Sunday 30 July 2017

End of July already!

Lets start with the Harvest: 
Redcurrants, Potatoes, 
Courgette, Cucumber, 
Broad Beans, French Beans, 
Round Courgettes, Turnips, 
Raspberries, Blueberries & Blackberries.
This patch, where we had Leeks & Onions, had a few bonfires here too. 
But we needed the space for some winter crops like Kale, so I dug it over and removed lots of weeds. 

Our scarecrow, put in for Open Day last week, is doing her job well as the Peas I put in a few weeks ago had been pecked out, only a few remained, but since our scarecrow arrived they have survived.
Another crop I put in 2 weeks ago has already popped up. 
Its a mixed salad leaf crop. 

We sowed another row of Beetroot seed here too.
One of our many Sunflowers, this one is Pikes Peak, that can reach 15ft! 
But this one is barely 6ft, maybe it will keep growing?
Cox's Orange Pippin apples looking abundant still, I'm hoping for a bumper crop this year.
The Sweetcorn again, we planted 2 varieties, this one is a mini corn variety that doesnt grow too tall. Wont be long now before the corn cobs start forming.






So we spent a few hours yesterday (Saturday) watering, weeding and planting.


Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo




A week before Open Day

Well it's now the week after the Open Day and what a day it was, so many people came and had a good time. 

We were lucky with the weather as after early rain the sun came out.
Here are the dwarf Beans, we have had some already, both green & purple (the purple turn green when boiled).

Had to weed them all, so looked good for our visitors.
More Courgettes have gone in where the Charlotte Potatoes have been dug up from. 
The Borlotti Beans still growing well, we will harvest soon, but wanted to leave them on for Open Day.
Sweetcorn getting bigger every week.
Not a bad harvest: 
Potatoes, 
Raspberries, 
Blueberries,
Blackberries, 
Beans and lots of Gooseberries.

We also weeded the Brassicas, some of the cabbage had bolted and gone into flower, so pulled them up and gave them to our Chickens.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo.

Sunday 9 July 2017

Super Sunny Day Phew!

If you remember I put in a couple of tyre planters last year, well look, two round Courgettes growing in this one.....
And two green Courgettes growing in this tyre planter.
One of two Small Sugar Pumpkins growing well in the horse muck pile.
But the most important job to do today, despite the heat, was to finally put in some Peas, 3 lots gone in along these wire frames.
And some Purple Mange Tout planted around this netting wig-wam. 

They should do well here, I prepared the ground for all the Peas by digging over and adding plenty of well rotted manure as Peas are a hungry crop.
The Sweetcorn is looking fine now, it took a while to get going, but the sun has really helped.
As the title says 'Super Sunny Day' and it was. 

We managed to stay about 5 hours and got lots done, mostly weeding!

But at least I got the grass cut on the path earlier in the week when it was less hot!


Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo

Monday 3 July 2017

You leave it a week & the weeds take over!

First Sunflower of the year, this variety is supposed to grow up to 10ft, but it has flowered at only 4ft tall. 
We are growing some others that are supposed to grow up to 15ft called 'Pikes Peak' !!
This patch was rather weedy, so I went on my hands and knees and pulled the lot up! 
You can see the pile of weeds I made far left & behind are the Onions still drying.
The Brasicas under the netting are doing well, much bigger now.  
And the dwarf beans are doing well too, I spotted a few forming already.
So the reason for leaving it for a week was I had a bad back and work got in the way too. 
But at least I got in a few hours today to get all those weeds up!

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo