Back in March I wrote about having a more determined approach to vegetable growing this year. I always dabble and I always provide some home grown vegetables for myself, but this year I wanted to try a little harder.
I am not the most dedicated vegetable grower, I fully admit that I enjoy working in the ornamental parts of my garden more. On saying this I love the harvest from my veg borders and I know exactly the provenance of the food I am eating.
This year I have changed my habits to try and be a better vegetable growing. One simple small change in behaviour has had a major effect. First job in the garden at the weekend is weeding the veg borders. If I do that first then I have lots of time to do everything else I need to do, plus it means I have kept on top of the veg border weeding. I have often said that for some reason I always feel extra-virtuous when I have weeded the veg borders, so I'm starting every weekend feeling virtuous.......
and there has been success, actual success! I am very pleased with the peppers that are in the greenhouse. I will soon be harvesting the large one. I keep talking to it and encouraging it, it feels a bit magical to be able to grow them. I was given this plant by the Cynical Gardener and I am always grateful for kindness in donating excess plantings.
The chillies are developing well. I bought these as plug plants as I find it a more reliable method than growing from seed. I have potted these on into Dalesfoot Wool Compost for Tomatoes. I was sent a bag of this compost to try so I have not paid for it. I was under no obligation to write about it and my opinions are entirely my own. I have to say how impressed I am with this peat-free compost. Like many people I want to go completely peat-free so I am trying different types of growing medium looking for the ones that really work. I am really pleased with this tomato compost which boasts that they will not need additional feeding. The plants have been in this compost for a few weeks now and no extra feed has been added. So far so good!
I am also growing aubergines in this compost and they have just reached the flower stage. I am rather excited.
Back out into the garden and the peas are at harvest stage. I adore freshly grown peas and always grow them. They might not have the longest harvest time but they are worth it for that moment of pleasure when they are ready.
The yellow round courgettes are getting round. I am looking forward to trying one.
and the borlotti beans are developing. I grew these as I had a packet of beans so I thought I would see what happened. I have had to look up what to do with them and now I am looking forward to cooking with them. I like something that pushes me to try something new.
These little beanlets will be yellow french beans. I love yellow beans, they have a delicate flavour that is very special.
There has been actual harvests.
I love picking just enough veg for a meal. The carrots and potatoes have been grown in containers in coir. This has proved very successful. The carrots I am particularly pleased with as they have grown straight which is something I cannot usually achieve. These are the thinnings so I still have quite a few yet to pick. The potatoes come out fairly clean, they just need a bit of dusting really as I furtle them out of the container bag I have been growing them in. The purple beans are dwarf french beans. I have never grown dwarf french beans before and so far I am very pleased with them.
I also appear to be growing a watermelon, this is fascinating and I am hoping I can keep it growing.
All in all so far so good with the vegetable growing this year.
