Green Butterfingers' gardening experiences

Seed list for 2012

2011-10-23T04:32:00.000-07:00

Time to review this year's efforts. I have to say, it's pretty difficult to make a decision as it was such a strange growing season. Some veg may have done much better given different circumstances. So...patty pan squash are possibly in (I think I still have some seeds), tomatoes suffered from blight so different kinds needed, carrots were ok, climbing beans were a pain to get started, Turk's Turban was a wash-out and the kale was so-so. Beetroot was ok, as always.

I also took the opportunity of a discount offer from Thompson & Morgan to get new seeds. Here's what I ordered for next year:

Tomato 'Orkado' F1 Hybrid
Carrot 'Caracas'
Runner Bean 'Scarlet Emperor'
Courgette 'Zephyr' F1 Hybrid
Cucumber 'Crystal Apple'
Tomato 'Red Alert'
Salad Leaves 'Baby Leaf'

I'm sure I pick some more seeds up on the way. Already have some saved seeds from a squash I bought at the shop, which I remember did pretty well the year before (green skin, orange flesh). Not much to do now for the rest of the year, other than sorting out the compost bins.

Autumn yet?

2011-10-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

Didn't manage to post something last weekend when I was actually doing the work in the garden. It really felt autumnal then but of course the English weather threw a googlie this weekend with pleanty of sunshine and high temperatures.

Anyway last week I ripped up the tomatoes (damn that blight) and consigned the beans to non-harvesting mode (only waiting for beans for sowing next year now). Found a patty pan squash which had sprung up unnoticed. The only things that are left now are raspberries, kale, carrots, some beetroot (mainly for the leaves) and patty pan squash (I live in hope). I have some potatoes tucked away and a the world's tiniest Turk's Turban squash is growing up the fence.

Had a good browse through the seed catalogues and I think I got some ideas for next year...October is usually ordering month.

Winding down already?

2011-09-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

Quick potter round the garden - mostly to get the tomatoes sorted out (the pink bowl is full of them). I pulled three of them up because they were rotting, the rest I am giving a bit more time in the ground. I'm very disappointed because they really looked good. I hope some of them at least ripen on the window sill.

It's been raining so much - crappy August for the veg, great for snails though. I am competing with them for everything. I had lots of raspberries during the week, so now there is jam too (the raspberry vodka was a great success). The beans are slowing down. Didn't get that many squash, just too wet. And just look at that surplus thyme and sage! What is noticeable though is that the weather is subtly changing - the garden year is definitely winding down.

Welcome back harvest

2011-08-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

In my two-week absence it rained a lot which meant that all plants survived but unfortunately it also meant that a lot of the fruit either got mouldy, overripe or fell prey to the snails. Some beans will be left on the plant now to save for seeds. Nice trio of patty pan squash and a handful of colourful tomatoes.

Stained hands from raspberry picking - looks like I've been in a blood bath. Had some help picking them from the Girl but apparently "bugs squik her out". More fruit to save for later, although my freezer is getting full. I may have to look into alternative ways of preserving soon.

A tomato and a squash

2011-08-06T04:26:00.000-07:00

Success!

I've been wondering for a few days whether this tomato was ripe yet. I have decided today that it is :) Maybe I should have labelled the tomatoes instead of mixing them up, otherwise I would have realised a bit earlier that it was the variety "Orangeberry". Only a couple of the tomatoes have a really distinctive shape so I need to guess a little bit. Also, one of the patty pan plants finally decided to fruit (the Mixed ones; the "Pattison Orange" is not doing much at all other than flower).

In addition, I got more beans (now some being turned into salad and the rest frozen) and raspberries (I think they may actually deserve ice-cream to go with them). I could almost survive on my garden (especially if I kept a couple of chickens and, er, a cow...).

End of July overview

2011-07-30T06:19:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note on proceedings. I built some "cages" for the raspberries so they don't flop over so much (just some bamboo canes tied together). Harvested another bowl of blackberries and more beans. Other than that, everything is growing well and taking shape. The sunny weather also helps!

Jamming!

2011-07-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

About a third of the greengages got turned into jam, another third was given away and the rest is waiting to be chopped and frozen (for pies and perhaps more jam). I think I cooked it for a bit too long so it may be a bit more set than I prefer but it should taste ok. Yay jam!

Today I picked the rest of them from the tree (lost about half to roving snails eating them on the branches!). Very good harvest. Also picked blackberries which grow along the fence. And a handful of beans.

The blackberries along with some gooseberries I still had lingering in the fridge are now bubbling away on the stove for more jam. Raspberries should be next in line for harvesting and maybe I'll make more jam, but I think I may try my hand at raspberry vodka (basically just a lot of raspberries covered in vodka - easy!). Considering it takes me quite a while to get through a jar of jam, I may not need to buy any for at least six months (never mind vodka which has been in my freezer for at least a year).

Greengage glut

2011-07-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Now what??!??? I have 5kg of greengages, still some more hanging on the tree! And of course I should have harvested them at least a week ago - because of their green bloom they are quite deceptive and don't look ripe.

Currently making jam, a friend is taking some off my hands tomorrow. I think I may surprise work colleagues with a few. Then tarts, pies, any more ideas???

Full of beans

2011-07-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Took the opportunity to run out into the garden between downpours to check on the pole beans ('Pantheon'). I've managed to pick a good handful of fairly large ones and in between picking and eating barely 30 minutes passed. So delicious! Lots more to come. Now I only need to stop them climbing along my washing line (or maybe I shouldn't?).

Somehow very soon I also need to slot in picking the greengages. I probably will only keep a few of them for eating right now and make jam with the rest. Hopefully it'll stop raining soon - no fun standing in the rain picking fruit!

Between harvests

2011-07-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

I'm between harvests. It won't be far off but need to just wait it out. The raspberries have finished their first crop and are preparing for the second big push. If the weather is warm enough they'll grow surprisingly quickly. One or two beans should be big enough to pull off in a few days or so.

Still waiting for the tomatoes, cucumbers and patty pans. The tomatoes have at least set fruit (all six kinds of them, I'm just showing pictures of two of them) but no such luck yet for the rest. At least there's some flowering (even though I lost one of my cucumber plants on the way).

The big-if is the greengage tree, probably ready in about one or two weeks in my estimate. It's really hanging full, so much so that I propped up the main branch because it's bending over so much I feared it would snap. However, I think I may have a stealthy enemy. Some of the fruit are rotting on the tree. I'm not sure if it's the wet weather or it could be greengage sawfly. I will need to keep an eye on it.

In other news I "found" lots of salad potatoes to sow. And when I say I found I meant I forgot about them in my veg rack and then they sprouted. They should make a nice crop later in the autumn. I'm usually quite bad about planting veg for autumn and winter but this year I should have some winter squash, kale and these potatoes. Not quite self-sufficient but nice addition to buying food later in the year.

raspberry harvest

2011-06-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Returned from my week's jaunt and everything is doing ok. Well, except the gooseberries - tiny caterpillars have managed to strip them more or less of all their leaves. However, it seemed to have rained enough that everything else looked lush.

It's amazing what difference a week can make. Before I went there were one or two raspberries that looked like they may be ripe soon but today I did my first substantial harvest. A good handful of nice big fruit. Which reminded me to get the last of the frozen raspberries out to use up before a new batch takes their place...

Definitely a month ahead...

2011-06-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

A longish post before I go away for a week and everything shrivels up - it's going remarkably well and the garden is a full month ahead.

The evidence: the first raspberries. I checked back over the blog and the last two years the first few ripened end of June/beginning of July instead of beginning of June.

Strawberries also ripening in the pot and I picked a couple - so sweet! I fear however that the snails are getting to them before I will, even the copper tape doesn't seem to stop them.

The squashes, cucumbers and tomatoes are growing well, too, although they could do with more watering. I ended up with three different kinds of cucumbers (lemon, ridge and "Delta Star F1" mini cucumber) alongside my six varieties of tomatoes (the first ones are now flowering). Patty pan squashes are only two varieties, to keep it simple ;)

In the other bit of veg garden there are the curly kale (starting to curl), the beetroot, carrots and leafy lettuce mix (need to remember to pick before it bolts) and the pole beans (getting there but no Jack and the Beanstalk material).

Overall the garden is looking very nice. Very "orderly" - veg on the left, flowers on the right. The level beyond the curved path hides more veg and flowers. Now I do hope that it rains a bit over the next week so it doesn't all die...

May...or June?

2011-05-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

This weather is crazy. It's been so warm and, especially, dry that everything is at least a month in advance. The kniphofia - Red Hot Poker - is already coming out and I have this feeling that all the flowers are going to be over and done with in a month. This is also bad news for the veg. I'm struggling to keep up with watering. One of the cucumber is really not looking happy. However, the germination of the lemon cucumbers was a bit hit-and-miss so there may be an underlying problem anyway. I also bought a ridge cucumber in the local shop today to see how that will do.

However, the gamble with the tomatoes and patty pan squash last month paid off. They are not that big yet but then again it's still early days. I spotted the first flower buds on one of the tomatoes today. I managed to mix them all up and didn't label them so it'll be a surprise when they ripen.

The herbs love this weather! The fennel, thyme, oregano and purple sage are nearly taking over!

The rest are also making progress. Kale (lost one to the snails), pole beans, and my rows of beetroot, carrots and salad mix are doing quite well. And just in case you are wondering - the bamboo BBQ sticks are cat defences.

So... all in all not bad but I wish it would rain now and again - overnight and then stop in the morning ;)

Glorious spring and early planting

2011-04-24T04:56:00.000-07:00

I'm chancing it this year by planting out my tender plants early - a bit risky before "Cold Sophie" (May 15th) - but the weather has been really clement and they may actually do better in the ground than in pots. I still have some cloches on standby should it really get cold (and also to keep the snails at bay).

So I have six different kinds of tomatoes:

Two different kinds of patty pan squash:

And cucumbers:

I also have some kale starting up, another cucumber and some chilli plants:

I have also direct-sowed white beetroot, carrots and mixed salad leaves. The pole beans "Panthenon" have also been planted. Not bad going for Easter weekend!

First seedlings

2011-03-27T05:03:00.000-07:00

All tomatoes and the patty pan squashes germinated nicely, although the seeds were a couple of years old at least. They are growing way too fast in the propagator so today I potted them on and they will be living in my mini-greenhouse from now on. It's going to be warm enough in there and much better light than on my windowsill. One of the cucumber seeds which is still in the propagator is already peeking through but potting them up will have to wait until next weekend.

I'm almost tempted to start sowing the carrots, rocket, beetroot, etc directly outside but previous years have taught me that I am a bit too overenthusiastic and they like it a touch warmer than I think it is. Even though we've had smashing spring weather recently, it still drops quite low overnight. (Just spotted a soil/compost thermometer on sale at Amazon for £2.85... may have to invest in that). The pelargoniums which overwintered inside have now moved outside for the summer (still have to watch for frost but they should be ok).

In preparation for the tomatoes this summer, I also investigated better canes. The tall bamboo canes are ok as a tripod for beans and cucumbers but they don't really work that well for holding up tomatoes. I saw some spirally metal ones in Germany some years ago but never spotted them here, until two weeks ago through Amazon. I ordered different sizes, two 1.8m ones, and four 1.2m. The beauty is that you can wind the tomatoes around as they grow and you shouldn't need any twine (in theory). Also, they are galvanised steel so should be able to prop up even a plant fully-laden with fruit (a major drawback of the bamboo which regularly bent over and snapped). And I think they look pretty, in a modern-industrial way :)

Keeping the bay tree at bay

2011-03-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Years and years ago I planted a cute little bay, barely knee-high. Since then it has grown into a colossus. Two years ago I lopped off the top so it was about my height. Recently I looked at it again and I estimated it to be about 2.5 metres! I don't want to get rid of it, just tall enough to supply me with its leaves and not take over valuable growing space. Making the most of the weather today I trimmed it down to probably about 1 metre and cut back some of the side branches. Instantly, there seemed more room, more light...and more clippings than I knew what to do with. The bigger branches now form a sort of barrier against the back wall, rest went onto a heap by the side of the compost. Keeping with the clear-up I also trimmed some ornamental bushes, swept the deck and hunted down rogue seedlings from surrounding sycamores and ivy that is trying to invade my garden from next door. And then I had a nap, followed by coffee and cake :)

More sowing

2011-03-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

After last week's mega-sowing of tomatoes (Tomatoes 'Red Pear',‘Tigerella’, 'San Marzano', 'Costoluto','Orangeberry' and 'Ildi'), this week is was the turn of cucumbers ('Lemon'). For the tomatoes I used up some Suttons peat pellets whereas for the cucumbers I ordered some coir pellets. Let's see which does better but the peat pellets gave me some pretty good results last year. The handy windowsill propagator that the pellets go into keeps them warm enough and it's also pretty damn impossible to overwater them which usually encourages damping off. So hopefully really soon I should see the first signs of seedlings!

