Thursday, January 11, 2018

Growing in 2018.

It has been a busy week since the young ones went home and a big storm left me extra cleaning up to do.
 The biggest oak tree particularly had twigs of leaves strewn far and wide. The lawn area was easily cleared with the lawnmower but the driveways and gardens still have pockets of now drying leaves. The good side of that storm was the big dump of rain we got. Bigger trees and vines are still benefiting but shallow rooted garden plants are once again needing extra water.
This large dahlia Zingaro is happy this year - it's third. Up till now it had failed to flower properly so may have lacked water. Anyway I am now pleased with it's display.
 Every second day I am picking blueberries . Not quite as large as bought ones but usable all the same. They too must have loved the big dump of rain ( 6 inches )
 The strawberries have really been good this season too.

 The gladioli mentioned in the last post are popping up;  19 so far.

 The 1st of the beetroot I planted earlier,  in 3 successions are now needing to be used . As they are cylindrical it only took 4 to fill a bowl.  ( Boiled in their unbroken skins: cooled ; peeled ; sliced and covered in a mix of vinegar some of the cooking juice, salt, mustard and a tsp sugar. ) Roasted and grated raw will also be options.

 We have lovely young corncobs ready Yum...just as well for dental floss.. 
 The beans are producing a small picking and  the 6 lettuces ready are about 4 too many.
 The same story with the cucumbers - twice the number we can use.( give some away ) 
( Salad 3 times a day perhaps )  As we have 4 producing courgette plants we have plenty of those too. I find them quite versatile. Just fried or grated with carrot and fried, roasted or in fritters. Picking them frequently and really lifting the leaves for any hiding is a must unless you want marrows.


 The peas are finished. Mainly eaten but a few got frozen.
 Finally R's tomatoes are ripening...soon I will be complaining about too many. 
 We lost lots of the plums in the storm but what remain are now almost edible.
 WE are watching with anticipation as butternuts crown pumpkins watermelon and kamokamo size up. Also looking very promising are the 2 newish passionfruit vines. ( over 100 fruit counted ) 
 10 days ago we had this little visitor  and also a normal coloured one about the same size. Everyone enjoyed seeing it gobble worms I pulled out of my worm farm for it.

 **** 
The afternoons in the Kiwifruit vines  have been really hot. Thank goodness for the shade. Wind rub has been added to the defects I am now removing. Parts of the crop look really good, others a bit gappy but the fruit is sizing well with that rain.
 Never a dull moment, or should that be spare moment...there must have been as I have just finished reading, Leap of Faith by Jenny Pattrick.  (Review next post perhaps .)

5 comments:

Janice said...

Never a spare moment at your place. That is some dumping if rain. We have one new dahlia out but our old favourite is looking a little sick. Our new gladdies have just finished. What are kamokamo? I haven’t heard of them. Your visitor is very cute.

julieQ said...

Is that a hedge hog? What a darling critter!! I always love to hear what is growing at your home!

Ali Honey said...

Yes, Julie . A very fast moving hedgehog too. Just tiny so I hope it survived.

Pam said...

I had no idea that hedgehogs lived in your part of the world. Are they native, I wonder? How very productive you are!

Your grandson is so beautiful! What a joy.

Diane-crewe said...

LOVE your visitor xx Your garden has really served you well this year x Love the colour of the dahlia x .. be careful around those wet leaves! I know what can happen !!