Gardening Update

Well naturally I have had a few casualties, I have lost my Pumpkins due more to the set up I have and a few too many plants this year.  Mainly my own fault as I did not get to them in time. Not down to the provider at all, down to me. Lesson Learned and next delivery should be in about 10 days time will be planted as soon as they arrive. In all honesty though it has been good to be growing again.  

At the moment I have cherry tomatoes being harvested, and have Courgettes to come both green and yellow, long, Trombone shaped and cylindrical.  

I have Beetroot in planters which is growing well, as well as one larger planter filled with carrots at the moment. I have a chioggia, a purple and a gold. 

I have my planters of Chives in the garden and they are doing marvellously well.  I have them either side of the Carrots in the hope of preventing Carrot root fly.  I have plans to acquire more Chives and a few other herbs as well.  Next year I will have a lot more and I would also like a couple of Apothecary Roses as well.  The more I play the more I am sorting out in my mind at least what I will need long-term.

My biggest problem has been in relation to cold frames - I do not have any and both greenhouses were needed for the growing of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers and chillies. Ideally I could do with another small growing house so that I can just have that for seeds. 

The cold frame that my Nan had stood waist height, not small like the ones are today.  It had big glass windows on the top which were on slides and a shelf half way up it to put all Nan's seeds and there seriously were a lot of seeds in there.  The bottom layer was used for keeping all the cleaned seed trays. Plus it was waist high which meant it was comfortable for Nan to add in new trays of seeds and equally take them out. Nan managed with just the cold frame until she could afford a greenhouse and then she really went to town. 

I really need more greenhouse space for the actual plants to mature and through to harvest - maybe next year I can put that right.  We only learn in the doing as it were and we work o our own routines.

All the Brassicas that came the other week are thriving as are the Beetroot, Carrots, Kales, I have Cottagers Kale, Red Russian Kale, Cavalo Nero, Romanesco, Broccoli, Fennel, Leeks, a few peas, Sweetcorn, Savoy Cabbage, Celariac, Kohl Rabi, Artichokes, Brussel Sprouts, Beans, Cucumbers (the small mini ones cannot remember the name at the moment) and Sweet Peppers and Chillies.  Tomatoes are in abeyance but am very pleased with how things are progressing overall.  Hopefully I should have a little veg to see me through.  All my herbs are doing well too.  I have ordered in some net cloches so that I can put them outside and hopefully stop the Butterflies from laying eggs on the Brassicas.  I have also ordered some larger pots in.  I have found this year that I need a lot more pots than I thought I needed.

I have since taken the decision to replace the Pumpkins through my own fault I lost.  I have added a bit of other veg as well and am waiting for one last delivery from Rocket Gardens. I have several varieties coming including:

Uchiki Kuri - Winter Squash

Cauliflower - All Year Round

Giant Winter Leeks

Musselburgh Leeks

Pumpkin Jack O Lantern

Winter Squash Blue Kuri

Winter Squash Bush Baby

Winter Squash Golden Nugget

Winter Squash Little Gem

Pumpkin Hundredweight

Winter Squash Musquee de Provence

French Climbing Bean Blue Lake

French Climbing Bean Cosse de Violette

Winter Squash Marina de Choggia

Tomato Outdoor Girl these are going to be outside.

Tomato Marmande Beefsteak

Plans for Using the Pumpkin 

I have gone a bit OTT on Pumpkins as I need quite a bit of this for preserving over the winter months.  I have in mind the following to preserve for the Winter Pantry Shelf:

Pumpkin Soup base

Pumpkin, Coconut and Chilli Soup

Pumpkin Pieces for Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Marmalade

Pumpkin Chutney

Pumpkin for the Freezer for Roasting.  We absolutely love this with a roast dinner.

I also want to have a go at pickled Pumpkin which I have not tried before.

Plans to add to next Year on the Growing Front

Next year I shall grow onions.  Although I have a lot of plants there are still gaping gaps on what I have not grown this year.  

They are:

Parsnips

Marrow

Peas

Mangetout

Salsify (want to try this)

Aubergine

Sweet Potatoes

Celery

More different mixed Lettuce including Rocket

Turmeric

Ginger

Lemon Grass

Melons

Seeds

I am getting organised now for seed next year as I am realising how much I need of certain seeds to attain exactly what I would like in the garden.  I am buying a few seeds at a time.  With seeds having gone up so much in price I am erring on the side of caution when it comes to prices. 

At the time of typing this little post  (which was Wednesday) I had a little Jack Russell who has at long last crashed and gone to sleep.  We have had quite a bit of discontent from her this morning with calling and howling.  It is going to be a long day.  I had planned on doing some work in the back bedroom.  Cannot do what I had planned on doing, but I can do some sorting out to make things easier next time around.

Some Plans for Next Year

There are things that I want to do next year which I have not had chance to do this year.

The things I am considering doing:

Have a couple of lettuce buckets on the go.  Basically a large storage bucket with a lid with cuts at regular intervals around the bucket.  A smaller version of tower gardening without the pump.

I want Strawberries and Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging baskets scattered throughout the Garden.  Also cherry tomatoes in planters.

I would also like Strawberries growing off a frame and up high as well.

At one time I had a full Barrel of Strawberries.  That Barrel lasted years and I had a French Tarragon plant in the top which used to last every year and was when I first started making my own Tarragon Vinegar.  I do miss that Barrel.  I would like to replace with Two full Barrels but they are expensive.

You can never have too many Strawberries.

I would like window boxes again and to prepare all my own flowers to fill them as well as herbs.  Also do all my own hanging baskets, just buying in a few plants such as Trailing Verbena and Fuschias.

One of the things I have dreamed of is having a proper Flower Cutting Garden so that I can have fresh flowers all year around.  It is rare these days that I get flowers and I do love them so, but even they have gone up so much in price as has everything else.

A proper fruit garden would also be on the list but I do not think that is going to happen here as I do not have enough space for one.  You can never have too much soft fruit.

Herbs

The herbs I bought earlier in the year are doing relatively well.  It is time to cut a few Chives and make a Salt for cooking with.  The Rosemary is also doing well and I shall do the same with this.  I have already made Chive vinegar from the flower heads.

I will start harvesting some of the Lemon Verbena leaves for use in tea and in jams and other preserves as well as for use in potpourri.

The Pot Marigolds are starting to flower.  I shall start collecting flower heads and drying them.  I will also add to oil and use in cooking.  Pot Marigolds are known as "Poor Man's Saffron" and can be used instead of Saffron.  Can also be used in Cheese Making.  I am going to make some Calendula oil which is very good for the skin as well as drying the petals.  I picked the first two flower heads this evening.  Periodically I have psoriasis and a little of this rubbed on the affected area does help.  Calendula oil is one of the gentlest of oils.

I also planted up two Eunonymous bushes, ornamental in two planters that used to belong to my Mum. Two Rosemary Plants were also potted up.  I have a lot more to do, but these at least are now off the list.  I might buy four more Rosemary plants as I have plans for using this at Christmas on table decorations, wreaths and presents as well as for culinary use in the kitchen.

There has therefore been a lot going on and still a lot more to do. It is pleasing me and I am enjoying it so much; much more than I ever have and I am really into plants which has surprised me a lot.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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