Seed list 2011

2011-02-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

Just had a quick look through my box of seeds, gearing up for the new season. I still have loads of seeds left from last year which should still be good enough (germination rate won't be as good but then again it's worth a try).

So here is this year's list of contenders:

(Note to self: I will not over-sow. I will NOT over-sow).

Patty Pan Squash 'Pattison Orange'
Patty Pan Squash Mixed
Cucumber Crystal lemon
Tomato 'Red Pear'
Tomato ‘Tigerella’
Tomato 'San Marzano'
Tomato 'Costoluto'
Tomato 'Orangeberry'
Tomato 'Ildi'
Rocket Oakley (mixed with Mixed Leaves from the BBC Dig In project)
Carrot Chantenay Red (also from the BBC)
Climbing Bean Panthenon
Squash Turks Turban
Beetroot 'White'

I also have Kale Dwarf Green Curled on order, along with peat pellets which gave me very good results last year. I may also try and steal some seeds from the green-skinned pumpkin from the Turkish supermarket down the road ;) Now I just have to find a slightly bigger garden...

Seeds and fruit

2010-11-06T10:21:00.001-07:00

Today I did a big clear-up of the garden, making the most of the break in the weather - plenty of weeding, cutting back and general tidying up which made the compost pile grow to enormous proportions. I also harvested some green beans which I left on for seeds and reached over the fence to retrieve a winter squash which had rambled over (the neighbours don't really do anything with their garden so I felt entirely justified).

I already have saved some Turk's Turban winter squash seeds but unfortunately the seeds of the other pumpkin went moldy. I should have spread them out more but I completely forgot about them and I obviously didn't take enough of the flesh off. Never mind, I came face-to-face with the kind of pumpkin it was in the Turkish supermarket round the corner the other day - that's where I must have got the seeds from in the first place. I'll have another go with the seeds from the one above, even though it grew into a slightly strange shape. The beans should be fine, hopefully.

The raspberries are still producing fruit and I am getting slightly worried about them, much like you would with a workaholic friend. You admire them in a way but also you are hoping they'll take a break soon before they wear themselves out. At this rate I will have fresh raspberries for Thanksgiving but I hope they don't decide to give up the ghost next year!

Talking of seeds and fruit, I should really get stuck into the catalogues...it's that time of year.

Nearly packing up for the year

2010-10-23T04:20:00.001-07:00

I started to ready the garden for winter time last weekend, by clearing the tomatoes, cucumbers, patty pan, etc which had stopped producing. Most ended up in the compost bin or on my compost heap but then it started raining before I had time to finish. In fact, every time I stepped out, the sun disappeared rapidly. Seasonal hazard, I guess. This time of year everything looks rather bleak.

Only the Welsh onion and some white beetroot remain. The raspberries continue to produce however and I may even get another crop before the weather turns really nasty. Very good variety (Joan J), has seen me through from July to October.

In additional news, I harvested the mystery pumpkin that self-seeded itself. No idea what kind it is, probably I grew it from from a supermarket-bought pumpkin the year before. There is another vine that scrambled over the fence and is bearing some fruit, so if it turns out well I'll just lean quickly into the neighbour's garden and retrieve it (that's allowed, right?).

The other pumpkin was tasty (was turned into lentil and pumpkin stew) but the skin was really really hard. So hard in fact, that I needed a hammer to chop it and I gave up on it halfway through. Lesson for next year - eat it more quickly.

The pumpkin

2010-09-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

It is a very, very nice pumpkin. Pleasing colour. Interesting shape (underneath it looks like the one harvested a while ago). Taste uncertain as of yet. Yep, I'm very proud of this one.

Ok, technically it is a winter squash, not a pumpkin (see footnote). I am also eating summer squash (patty pan) at the moment, and waiting for another unidentified squash to ripen. This means it's officially autumn!

Footnote: Try and find out the difference between winter squashes and pumpkins. Come on, I dare you. And when you find it, send me the answer ;) At the moment I like this definition the best: "Pumpkins are something you carve, winter squashes are something you eat, and gourds are something you look at."

Beetroot harvest

2010-09-12T07:23:00.001-07:00

I never think of having beetroot during the summer. Something about it spells autumn for me - the earthy taste perhaps. My summer exception is a Turkish beetroot salad but I never make that for myself. Today I finally decided to pull up half of the white beetroots I have in my garden. Marvellous stuff - they don't bleed and you can eat the leaves too.

The beetroots are now roasting in the oven, sliced along with the carrots from last week and a rough-chopped patty pan squash in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some herbs (sage, thyme and oregano). The leaves are throroughly cleaned, one by one (I don't fancy eating tiny snails), chopped, and now I have two bags of them in the freezer. Autumn is going to be full of delicious produce!

Summer is over

2010-09-07T23:23:00.000-07:00

August was really not great shakes in terms of weather but now it's starting to get noticeably colder and darker. Still harvesting a lot of stuff but I can tell it's slowing down.

I have patty pan (summer) squash and Turk's Turban (winter) squash that I planted but something squash-like self-seeded itself, probably from last year. The problem is that I have no clue what it is. My best guess is an acorn squash which I tried out but never took off. I harvested a small one - a bigger one is still ripening - just to make sure it's not a round zucchini. It isn't.

I found some carrots I forgot about. They're not the prettiest of things but they look edible. I can't really expect too much on my kind of soil. Seems September is full of mystery and surprises...

Full-on harvesting

2010-08-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Lots of veg still to be harvested - I haven't really touched the beetroot or carrots, and there is some strange squash that self-seeded itself. In the meantime beans, raspberries, cucumbers and tomatoes are providing lots of tasty treats. I am thinking of making proper, fresh tomato soup which is the best thing on earth. The "conjoined" patty pan I harvested last is now mercifully nearly used up - there is a limit to how much even I can eat of it.

As I was checking over the Turk's Turban squash it came off the vine so I take that as a sign that it is ready :) Looks very pretty and I bet it will be delicious roasted. There is another, bigger one still growing in the garden which I will leave alone for a while longer.

Just realised that I haven't bought any veg other than peppers and potatoes for the last few weeks so that means I am pretty much self-sustaining at the moment. How cool is that?!?

Conjoined harvests

2010-08-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

In my recent haste of harvesting I actually forgot to post a picture of the first fully ripened tomato. Well, here it is - the subtle stripes are barely noticeable but in real life it looked very pretty. It also shows off the patty pan squash and beans which I have been munching my way through.

But look what I took from the garden today!!! A whole bowl of lemon cucumbers, more tomatoes, a bucketload of green beans and the most weirdly-shaped squash I've ever seen! It seems I have a conjoined patty pan - anyone know how that happens?

Lunch today was much nicer than usual, making use of lots of the things I grew myself (mainly it was nicer because I was working from home, the staring at data didn't help though). Green beans cooked with tomatoes, cucumbers in creme fraiche, and tomatoes and goat cheese in puff pastry - ok, I bought the puff pastry, creme fraiche and the goat cheese but give me time ;)

Red-y? Steady? Go!

2010-08-01T10:01:00.001-07:00

A ripening tomato. In early August. In my garden! Usually I have to wait till beginning of September. The Tigerella appear to have the head start on this, the others ones are coming along but nothing happening yet that even borders on red.

Have started in earnest on harvesting the beans, although I am competing with some voracious snails that have climbed up the poles. Also on the menu are more lemon cucumbers and a nice patty pan squash.

Harvest for dinner

2010-07-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

Dinner was a stir-fry and alongside store-bought supplies I also did a quick harvest of veg to go in it - carrots, a patty pan squash, some beans and the tops of the white beetroot (taste like spinach - they were declared "very nice" by a beetroot-hater). Still leaves me with two lemon cucumbers and the beetroot for another day.

Today is drizzly, too wet to stand there and water the garden but yet not enough to quench the thirst of the plants. Hope it'll give it a good drenching overnight.

On another thought, I need to check whether there are any greengages this year (I think the tree is suffering from some kind of insect infestation that makes them drop off before ripening) and figure out what to do with my three (!) gooseberries. I also now have some blackberries coming up. Maybe just a square of puff pastry with an assortment of fruit on it?

Salvage effort

2010-07-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

The tomato plant, alas, was beyond help so I cut it down this evening and made some chutney from the green tomatoes (about half of a jam jar). I think I used a bit too much vinegar so the chutney is quite sharp but with a good piece of cheddar it'll be fine.

The leaves of the potatoes fell victim to slugs and snails so I guessed it was time to harvest them. A good handful of 'Anya' which, considering didn't spend a penny on seed potatoes, is not too bad. Haven't tried them yet but I bet they will be delicious.

Disaster!

2010-07-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

One of the Red Pear tomato plants got a bit too heavy for its cane. I noticed it leaning a little bit last night and couldn't resist trying to fix it. Instead it flopped over and it seems to have almost snapped off at the base. Curses! I propped it up again but today it's looking all wilted already. Green tomato chutney may come earlier than I thought...

Progress...

2010-07-21T11:12:00.001-07:00

The garden is now progressing nicely and plenty of veg are setting fruit.

The squashes are bursting at the seams - the Turks Turban in particular has started to "escape" and is climbing everywhere. I also spotted the first patty pan developing (there had been plenty of male flowers previously). Both are such weird-looking specimens, much more interesting than the uniform things you can buy in the shops.

And finally - a bean! I doubt that this year I end up with a glut, although I may regret saying that.

The tomatoes are doing great - the Red Pear especially has lots of vines. Now hoping for the warm weather to continue so they'll ripen before September.

And soon I should be ready to harvest the first of the Lemon cucumbers. The skin seems a bit hard, so we'll see how they turn out.

A lot of firsts...

2010-06-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

So much to tell. The warm weather has really spurred the plants into action. I may have to edit myself down a bit...

The first raspberry - lots more to come but the first one is always the best. It's amazing that I only looked at it yesterday and it wasn't quite ready yet. Today it didn't last that long - it went straight from the cane into my mouth. So sweet and delicious!

The first pumpkin flowers - not sure if they'll do anything since I'm not sure they'll get pollinated. The tendrils are reaching out and are starting to grow up the chainlink fence, underneath the beans which have suddenly decided to climb up the poles.

The patty pan squash plants have filled out and I can see the first flower buds forming. The herb corner is awash with oregano, thyme, fennel, sage and parsley. There is even some mint - where's the Pimm's?!?

The tomatoes are getting stocky, rather than high. Even the ones that didn't start off underneath cloches have kept pace. Not sure that is good or bad but at least they all have lots of flowers.

The cucumbers are refusing to wind themselves around the poles or string but I'll keep at them. They are round cucumbers anyway so it doesn't really matter, except that they will take up less space if they are growing up rather than out.

And I have ended up with a bucketful of mixed leaf salad! Wish me luck, I will be munching my way through this and another row over the next few weeks - every day...

June rains

2010-06-08T14:46:00.001-07:00

The warmth and the recent rains have really moved the garden on from its pitiful initial state. Still not great but getting better. The cucumbers especially appear to enjoy this kind of weather and have had a growth spurt.

