Our crop of tomatoes has been splendid and Loraine has performed well in awkward
circumstances. This year she has grown three types, Moneymaker, Cherry, and Italian Plum. All are equally delicious and vibrant as they should be.
The Aubergines were somewhat disappointing with a crop of only 3 from 5 plants. But it would appear that many others have had the same poor cropping this year from this particular vegetable. But Hey-Ho, there’s always next year……..
Loraine produced a fabulous crop of Basil and we have been putting it in many dishes throughout the summer and like most things it has come to an end for this season. Cucumbers have been sufficient but not overproduced so we have managed to keep our fridge constantly supplied but have not had many to give to neighbours, etc. The pepper harvest has been excellent and Loraine has blanched and frozen many for use through the winter months so at least in that area we are covered.
Our first fig tree has produced a few figs at the end of this season but we hope to get more as it matures and we find it a nice place of its own somewhere in the garden area. Same with the Rhubarb as we have not got the new bed ready for it so it had to stay in pots for this year as the priorities on the building works has placed the walled garden in first place and all other garden works have to wait until this task is completed.
The Pepper crop has been good this year and has produced green, yellow, orange, and red peppers of various sizes
with beautiful glossy skins.
Strawberries have been somewhat disappointing with very few fruits being ready to eat. Many were damaged by slugs and weather when we had them outside on the sand-ring and we had no real crop to talk about. Hopefully, once we get the beds ready in the walled garden we can get back to the bountiful crops we used to have in Sussex.
Loraine has been very busy in the garden area and has produced many great crops including Carrots, Spring Onions, Beetroot, Cabbage, Kales, Broccoli, Swedes, Turnips, Kohl Rabi, Fennel, Sprouts, Parsnip, and Celeriac. These have been exceptional with strong growth and excellent taste and very abundant too. We have lots to keep us going throughout the winter months which are rapidly approaching now.
The Kale plants are huge and taste absolutely divine and we have them with many different meals.
Here you can see the Kohl Rabi which tastes delicious and is great in soups and stews, curries, and on their own. Mixed
with carrots, they make great cole slaw.
The walled garden will take a few years to establish overall, but once done, it will produce a plethora of fruit and veg to rival any commercial enterprise. The earth on the former paddock is rich and fertile with free draining soil with a neutral to acid level. It has never been used for anything else except livestock and horses so it is rich in nutrients and with the top dressings of composts we are adding it should give many great crops well into the future.
This along with observing the No-Dig method of gardening in which very little digging is done and certainly no turning of the soil will ensure that the soil itself is rich in bacteria that enable plants to grow and survive in a fertile environment that produces strong and healthy plant life.
Assortment of vegetables all coming on well in the new gardens.
There have of course been so many more plants that Loraine has grown this year and above you can a few more of them such as Radish and Leeks. She has been growing a lovely range of Lettuce too with so many different types that can make up a colorful assortment as you would buy in a mixed bag from your supermarket.
We decided to put in some Squashes and Pumpkins this year but we had only one area that we could grow them so in they went, at the top of the ramp on the way to the new garden area. Loraine and I cleared out a lot of the Nettles that were growing in this area and it was hard work getting all of their fibrous roots out but we managed Loraine to place the plants along this area. The biggest problem we had here were the slugs that seemed to love the squashes we planted so we had only a few to crop in the end.
Once we get the beds ready in the new garden area, we should have far less problem with the pesky slug munchers.
Pumpkins (larger ones) and Squashes (orange ones) grow up the ramp
just by the Nettle patch.
The crop is now sitting in the polytunnel to finish ripening and they will be usable as and when. Plenty of Pumpkins but very few Squashes courtesy of the slug brigade!
Our neighbors have been giving us plants to augment those we already have and we have received the following so far.
3 Rose bushes, 1 Hydrangea, 2 Canna Lilies, 3 Castor Oil Plants, 2 Red Dogwoods, and some fruit bushes of unknown type as they forgot what they are. We shall find out next year when they start to fruit but suspect they are either Blackcurrants or redcurrants. either way, they will be welcome fruits to the overall crop for the year.
Well, that is the update for the garden section and in the next post which I am already working on, I shall show the progress of the building works and other advancements of the 2.5 acres we are tending.