Sunday 5 September 2010

50 Ways To Grow Your Supper

This is the 50th post this year and altogether my 100th post.


The view from one end



















..and the other




















Winter stalwarts artechokes and leeks, with rhubarb which is the earliest to crop but still going strong nearly six months later!


















Beans:

This year I’ve grown: French beans and runners for eating in the pod, and Barlotti and Canadian Wonder for drying. Amongst the “dwarf” beans there was an interloper. One plant started spreading vigorously and scrambling up the cane supports. After a few attempts to nip out the growing point I rather left it and its more subdued neighbours to get on with it, figuring that it would do more harm than good to attempt to disentangle and uproot the marauding intruder. At first I thought that I’d mixed up one of my climbers with the dwarf beans. But now that the pods have appeared I can rule this out – because the pods are purple. I haven’t grown any purple podded beans for over 15 years. So the question is this a mutation a cross or a cuckoo in the nest?



















Barlotti
























Red Kidney Beans






























??? Any suggestions ???























Tomatoes

My first tomatoes are ripening - Sungold.





















The Ailsa Craig, Moneymaker and Gardeners Delight have got some way to go yet. It's driving me bananas!!!


















Raspberries

First year and already settling in nicely.



















Kale

Couldn't resist this.


















Parsley

I was determined to grow what we eat, and as a good tabouleh requires acres of parsley. (This was more successful than my attempts to grow coriander without it running to seed)

















Carrots and Parsnip
After my earlier frustrations the later sown carrots have come good under their nets when i finally plucked up the courage to lift them. I can build on the experience. The parsnips look lush and green on top. It bodes well.








































Potatoes

























Swede

8 comments:

  1. Oh, those carrots are BIG! I love the pictures or raspberries and kale. My raspberries are finished for this year.

    Congratulations on your 50th and 100th post!

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  2. Congratulations on both milestones. The plot looks great and you've certainly got a full array of veg to chose from. Respect to your carrots, that's no mean feat to get them that big.

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  3. A fitting harvest to celebrate your 100th post. Lovely veg!

    How about cricket bats or shinty sticks for the beans?

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  4. wow carrots! I can't do carrots - maybe next year...

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  5. Congratulations on your 50th and 100th posts. Your carrots are fantastic, it's one thing which I still can't grow no matter how hard I try. I'll give them a go again next year though.

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  6. Respect! Hope you've survived the gales ok.

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  7. Brilliant carrots, Mal! I had total autumn crop failure, so I'm hugely jealous...

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  8. wow...your plot looks great...i only wish i had half the dedication that you must have had this year...the beans that you asked for suggestions on look like the supposed 'french dwarf beans' seeds i planted and never really were so although I can't put a name to them I too have grown them.

    I think you should be very proud of your plot this year and congrats on the 100th post!!

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