The rows of carrots, salad leaves and beetroot are also doing well, surviving the onslaught of slugs. I noticed that a cat has started digging around a bit (or is that foxes?), and on the other bed some stray potatoes are coming through. Still, suddenly I can recognise what the seedlings are supposed to be - and tell them apart from the weeds. Note to self: more weeding needed.

The patty pan squashes are filling out and are complemented by two self-sown ones. The "volunteers" may actually turn out to be be courgettes, or they may be patty pan. Time will tell which is kind of exciting. I have been finding lots of self-sown tomatoes, too - surprising, given how cold it was over the winter. There are some beans now, mixed results on those since as soon as they break through the soil they have their buds chewed off by slugs. Not the most promising year for beans, I have to say.

I am the proudest of my tomatoes and my raspberries. Tomatoes are nicely showing flower buds and are growing at an amazing speed. The raspberries have set fruit and I am hoping for at least one cake out of them (and plenty for the freezer).

Other fruits are doing well, too - I have three (!) gooseberries - ok for the first year and considering the plants came from Lidl - and a few greengages - not as much as last year but it goes in swings and roundabouts anyway. I hope the weather stays like this (sorry folks!) for another couple of weeks and then I am ok with it turning drier.

Preliminary experiment results

2010-05-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

I removed the cloches from the tomatoes today, mainly because they were rapidly outgrown. It seems that with Tigerella (two on left) it made no vast difference, except that the one that was covered looks a bit slimmer and curled up. With the Marmande (two in the middle), the protected one definitely is a bit taller and stronger.

But what a difference the wall-o-water made to the Red Pear (on right)! Twice as big compared to the other one (see comparison below, left uncovered, right covered). Very pleased with this approach, also required less watering and seemed to keep the snails away. Have to get more wall-o-waters...

Oh well, ventilation problem solved

2010-05-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

I noticed recently that there is a big hole on the top of the mini-greenhouse. I was muttering about plastic fatigue and cursing shoddy goods when a squirrel poked its head over the fence, coming face-to-face with me studying the mini-greenhouse. Sure enough, there are more holes in the greenhouse top which look suspiciously like rips caused by a squirrel launching itself into the air. The only consolation is that it is fixable with a bit of strong tape. I also moved my set-up around, so it is not near the fence now. The weather is warm enough that I need to roll up the flap every morning so it doesn't overheat, at least the hole improves the ventilation unintentionally.

The chili plants and the tagetes love the greenhouse. I'll keep the chilis in the pot but the marigolds will eventually settle into the garden. The beans I planted in pots haven't surfaced yet and I just direct-sowed some. Apparently, "Pantheon" doesn't germinate well in poor, dry spoils but I am doing everything I can to make them comfortable.

I planted out the cucumbers "Crystal Lemon" the other day, still protecting them with home-made cloches. Anything to make them big enough quickly to withstand the snail menace. I am trying to grow them up on a wigwam, still need to put the string on the supports but had good results with that approach last year (mind you, different kind of cucumber).

Sowed more rocket, beetroot, carrots and also a fast-growing salad mix. I think my first sowing of rocket is getting eaten by snails. Between squirrels, snails and cats it's quite hard to make things grow in a London vegetable patch (my neighbour Paul regularly finds snails in his window box and has a squirrel visiting his bird feeder - on the third floor). I turned some of my beds into Vlad-the-Impaler-land with little bamboo sticks to keep the cat from digging out my seeds. Seems to be working so far.

With the nice spell of weather everything seems to be shooting up by the minute. Tomatoes are doing fine - in fact I had to leave all of them uncovered (except the wall-o-water one) because they outgrew the cloches, thus probably invalidating my experiment (see previous post). I have been drinking water from a 5L bottle like crazy so now one of them in protected again. The other one will be soon, too. Squash and patty pan are also settling in, and I think I spotted a self-seeded courgette. Is that even possible? Maybe it's just a weed in disguise...

My herbs are doing really well (well, all except the mint for some reason) . Thyme, oregano, sage, parsley, chives and some fennel. (Raspberries in foreground are just starting to flower.) However, I am at a loss what to do with all that lemon balm. I don't really drink herbal tea that much...it may have to come out. Would love to replace it with tarragon and lovage. And possibly more mint for a nice Pimm's.

Kalte Sophie

2010-05-15T04:54:00.000-07:00

My great-aunt always told me to wait out "Kalte Sophie" for anything tender. So today I planted my tomato starts, patty pan squash and the Turk's Turban squash. Perfect day for planting - not too warm, not too cold and now it is raining a bit after a bout of sunshine which gave me enough time to work out there.

The cucumbers have to wait a bit as they are still a bit too small. I wonder why they are growing so slow compared to the squashes.

I am trying out an "experiment" on the tomatoes. I have two of each kind: Red Pear, Marmande and Tigerella. One of each I am protecting a bit more over the next few weeks and see how they do in comparison. One of the Red Pear plants is getting extra-special treatment, a Wall-o-Water. The others will have to make do with some soda bottles or improvised bigger cloches I can find.

On other news, neighbours who chopped down the tree at the back (yay!) poked their head over the shrubs/rubble. A small discussion ensued about what to do about the crumbling wall that separates their garden from mine, whether to build on top or rebuild it completely. I think the upshot was to ignore it and just stick some fencing up instead. Nice to meet them though and know that they are starting to use the garden. I just wished I hadn't been wearing my pink unicorn baseball cap at the time.

Time is marching on, garden isn't much

2010-04-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Things have moved on quite a bit and most of the seedlings are doing well, even though they were forgotten for a while after transplanting.

The greenhouse has proved its worth, only one loss - a cucumber seedling bit the dust. I have just sown three more so should end up with enough in the end.

The winter squash is coming along nicely, and so it should because the slugs will be at it as soon as it goes into the ground.

I have finally outlined some beds and then realised that I don't really have enough space to grow everything comfortably. I readjusted the original plan and now beans will share a bed with the winter squash. Everything will be "cozy" - not ideal but best I can do. Even as I was doing the beds two cats hung around, staking out their favourite pooing place. Need to get some more bamboo kebab sticks to secure the ground against furry marauders. Made some teepees for the beans and cucumbers to climb on and now it feels ready for planting. By now I should have planted the beetroot and rocket but just not enough time recently to do that. Hoping to do that this long weekend.

Two innovations

2010-03-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Curiosity got the better of me and I assembled the mini-greenhouse. Very pleased with sturdiness and ease of putting it together. Good value for the money.

Also, I put out the parasol in anticipation and a spurt of optimism. Mainly, I wanted to try out the budget base to see how heavy it is. I may move the parasol bit back inside or it could hold off the rain for the next few months.

Come on spring!!!

Transplanting the turban

2010-03-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

As suspected, the Turk's Turban squash (and the patty pan squash) seeds are a bit big for the little compost pods and are quickly outgrowing them. The roots are already stretching far beyond and I fear if I don't do something about it they'll just die.

Today I cleaned up some old plastic pots (I have collected lots over the years) and got some potting soil to transplant the bigger squashes. There, more room.

I'll wait a few days for the patty pan. One is doing pretty well, the other is just starting to peek through. Overall, I am pretty pleased with the pods. Compact, very easy to handle and transplant, everything germinated eventually, and there's no danger of the soil getting water-logged. I still have another tray but wondering if I actually need it - if everything survives then I already have plenty to fill up my little garden.

Reviewing my plant list for this year I just noticed that I should get the Welsh onions and the rocket (aka arugula) sown. It's not a desperate rush, it's been so cold until recently that a few days won't hurt, but may as well do a first sowing. I have a habit of not spacing sowing out over time so I will try and improve on that.

What I should really do is make a plan of what goes where - I haven't done that this year. Last year, the tomatoes were in the wrong place (not sunny enough) and I think they'll go where the beans were. Keep forgetting what I have, so yes, definitely more planning needed...

Rhubarb! Germination!

2010-03-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

Last week a "mail undelivered" slip arrived which I blithely ignored because I thought it was just some package from Amazon. Over the weekend I was wondering when my rhubarb I ordered would finally arrive (it said March delivery time), until this morning it struck me - eek, I bet that package is the rhubarb... And so it was. Collected this morning, and unpacked and planted tonight. I don't think they suffered any damage sitting in the post office for a few days.

I got two different varieties, "Stockbridge Arrow" and "Victoria". It was quite a spatial layout task to find the best position for them, since they will spread out. I hope I haven't put them too close together after all. Really looking forward to pie...in a couple years time.

(Stockbridge on left, Victoria on right - sorry, it was rainy and getting dark)

In other news, some of the seeds have germinated. The Turk's Turban squash is stretching out, I can see Red Pear and Marmande tomatoes coming up. Tigerella tomato and the cucumber and patty pan squash are a bit shy (although my spidey senses are tingling with the squash). Let's see if they dampen off or continue to grow.

Digging out the compost bin

2010-03-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

Not as in getting out of storage, no, I mean literally digging out.

Late last year something bad happened to my compost area. An influx of cage litter, old bits of stairs I had replaced, large dead shrubs, doors (don't ask...), it ended up all around the bin. It got to the point where I couldn't lift the top off anymore. So today, taking advantage of the nice weather, I did some investigation and a clean-up.

The doors have almost rotted down, except one which must be made of some hardwood (it is still solid and I think it has been out there for years). Restacked they can go on doing their thing. The large shrubs are now a screen against the back wall. Found lots of old decking off-cuts which I can use for marking beds. Also found a broken BBQ and lots of other rubbish. A broken birdhouse is sitting on the curb hoping someone can muster up the will to put it together again. The bits of stairs now form a wall around a mound of cage litter which still has another year of composting to do.

(It may not look like much but you shoudl have seen it before. And yes, I know there is a plastic goose...wanna make something of it?!? It's not rubbish, it's..decorative. )

Then I tackled the compost bin itself. Three-quarters full of lovely compost! I emptied that out on the nearest beds which have been mainly made up of cat poo and builders rubble so far.

I went a bit crazy after that because then I also forked in the guinea pig waste that I spread out on the other beds, and I cleaned up the deck, getting rid of an old table to make room for this little beauty:

I also hope someone will take about 50 small plastic plant pots off my hands...Oh, and I found some ancient grass seed in my cellar which I put on the bare patches in the grassy path. And I spread out some bags of ballast I had hanging around on the other, gravelly path.

Now I'm exhausted but it was lovely to sit on the deck with a nice cup of coffee and a hot cross bun afterwards.

First sowing of the year

2010-03-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

Last year's toilet roll method was more or less a disaster - nothing really germinated. This year I am giving little peat pods a go - the kits are cheap, compact and easy to water.

In my opinion, it's a bit on the early side to sow tomatoes, courgettes and cucumber since they can't really be planted out until mid-May. However, I am getting a mini-greenhouse so can move them there once they get going. I kept this attempt small so I can do another run in April or plant out directly in the soil in May. I sowed: tomatoes "Tigerella", tomatoes "Red Pear", cucumber "Crystal Lemon", tomatoes "Super Marmande", squash "Turk's Turban" and patty pan squash "Scallop Mixed" - two pods each. The pods are a bit small for the squash seeds but I'll see how it goes.

Here they are in the warmest and sunniest part of the house, the seat in the bay window. Also the most dangerous for them in terms of getting knocked over.

First planting of the year

2010-03-13T15:02:00.000-08:00

Inspired by one of my friends I planted my chitted potatoes in a big planter today. I was going to wait a little bit longer. If it all goes wrong at least I can blame her ;)

I didn't use that much compost; the intention is to fill up the pot with soil as they grow to encourage more potatoes to form. The planter is fairly large and the potato variety (Anya) is fairly small, so hopefully it'll work out. I have seen pictures of potatoes being grown in black bin liners but I fancied something more, er, decorative. Last year, the potatoes in planters started off well but then were like sitting ducks for slugs which stripped the leaves off (the ones in the ground held out a bit longer but not much). Let's see if they make it this year - at least I didn't spend a small fortune on seed potatoes.

Chitting potatoes

2010-02-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, you have to say it carefully ;)

I am currently in the process of chitting potatoes (putting them in a light place to get shoots so they grow faster when they go into the ground). They are happily sitting in an egg carton on the window sill and have some nice sprouts on them.

