Harvest & flowers

Lovely Rudbeckia flowers, Jo loved these when she saw them in Vancouver a few years ago, so we got some seed and this is the first to flower, more to come. 

Wow 5 courgettes on this one plant, yellow round ones too! 
We always grow these, but not often we get so many ripen at the same time!

So a good harvest on Saturday. 
Including 3 types of green beans, a swede & beetroot.

Ooh look lots of sprouts forming on the brussels, plenty for a winter feast.

4lb of Picasso main crop potatoes, 1st lot I've dug up this year and so far so good and some real whoppers!

So a late visit on Sunday as we were both busy elswhere. But our plot is looking really good, lots of flowers and its buzzing with Bee activity.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo

Another 5 hours busy on our plot

We needed to weed these brassica tunnels, as they were a bit over run. 
Jo did it all while I was busy elsewhere.

I earthed up the leeks as Gardeners World said its best to, so they stay nice and white. 
I've never done it before so will be interesting to see. 

The patch of soil at the back, where Charlotte potatoes had been dug up, has been dug over and levelled, we will plant some spinach there soon.

Some of the broad beans had finished, so Jo planted some pak choi that we had started off in a seed tray. 
We covered them with a netting tunnel, so the birds dont peck them out!

I made a bird table from some scrap wood, as we had some extra bird seed, so thought our allotment visitors would like it. 

I finished cutting the grass on the path, with my old shears, hard work, but worth it.
Jo was looking in the pond and spotted quite a lot of froglets & tadpoles with back legs already formed, so a good year for our pond again.


Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo

Harvesting, planting & more bumper harvests!

I'll start with this trug full of goodies: 
Potatoes, 
Mixed Berries, 
Peas, 
Beans 
& Sweet Pea flowers.

We also picked the last of the cauliflowers, so dug up the roots & composted them, then planted more that we had started off in a seed tray. 
They are Autumn Giant.

5lb of Gooseberries! 

Jo made a great job of weeding around the leeks & beetroot.

And these asters needed weeding too.

The strawberries are almost done fruiting and sending out runners, so we pegged each into a small pot of compost, we will cut them away from the parent plant when rooted.

Another trug full of goodies.

The path got a trim, but sadly my petrol strimmer wouldn't work, so I got busy with the shears, was hard work but worth it as it looks a lot better.

And another trug full of delicious produce and our 1st carrot too.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo.

Rhubarb wine making time

As its getting to the end of Rhubarb season, its time to make some wine. 
But first pick about 3lb of rhubarb (10-12 stalks) trim & wipe clean, then chop into 2" pieces and freeze for 2 days. 
You then put the frozen rhubarb pieces in a large bowl and cover with 3lb of sugar & leave over night. 
Next strain all the fruit & syrup through a jelly bag or muslin, make sure you wash off all the sugar from the remaining rhubarb, add a cup of black tea and make up to a gallon (8 pints). Put all the liquid into a clean demijohn add yeast, air-lock & leave for 1-3 weeks to ferment. 
When fermentation has finished, put 2 campden tablets in to make sure fermentation doesnt continue & transfer to another clean demijohn, to clear for a few weeks. 
When its clear carefully syphon into sterile bottles and seal, leave for 6 months, but must be drunk within 2 years. Enjoy.  

Today's harvest: Another 12lb of Stockbridge Arrow rhubarb! Wont make wine out of all it, maybe half, but there is crumble, cakes & ice-cream to make with it, will give some away to neighbors too.

And all this too, far too much to mention it all!
I love this time of year when we can harvest after all our hard work.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo

Harvest, Harvest, Harvest time.

Tuesday 23rd June: 
Smallish harvest, but more to come.

Wednesday 24th June: 
A bigger harvest of fruit & veg.

Monday 29th June: 
A very big harvest of fruit, veg & garlic too.

Tuesday 30th June: 
More fruit and beetroot & lettuce.

Most days we visit, we pick some strawberries, raspberries and loganberries, that turn into jam, or we have with our breakfast.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo