Years ago we had a long row of cordon apples and a pear that were causing problems and were not producing much fruit so we decided that they had to go. They were cut down and most of the stumps were removed but in the limited space behind the greenhouse the stumps were left. We didn't intend to plant anything else there so it seemed to best option.
Somehow we didn't notice that the stumps were regenerating. Eventually when we didn't get round to doing anything about it and over time we ended up with three trees - a Conference pear, a Bramley apple and what we think is a Peasgood Nonsuch apple. This year it is the turn of the Bramley to provide a good crop of cooking apples.
We harvested all the apples this week before they either fall onto the greenhouse roof breaking glass or fall to the ground and bruise spoiling the chances of keeping them stored successfully.
Any bruised fruit will be used quicky or pureed and frozen.
Tomatoes are now ripening steadily in both greenhouses and outdoors. We also picked our first aubergine from the garden greenhouse.
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| Tuesday's harvest |
Sadly the wasps have found the ripe greengages as quickly as we have managed to harvest a few. Wasps have been a big problem with stone fruit this year. So far they haven't homed in on the Victoria plums that we are beginning to harvest but no doubt they soon will.
The sweet peas have been a disappointment. We haven't had the usual abundance of flowers and many have had short stems. Already the plants have mildew and are fading. I don't know whether to put this down to varieties or the weather. Any recommended varieties for next year. I'm looking for good stem length and perfume.
The courgettes are producing steadily and even with twelve plants we haven't had the usual glut. This has been the sort of year that explains why we often seem to grow too many plants.
We picked another peach as something is nibbling them. It still hadn't developed the delicious flavour of the fruit that it produced in its first year.
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| Thursday's harvest |
There are of course bits and pieces harvested from the garden to eat straight away. Salad leaves from the salad bar and mini cucumbers from the cold frame.
The tomato is Corazon. The bunch of grapes may not look professional but the grapes are sweet and tasty. Unlike Monty Don of Gardeners' World, we learned years ago that the blackbirds are partial to them and so both door and windows are covered with mesh which also prevents small birds from straying in and being trapped inside.
As a treat we cut a cauliflower, they are not fully grown yet but big enough for a meal for two.
As a treat we cut a cauliflower, they are not fully grown yet but big enough for a meal for two.
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| Sunday's harvest |
This year after a very successful harvest of Cobra climbing French beans we decided not to grow any dwarf varieties. We added a purple - Cosse Violette and a yellow - Corona d'Oro. We also cut the number of runner bean plants by a third. Cobra was first to harvest and is producing a good amount of beans, the purple variety has now got going but the yellow one is slow. Yellow dwarf beans were always less productive so maybe this colour bean produces weaker plants.
As with the apples the will to survive was strong.
Our complete August so far harvest is listed here
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