I decided not to go for expensive seed potatoes from a catalogue like last year which ended up being slug food. Ok, to be honest it was mainly the leaves - still got a few potatoes out of them but not enough to justify spending a lot of money on them. So instead I used a few potatoes from the ones I bought from the supermarket, a variety called "Anya". I know, I know, you are not supposed to do that. They are supposed to certified disease-free, from a reputable dealer. But this way I end up with as few as I want to plant, for a fraction of the price, even if it comes to nothing. I'll treat it as an experiment and plant them in the large pot I used last year (although that proved to be an easy and juicy target for the slugs) instead of the ground. Anyway they are hopefully going in around mid-March, perhaps even a bit earlier if the weather decides to warm up.

Tidying up and first shoots

2010-01-24T06:18:00.000-08:00

Walking through the garden taking stock. Some semi-hardy plants like my Solanum alba have dropped some leaves after the deep cold. I also wonder if my Fuchsias grown against a sheltered wall have survived. Hope that they will perk up again.

I have decided that I just can't keep up anymore with the ivy growing up my wall which was initially planted to hide an ugly downpipe. So I cut it off to wither away and dug most of the roots out. I am thinking of growing a jasmine instead which is much easier to handle and will also provide a nice scent, or go with another Solanum.

I only noticed a week or so ago that the huge sycamore tree in my neighbour's garden has been pruned. Most of the branches are gone with only two big ones remaining - one of them still is a bit over my garden but very high up. I'm not sure if they'll take it all down or leave it like that but it's already a big improvement in terms of light. I gathered together the trimmings that fell into my garden so I should have plenty of kindling and a few logs when they are dried out.

Browsing through another gardening catalogue I came across two things that piqued my interest: first, curly kale. I always liked to eat it but have never grown it. Second, grafted tomatoes (a tasty variety grafted on to a vigorous root stock). Who knew such a thing existed! I will stick to normal seeds though.

In final news, I have spotted garlic shoots (along with shoots of the hyacinths and daffodils). It's nice to see something growing in this cold and damp season.

Dead of winter

2010-01-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

Lots of snow this year and cold too. At least next growing season there should be fewer snails and slugs (hopefully).

The garden is mostly shut down. I left some white beetroot leaves out there, not sure if they survive or will be any good. Raspberry canes have been cut down. Plenty of material from guinea pig cage cleaning is being dumped on the beds. The ornamentals look a bit bedraggled but that is to be expected in early January (especially as there are some where frost-hardiness is doubtful; at least I managed to bring my pelargoniums inside).

I still need to go through the seeds which I ordered and that have arrived (rhubarb will arrive for planting in March). There are some items in there which I may be able to start off early inside. I am also contemplating getting a cheap greenhouse, which means I can move things (like tomatoes) outside much earlier. This year I am going to try the individual growing medium, having not had much success with the toilet roll method and also the normal seed trays.

Still haven't had a chance to build myself a better compost bin - lack of light/time and surplus of snow has been against me. As soon as it warms up a little bit I shall try though.

Probably not much happening for the rest of January...

just-in-time planting: garlic

2009-11-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

Today I planted Lautrec Wight garlic - due to go in by the end of November as it is an autumn-planting garlic. It called for a soil that won't get water-logged, and I chose three different sites to spread the cloves around: one near the bay tree and herbs (gritty soil), one underneath the sycamore which is hopefully going to be taken down soon (also gritty), and one near the wall of the house (probably on the poor side).

All in all I planted one and a half bulbs, having given half a bulb away, which still left me with about 16 cloves - each of which should grow into one whole bulb. Even with an enormous failure rate I should be able to fend off Dracula easily...

Seed and plant list

2009-10-27T14:50:00.001-07:00

After much deliberation I have come up with my order for what to grow next year, going back to old favourites like rocket and marigolds, trying new things like Turks Turban squash, and yes - tomatoes from seed (I fall for them every year, maybe this is the year it'll work out).

I tried to only order from one place but some varieties seemed a lot cheaper or more interesting "on the other side". So here it is, my list, including some flowers as well.

Thompson & Morgan

Pantheon Bean (supposed to be really good on bad soil and in crappy weather)
Mixed Patty Pan squash
Turks Turban Squash (pretty if they work out)
Patula Nana Single Legion of Honour marigolds (old variety, prolific)
Purple Moldovan Wight Garlic (hardneck variety)
Jack Flash Silene (not sure about it, may come off the list at the last minute)

Marshalls

Crystal Lemon Cucumber (liked them when I grew them in Portland)
Super Marmande Tomatoes (grew Marmande one year in London and they turned out well as I remember so super should be even better, right?)
Chantenay Red Core 2 carrots (growing carrots on clay...hmmm)
Oakleaf Oakley Rocket (can't grow enough of the stuff...)
Rhubarb Duo Pack Stockbridge Arrow and Victoria (crumble! yay! eventually...)

I'll probably also grow the white beetroot again (still have some seeds left I think) but wasn't too impressed with the rest of the stuff. Order is going in soon as the garlic should be planted by the end of November.

Lost and found

2009-10-10T05:58:00.000-07:00

The sky cleared and I took the opportunity to clean up the garden, in readiness for shutting it down for winter. I am still leaving the tomatoes out in the vain hope of some ripening before the first frost. The raspberries are nearly finished too and I need to read up on when I am supposed to cut the canes back. Gave up on the beans.

As I was clearing the patty pan away I found a few that are just ready for a stir-fry and a larger, weird-shaped, yellow thing. Also a stray cucumber and some very green tomatoes, which are now nestling next to a banana in the kitchen.

The thyme has gone a bit crazy. Since I loathe running out after dark and into spiderwebs just to get a sprig or two of herbs, I am going to try drying it. The oregano didn't grow as big but I think it got a bit smothered by the thyme.

With everything put onto the garden compost heap and the canes put away, it suddenly looks empty. Plenty of space now though to put my home-grown guinea pig compost down! Soon, planning for next year.

Full of beans

2009-09-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering about the right time to harvest my beans. My usual first reference (Pears Encyclopedia of Gardening: Fruit and Vegetables, Roy Genders (ed.)) is not much help on this matter, only giving a reference to haricot beans: "These are grown chiefly for their beans, which should be dried, first by allowing the pods to hang until the weather loses its summer look [...]". This would have been mid-July then (mind you, this is also the book that attributes the decline of growing jerusalem artichokes to the shortage of kitchen staff willing to clean them). I decided to harvest some and see what they look like, the rest I will leave on to ripen a bit more. Also gathered more tomatoes and raspberries.

A slightly puzzling development on the patty pan front - some are looking like patty pans, some of them have the ridges of a patty pan but are more round and green like a zucchini. I think, since they are open-pollinated, I am getting a cross-breed.

Flowers in the garden are providing plenty of pleasure. The solanum 'Alba' is so pretty along the fence and in the back of the garden the cyclamen are popping through the woodruff. If the sun is out, it's a lovely time of year.

my spider sense

2009-09-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

Life is hard this time of year for an arachnophobe like me...lots of webs built exactly where I want to wander and water. I am gingerly picking off the tomatoes, avoiding the giant spider that lurks there. A careful sideways approach to the waterhose reel because another spider has used it as an anchor for a thread. I am trying to ignore the one dangling over my head as I step out the kitchen door. I don't even think about dashing out to get some herbs after dark anymore, instead I plan a minor expedition involving a stick to knock down the webs and a torch. I guess they are very useful...but I just don't like 'em.

A few rays of sun are still about. Raspberries doing very well and I am even getting a little Serrano pepper. My bean experiment is nearing the end, there is a substantial amount of dark purple pods which, I hope, will contain black beans.

The Thompson and Morgan catalogue has arrived and I have leaved through it a bit. Disappointing selection of cucumbers but interesting beans. Need to sit down soon and make a list.

it's nearly autumn...

2009-09-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Time marches on but my camera doesn't (it keeps running out of batteries). So just imagine a picture of a bountiful harvest, including raspberries, patty pan squash, cucumber and a few tomatoes. In fact, probably your imagination is better than the picture would have been...

The bean pods are turning a deep purple and the beans inside them are now a near-black. Maybe I can recreate a vaguely authentic Mexican dish with them. I used some of the beetroot tops fresh and they tasted more like spinach, very delicious. Too much in one go, so I processed the rest by cutting them up and putting them in the freezer.

More patty pan to come (the other bush now finally has female flowers) and lots more tomatoes hanging on the bushes (I think most of them will ripen on the window sill in the end). Although the garden is still producing, there is the definite nip of autumn in the air. Hoping for a few more nice, sunny days.

finally...another harvest

2009-09-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Finally - some ripe tomatoes (plum, yellow and cherry) and some patty pan squash! I even found some more raspberries.

I pulled a few more white beetroot -- not sure how good they are going to be -- and a cucumber.

Not too thrilled with all of it and intend to make some changes next year:

Grow fewer tomatoes, get them in earlier and in a sunnier spot.
Patty pan is fine but grows too big and two out of the three I planted only produced male flowers. Maybe see if I can get a variety that is smaller.
Dwarf zucchini - give up on them, grow proper ones.
Don't grow white beetroot, grow leaf beet instead.
The cucumbers have too many seeds and are too spiny for my liking. Look for a different kind.
The beans are too stringy to eat as green beans. I'll harvest them later but I think I'll switch back to runner beans "Painted Lady".

tree clearing

2009-08-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

First the horrific Leylandii to the right was cut down (yay!). Just now I got a letter through the door informing me that the back-to-back neighbours are going to remove the huge sycamore tree over the next few months (and they were kind enough to worry about my particular veggie plot). Hurrah!!! More light, more rain, more veggies. A bit of a shame about the tree but maybe they'll plant something lovely in its stead.

Fecundity

2009-08-25T05:22:00.000-07:00

After three weeks away the garden has exploded, or at least it seems that way after a bit of an absence.

The patty pan squash in particular is growing like mad, although it mainly produces male flowers at the moment. The back one has some fruit set but they are still small. It's nearly suffocating the dwarf zucchini, it's absolutely ginormous -- I wished they didn't take up so much room. The tomatoes have set masses of trusses and are doing their ripening as fast as they can in English weather. The raspberries have set fruit -- again! -- great stuff for the first year.

A few cucumbers have appeared with the promise of a few more. Perfect amount, in fact. Trellising them has also worked out pretty well.

Lifted the potatoes which were a bit of a disappointment - the slugs did their damage to the leaves too early. I may be better off buying them instead of growing them myself. Beans are doing great on the other hand - lots to be harvested over the coming weeks.

Need to harvest more lettuce and white beetroot before they bolt. All in all, a wonderful experiment to see what grows well and what doesn't -- and where the best places are to plant things.

A day of sunshine and thundery showers

2009-07-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

For Sharon.

first real harvest of sorts

2009-07-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

I realise I have been spoilt in Portland: everything grows so much faster there. Nevertheless, my first harvest in London today, apart from picking the occasional mange touts and raspberry.

I pulled up some white beetroot which I intend to roast tonight alongside other vegetables and use the leaves as treats for the guinea pigs and as an ingredient for an omelette. Also a handful of mange touts, a little bit of escarole and a few raspberries.

The potatoes I was growing in a pot had all their leaves chewed off so I decided to lift what was there. Delightful little ones (which I expected with "Mimi") which I think will go very nicely roasted with the beets. Looking forward to the ones that grow in the soil and have escaped snail and slug attacks... Also found a few ripe brambles as I was poking around the garden which is an added bonus.

Speaking of snail and slug attacks, the zucchini haven't been doing so great, especially the far one. I was wondering why that should be -- they get enough water, sun, etc. -- when I noticed that the lower part of the stem -- the bit resting on the ground -- was basically missing. London gastropods are bloody vicious.

Other than that the garden is doing quite nicely: it's warm but also rains a lot, evidence of fruit setting, the promise of more to harvest.

PS. Defensive bamboo sticks successful. So successful that I poked myself tending to the cucumbers.

