The harvest begins

Starting to have more tomatoes and cucumbers and French beans than we can eat fresh, so freezing is starting in earnest. The chest freezer is nearly full already – but I hope to rectify the situation by making some jam with the black and redcurrants that seem to be taking up the most space. I’m happy to report that I picked the last of the blackcurrants last evening. I grow two varieties, ‘Ben Sarek’ and another one of the Bens whose second name escapes me. Having the second, later variety has kept me picking blackcurrants for a couple weeks longer.

This year in the vegetable patch I made a conscious effort to grow varieties that would mature over a longer period. It’s worked great for the veg – ‘Sweet Olive’ and ‘Stupice’ tomatoes have ripened a full month before the other regular varieties are even thinking of turning red (‘Gardener’s Delight’, ‘Alicante’, ‘Shirley’ F1, ‘San Marzano’, ‘Tigerella’, ‘Sungella’). And the ‘Sweet Olive’ ones are truly very sweet. I find it hard to eat raw tomatoes but I actually managed to eat one of these. They are only a biteful – the size of a cherry tomato but shaped, not surprisingly, like an olive.

I also attempted to prolong the pea crop by using different varieties, but as usual, I spent loads of times on the peas early on and then neglected them. I always have a problem figuring out which variety is which since they invariably end up in a tangle. I had a really nice petit pois type and can’t figure out which variety it was from looking at the labels. Guess I’ll have to go back to the seed packets and my notes. Was hopeless at succession-sowing my peas.

Powdery mildew is getting my courgettes. It’s jumping over to my pumpkins and cucumbers, which is really starting to piss me off. I don’t mind sacrificing a few courgettes but don’t fool with my pumpkins and cukes. I’ve been keeping it at bay with a concoction of Neem oil and washing up liquid. Think I might try the diluted milk solution today to see if that does any good. I think the really hot weather we had earlier in the summer might have set the powdery mildew off. By the way, I have it in the tunnel and outside as well. I’ll have to be more diligent at watering next year if we have any kind of summer at all.
Going through the Chiltern catalogue now. I didn’t have time to do it for spring sowing, nor did I know that I would be growing plants to sell. I’m looking for some easy-to-grow-from-seed perennials, old standbys and maybe some interesting new plants that I don’t have. I’m asking for suggestions from anyone that will give me them.

It’s bucketing outside so I thought it an appropriate time to come in and catch up with the virtual world. Garden club is at my house this Saturday, so, of course, it’s raining just to keep me from doing the things I need to do before everyone shows up. I have to come up with a few projects to do – it’s an especially good time to do things that are difficult to do on your own (such as rolling out and pinning down huge swathes of mypex over 4-foot high grass – yes, the battle rages on). And also, it’s a good time to do things you have been putting off just because... well, just because you don’t fancy doing them: such as, shovelling out the old compost bin material into the new bin. Then of course there is the monumental amount of weeding that needs to be done – I am buried in buttercup (not repens, the other one – but I do have a fair amount of repens as well). This is the time of year I curse myself (literally) for being unable to make myself spray (though the driveway and parking areas do need a good blast – Did I tell you about my dislike of tarmacadam? Tidy, but so unnatural...).

Perspective. Yes, it’s all about perspective. I walk around the garden and all I can see is fault (strictly, not true, as I was just admiring the poppies that are going full guns right now and the tomatoes are fantastic). But had relatives over yesterday, one of whom I would consider to have one of the loveliest smallholdings you have ever seen – his garden should be on TV or featured in a magazine. He gave me a few compliments on how the garden is shaping up, which was very nice to hear. I think maybe you can see your own weeds whereas other people see only the good stuff.

Speaking of weeds... the rain is slowing down now. Good time to get out there and get to work.