Unlike some of you we haven't placed entries into local shows so the title of this post doesn't refer to prizes gained from wonderful fruit and vegetable but instead to two crops that are firsts for us.
Number one first - we picked a whole punnet of cranberries.
We have two tubs either side of the plot greenhouse door each planted with a cranberry bush.
Originally these were planted between the blueberry bushes but the sprawling habit meant that it was difficult to weed around them and they became a tangled mess so last year I moved them into tubs. Strangely one plant has been loaded with fruit and the other didn’t even manage to flower (I think it produced one lonely flower). The flowers are really pretty.
I found it really tricky deciding when to pick the berries so this year I left them on the plant for as long as possible and this week managed to collect a punnet of dark burgundy cranberries which were stewed and eaten with yoghurt.
Our second first (can I have a second first?) was to pick a fully ripe home grown melon. We grew Noir des Carmes said to be one of the easiest melons to grow. This was planted in a tub in the greenhouse and has managed to produce three smallish melons - not many but everyone has to start somewhere. I also think they should have been a bit bigger but the plants were left to fend for themselves amongst the tomato plants.
The fruits start off very dark green.
and become paler when they ripen.
Even from a photo I think you can tell how juicy it was!
That isn't exactly the end of the story though as when we visited the plot today we decided to cut the squashes. In amongst the squash plants we found this ...
It didn't look like either of the squashes that we grew and the plant had leaves that looked like a melon ... but this fruit doesn't look like the melons in the greenhouse ... and is a bit bigger too. We sort of seem to remember planting a spare melon plant outside on the plot rather than throw it away but then forgot about it! So is this a melon? We don't want to cut into it today so you'll just have to wait until tomorrow for all to be revealed.
I've posted last weeks' diary entry on my website here along with last week's photo album here. If you want to view either just click on the links.
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Always good when you successfully grow something for the first time isn't it. That melon does look good, and I'm not a big fan! Disappointed you didn't save the cranberries for Christmas though - LOL.
ReplyDeleteThat melon looks delicious, and I'm very curious to find out what the other one is.
ReplyDeleteThere will be a lot of impressed (and envious) gardeners around if it turns out you've grown such a lovely melon outdoors as far north as you are!
ReplyDeleteThe flowers on the cranberry are so pretty that you could grow the plant for the flowers alone, but what a bonus to have a crop of cranberries from it too. The melon looks delicious, what a success.
ReplyDeleteDo cranberries go with fish and chips Rob?
ReplyDeleteYou'll soon know Barbara.
BW - I'll be amazed too especially given this summer
The flowers are pretty Jo and would look really nice in a hanging basket but I don't think it would be watered well enough in that situation - the flowers are quite small.
Noir des Carmes melon first time I have seen a picture of it. Never heard of it before. Looks yummy. I would like to taste cranberries. Sigh...never eaten one before too both of your juicy looking fruits.
ReplyDeleteCranberries are a sour fruit MKG and need lots of sugar adding - not to be eaten uncooked.
ReplyDeleteOf course you can have a second first! Both fabulous too. Those cranberries look gorgeous. I'd have made a Cranberry and Orange cake with them - but I'm just a Cake Junkie!
ReplyDeleteHi VH,
ReplyDeleteI try not to bake too many cakes as we just eat and eat and eat and grow and grow and grow wider!
My answer to that was to found the village Cake Club- 2 years ago. The next meeting is our 2nd anniversary. 3 of us per month bake a cake and bring it along to share - taking turns. That means you get cake but you don't have to eat a whole one up till it's going dry! Good opportunity to try new recipes too.
ReplyDeleteCranberries and a melon - you are lucky!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a cranberry flower before; I will have to do some research on that one.
I'm jealous of your cranberries...they are on my list of must haves for next year so I am glad to learn about the 'sprawling' now...I presumed they would be bush type as are the currant bushes.
ReplyDeleteGlad you finally got a melon..yours judging on the pictures grew about the same size as mine and I only got three too...I'm hoping to improve on this next year.
Can't wait to see what your mystery fruit is!!
Hello Vrtlarica - I'd never seen a cranberry flower before growing them and was surprised at how pretty they were.
ReplyDeleteHi Tanya - The cranberries seem to have done much vetter in the tubs.
VH Sounds like a good way around the cake situtaion. My sister loves baking but doesn't eat sweet stuff so we are her 'eaters' - good job it's only once a week.
I've just had the typo pointed out it should say better and not vetter in the comment above.
ReplyDeleteJust in case you thought I meant wetter!
Cranberry Bush looks fantastic!
ReplyDelete