First raspberry

2009-07-04T04:37:00.001-07:00

The first raspberry ripened and what a whopper it was! It disappeared into my mouth soon after this picture was taken...delicious!

On other news the tomatoes are growing tall and a bit lanky - probably because I mistakenly planted them in a more shaded spot than I anticipated it being (putting the potatoes in the sunniest spot *sigh*). Oh well, I'll know for next year.

I think the last few warm days, plenty of water and the black plastic covering helped the Patty Pan squash a lot.

Rest of veg doing fine. Beets growing (may harvest one or two soon), cucumbers doing their thing.

I swear you can actually see the beans growing if you stand there long enough.

more news from the front line

2009-06-23T01:11:00.000-07:00

Back to the potatoes I see. Need more kebab sticks. Look at that little overgrown bit in the back - doesn't that look nice and private, ideal for a secluded cat toilet?

update from the front line

2009-06-20T05:17:00.000-07:00

Yep, cat moved on to a different spot, this time nearly pooing on top of the zucchini starts. A plastic sheet has gone on that bed now too. Wondering where the enemy will strike next.

Mange Tout and Vlad the Impaler

2009-06-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

I had my first Mange Tout (aka snow peas) from the garden last night (just in case you think they look anemic, they are a yellow variety). OK, there were only three of them but they were delicious. Can't wait for more.

On other news, I am battling with a neighbourhood cat who insists on pooing in my garden. Not only is it annoying to remove big, foul jobbies at least twice a day (what are they feeding this cat???) but also it's getting close to scratching out my patty pan squash starts. So, last night I finally snapped and decided to cover up the bed with plastic - not only should that stop the fouling but also keep down weeds.

Partial success ensued. No fouling on bed but right next to it (twice!), nearly digging out the beans.

I've upped the ante by putting bamboo kebab sticks into the soil (similar to miniature medieval defences). Hopefully that will stop that in that spot. I fear though that the cat will shift around, finding another place. Maybe I should impale fake cat heads on the sticks. Also considering buying cayenne pepper in bulk. And a good watergun.

cloches

2009-06-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

In an effort to keep the neighbourhood cats from scratching out my cucumbers, the snails and slugs from getting to them and also to speed up the germination process (it dropped 10 degrees Celsius over the last few days and it is cool, cold even, at night), I took some take-away containers and bottles and made impromptu cloches out of them. Good results so far - all of the cucumbers and patty pan squashes have now come up.

The zucchini are a bit slow but not far behind. I can see a little bit of green just trying to break through the surface in one place and I am trying the cloche method in another. Rain - finally - last night and a good amount of it. That'll help too.

One of the tomatoes is about to flower. I can see a little mange tout forming (I expected more pea-like flowers so missed it initially). However, my radishes don't appear to want to set a "bulb" and have nearly gone to seed. Probably not enough watering when it was hot. More pretty flowers though until I can harvest something.

come on, grow!

2009-05-30T03:47:00.000-07:00

Update on tomatoes: Managed to save at least one of each but still puny. In the meantime, I bought four plants from the garden centre (Sungold, Sweet Millions, Plum Titania Improved (how so?) , and a beefsteak tomato the label of which I lost cycling home).

Then there is the fruit. Pruned the greengage slightly but still quite a bit of fruit hanging on it. A few small pears on the horizon. Raspberries show signs of blossoms. It will only be a handful but for the first year that is not too bad. Also noticed something that looks like brambles growing wild yet respectfully on one side of the garden.

The other stuff is getting on but I'm getting a bit impatient. Peas are climbing, beans are growing, white beetroots are finding their way. Few more rows of radishes, endive, welsh onion and more beets. With the nice weather though they should go into a growth spurt soon enough. Half of gardening life is waiting - now I am waiting for the zucchini and cucumbers to come up. All in good time, it's only the end of May. In the meantime, I can enjoy some flowers.

I knew it...

2009-05-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

I have given up on my tomatoes. Small, spindly - and when I put them out to harden off (hoping for sun to inspire them to so something) half of them were scratched out by a cat. I'll see what I can salvage but I'm afraid not much. Last year this will happen, from now on I am sticking to buying tomato plants.

Other than that, some mange touts are managing to outgrow whatever it is eating them. I sowed some more in the hope that the snails get full first. Radishes are doing great, endive not so much. Some beans have come through but too early to tell if they'll fall victims to voracious predators (I've done a second sowing to fill up the blank spots I left). White beets are now thinned out, they may actually surprise me. Potatoes are huge and dandy. Welsh onions are just...there. More second sowings have gone in, along with the first direct sowings of cucumber, zucchini and squash.

Garden was overgrown by weeds in three weeks of not doing anything much. It's surprising how quickly they can grow when vegetables seem to only struggle along.

One good thing though - when weeding I discovered an ornamental clover I got some years ago from my now 100-year-old great-aunt. I had feared it lost but there it was, small but yet flowering. It meant a lot to me.

snails and other pests

2009-05-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

Something is nibbling my mange tout, so I've been outside late at night with a torch and yes, it is snails. Two little seedlings have already had their tops nipped off. I hope the other ones outgrow their enemies quickly.

The pear tree is getting hammered this year. It seems there are more greenflies around than usual, which descended mostly on the growing tips. Instead of using any chemicals I decided to just remove them mechanically to give the buds a chance to open. Some of the unfurled leaves have already holes in them from a tiny green caterpillar. Again, mechanical removal may have done the trick.

I'm away from the garden for two weeks and entrusted care of both outside beds and inside starts to toxicfingers, after leaving detailed instructions. I'm sure everything will be ok, right?

String Theory

2009-04-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

Had enough time (and motivation) today to put some string up for the mange tout to climb on. Not before time, they are stretching up. Not the prettiest of constructions but I hope that it'll get covered up soon.

I also put some cucumbers, patty pan squash and zucchini in pots to plant out in a few weeks. While I was at it I also sowed some pole beans directly - if they don't get going I'll have plenty of time to sow more - and I left some space for more in a couple of weeks.

Other than that there are now definite signs of growth in the potatoes, raspberries and white beetroot. The greengages appear to have set fruit and barring any infestation or weird weather it looks like there will be quite a few in summer. The herb garden is doing fine - although the lemon balm a bit too well. Anyone got any ideas what to do with it other than make tea?

Had no rain and sunny weather for quite some time and I should have watered the vegetables earlier. I think the forecast for tomorrow is showers but I'll give it a good soaking later on nonetheless.

germination

2009-04-19T02:12:00.000-07:00

The tomato seedlings are in. I would say that the germination rate was somewhere below 50%, with Ildi and Tigerella particularly failing. So that's the lot I have to live with, which, considering that I don't have enough space for all of them anyway, is possibly a Good Thing. I was very pleased with the serrano pepper (free seeds from Mexican restaurant Wahaca, originally mistaken for matches). I also got a geranium cutting from my upstairs neighbour.

The seedlings outside the house are doing fine too. The radishes have all come up (I sowed them too thickly in hindsight) and the lettuces are peeping out too.

The white beetroot are just starting to emerge, can't wait to see how they get on (ok, so the picture looks like it's just dirt but honestly they are there).

The mange tout have all come up, no slug damage yet. Excellent. Still waiting for evidence of the Welsh onion though.

The raspberry show strong growth, both from the canes and shoots coming up from the roots. I cleaned out my fireplace and scattered the ash around. Not sure how much good it'll do but can't do any harm.

Need to remember to sow cucumber indoors this weekend. I should really check my plant list more often as I just noticed that I also wanted to start patty pan squash and the zucchini off in pots. It's still quite slow in the garden but with the English weather it's good to give tender things a headstart.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T02:00:00.000-07:00

A wet but reasonable mild Easter weekend. The rain has done wonders for seeds (and weeds). The radishes have emerged but none of the other things I sowed have shown themselves (to be expected, really).

The miniature pear tree at my deck has opened up its blossoms. Hopefully I get some fruit this year.

The tomato seeds are showing mixed results: Ildi and Tigerella are very slow to germinate but I may still get one or two plants out of them. Orangeberry, Costoluto and Red Pear are doing ok, even San Marzano finally cooperated. Not sure if it is the toilet roll method or just the seeds. My money is on the seeds.

I have been reading Digging for Victory: Wartime Gardening with Mr.Middleton which is very interesting. It features lots of Derris powder (I don't think you can even buy that anymore). It really surprised me how much he talks about buying seed instead of seed-saving (I know my great-aunt was a very committed seed saver for everything, including tomatoes). It also reminds me how much more space gardeners seemed to have had - a recommendation for a small garden is to grow an apple, a pear and a plum tree along with 30 ft rows of potatoes, beans etc. Very interesting storage methods: the "clamp" which is basically a straw-thatched earthen mound to keep potatoes, carrots, etc. I think that is part of the problem with urban gardens - not a lot of space to either grow or store. It has reminded me though that I should really look into pruning my greengage tree - no idea how but it may improve the way it is growing and also the amount of fruit it sets. I like reading about gardening, I learn something new every time.

first sowing activity in the garden

2009-04-04T11:25:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was the day of streetcar first use and the Big Compost Getting: 8x70 litre bags, which gave a good covering for the planting area. And then I didn't do anything for a week, except put the raspberries in.

The tomatoes seeds are a bit slow in coming up and I just re-sowed Ildi, Tigerella and San Marzano today. The other varieties were ok, just those are a bit hesitant. The aubergine didn't want to come out either. That's why I usually don't grow these things from seed, I find it a disappointing experience, almost crushing. The toilet roll method may not be the best way to go.

Today was nice, sunny and warm which encouraged hanging out in the garden for a while. So I finally planted the potatoes and the Mange Tout which probably could have been happily outside for a couple of weeks already. I also sowed some rows of Welsh onion, white beetroot, radish and endive. In this weather it is tempting to start early but I bet we have a few more cold days ahead.

raspberries

2009-03-25T05:43:00.001-07:00

Oops. I forgot that I ordered some raspberry canes. They arrived today and should also go in soon. They are Joan J (which I try to convince myself are named after Joan Jett...), an autumn-fruiting variety which is said to produce fruit in its first year on newly produced shoots. I love raspberries and already I am dreaming of raspberry cake (made the German way), raspberry muffins, raspberries on my cereal...yum.

Failed chores and sowing

2009-03-22T05:57:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately I am running way behind on gardening chores. I was going to book a streetcar to go to the local DIY centre yesterday to get some compost but a) all cars were already booked (my own fault for leaving it so late) and b) according to their web site the shop location is out of all big bags of compost (a fact that I cannot quite believe). So I need to do it next weekend which means that my potatoes and mange touts are going in a bit later than I had hoped.

However, the first seeds are in. I sowed a serrano pepper that Karesansui-san passed on to me. I also planted my six varieties of tomatoes and some seeds from my one pack of aubergine. I am using the "toilet roll method" - the cardboard core cut in half and filled with compost. Usually I either go for the tray method or scratch all the little pots I have together but this year I am willing to try something new. The idea is that you can just plant the whole thing out and the cardboard rots down. I have also heard some negative reports that the glue or something in the cardboard may inhibit germination. Let's see what happens.

Happy equinox

2009-03-21T04:47:00.000-07:00

Blossoms on my greengage tree.

Step 3: the great transplant action

2009-03-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I managed to grab a couple of hours to shift the plants from the new vegetable side to the dedicated flower side. I am very pleased with the area where the irises are now situated, mixed in with a few sedums. To the right of them I put the acanthus and bergenia - keeping my fingers crossed that they re-establish themselves.

I also found quite a few surprises, some plants of unknown origin and species. They look interesting so I plonked them in and I'll see what happens. I also found lots more bulbs, violets and bagfuls of creeping comfrey. A hebe and an oleander joined the bushes at the back of the border. There is a lilac tree that I am tempted to move closer to the deck, replacing a dogwood shrub but I am not sure about that yet.

It was supposed to be raining today but in fact it was nice and sunny so I had to get the garden hose out to give them a good watering. After all these changes I might actually have enough space for all my vegetables. Now I only need to improve the soil and start sowing...

