I picked my first bowlful of strawberries at the weekend, yum yum yum :sunny: Not sure of the variety/ies they are self landed runners in the polytunnel!
And today I'll be picking the first outdoor courgette for my tea :happy7: Variety is Pathernon and summer must be just round the corner?
Potatoes are a little way off, but there are a couple of volunteer ones in the polytunnel that need to be pulled, hopefully they will have some tatties under them :drunken_smilie:
What are you picking?
Over wintering onions look just about ready to pull, they seem to have galloped ahead this year. Loads of Italian rosso type lettuces, some radish, rocket, basil but nothing much else yet. Spuds looking good but ill leave them for a bit - still eating last years crop!!
Courgette? WOW! Congratulations Jayb! :icon_cheers:
Here also greenhouse strawberries, chard, lots of everlasting onions, Minogue onions, Babington Leek and three-cornered leek, green garlic (which I missed when digging up and which has sprouted 'mini-leeks'), lettuce inside and out. Peas are flowering, first mangetouts soon. The fennel has sprouted from the base, not with great fat bulbs, but lots of good eating. Celery has overwintered well and still going strong too. Plenty of herbs too - oregano has put on a massive growth spurt, there are still landcress patches to harvest and rocket too :sunny:
Not much picking going on here..bits and bobs...
I've harvested odd asparagus spear...bit of lettuce..just finishing off sprouting broccoli...TONS of climbing spinach...some ever lasting onions...chives...leeks are just coming to an end, flowers spears are forming...perennial kale is turning into monster plants with their new growth...some green garlic, from last years bulbs that I missed during harvest time.
Oooo.....strawberries.....how lovely....I shall dream of munching some and wait patiently my strawberry flowers to turn into berries...it looks promising though...LOADS of flowers in full bloom :icon_cheers:
Nipped this one off the planter the other day, and it was amazingly lush.
Asparagus has been going for a while, salad leaves, radishes and carrots from troughs in the greenhouse now moving outdoors, lots of herbs just picked the first globe artichoke and it's a bit of a monster. potatoes will be a while yet and last years crop has run out (or rather sprouted beyond usability), looks like there will be epic amounts of fruit if I protect it from the birds, cherries, strawberries, all the raspberries and their hybrids, black, red and white currants all showing well, as well as what might be (fingers crossed) my first almond harvest and first peaches... trees have plenty on them and they're swelling nicely... obviously was worth getting out there and molesting them with a paintbrush back in March... need to plant out a vast pile of stuff this weekend, but meanwhile the gartenpearle tomatoes are well into flower...
New things for this year: I've started a Lemongrass bed in the greenhouse... it is a big pot sunk into the ground with half a dozen seedlings I raised in it, will also have a look at a physalis, also trying Oca in the greenhouse, it doesn't get a big enough crop outdoors for me, there's some yacon in there too as the crop is much bigger, but the outdoor ones are good for propagating stock....
weve had cut and come again lettuce and some new potatoes from heated greenhouse
wont be long for my garlic and winter onions cucumbers almost ready
Thats fantastic guys. You are all way ahead of me. though we did have a lettuce last night which must have got thrown out in spent compost into a planter by the back door. It was there most of last year in among the bedding plants and survived the winter.
Made rocket and welsh onion soup yesterday, but only just planted out one courgette!
Quote from: chriscross1966 on May 27, 2015, 13:23:12
New things for this year: I've started a Lemongrass bed in the greenhouse...
I have started a few lemon grass plants this year. Slow to get going but they are picking up now - not sure it will keep me in lemon grass for a year but worth a trial!
pick my first outdoor strawberrys today honeye i belive
my first 3 yesterday. 3 lush alice. Such a good plant, seems to thrive through thick and through thin and past neglect
I've got my eye on the first cucumber :toothy10: Won't be long now, especially if the sun :sunny:
You lucky lot :happy7: my outdoor strawbs are going to be a while yet.
QuoteMade rocket and welsh onion soup yesterday
Pumpkinlover, this sounds an interesting combination, not one I've thought to try, is it a good one to book mark?
Made rocket and welsh onion soup yesterdayQuotePumpkinlover, this sounds an interesting combination, not one I've thought to try, is it a good one to book mark?
I was just about to mention that too!
PL...did you made it cold or hot soup?
Quote from: goodlife on June 02, 2015, 09:23:15
Made rocket and welsh onion soup yesterday
QuotePumpkinlover, this sounds an interesting combination, not one I've thought to try, is it a good one to book mark?
