Vegetable Garden Diary Update

I have just realised that unlike other years, I have not been keeping my vegetable garden monthly diary. I did try doing a little video, which seemed like a good idea, as it was me showing the garden warts and all. But I did not seem able to upload it, so am doing my usual photo catchup.

Like most years some things have gone well, and other not so good. I think for a lot of things the large amount of rain that we have had has been good, and we are now having a bit of sunshine as well. Also we have had the benefit of chicken poo, and four big sacks of free horse manure from a local stable, which I think have really helped. 

After my rabbit invaders, I covered all of the peas and runner beans with netting or mesh, which seems to have worked. So despite the invaders we have had a fair crop of runnerbeans and peas, and the broad beans have been much better than any other year. For the broad beans I picked off the growing tips of the plants, something I saw on a TV programme, and this year no blackfly problem at all.

 

I also was pleased to try some new vegetables - parsnips and pak choi, both of which have been great. Beetroots as well have at least grown to a reasonable size this year.

 

For salad leaves the American land cress and rocket have kept us going all summer, and I have had better radishes by doing a few small plantings. My tomatoes are way behind, but the plants look good, so hopefully eventually we will get some.

The raspberries have perhaps not been as many as other years, but most evenings I pick a little bowl to have on cereal at breakfast. The one tayberry bush has produced a lot of berries, all of which have gone into the freezer and will be made into jam. We bought a new gooseberry bush and built a fruit cage, with the blackcurrants. These have not produced much, so I cannot blame the birds this year. I think perhaps they need a bit of love and attention. The outside strawberries have been good, and I have high hopes for next year for the plants I have put in a trough in the polytunnel.

 

I realise I am being a bit too positive, so here is the one sunflower that survived the rabbits. I also have some very tiny sweetcorn plants, which have always been successful in other years, but I am really not sure are going to catch up this year.

  

Here is a photo of one of my favourite bits of the garden. The courgettes seem unstoppable, and I also like the self-seeded nasturtiums. The pak choi is on the left, netted peas in the background, and as you can see I have been doing a bit of weeding.

 

I am not too great as a flower gardener, but here is a little collage of some flowers in the vegetable garden. My sister gave me two dahlia plants. This one has settled in and is a gorgeous colour. I also saved love-in-the-mist seeds from last year, as they are one of my favourites. I've also included some courgette and bean flowers - useful and beautiful.