Step 2 completed and planting list

2009-03-08T07:17:00.001-07:00

Before the glorious morning turned rather surprisingly into a soggy afternoon I managed to complete the second part of the edging for my new borders/vegetable patch (excuse the blurry pic, I was rushing to not get soaked). Unfortunately I wasn't able to move the irises and some of the bigger things like I hoped to. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for next weekend; I am running far behind schedule and some things actually have to go in soon.

In the meantime, my potatoes are chitting on the windowsill in the kitchen and I added some garlic cloves in the hope that they sprout. I also had a seed swap with Karesansui-san where I steadfastly refused brassicas (I remember trying to grow them before in this garden, absolute failure, probably clubroot) and tomato seed (vowed to get plants to avoid leggy windowsill-babies). Suffice to say that a quick dip into the local garden center ruined the second promise - spotted a delightful tomato seed collection out of the corner of my eye which I wasn't able to resist. Along with my other seeds from realseeds.co.uk my planting list is starting to look impressive (and marginally unachievable in the space I have):

Serrano Peppers
Potato 'Mimi'
Potato 'Harlequin'
Mange Tout 'Golden Sweet'
White Beetroot
Aubergine 'Fairy Tale F1'
Tomato 'Orange Berry'
Tomato 'San Marzano 2'
Tomato 'Costuluto Fiorentino'
Tomato 'Red Pear'
Tomato 'Ildi'
Tomato 'Tigerella'
Onion 'Helens Welsh Siberian'
Radish
Cucumber 'Wautoma'
Endive 'Bianca Riccia da Taglio'
Climbing French Beans 'Cherokee Trail of Tears'
Courgette Dwarf 'Verde di Milano'
Patty-Pan Squash 'Pattison Orange'
Winter Squash 'Butternut'

Not to mention that I am still waiting for the delivery of some raspberry canes and I snaffled some very cheap blueberry and gooseberry bushes from Lidl. It's going to be a tight squeeze...

Stage 1 of 34 complete

2009-03-01T07:02:00.000-08:00

I spent a couple of hours today in the garden, outlining vegetable and flower beds in the top half. Progress was quite good but I don't want to wear myself out doing everything in one go (I am learning from past mistakes finally). Also, the spring bulbs are going to flower soon and I would like to enjoy the blooms, instead of moving everything around right now. The dwarf pear tree and the greengage are budding. Spring is definitely in the air.

I narrowed the graveled area to a path that winds itself to the compost bin, hidden behind a large cordyline. This gives me larger beds either side, which means that on the left I can grow vegetables (that side doesn't need as much watering as the right and the soil is slightly better) while I can transplant the irises to the right (they won't mind that it is drier there).

As I was clearing out the vegetable patch, I discovered chives popping through and some oregano. I also saw plenty of mint in the garden. Lots of self-seeded crocuses and cyclamen around; I tried to save as many of them as possible. I also moved a shrub of unknown identity over to the right to fill in some gap at the back of the border. After a quick digging over, I found that the soil is ok where I grew vegetables previously but is awful elsewhere - there is gravel in the soil and some sharp sand. I see a lot of sifting and compost in my future. Or maybe I can recruit toxicfingers...

Maybe next weekend I have some more time to tackle the rest of the garden, at least edging the new path. I cut in a groove where I roughly want it to be to judge the effect. I already cut back the overgrown shrubs and I can see where things would fit in nicely. I'll almost have a completely new garden when I have finished with this.

Ordered seeds and tubers and other stuff

2009-02-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

Finally did my order tonight, following my original list. I more or less stuck to it - very proud of myself - with only the occasional diversion. In addition to what I set out to buy, I also got some white beetroot, salad onions, salad endive and raspberry canes. I also changed my mind on the patty pan and ordered them from realseeds instead of Thompson & Morgan. I at first was not too keen but then I found a good picture of 'Pattison Orange' on a blog - the image on realseeds doesn't do them justice. I also briefly toyed with the idea of getting a gooseberry bush - when was the last time you had a gooseberry, eh? I know I haven't had them for ages - last time was when I was a kid from my grandma's garden (it was stuffed full of soft fruit and also had a greengage, a sour cherry, apple and pear trees). I think they were still one of the old varieties with lots of spines (although it does keep children away).

So now I have to only figure out where I am going to put all this stuff, especially as a seed swap with Karesansui is in the offing.

snow, cold and nothing doing

2009-02-13T05:24:00.000-08:00

It has been cold and snowing on and off over the last two weeks so I haven't ventured out in the garden much. Once the weather clears a little bit I will start (hopefully). Today I collected some leaves from my bay tree; it's nice to be able to replenish the herb cupboard on a whim.

My compost bin is full now with guinea pig waste and vegetable peelings, so much so that I had to start another pile next to it. Must remember though to move the bag immediately to the assigned area - I left one just outside the backdoor overnight and it was ripped open by a fox. Must have been a bit of a surprise for the fox though: "ooh yummy, someone left a rubbish bag! Ugh, it's full of poo!"

Haven't done anything else, not even ordered any seeds. Must rectify soon. I've collected some seeds from a bought butternut squash though. Last year this method was quite successful with a Kabocha, more so than the expensive seeds I got through a catalogue. Task of re-organising the garden seems a bit daunting...

Seed wish list for 2009

2009-01-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

I have been planning what to grow over the last few days. As always, my wish list may be a bit over-ambitious, especially this year when I have reduced growing space. I will probably also deviate from this list, if I get given seeds or find something amazing in a garden centre.

First off, I will not grow tomatoes from seed. Last year this worked out well, giving me the choice between interesting varieties and, especially in the English climate which makes for a short growing season, probably the best approach to get them going quickly. However, this also means that I have to look out for tomato plants in the garden centre - and I am not blessed with a good garden centre nearby.

I will also not grow carrots. They annoyed me so much last year. This year I will have deal with stonier soil. No, no, no.

I looked for seed suppliers online. Suttons is the biggest, or most well-known one but I think their selection is a bit rubbish. There are various seed suppliers that cater to the allotment and prize grower communities but they didn't have everything I wanted. I also wanted to stick to just one or two places, rather than splitting any orders between multiple suppliers (saves on delivery charges).

The two that I liked most are Thompson-Morgan and Realseeds. Realseeds is particularly interesting as they only carry open-pollinated vegetables and encourage seed saving.

So here is my list (using (T) for Thompson-Morgan and (R) for Readseeds, to indicate where I intend to order them from):

1. Cucumber
Either Marketmore (T) or Wautoma (R). Tending slightly more towards the Wautoma since I haven't seen or grown it before.

2. Patty pan
Growing patty pan squash was great last year. Unfortunately, over here in the UK they seem to be a bit of a rarity so haven't been able to find the colourful range of different types. The best one seems to be a Mixed assortment (T).

3. Zucchini
No garden is complete without at least one bush of them. I will hopefully restrain myself this year and only plant a couple (ha, famous last words...). I am looking for somewhat compact plants and I liked the sound of Verde di Milano Dark Green Dwarf Bush Courgette (R).

4. Potato
There are so many to choose from that I still haven't made up my mind. I may also try and grow them in growing bags, instead of the soil. There are a variety of crosses with Rose Finn Apple which has a delicious flavour - Anya and Harlequin - and a few small potato types ideal for container growing - Mimi and Lady Cristl. All of these come from Thompson-Morgan which offer 5-tuber bags and so I may try out a few.

5. Beans
Usually I grow runner beans in England, as they cope well with cool summers. However, I quite fancy a change and this time I think I will try Cherokee Trail of Tears Pole Beans (R).

6. Chard
Love them as a replacement to spinach. I prefer rainbow chard but I only found it in the Marshalls catalogue (breaking my rule of no more than 2 suppliers). Therefore I think I may be stuck with the ordinary Leaf Beet (R).

7. Mange Tout
I had a request from Toxicfingers to grow some peas. I am a firm believer that peas and carrots can be bought much more easily than actually growing them yourself. Hence, I am going for Golden Sweet Mange Tout instead (R).

I may have to give some thought again as to where I am growing all these vegetables. At the moment it is too cold to do anything much outside (it hit -4C last night, warming up to freezing during the day). Maybe next weekend...

obsession with poo continues...

2008-12-29T06:22:00.000-08:00

A great weight on any gardener's mind is compost and manure. Last year at the community gardens we were fortunate enough to have a great big pile of poo delivered. This year I am not so lucky.

London soil is dreadful. Clay-based, leached out, used as all the cats' outside litter box. Hundreds of years of builders' and tenants' rubble. Pollution from the air. Plain horrible. So it needs a bit of TLC.

I have always kept a compost bin in the back, recycling appropriate kitchen and garden waste. One year I supplemented that with pelleted chicken manure (good but expensive and stinky). What I really need is a big load of good quality top soil or manure but with the only access to the garden being through the whole house this is not going to happen in a hurry. So I am stuck with reasonable amounts of compost.

And then, cleaning out the critters' cage, it struck me that I was sitting on a gold mine - or, indeed, poo mine. Guinea pig manure to be precise. They are herbivores...they poo a lot...their litter is compostable. Hurrah!

But I wondered how good guinea pig manure would be and if I should invest in getting other organic fertilisers. There are, unfortunately, no charts about the nutritional composition of guinea pig poo, however, I found some information about rabbit manure (close enough, I reckon). Surprisingly, it seems to be really high in nitrogen, even higher than chicken manure. Also, good values of P and K. Obviously that will drop as it is mixed with litter.

So, in the compost bin it goes and I look forward to better soil. I <3 guinea pigs.

a fresh start

2008-12-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day 2008 and I have been back in London UK for 3 weeks. It is the middle of winter, mild and surprisingly dry. After the fun of community gardening in Portland, I am keen to start up again here, however, the Hackney Allotment Society has closed its waiting list due to huge demand (in any case, it would have been years before actually getting a plot...). The Olympic site has devoured some other established allotments, shrinking the available space even more. Capital Growth is still in its infancy and seems to be addressed to growing food in your own space (like my back garden).

Therefore, my idea is to start expanding the growing space in my own backyard. I have grown some beans and raspberries, even some tomatoes, before but now I am serious. I started today with a survey of what is the base stock, what could be moved and what will plain not work.

First off, I have my remote outside thermometer back!

It's great to see how warm it is and it also has a minimum and maximum temperature per day facility (handy to know after the fact how cold it got during the night - also note that it's in Celsius which I can actually understand).

Next it's the area just outside the kitchen door, currently full of ivy and fuchsias. It's quite a shaded areas and I also really like the fuchsias where they are, so I think this will remain as it is, with the possibility of trying to fill in a few herbs in any gaps.

To the back on the left, just after the deck, is a large border. In the foreground you can see a sedum, behind it is a dwarf pear tree. The creeping Californian lilac (Ceanothus) has crept out of its bounds a bit. Lovely flowers though. After that comes a weird assortment of "stuff". Dogwood and a lilac tree in the back which don't do any harm. God knows what is at the front. I think I can spot some Bear's Breeches but this area seems have high potential to be redeveloped by shifting items closer together and getting some growing space.

Adjoining this area further along the side of the garden is my Tree of Mistaken Identity. It was supposed to be a Damson "Merriweather" but it turned out to be a Greengage. Still, a fruit tree is a fruit tree so it'll stay. It seems to have struggled along for a few years now, I don't know if it'll ever grow into something impressive. The little knee-high bay tree that I planted some years ago (in fact, probably around the same time as the greengage) has grown into an 8-foot monster. I like it but there is only so much bay a household needs.

And it takes up prime growing space. I may have to investigate if I can propagate it somehow and move it somewhere else. Ok, it may not look like much growing space but that is what I need to extend considerably.

On the right side of the garden, there are quite a number of flowering shrubs. Mexican orange blossom makes do with being underneath a neighbour's Leylandii (the pox on it!) and is lovely whatever the season. Behind is another Californian Lilac, which looks like it's attempting to leave where it is anyway. Behind that a few other bedraggled-looking things, although it may be because it is winter time. Still, another potential area for modification.

Another area on the right is occupied by a cordyline which seems to be enjoying itself. I note that the tenants have already extended this border to grow stuff so I will follow suit.