Its a case of using what you have got. The welsh onions are all I have onion wise, and the rocket was planted by Vince ( the allotment "character") I suspect it is a wild rocket as it just grows and grows ( unfortunately not where I want it so go to move it!) anyway I was moving some so thought I'd try it as much cheaper than buying watercress and fairly similar (but stronger result.)
I was just about to mention that too!
PL...did you made it cold or hot soup?
That sounds an interesting and very healthy soup, Pumpkinlover. Did you fry the welsh onions (like spring onions) first, then add rocket? Did you blitz it at the end? Chicken stock? :wave:
Rocket and watercress are so lovely together :happy7:
Now that you have mentioned watercress soup, I really want to try rocket soup. Soon as I get enough.....best get sowing :toothy10:
First poly-tunnel potatoes yesterday, some with a lovely pink speckled skin and another all creamy white looking variety. They both cooked well and tasted scrummylicious!
:wave:
Quote from: galina on June 04, 2015, 09:52:43
That sounds an interesting and very healthy soup, Pumpkinlover. Did you fry the welsh onions (like spring onions) first, then add rocket? Did you blitz it at the end? Chicken stock? :wave:
fry gently with garlic then added the best parts of the rocket - remember it was out side all winter- bullion stock. Pressure cook then blitz ! We have vegetable soup every lunch! Love it :wave:
MMMMM! - thank you Pumpkinlover :angel11:
First mangetout peas of the year. Very colourful this year with reds, purples, yellows, greens and blushed mangetout peas. The storms did break a few plants, but most were ok. Now I need to get busy with the pigeon defenses. :wave:
OOOOooooo....PEAS! :icon_cheers: That's looong way for my pea plants yet.
I had my first CHILLI yesterday... :happy7: Used it to make nice stir fry with various greens from plot and some Vietnamese coriander that is growing like mad! :icon_cheers:
More of the same tonight :icon_cheers:
Awesome Galina! I do love coloured peas. :)
They look lovely :sunny:
Looks great Galina! :blob7:
Thank you.
Chilli? Goodlife. How? Must have been overwintering. congrats. Which variety was it? :wave:
Quote from: galina on June 09, 2015, 21:46:42
Thank you.
Chilli? Goodlife. How? Must have been overwintering. congrats. Which variety was it? :wave:
No, not from over wintering plant but from 'new' plants...actually all my chillies have some fruit, though most still small :icon_cheers:
I did start them early indoors and they were already starting to flower under the lights. Once planted in their permanent positions in GH, they just romped away, must have been ready for spreading their roots.
The one I have eaten was Naranga...still green but with plenty of heat already :icon_thumleft:
I have feeling it is going to be good cropping year....
Greenfingers again :sunny: Fab! :wave:
first of my large strawberrys yummy
first bootfull of the season
Scrumptious :icon_cheers:
Having pea envy here :toothy10:
What's in the bag, can't quite make them out?
Quote from: Jayb on June 18, 2015, 20:03:36
Scrumptious :icon_cheers:
Having pea envy here :toothy10:
What's in the bag, can't quite make them out?
turnips loads of them they really took off this year
picked my first blueberries this morning not many infact only 2 but there are signs that a weeks time i will have shed loads :blob7: :blob7: :blob7:
Quote from: johhnyco15 on June 19, 2015, 14:02:50
picked my first blueberries this morning not many infact only 2 but there are signs that a weeks time i will have shed loads :blob7: :blob7: :blob7:
If you are overawed with them, I am sure that I am not the only one that would take them off your hands :tongue3:
Just a bit envious here :wave:
Quote from: johhnyco15 on June 19, 2015, 14:02:50
picked my first blueberries this morning not many infact only 2 but there are signs that a weeks time i will have shed loads :blob7: :blob7: :blob7:
You'll shed loads - must try that diet!
You'll shed loads - must try that diet!
[/quote]
:tongue3: :drunken_smilie: :BangHead: good one :wave:
first cabbage today hurray :icon_cheers: :icon_cheers:
Finally getting courgettes they are very late, I normally start in May. Been very cold at night here. Even yesterday the wind was very cold, and the courgettes leaves were drooping.
Finally getting strawberries they are late too, Last year I had a saucepan full for solstice summer party. First few raspberries. A nice overwintered head of broccoli popped up from the root.
Also a few mangetout. Thank goodness for Sainsburys etc or we would be rather hungry.
Quote from: johhnyco15 on June 18, 2015, 20:05:52
Quote from: Jayb on June 18, 2015, 20:03:36
Scrumptious :icon_cheers:
Having pea envy here :toothy10:
What's in the bag, can't quite make them out?
turnips loads of them they really took off this year
They certainly did :sunny:
I went to open the GH's this morning and I was greeted with sweet scent! Oooo....I know what that means!!
