and last night my first white Oxheart...  It was  very meaty with no seeds at all that I could see!  I ate it in a courgette and Aubergine bake!  Along with another couple of Toms from the shop!  YUMMY

 

Mmmmm Finally with the bit of sun we have had the courgettes are finally doing summat to earn their keep

Yes these both ARE courgettes!  The one on the left is a Blanco Medio Largo I think from seeds of Italy and the one on the right is a Yellow One ball from a seed swap (twas the courgette in my courgette and aubergine bake!  Courgettes are great.  Last time I went to the lottie, the plant had one miserable looking fruit, then this visit I picked three of the One Balls.  I just know there will be more waiting my arrival this weekend!  YAY

My peas are going great guns, so we have had a good few dinners with those, and My chilli's are just going CRAY-ZEEE they are absolutely laden.  In fact I have a couple in the windowsill that have grown right up to the top of the window.  I think I need to stop them now before they topple and break. Blinkin' covered in blossom and fruits though YAY!  The Garlic I Picked has been disappointing and is rotting away.  I am trying to separate the ones that I think will keep from those that wont in an effort to get some to keep for a few months!  Never mind I don,t think it was ;bad for a first attempt.  I thank the garlic for keeping me going when nothing else was in the ground!

The beans have enjoyed the sun too, however are still not all the way up the poles and are just starting to flower.  I was picking runners this time last year I think.... must read back... also not sure that we'll get much off the French beans at all either.  Booooo.  I think I shall have to start thinking about what we can get in to overwinter so it looks like something is growing!

Anyway that's pretty much it.  Ooooh on my own at work AGAIN at the mo - My colleague has broken her foot.... in a spinning class - don't ask, it makes me judder to think about it!  I also have to work tomorrow double booooooo!  Should get to the Lottie and praps the cinema on Sunday though... Ted is out.   I hope its good - Batman the dark knight rises was AWESOME!  Another hit!  :)

Okay then lets have another snigger at my tomatoes

EEEEEEK its hideous!

Hi Guys

I did get to the Lottie on Saturday - I did grub about in the mud for a couple of hours, but gave up after that.  It was thoroughly depressing and damp.  Still I cleared a few weeds and all of the allotments on site seem to be a bit ragged, so I'm not alone.

I did pick some lettuce which seem to carry on regardless, some more peas, sugar snaps (which are now too overgrown) some GIANT radish some bonus broad beans that have popped out of nowhere, and duh duh duuuuuuuh the first of the GOOOSEGOGS!

To which end I made a pie...

Errrr Can I just state that it would have worked better if the recipe had told me to remove it from the paper and not roll the pastry so thin (and I hadn't just been a bit laissez faire with the ingredients!)  It did taste good though!  YUM.

Saw The amazing Spiderman yesterday - it was Awesome.  What 3D has been waiting for!  Also watched this week was - seeking a friend for the end of the world - again very good, a lovely love story, and the Green Lantern - I am loving the superhero films at the mo!

Anyway I'd better go I'm at work!  LOL

Chat soon X

Picture time

Hi there

Now as you all know its still raining torrents every day.  so not too much has happened.  Think my outdoor toms are going to die without producing anything.  I digress.  We have still managed a few harvests so I thought that instead of moaning at what is doing badly I'd have a little show and tell.

So here is a pic of my Garlic harvest (next to my only but fine looking aubergine) the one bulb I have taken into the kitchen and three of the four cloves that went into our dinner last night!  YUM  Strong though - I don't know why I thought it wouldn't be as strong as "Shop" garlic!

 

My cukes in the conservatory are doing really well - They are both mini varieties one home grown and another from B&Q  lovely - we haven't had to buy cucumber for weeks!

My first Chilli of 2012 (also in last nights dinner ) a purple gusto - again taken aback at the "purpleness"  Brill!

And here are my sugar snap peas - even Mr B likes these and he's not keen on regular peas!

Also we are having good potatoes - early varieties.  Particularly the pentland javelin!

I am looking forward to going tomorrow as I didn't get there last weekend - we had a family wedding to go to (I think my liver is still recovering!)  Mind you its forecast rain so we'll see!

Chat soon X

Squeaky bum time!

Well once again its been a long time since my last post.  Think I am just about managing once a month now...apologies! 

Well things are still wet, windy and a bit dull all round.  Although we are having a few more dry days and some sunshine its rare to have a full day without a drop of the wet stuff.  My garlic has rust and some sort of rot, but I still think that I'll get some.  I will have to wait and see!  We have been picking lettuce and a few radish but the first thing to come up was the broad beans!  As you may know I only planted about 6 plants last year and they all succumbed to black fly (YUK) so this year I overwintered and got a few beans!





I WILL be doing this again but I'll do LOTS AND LOTS - A whole bed I think!  They were scrummy and Mum liked them too :o)

I picked the first new pots this week - smashing - some swift (not very many and small) and Pentland Javelin... Very good will get these again!  I have had about 5 strawbs also and a few raspberries (although I wasn't keen they were a bit flavourless)  I have planted courgette, sweetcorn, runners, borlotti beans, and french beans, beetroot spring onion and radish... I think that's it.  Goose-gogs are absolutely laden with fruit and are nearly ready a week or two should do it!  We've been gorging on rhubarb I've masses in the freezer and we eaten loads too.

I have ordered some more runners and more frenchies and some Brussels sprouts.   I really thought that I was going to have a bad year for runners as last year I poked the seeds two to a cane and they just came up and romped away.  This year no show - until I paid for the extras that is.... I swear the next day they poked their cheeky heads up.... we are going to have beans coming out of our arse holes!  Good job we all like beans! 

Works been okay - Contract finishes on Friday, was told to expect a year extension on account of my stirling work, was told yesterday there may be nothing for me at all come Monday... told today I just scraped through on a further 6 months extension.... bugger it really was a bit... well squeaky bum time.  My boss said if he keeps me he'll have to a) loose someone else in the team, b) loose one of the catering managers/post room supervisor or c) give up the new receptionist role and get my colleague to do it....  crap.  I think he's gone with "c".  Great now I feel relieved and like super shit too.  Thanks for sharing!  I get the impression I may not be so lucky next time.  I also think that the rest of the team won't like the new arrangement as they get on well with my colleague (she's been there a lot longer as well as being lovely)  Bumpy ride ahead I feel.

Saw "Rock of ages" at the cinema - worst film I've seen in ages avoid like the plague....

Took part in a guinness record attempt with the choir on Saturday!  Most people singing and dancing at once we will have to wait and see if they accept it - I will post news.

Also at home I have a nice fat aubergine coming a few tomatoes at last and saw the first chili today!

Mr B and the cat are well :o)

In other news (cant remember if I have posted before) I have joined a running club - so together with the 3 stones I've lost this year - Ive never felt better. 

Rights its bed time so I'm off.  Chat soon X

Mud, mud glorious mud

Oh dear - I seem to be starting every post this year with "oh dear its been so long since I have posted"!  So I won't this time.  I would love to be out gardening and getting on with stuff BUT my dear girls and boys it has done nothing but rain for approximately the last 6 weeks.  So apart from twice in the last month, I haven't really been to the lottie at all! 

Its still in a reasonable state as I already got the potatoes in (just in time).  I have had some plants suffering for aaaages at home (peas) and some lettuces and beetroot which I have meant to plant out every two weeks.  I managed to get them in the ground the weekend before last.  I only managed about an hour this weekend, a quick hoe and a tidy..

You would however think that this means ALL my plants at home are up to date with being sown and potted up and on and hardened off.... errrrrr well.... least said eh!  I put some tomatoes straight out yesterday, well they have been a bit cool in the conservatory as Ive had the window open so it has helped!  They've two hopes anyway!  The squashes have been potted up along with my aubergine (which I cheated and bought from B&Q) and put along with the Achocha into the plastic greenhouse (aka the blowaway)  I also potted up the cucumber (similarly cheating by buying from B&Q couldn't resist) and this however is going to stay in the conservatoire along with about one each of the tomato varieties.  I want to see the difference between indoor grown and outdoor grown plants!  :o)  apart from scorching obvs.

Anyway the only think I have picked recently was some white sprouting broccoli - (divine shall try and get the plants again this winter), and Rhubarb.... I have made rhubarb  schnapps, wine, crumble and (my fave) rhubarb and custard pie!  MMmmmm V easy recipe!  YUM  looking forward to more...  I have also open frozen about 5 baking trays full already, and I've just this second picked another armful from the garden... how long till we are sick of it do you think (hopefully never!)  I would really love a cake recipe so if any of you have some do let me know! 

Anyway I hope that its no so long till I have summat to report apart from the rain.... or else my name will be mud....   :o(

GO GO GO!

Hi there

Well I've left it too long to post again and I'm sure I am going to forget half of what I have been doing!  With record temperatures last weekend of up to 20 degrees, I took the opportunity of a free Saturday to finish digging the potato patch and get them planted up.  I have five different varieties this year so we are going to see which we like the mostest. I have four rows of five, Ulster prince, Foremost, Pixie and....... (forgot) and then three rows of fiveish Pentland Javelin.  They are all earlies so I can get them all up in time for the courgettes, squash and corn!  I have planted them a little later than last year but still a bit earlier than some.  Some people save potato planting until Easter time!
I have also got the lushest looking garlic patch!  They are about five inches high some of them.  I am trying to tack successional growing this year so have sown more peas and beetroot in modules. I  have also started off some Lettuces in modules to get a head start.  I have Potted up my tomatoes and will do the same with the chilli's tonight hopefully.  Also the lettuce that I put in before christmas in the autumn is still alive... not sure about eating it now but WOW survived against all the odds.

I took part in a flashmob with my choir on Sunday... we were raising funds for sports relief!  Waht a FAB thing to do it was really great.  So I will leave you with a video!

Chat soon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpQbRal8QcA