Lastly, we have the area at the back of the garden, raised and containing an assortment of self-seeded foxglove, cyclamen and more ivy.

Bags of space to grow vegetables, you may think. Well, think again because right above it is this culprit:

A neighbour's sycamore tree. The Bane of my Life. Ok, it is tall and impressive but also cuts off all water when it has leaves. I would have to invest in some serious irrigation to make anything underneath grow.

So that's it. Over the coming weeks I may attempt to actually do something about the state of affairs...

"time lapse" video

2008-11-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

I am futzing around procrastinating so I decided to do a quick overview video of my pictures, showing week-by-week progress or lack thereof.

Makes entertaining viewing...

The Witching Day

2008-10-31T16:03:00.000-07:00

All is wrapped up and cleared. Pulled up the zucchini plants today, got three little zucchinis out of it still, the last of the harvest. Last week I collected the chard and some collards which are now sitting in the freezer and some very small winter squashes which I am not sure are any good other than having decorative value. It's very strange, weird and spooky. Somehow appropriate for Halloween.

starting to clear up

2008-10-19T12:08:00.001-07:00

The season's end is here. Everything should be cleared by 31 October. I started on that yesterday.

A trip to the garden yesterday revealed no more cucumbers but again a few zucchinis. Harvested all the remaining green tomatoes - excellent as salsa and I will try fried green tomatoes tonight. More carrots. I also removed the few little ears of corn that were straggling, for use as guinea pig food. Only the rainbow chard and collards remain for harvesting. I left a few tiny winter squashes to see if they do something over the next week or so.

I took down the beans and removed all the rest of the plants, which generated an additional compost heap. Unfortunately, I missed the garden clear-up in the morning during which Parks & Recreation got rid of unwanted material with their truck.

Even at mid-afternoon the light is dimmer and the shadows longer. I've really enjoyed having this garden and I will miss it over the winter months.

This morning I had some delicious scrambled eggs (traded with produce from the garden) with zucchini (from the garden), mushrooms, neuf-chatel and spring onions and a side of sauteed Rose Finn Apple potatoes (also from the garden). I haven't really had to buy any vegetables from the supermarket recently (except lettuce for the piggies) and it'll be strange to be doing that again.

first frost warning

2008-10-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

... FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 9 AM PDT SATURDAY FOR THE COAST
RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON... CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON... LOWER
COLUMBIA... GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA... CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY...
SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY... WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE... WILLAPA HILLS...
I-5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY... AND THE GREATER VANCOUVER AREA...

Which meant a quick trip to the garden to rescue what is possible before everything dies. Surprisingly, there were some good-sized zucchini and luckily they did not succumb to blossom end rot which happens so often when it gets damp and cold. Tomatoes are not ripening anymore but we harvested lots of green tomatoes for making chutneys and fried green tomatoes. There may be another batch of green beans (the ones that weren't forgotten and therefore grew to monster size) but I think it'll be only a small handful next week. I also nipped off the aubergines at a very small stage but they will be super in some stir-fry instead of being lost to a frost or rotting. Harvested enough large-ish carrots to actually get a taste of them before the guinea pigs get through them, and some more cucumbers. Got about 6 small ears of corn, which have now become the favourite piggie treat, husks and all - just as well, since there is not much on them.

The garden definitely has seen better days. I wonder if I get to harvest a winter squash before shutting teh garden down for the winter, they seem so small.

In the end the predicted frost didn't materialise in our area (although it dipped below freezing just outside Portland) but autumn is definitely here. Getting out to the garden before it gets dark is getting more difficult during the week. It was cold and my fingers started to get numb.

Potato fun

2008-10-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

That's what the last batch of potatoes came out as. I also cooked up the previous batch last night which was delicious. The only problem was peeling them because they were so small. If the skin would have been thinner I bet they would have been delicious just cooked as they are.

Well, there's another problem. Labeling. I am pretty sure that none of the potatoes I harvested were the ones I originally thought they were. For example, the first batch I thought was Dark Red Norland probably weren't since they were purple. The second I labeled Rose Finn Apple but I'm pretty sure this isn't the case as the harvest of the third one fits that description much better. I have some variety called 'Butterfinger' listed in my notes but that could just be a Freudian slip. So, to review what I actually think is the case:

First potato - unidentified purple variety
Second potato - Butterfinger
Third - Rose Finn Apple

I can't complain really since I got them free from an anonymous gardener who left them in the potting shed. I have high hopes for the Rose Finn Apple, I hope they are as delicious as they are visually pleasing.

crazy harvest stuff

2008-10-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

Managed to nip to the garden in the break between downpours (of course, the weather now is turning nice as it rained itself out). After a week of not going to the garden I expected the worst. And in a way, it came to pass - the cucumbers have followed the beans in snapping the twine. Next year I will consider wire instead. The corn is also leaning, probably because it has been very windy over the last couple of days. Otherwise, the garden is looking surprisingly good after being neglected.

The winter squash are putting their tendrils up the fence - I didn't even know that they are climbers. I keep moving them to the ground but they keep insisting. I guess they win. Continuing to harvest the little carrots, more to come. The guinea pigs love them which means that the humans usually lose out. I also dug up the last batch of potatoes and they are amazing. I mean, what could be better? Come on - Potatoes! Funny shapes! Starch!

This week's harvest was the best yet, so much variety, a little bit of everything and not overwhelming like some summer harvests. Hopefully the weather holds a little bit longer. I will be sad when it all stops.

I bartered some produce for eggs, salsa and hot peppers last week which has rekindled my interest in keeping chickens again. When we didn't know what to do during the zucchini glut we simply had an adapted Greek dish with grated zucchini, eggs and dill (left out the usual flour since Toxicfingers is gluten intolerant). Eggs are so versatile and nutritious. (Hey, Twinkle, if you are reading this - any advice?) Hmmm...next year maybe.

Everything's snapped

2008-10-03T18:25:00.001-07:00

The beans got so heavy that they snapped the twine they were climbing on. The sunflowers' heads got so heavy that they just keeled over. God, my head feels heavy too...

A few things manage to hang on in there: I now have 4 cobs of corn growing (feeling them indicates that they may contain about 2 rows of corn if I'm lucky), I keep on harvesting nice little carrots (I think Ed Hume's Danvers Half Long are the ones that finally took) and the members of the nightshade family are plodding along.

The first little winter squash seems to have set. I will try and get a photo of it next time I go. It's funny, the "rogue" Kabocha plant that I got collecting seeds from a store-bought squash is doing much better than the fancy Marina Di Chioggia.

I am posting this to recap last weekend when I took the pictures. I haven't been out there for nearly a whole week so who knows what awaits me. It was very hot earlier this week but now it has started pouring. Today, I got my plot renewal form in the post showing that all the plots are taken! Yay for more community gardeners!

nearly there

2008-09-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

It seems the weather has turned now, the days are getting shorter and the production of summer vegetables is slowing down - except the beans. I collared some other gardeners today to pass along the joy. Also a local commented on the non-harvest of the beans growing on the outside of the fence and I told him to help himself which he did with great gusto, stuffing beans into his trouser pockets. I also gave him some tomatoes, just to round off the gifts that keep on giving. I'm actually very happy that finally some people from the surrounding community get some of the produce and the guy mentioned he may put in for a garden next year. I hope so.

The nasturtiums seem to have enjoyed the slightly cooler weather and the winter squash are finally flowering. Not sure what kind of harvest to expect since it's all so late in the year. Still, there may be some lovely mini-squash to enjoy alongside my three ears of corn.

Even though it's starting to look a little bit wilty, there is still some weeks of life left in it, it all depends on the first frost. I wished it would rain, I am getting a bit tired of watering all the time. Still, my harvest was amazing and probably will last at least until my next return or even longer.

peppahs

2008-09-16T22:05:00.001-07:00

Hopefully the peppers are turning red quite soon ("Banana" and "Nardello's"). It's really hot for September so here's hoping. One of them has the beginnings of it but nothing substantial across the board. Not sure it was worth it, especially as we seem to eat a lot of peppers.

And now as promised the most recent picture of the garden. The squashes are turning mildewy which signals, to me, the very ear end of the main growing season. Still, plenty of things to harvest and water.

grandchildren of the corn

2008-09-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Harvesting is continuing apace. Dug up some potatoes which I think are "Rose Finn Apple". I haven't had a chance to prepare them yet but I very much look forward to more home-grown spuds. Definitely something I will repeat next year.

Yes, the corn is flowering and I spotted at least one cob. So there! Ankle-high by Fourth of July does get you something on top of mockery. I just wonder how I should cook this little treasure - or maybe I should just dry it and place it in a commemorative spot to honour its memory and remember not to repeat this farce of gardening. Do I sound too scathing? I like the process of growing it but the return is a bit disappointing so far...

More tomatoes are ripening - "Striped German", "Momotaro" and what I suspect to be another variety of black tomato.

Had delicious stuffed vegetables on Sunday, followed by tomato soup on Monday, zucchini and patty pan squash "quiche" (without the crust) on Tuesday and today it was green beans with tomato sauce on tortellini. Tomorrow I may take a break from vegetables, especially as I managed to palm off - sorry, share - some of them with a friend. Still have the fridge full and with the recent warm weather there is no sign of slowing down yet.

The winter squashes are putting on lots of leaves and even some beginnings of flowers (I definitely planted them too late...), there is another aubergine growing fast (yay for warm summers) but the peppers are still deciding whether they want to ripen. As I was taking pictures my batteries ran out so - again - no picture of the entire garden. Next time, I promise.

tomatoes and other harvests

2008-09-01T20:37:00.001-07:00

Let's take a closer look at my tomatoes: Costoluto Genovese provides amusing shapes, it's like clouds or a Rorschach - but get your mind out of the sewer. The other picture shows the variety I am having at the moment - two kinds of cherry tomatoes ("Velvet Red" and "Yellow Nugget"), "black" tomatoes ("Black Prince") and plain old round ones ("Early Girl"?). I am still waiting for my humongous German Striped (gold with pink marbelling) and some other unidentified tomatoes ("Momotaro"?) which are at the moment a hot pink. Remind me to label my tomatoes better in the future...

As previously mentioned, I planted two different kinds of beans amongst each other (that pesky labelling again...). Now that I can see the pods, one is rounder, the other one flatter. I suspect that the round ones are "Kentucky Wonder", the other ones are some "Tuscan" pole beans that I got from a gardening stall at the Earth Day celebrations. I can't really be asked to separate them when cooking so I cannot comment on their respective tastiness.

I love harvesting patty pan squash "Flying Saucer", although there never seem enough (is something or someone getting to them before I do?!?). Almost too pretty to eat.

No picture of the garden today, mainly because there is not much new (unless you count flowering corn...).

...and back to normal Portland weather

2008-08-25T21:50:00.001-07:00

After a few very hot days, the damp and cold has settled back in. Not that I am complaining - I don't have to water as much and things still ripen.

A quick harvest on Friday gave me the first beans and more zucchini, cucumbers and greens. In my planting I mixed "Kentucky Wonder" and some Tuscan pole bean variety together, and I can't tell which is which. Not that it matters that much but I will not make that mistake again. The tomatoes are cracking because of the rain and need to be used more quickly once collected. Still, they are delicious. "Black Prince" is not quite as dark as I expected. I noticed just recently that "Velvet Red" has not only furry leaves but also furry fruit.

Having exploited the break in the rainy weather to go camping over the weekend, the garden needed to look after its own for three days. Which meant even more beans, zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers for harvesting.

Luckily, 100% of humans and guinea pigs in households polled prefer cucumber over zucchini. I am very pleased with my trellis method, which saves on space and makes the cucumbers grow straighter. Plenty more to go before the summer is out.

The corn is finally starting to flower. At this rate, I will have yummy roasted corn by the time of the first frosts. Good things come to those who wait. I have never grown corn before and it's definitely worth an experiment.