First ripe ones are now picked, another half a dozen already in a tummy...and loooooads to ripen soon :drunken_smilie: Nom..nom...nom....'burb'... :toothy10:
Hi Goodlife, just like you I have picked my first punnet of the year. They tasted superb well worth all the hard work. Here is a pic of the little beauties.
blue berries steady supply now
Quoteblue berries steady supply now
Blueberries!!!!????
What variety are they? REALLY early ones...mine won't be ready for picking for another 4-6 weeks yet....might take even longer!
OOOOooo...but I got my first strawberries today :icon_cheers: :toothy10: Summer is here! :icon_cheers:
Quote from: goodlife on June 25, 2015, 20:56:44
Quoteblue berries steady supply now
Blueberries!!!!????
What variety are they? REALLY early ones...mine won't be ready for picking for another 4-6 weeks yet....might take even longer!
OOOOooo...but I got my first strawberries today :icon_cheers: :toothy10: Summer is here! :icon_cheers:
i don't know i bought them 5 years ago from qd for £2 they are huge now and I've bought/ been given another 4 they are all big bushes now and get loads i think down to cross pollination they start now and finish around Oct a full season off loveliness
had my first blackberries of the season for breakfast this morning and some Logan berries fantastic all mashed up in Greek yogurt :blob7: :blob7: :blob7: :blob7: :blob7:
Johnny I bet you live in the Eden Project!,,😀😆
Quote from: Duke Ellington on June 29, 2015, 20:38:48
Johnny I bet you live in the Eden Project!,,😀😆
oh duke no just clacton-on-sea the sunshine coast ill take some pics tomorrow noone is more surprised than me i only made this back half of my fruit plot last march so its only all been transplanted just over a year :glasses9:
Congratulations. :happy7: With the very slow start to the season, our loganberries are small, green and nowhere near ready. This is later than normal years. Yes, I agree, you must have this big protective dome over your plot :sunny:
My loganberries are half-sized and green too, but there are a lot of them. I've never had so many as this year, and a good few stems got damaged in that horrible wind we had a while back as well.
I do have a handful of raspberries tantalisingly close to ready though...
Quote from: Silverleaf on June 30, 2015, 04:09:02
My loganberries are half-sized and green too, but there are a lot of them. I've never had so many as this year, and a good few stems got damaged in that horrible wind we had a while back as well.
I do have a handful of raspberries tantalisingly close to ready though...
oh ive had rasberries the last 3 weeks you lot are making me blush ill take some pics today and post them thanks for all the great comments
Quote from: johhnyco15 on June 30, 2015, 05:47:40
oh ive had rasberries the last 3 weeks you lot are making me blush ill take some pics today and post them thanks for all the great comments
No reason to feel bad. Just the difference between different climates in Britain. Some Scottish Islands get daffodils flowering in July! No scope for courgettes etc at all, not even apples etc.
When parents-in-law lived near Southampton they used to have courgettes 6 weeks before we have them here, ditto tomatoes. Just one of those things. And when benign climate and green thumbs combine, the results are enviable, but still all your own efforts :wave:
*grumbles quietly about Southerners having it easy*
;)
Quote from: Silverleaf on June 30, 2015, 08:43:28
*grumbles quietly about Southerners having it easy*
;)
yes it is very easy blackberries logan berries making first jam of the year next week lol :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:
some more for you silver leaf
I am enjoying blackcurrants. Got one with huge berries they are really delicious. Hope to propagate some more from it. Unfortunately it seems to have lost its label have an idea it is called Big Ben. Must buy another one. I think it is so big that the birds cannot get them into their beaks.
Blackberries looking very promising, loaded with flowers but they will be a while yet. They have very long roots so the dry weather will hopefully not bother them.
My mouth is watering for berries now!
Quote from: Silverleaf on June 30, 2015, 19:25:00
My mouth is watering for berries now!
just to make your mouth water some more sweetie :drunken_smilie: :drunken_smilie:
Right, now I have to go and see if my first raspberries are ready yet!
outdoor tomato sungold first yesterday
Most of the berries here are ready too. (sorry Silverleaf!) Blackbberries are a little behind, but otherwise I've been having strawberries, redcurrants, jostaberries (not very impressive flavourwise!), tayberries and raspberries for a bit now and am going to strip all the blackcurrants this weekend for jelly-making. Feels like summer is finally here!
One of my loganberries is starting to ripen now so I'll try not to be too jealous. ;)
had the first of my cherrys yesterday for my plot lunch :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: