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| 13 June |
Last week our harvests were dominated by calabrese and strawberries. The main centre heads of the calabrese had grown very large and we were pleased to see that having removed the centre heads of earlier plants there were now some sideshoots developing.
The strawberries are fruiting well and keeping us busy picking but the fruits are smaller that usual which I put down to the really dry weather. We try not to water strawberries when they are fruiting as it can spoil the flavour but with some plants seeming to struggle I may have to relent. I have already given the alpine strawberries a good watering.
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| 15 June |
The hot weather has meant that watering has been one of our main tasks at the moment. We had a couple of days away in County Durham and so it was a case of watering before we left and watering when we came home.
Many of the redcurrants are ripe and so on Sunday I picked the first punnet. After picking it was a case of finding a spot in the shade to destring them before taking them home.
WE also picked the first of our courgettes.
The salad leaves growing on the raised bed in the garden now are suffering an aphid attack and so will be cleared but fortunately we have lettuces growing on the plot. We uproot lettuce and pop the plant into a bucket of water to keep it fresh as we use it.
Despite their battering the cornflowers are still producing cutting and bee browsing material.
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| 18 June |
Posts
Nice Calabrese, Sue. It's one of my favourite veg. I particularly like eating the stalk (after peeling, it of course). In this hot weather broccoli that has been cooked and cooled is nice too. What about the yellow courgettes - do you think they taste / feel different to the green ones?
ReplyDeleteI do think that the yellow ones taste different, Mark. I think they taste better maybe more flavour.
DeleteYou really did grow some lovely broccoli! Thanks for the tour of your berries. I always enjoy looking at other people's gardens, and your walking tour was great. I had to bring my wife in to look at your currants and gooseberries, since they are huge compared to ours!
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you liked the video, Dave. I have another in the pipeline
DeleteStrawberries! I love strawberries!
ReplyDeleteHappy Gardening!
So do I Lea.
DeleteWhat a fab harvest, I am loving the flowers too. Hoping to harvest the first of my courgettes come this weekend.
ReplyDeleteWe picked more courgettes today, Shaheen. Is this the start of a glut?
DeleteIt looks like your berry season is in full swing, so wonderful. And I'm impressed with your calabrese especially since it's been so dry for you. We picked our first pollinated courgettes as well today and I cooked them up with curried noodles and tofu for dinner.
ReplyDeleteI've been picking more berries today, Phuong.
DeleteLots of fruit there..., I like it
ReplyDeleteSo do I, Endah.
DeleteThat calabrese is a good size. Strawberries are the thing I miss most from the allotment, I think I shall have to find a PYO farm, they might taste a bit nicer from there than from the supermarket.
ReplyDeleteI think we will be moving from calabrese to cabbage soon, Jo. They used to have a PYO at Carlton near Rothwell. I'm not sure they still have it.
DeleteWow, so many berries. Delicious! The Calabrese is very impressive too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle.
DeleteI have berry envy. You are jam and wine maker's paradise! What do you do with all of those delicious harvests?
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid we don;t make jam or wine, Bonnie. WE have fresh fruit salad for dessert most days. We freeze the rest as compotes to have with porridge or yoghurt or use for pies and crumbles in winter.
DeleteA mature Cheddar cheese sauce for the Calabrese and some cream for the strawberries and supper is sorted!
ReplyDeleteWe like to grate chesee onto the calabrese too, Deborah
DeleteI looked at your courgettes and thought, crikey, they are early, then I remembered that I had to sow mine twice as the mouse got the first batch. What a wonderful harvest of strawberries you are getting, and berries too, my berries are a little behind yours.xxx
DeleteWe have some more courgette plants to plant on the plot to try for a succession, Dina. It was also in case the first lot died.
DeleteBerries are in the season now I guess! They look so juicy and fresh! ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's the start if he berry season, Malar
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