The garden is looking very lush at the moment, helped by all that rain. One drawback is that the moist soil also encourages slugs, which strangely love the "Costoluto Genovese" tomatoes (haven't spotted them on any of the other tomatoes or other vegetables).

PS. Potatoes harvested last week were very nice and stayed a purple colour even after cooking!

Portland sauna

2008-08-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

Yet again it is too hot. Too hot for humans and too hot for plants. Everyone and everything wishes for AC. I think I even heard snippy mutterings from the rainbow chard today.

I also decided in my wisdom that today was the day that I would harvest the seeds of the arugula aka rocket. As a consequence I also had to sort out the strawberry plants and their runners that sharing the same area (long story but as reported earlier they were actually growing outside my plot boundary). 100 degree weather is not really ideal for this endeavour. I also dug up my first harvest of potatoes (Dark Red Norland, enough for a small meal, slightly disappointing amount). Nevertheless, I got it done, even though sweat was pouring off me.

Finally the first pepper harvest and others on the way. I've now had quite a few tomatoes but still waiting on more to come. The Velvet Red is a small cherry tomato which I wouldn't grow again - not enough output to make it worth it, although the foliage is pretty. The Momotaro is good and uniform with quite a good taste. The Costoluto Genovese is hanging full and is delicious but sometimes has the tendency to rot at the top of the stem. I am still waiting for Black Prince (which is starting to ripen) and the Striped German.

Lots of different flowers again - a sunflower has opened up, the aubergine aka eggplant is prettier than I ever thought and the flowers on the cucumbers and beans ensure lots of produce to come.

It's in times like this that you notice that the garden sucks up most of your life. Watering and harvesting every day is time-consuming. But then you take what you have laboured for home, cook it, serve it to friends and everything is alright.

mixed bag

2008-08-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

A few personal upheavals going on over the last couple of weeks. First someone I knew died unexpectedly. Her family and friends decided to give away some of her personal belongings - she was a keen gardener and through her plants, birdfeeders and tools she will live on. I chose a hoe, the handle all smooth and worked. It has a very good feel to it. I left it in the common tool shed with a note to think of Anna whenever people use it.

Then I had Lasik. Since I was laid up on the day of the surgery I sent Toxicfingers to water. She said that a zucchini would be ready soon. Unfortunately, I couldn't get out there for a coupe of days (it rained overnight so it seemed ok), only to find an enormous marrow!

The nightshades are doing really well: Along with lots of peppers, the first red tomato ("Early Girl" I think, unless I am mixing it up with "Momotaro") has appeared and the aubergine "Ichiban" has two long, thin fruits.

Lots of success with the squashes and cucumbers too. Patty pan squash "Flying Saucer" is true to its name, very stunning. At the moment I am harvesting three kinds of cucumbers: "Lemon", "Orient Express" and "nameless" (I forgot to write down what it was that I picked up randomly at a nursery but it appears to be a smaller, pickling sort).

Much more to do over the coming weeks. I noticed a that the beans are flowering so picking them cannot be far off - and I have about 20 feet of beans. The arugula needs cutting down so the seeds can be collected. I also saw that part of my potatoes are uncovered, probably the earth washed away from watering, so I will have to heap some more soil up around them.

Even - or especially - in difficult times the garden cheers me up.

on gluts and a few other things...only few, mind

2008-08-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

I had to deal with the first mini-glut of zucchini. It's surprising how quickly you can run out of things to do with them, except palm them off on unsuspecting friends. I do enjoy them grilled, also made some delicious roasted beet and zucchini salad. Still, if you have 7 of them in the space of a week, it's either zucchini every night for dinner or bust.

And that's not considering that other things need harvesting too. I still have some mustard greens in the fridge and more stuff on the way. Tonight after watering (hot, hot day!) I harvested a lemon cucumber (apparently they only grow to about tennis ball size) and some few assorted things. On Sunday I had a very nice basket of produce together, including a few broad (aka fava) beans. The Orient Express cucumbers are delicious.

More zucchini and patty pan squash on the way. I have an eye on a tomato which may finally ripen over the next few days. There there are finally little peppers and even little aubergines (aka eggplants).

I finally remembered to sow the winter squash last week. I'm always amazed and surprised by the ability of squashes to grow so quickly. Maybe that's why I always end up with gluts...

Since all my large plants are blocking off the whole of the plot, it may be nice to view it from a different angle. You can see the sunflowers sporting some heads soon to open, how well the greens are doing and that the beans are getting a move on. The next glut is just around the corner...

good fences make good neighbours

2008-07-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

As I was doing my usual bit of pottering around yesterday in the garden, a woman passing by informed me that she got the plot next to me and is getting someone to roto-till it for her soon. She also asked me to turn on the seeper hoses for her since it "needed a good soaking". Er, right. pre-installed seeper hoses coming right up... Since the initial weeding effort on that plot had already resulted in the compost pile nearly ending up on my cherry tomatoes (close to the boundary but still on my side) I thought it best to construct the wood-chipped garden pathway that the community garden requires between plots.

There are so many plants flowering right now and it is easy to just brush them off as just some also-rans compared to the vegetables. I took some pictures of the nasturtiums (munched on one while watering - very peppery!), potatoes, borage (only tried the leaves so far which have a lovely cucumbery taste) and, of course, the rocket/arugula.

The cucumbers are doing well. "Orient Express" is sporting quite a few fruits which put on several inches almost overnight and "Lemon" finally is producing little globe-shaped cucumbers (even though you have to hunt for them in the foliage at the moment). The last cucumber "Bog-standard" has flowers but I have great hopes for it.

In the overview picture, the zucchini seem to dominate the entire garden. Which is true - I am faced with the first glut of the season.

I managed to harvest good-sized bunches of mustard greens, collards and rainbow chard, plus four not-quite-baby/not-quite-war-clubs zucchinis. Considering that I still have half a zucchini in the fridge and more on the way tomorrow, I am shopping around for friends to take them off my hands (haven't stooped to leaving them on doorsteps yet...)

Harvesting

2008-07-20T20:55:00.001-07:00

The first zucchini harvest! Instead of one, I actually got two today which were of good size. In addition I also took some more rainbow chard - the last batch was delicious chopped up into some scrambled eggs.

I am still waiting for the patty pan summer squash to blossom but it seems to be putting on lot of leaves. Not as pretty as the zucchini's marbled leaves (shown on the right) but nonetheless very attractive.

I am very excited about the cucumbers, its little spiny beginnings showing. Lots of flowers also on the lemon cucumber but nothing concrete yet. Right next to the cucumbers are my mustard greens which seem to handling the hot weather very well so far. They need thinning out again, so even more greens for supper soon.

The main event of the afternoon was putting together some support for the burgeoning tomato plants. The are now too big for the wire cages and I was too cheap to buy the wrap-around ones for $4 each. Little bamboo frames and string will have to do.

All in all a very successful afternoon but it was very hot. Had to do an emergency stop cycling home buying limeade since I had run out of water. Such is life... :)

Nearly there!

2008-07-17T22:46:00.001-07:00

It's definitely summer and the great big harvest is nearly upon us. I already took a few leaves of collards, chard and mustard greens and I am really looking forward to tasting them. A neighbour gave me some spinach starts which I planted although they didn't look too happy. Still, there is the potential for even more greens in the future.

There is a pepper growing, it nearly sneaked past me! I think the variety is Nardello's and it should turn bright red. The other pepper plants are still gearing up but looking tall and bushy.

The zucchini is reaching gargantuan size and with its mottled silver leaves looks stunning. There are numerous fruit developing and there may be even one large enough to harvest this weekend. Sorry for the blurry picture, it was getting dark already.

I need to remember to plant my winter squash, it is getting a bit later than I wanted to but every time I go to the garden I forget to take the packet of seeds. Maybe I just start them off in pots at home.

I think the garden has undergone some magical changes over the last few weeks yet it will transform again soon when the beans and cucumbers are climbing up the poles. Can't wait!

one out, one in

2008-07-08T22:01:00.001-07:00

Today hit 90 Fahrenheit/33 Celsius, with the forecast tomorrow for similar weather. Had to get out to the garden before my lovelies would all wither and die of thirst.

At the fence, my helping committee awaited me. This time I wisely only let two in at a time. When one of them had to go, another one was allowed in. A little boy got quite upset that he didn't get to help water. I'll look out for him next time.

Somebody has finally started on the plot next to mine, in fact they cleared it of most of the weeds. Unfortunately, some of the pile ended up on my plot and on top of some of my vegetables. No lasting damage done but they could have put it on the other side where nothing has been done. I'm happy though that the garden is being used. I also see lots of evidence of other gardeners finally getting a move on.

A few updates on cucumbers, tomatoes and corn.

First the corn. Still surviving! Growing, even.

The tomatoes are setting fruit. Shouldn't be long before some ripen. This shot is of Costoluto Genovese but I also spotted a few smaller ones on, I think, Early Girl and Velvet Red. The plants are growing so fast and so big I may have to get some cages for them (Back - lie down - shoo! /dork).

The cucumbers are now nearly reaching the netting (well...stringing) and so are most of the beans. I just have to get them through this mini-heatwave. The lemon cucumber is nestled between some of the tomatoes so it is slightly more shaded and has started to flower.

All these pictures were taken before watering so it looks a bit dusty. Things are hanging in there rather nicely. I may start harvesting some more greens at baby stage before they bolt almost immediately. I am letting the broccoli raab and the arugula (aka rocket) set seed to save me buying more for a later sowing. The zucchini still amazes me - how can a plant grow so much overnight? The borage I planted alongside to insure extra pollination is also keeping up with it.

children of the corn

2008-07-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

I showed my pictures of the lonely corn to tomatowoman@work. She politely asked whether I knew the saying "knee-high by 4th of July". I said No.

After that conversation I saw some sweet corn in the local Fred Meyer. They went in yesterday and seem to be doing ok. I decided to go for a close staggered row planting, to ensure plenty of pollination. At least they reached ankle-height now and have company in their misery.

I keep forgetting to take my camera but everything is growing like mad, especially the zucchini. The warm but not too hot weather and the occasional thunderstorm down-pour did wonders. Toxicfingers was very surprised when she visited. I will try and take some pictures this week (hot weather and dry spell forecast so another trip to garden soon).

hottttt

2008-06-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

Things have changed quickly to go from bloody freezing to hot as hell. In response I have been trying to water at least every second day and do that as late in the evening as possible to stop wasteful evaporation.

Last week I had lots of little helpers in the form of a horde of kids from the adjoining playground. As I opened the lock, three crowded round me begging to be allowed to water. Typical inner-city kids, they didn't know their plants (Btw, why is it that everything vaguely tall is always a "sunflower"? Today toxicfingers confused garlic with one.) Foolishly I didn't lock the gate after us, only to find the crowd suddenly swell to nine. They were a bit boisterous and overexcited - as I would have been at that age on a hot day with a waterhose - but thankfully they didn't trash the place too much and kept their fingers mostly away from the tempting strawberries in the neighbouring plots.

All this has kept me thinking about the community involvement in this garden - the plot "owners" are mainly white middle-class and middle-aged right smack-bam in the middle of a predominantly young Black and Latino area. It's also very interesting that there is a different garden not too far run by Seeds of Harmony which appears to be much more mixed in terms of ages, ethnicities, etc. And their garden looks much better. I wonder where Parks and Recreation is going wrong... maybe they should just give a plot to the horde of kids - I swear it would be the best-watered plot in the whole garden. And maybe some of them may even learn the difference between a sunflower and a tomato.

The obligatory pictures of plot progress follow. As it was already getting dark after watering they may look a bit strange. Everything is doing fine so far but lots of plants are bolting and going to seed, as expected in this hot weather.

I planted another cucumber and pepper plant. Beans are doing fine although something is eating them. If you squint you can see some carrots sprouting between the broccoli and the peppers.

Someof the collard is still recovering from being covered up.

Zucchini and patty pan squash going through a growth spurt. Just slightly concerned about the mottled-looking leaves of the zucchini - feature of the plant or first signs of mosaic virus?

The sweetcorn. I bet it feels lonely. Sigh. Maybe I should get it some companions.