The gale force wind and rain - a very bad weather combination for us and the plants - kept us away from the plot for most of last week. Such times make clear the benefit of growing some salad crops and herbs at home in the garden.
We have picked salad leaves and radishes most days to add to lunch time sandwiches but as these are picked and eaten quickly, they are rarely photographed.
Our harvest again this week has been made up of similar things to last week. We are enjoying our calabrese and have more than enough to share with my sister.
Despite the weather the strawberries are continuing to ripen well.
The rain actually did me a favour as I was contemplating whether or not I should water the strawberry plants. I don't like to water when the plants have fruit ripening. Again each container below contains a different variety.
We harvested a couple of autumn planted onions. As many had been blown out of the ground by the gales it was more a case of picking a couple up.
Finally we still have a supply of cut flowers in spite of the cornflowers being almost flattened to the ground by the winds.
The fully open, white rose is an unknown variety rescued from an unoccupied, overgrown plot opposite to ours. The flower bravely held its head above an ocean of weeds. The offending plot is in the background of the following photograph.
The sprig of nigella broke off in the wind and so many flowers were still in bud. I was quite surprised when the buds opened as the young flowers were a very pale blue. As the flower ages the colour becomes much deeper. The flowers below are on the same sprig.
The rose below also changes colour as it ages, from a pale pink bud ...
... to a white mature flower.
Our harvest again this week has been made up of similar things to last week. We are enjoying our calabrese and have more than enough to share with my sister.
Finally we still have a supply of cut flowers in spite of the cornflowers being almost flattened to the ground by the winds.
Finally we decided to empty the potato bag that had been in the garden greenhouse. In an attempt to harvest some early, new potatoes three Casablanca seed potatoes were planted on 2 March.
They had produced a small harvest but we think maybe the potato bag wasn't watered sufficiently - a case of out of sight out of mind. It may have been a small harvest but it was very tasty. I wonder whether the potatoes planted in air pots in the plot greenhouse will perform any better.
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The winds must have really been fierce to blow onions over like that! We did have the wind blow over a mature blueberry bush once, but that was leftover wind from a hurricane. My broccoli never forms domes like yours, which is picture perfect.
ReplyDeleteThe spring planted onions were OK, Dave. I think it was just that the autumn planted ones were ready for harvesting anyway. Whatever the shape I bet the broccoli tastes good.
DeleteThe picture of the onions, the calabrese, the cornflowers which I learned as batchelor's buttons (why that name?), sweet william (my favorite) and strawberries is so heartwarming and mouthwatering. The nigella blues are lovely, too.
ReplyDeleteThe only explanation for the name that I can find, Jane is bachelors would wear this flower in their button hole if they liked someone and wanted to date them. If the flower thrived, it meant their love was reciprocated.
DeleteCornflower is a much more obvious name!
Ah ... sounds reasonable. The flower do expand. Thanks for the explanation.
DeleteI didn't realize that cornflowers were bachelors buttons, which I actually have scattered around the ornamental beds. Mine are only about a foot tall, though, and the petals are nowhere near as dense on the flowers.
ReplyDeleteAre yours perennial cornflowers, Margaret? These are the tallest that I have grown which I put down to the fact that they were sown last autumn and so have had a long growing season.
DeleteI'm actually not sure if they are self-seeding or perennial, although I'm leaning towards the latter.
DeleteIf you look at the photos above of the long flower border thwirmare perennial cornflowers at the ends of the border I have more photos on this blog post
DeleteLook at all your broccoli, it's so amazing. And your strawberries are coming on strong. It's a wonderful time of year when the harvests really start coming in. And I'm glad the storm didn't do too much damage.
ReplyDeleteWe're unable to grow potatoes here, they never form tubers probably because it's too hot. They probably need to be planted in February in our climate
But think of all the wonderful things that you can grow in your climate, Phuong,
DeleteYour broccoli is so perfect! Calabrese never makes a head that big in my garden. I always love to see your flowers, that's something that I just don't devote time and space to.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that you could pop in some flowers somewhere, Michelle
DeleteLove your broccoli! You are certainly having a marvelous strawberry crop, mine are ripening now too. Those early potatoes do indeed look delicious.xxx
ReplyDeleteWe are hoping that the strawberries keep on coming, Dina.
DeleteYour plot appears to have recovered from the gales.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat but not completely, Brian
DeleteBeautiful harvest! I love the broccoli! They look so fresh and green!
ReplyDeleteI love broccoli too, Malar.
DeleteBeautiful roses! Your broccoli looks so healthy!
ReplyDeleteThank you , Endah
DeleteWhat a lovely selection of strawberries, Sue! We also love roses and have some with good scent.. I wish we had space for more!! They can fill a room with perfume, can't they?
ReplyDeleteThey certainly can, Kathy. I have a soft spot for the single flowered types.
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