Harvest time & more planting

As I said, June is spud digging time & I dug some 'Casablanca' up and they were very tasty.

Same day we also harvested:

Beetroot, 

Broad Beans, 

Peas, 

Strawberries, 

Radish & I dug up the leeks that didn't do well, but roasted were lovely in a jacket potato.

We added a few more cabbages & some kale.

Extended the netting too.

This load of Strawberries weighed 3.5 lb so Jo made some conserve, lovely on home-made scones.

So after digging up the leeks, I planted 48 more! 

Lets hope these do better.

Jo picked a massive bunch of sweet peas too.

Latest harvest:

Sweet peas, 

Beetroot, 

Peas, 

Broad beans, 

Lettuce, 

Strawberries & Gooseberries.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo

A busy day on the plot

I earthed up the main crop potatoes again today.

The early potatoes you can see in the background are too tall now to earth up anymore, they should flower soon, so we can dig some up in June maybe?

A few weeks ago Jo planted out some Beetroot, today they look good, as she has hoed around them. 

Under the enviromesh tunnel (to the right) the carrots are coming up, but need weeding!

Using Creoseal, the safe version of Creosote, I treated the pallet fence, will carry on soon.

In this patch we prepared the bed with lime after digging over and compressing the soil, then planted 6  sprouts and 4 cabbages.

The red & black currants are heavy with fruit still green, but dont want to risk loosing any to the birds so have netted them!

Strawberries are full of flowers and fruit, so have netted these too.

We have many flowers on our plot, important for the bees & wildlife.

Foxgloves 

More flowers around the herb bed.

Foxgloves, white.

The broad beans are doing well too, Jo has had to tie them up again, they are growing fast.

Rhubarb, Victoria.

Inside the greenhouse, various tomatoes and the cucumber, now have canes.

They are tied at the top to make the canes rigid. 

Our dwarf stock Pear tree is full of fruit, this one is definitely pear shaped.

So a good week on the plot, today we had a few short rain showers but didn't stop us.

Thanks for reading/returning.

Ian & Jo
 

Busy time of the year

Long time since last Blog. 

But we have been very busy:

I made a new boundary fence out of pallets, dug over most of the plot & had a manure delivery.

But while I was digging the trenches for the Potatoes today, this cheeky Robin took to my spade handle each time I stopped!

Main crop 'Picasso' 15" (38cm) apart in rows 30" (75cm) between. 

I dug a trench a spade deep, put the soil in a mound along one side, put manure in the bottom of the trench & watered the soil & manure, once soaked in, I placed the 'chitted' potatoes along the bottom of the trench & then using a rake pulled the soil back over, to cover them. 

2 Weeks ago I planted 3 rows of 'Casablanca' 1st early & 3 rows of 'Charlotte' 2nd early, the same way as above except, 12" (30cm) apart in rows 24" (60cm) between.

The 'Casablanca' are already poking through. 

As I said, we have been busy preparing the beds. 

In this one we have: 

Asparagus, 

Garlic, 

Shallots, 

Sweet Peas, 

Spinach, 

Spring Onions & Radish.

Here we have: 

Strawberries, 

Broad Beans 

& Peas so far.

In this patch we have Leeks that were put in months ago.

We weeded & fed with chicken pellets.

This Pear tree we put in last year, has lots of blossom and even some tiny pears forming.

The tree is still small, about 4' tall, but has loads of fruit forming.

It will be our 1st Pear tree, so excited to see how many we get.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo
 

A long time gone but lots done.

We've harvested such a lot this year & as you can see our 1st perfect Carrots, the way we grew them this year worked keeping them well above the flight path of the dreaded Carrot Root Fly!

Maris Piper spuds, these have been our best cropping spud this year, these were the last lot dug up about 20lb from 1 row!

This years Rhubarb. We made many crumbles and tarts, but I always make a few batches of wine so this is the 1st lot a Stockbridge Arrow & Victoria mix. Will see next summer what its like.

And the Blackcurrants were a heavy cropper too this year so I used 3lb to make a batch of wine, family call it alcoholic Ribena!

Another bumber harvest, the small bucket is full of apples and we have harvested loads of them this year. Our sweetcorn has been a big success too.

Another truck full of produce, the large leaves are Chard and lovely chopped up in a Stir-Fry.

So back to today, Jo & I have been busy digging out weeds & clumps of grass and getting it ready for planting next spring.

The Leeks I put in a few months ago are still small but are growing, Jo weeded carefully around the patch. 

The temperature is dropping and even a frost is in the forecast, today was chilly but the sun was out too, so not a bad day for weeding our patch. But there is still plenty to do.

The Cara spuds have also been good this year, dug up these today, some we had as mash for dinner tonight.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo
 

Planting, Harvesting and Bees a plenty

A massive bunch of Sweetpeas, Jo said it was like she was a bride again walking home with this massive bouquet.

Broad Beans & Courgettes again! 

Another trug full of Peas, it took us an hour to pod, blanche & bag these ready to freeze. 

Tonight we had the cheapest meal so far:

Cauliflower Cheese, with Mangetout, Broad Beans & New Potatoes. 

All our own veg :)

I dug over this patch removed as many weeds including self seeded poppies as I could, added lime and planted 12 Romanesco Cauliflowers.

Dug over this patch too, as above. Planted 6 Brussel Sprouts.

Both netted to protect from birds, especially Pheasants we get on our plot, who are partial to young plants!

Today's harvest:

Rhubarb, Cauliflower, Potatoes, Courgette, Mint, Raspberries, Loganberries, Strawberries & Sweetpeas.

And finally the Bees, we have so many Poppies on our plot and they are full of nectar collecting Bees, this one (not a good photo sorry) had pollen sacks on its legs so full !

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo
 

Harvest after Harvest

For the last few weeks, its gone a bit mad, everytime we visit there is so much to pick, dig or cut. 

2lb of Strawberries everytime!

So far, Jam & Ice Cream has been made and a handful on our breakfast too. 

Our plot is like a Poppy field with veg too!

Yet more Strawberries, Raspberries and Charlotte potatoes.

A trug full of Peas & Sweetpeas 

Blanched Peas ready for the freezer.

The sky darkened and rain was on its way so we headed home.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian & Jo.

Did someone once say 'what are we going to do with all these Courgettes' I think they wrote a book!