Growing fruit & veg is new to me. Sure, I have grown cucumbers, tomatoes and loads of different berries in the past, but never from scratch.
And I must admit that buying a Tasty Tom which has a mass of tomatoes on already is a lot easier than sowing seeds, pricking them out, keeping them watered and happy and then letting them loose in their greenhouse world and hope for the best, fingers crossed.
I gave them friends, marigolds in fact, and neighbours: cucumbers, pumpkins and paprikas. Across the greenhouse path is lettuce, beetroot, broccoli and paksoi. The cauliflowers have already been re-housed to my freezer.
Outside the heavy heady scent of ripe strawberries has almost been replaced by that of fig leaves. I picked so many strawberries my fingers were stained red, and cooked litres of jam. 
The few berries still on the plants are for the animals. The potatoes are growing, and so are the courgettes, although I must say the courgettes I grew in pots on the balcony two years ago did a lot better than the twosome I have in my garden. They are quite puny. Still, the taste is fine! Don't know how you eat them, but I prefer courgette gratin.
The few berries still on the plants are for the animals. The potatoes are growing, and so are the courgettes, although I must say the courgettes I grew in pots on the balcony two years ago did a lot better than the twosome I have in my garden. They are quite puny. Still, the taste is fine! Don't know how you eat them, but I prefer courgette gratin.
Even though I only planted two cucumber plugs, I now have a cucumber glut. I have 2 to 3 ripe ones every day now, so I decided to try my hand at pickling. I chucked in kurkuma, chili flakes and dill. Could not find those round pepper corns, hence the chili. I have to be patient now, first tasting in a fortnight. When you read reports of a green tinged woman with botulism found on her balcony whilst being eaten by ravenous magpies, it will be me.
This week, last Wednesday in fact, I tried to explain to a colleague that there is a difference between a shop-bought straight and a greenhouse-grown crooked cucumber. Yes, obviously, the shape. But also the skin, which is much firmer and the flesh, which is less pale and watery and far, far tastier. Compared to my crooked green godesses the shop cucumbers are what Jack Daniels is to Talisker, darling. (Now you can work out for yourself which whisky I prefer. No? I will give you a hint: it starts with a T)
Meanwhile that rain last night freshned up my garden again. I cut the tall grass next to the ditch, and will do a second cut soon. And I posted a video of Hunky Dory on Instagram@songsmith2962, so you can take a look.
Have a lovely weekend!
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| Look for the yellow cat |
