After a week of enforced absence the previous week, last week we managed to get to the plot. As well as tackling some long overdue tasks we also harvested a few things.
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| 24 October |
The small green cabbages were a bonus. They were actually regrowths from the cut stumps left in the ground. The red cabbage was probably our smallest specimen and was cooked with the cranberries that were picked earlier. It's a new recipe and the whole batch was frozen so we hope that we like it.
The grapes are from the vine trained on the shed wall. I tried the fruit and it had ripened but the grapes are small and a bit weathered. We seem to be heading in the right direction for a decent crop and really just need a good summer to help us along.
One surprise was the three ripe strawberries that the slugs and birds hadn't managed to find.
You may have noticed in the first photograph that incredibly, the sweet peas are still flowering and I managed to pick a small bunch.
However, it was the chrysanthemums that provided us with a bumper crop of cut flowers.
Each colour came from just one plant.
What is more surprising is that the original plants were potmums bought from the local supermarket and initially kept as house plants.
When it had finished flowering it was kept in the greenhouse overwinter and then planted outside. Potmums are kept small by treating them with growth hormones but once they are planted outside in the ground they revert to their natural size.
Over the years I have looked out for flowers in different colours in order to obtain a collection of different colours. Not all the colours are flowering at the moment but the ones that are open are providing some lovely cut flowers.
At last some of the peppers in the plot greenhouse are turning red.
I know that some of you grow red peppers by the basket full but to us achieving a red pepper is a noteworthy event, so here is another.
We have now picked all the tomatoes from the garden greenhouse and outside on the plot. This year we have escaped the ravages of blight, maybe due to the dry season.
There are a few stragglers in the plot greenhouse but they are likely to be not worth picking.
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| 29 October |
Posts
I love chrysanthemums especially their spicy scent. Yours are good-sized, abundant and beautiful. Red cabbage and cranberries sound like a brilliant combination. I am going to try it.
ReplyDeleteI love chrysanthemums too, Jane especially at this time of year when they are great cut flowers. I used this recipe for the red cabbage and cranberries.
DeleteI can't believe you're still harvesting tomatoes, I cleared my plants away ages ago, mind you, they didn't do all that well this year. Lovely chrysanths.
ReplyDeleteThey will most likely be the last tomatoes, Jo. I guess because we are late putting them in they just take longer. It helps that we didn’t get blight this year.
DeleteCongratulations on the ripe peppers. It must take a colossal amount of patience to wait for those to ripen. Nice bonus cabbages, my cabbage plants have never managed to produce a second round like that. The mums are beautiful. I always admire your flowers and am always envious.
ReplyDeleteWe have some of the best peppers that we have grown this year, Michelle. The cabbage was a surprise. As for the chrysanthemums, at this time of year they can’t be beaten for cut flowers.
DeleteThe mums are indeed gorgeous, and the colors are some I haven't seen around here. Most of the ones I see for sale have rather small flowers too. I've never had much luck with red cabbage here so even a 'small' one looks good to me!
ReplyDeleteThese are spray chrysanthemums, Dave but some plants are grown for large blooms. To achieve the large flowers involves lots of disbudding which is a lot of fuss. We really love red cabbage so having a good harvest this year is great.
DeleteThat's a very colourful harvest, Sue. I struggle to get red peppers and chillies too. They are always green.
ReplyDeleteWe don’t grow chillies as I had a nasty experience with ones that we did grow, Margaret. It’s strange to manage red peppers this year as ithasn’t exactly been a sunny summer.
DeleteThat is such a wonderful tip - overwintering the fall mums and then planting them in the garden. I didn't purchase any mums this year but I'll have to give that a go next time I do. And that watercress is just crazy productive - I'm totally jealous!
ReplyDeleteIt’s incredible that all that watercress came from just a tiny sprig, Margaret and almost for free. No growing medium needed and we bought the bag of watercress from the greengrocer to eat. No maintenance except for clearing some out every so often and no pests either.
DeleteI have read about being able to get those extra little cabbages but have never known anyone who has actually had any!! And thank you for the details about chrysanthemums. This is the first year we have grown any and I was unsure whether they would survive outside all Winter, but you have given me hope, there.
ReplyDeleteIt’s the first time that this has happened to us. I think some chrysanthemums are hardier than others, Kathy. You could take cuttings just in case.
DeleteOh I'm pleased to hear that you and Martyn have been able to resume a more normal service when it comes to the allotment. I've never bought any pot mums - legacy of an Italian mum who was of the opinion that they are flowers associated with death. However seeing your collection it seems an excellent way of buying them as you can see what colour they are when you buy. I may well follow your example Sue :)
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that lilies were granted that dubious connection, Anna. Chrysanthemums are certainly great cut flowers. They last for ages in a vase.
DeleteWhat a lovely range of mums!They are doing well. Fancy the cabbages growing back, I had no idea they could as I always pull mine out after harvesting.xxx
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time that it has happened for us, Dina, we leave the stumps until the whole bed has been harvested and then clear the bed in one go.
DeleteVery inspiring post, Sue - I'm not a big fan of indoor pot mums but am now converted as your display is amazing. I love mums as a cut flower, smell so fresh and good vase life. Also, your watercress! In a pond with fish and a filter or grown how? Maybe a how to post? It's something I've never grown but would be very happy to try.
ReplyDeleteI want to plant the chrysanthemums in a bed by themselves next year, Caro. That is if they survive winter as in the past we have popped them in the greenhouse over winter but they have become too large.
DeleteThe pond does have fish but they don;t eat the cress and probably fertilise it. The pond is filtered and the cress is near where the water flows back into the tank. I know some have had success growing in muddy soil in tubs too/ I'll put something together.= - maybe once I find out how frost hardy watercress is.