Our Gardens

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Haven't done quite so well this year but have had a few cucumber, my tomato plants ended up being just one! And that has barely and fruit, a couple of little aubergine but they are being eaten before I can get them to a decent size but I have managed some peppers this year ( can pigs eat this colour?)
My runner beans are finally getting going and I do seem to have some carrot and parsnips.
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Let us know how you get on. I've had some success with pepper seeds, just planting them straight away from the pepper to the soil in a pot but drying seeds and storing them has not been successful.
 
Spaghetti & Noodles said:
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Haven't done quite so well this year but have had a few cucumber, my tomato plants ended up being just one! And that has barely and fruit, a couple of little aubergine but they are being eaten before I can get them to a decent size but I have managed some peppers this year ( can pigs eat this colour?)
My runner beans are finally getting going and I do seem to have some carrot and parsnips.
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Fantastic!
We’ve not had much luck with cucumbers or carrots this year. Everything else has been fine though.
I’ve just been preparing various veggies which I can grow in the greenhouse this winter
 
My runner bean plants look healthy enough with lots of flowers but the blackfly have sucked a lot of moisture out of them so only have a few actual runner beans struggling away. I water them very well every night. My cucumbers are about an inch long and 1/4 of an inch wide and are very spiky! So not much luck there. My pepper plant (only one grew) looked like it was going to flower then decided against it. The success story this year has been coriander (for the piggies I think coriander is :vom:) and lettuces. I have grown loads of those this year.
 
I have had great success with some climbing french beans that were saved beans from last year. I picked an ice cream tub full yesterday. Piggies are helping to eat them 😋
 
Cutting back and tidying some shrubs after putting up a new fence and found this on one of my tree peonies. I don’t think he belongs on there, he may have come off our Lilac tree? Google lens says he’s a Privet Hawk Moth which eat Privet, Honeysuckle, Lilac. Just been out to see if he’s still there and he’s toddled off
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Beetroot burgers recipe

Not tried it as I was put off beetroot forever at school when my friend (who is still my friend ....ahem years later) had beetroot and cream cheese sarnies for lunch and the bread had gone all red and soggy :vom: .
 
Betsy said:
Beetroot burgers recipe

Not tried it as I was put off beetroot forever at school when my friend (who is still my friend ....ahem years later) had beetroot and cream cheese sarnies for lunch and the bread had gone all red and soggy :vom: .
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Hmmm that looks nice.
My daughter is not impressed, apparently the kitchen stinks!
Have found a recipe for a cake 🍰 which I might make and not tell anyone🤫😂
 
Betsy said:
First pick of the plums off the plum tree today.

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Just a few more to go (and this isn't all of them).

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Wow, you've certainly got masses of plums this year, makes up for the lack last year I hope. I trust they are as delicious as they look.

I'm guessing they are Victorias, they look like my Victoria plums though those have only just started ripening on my trees. I've been picking Czars for a couple of weeks - and the wasps have been having a go at quite a few too, grrr. And my greengages have more fruit than last year, I tried one today straight off the tree - I only ever had them as jam as a kid so that was a new taste 😋
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
Wow, you've certainly got masses of plums this year, makes up for the lack last year I hope. I trust they are as delicious as they look.

I'm guessing they are Victorias, they look like my Victoria plums though those have only just started ripening on my trees. I've been picking Czars for a couple of weeks - and the wasps have been having a go at quite a few too, grrr. And my greengages have more fruit than last year, I tried one today straight off the tree - I only ever had them as jam as a kid so that was a new taste 😋
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The plums on my plum tree seem like The Magic Porridge Pot. The more I pick the more there are to pick! I have had a friend of MIL pick a bag full, given a lot a way to neighbours, I've eaten quite a few, and frozen 2 x 2 litre soup and stand bags and it doesn't look like I've bothered to pick any! I'll be stewing and freezing some more today. I have to get them all picked, stewed and frozen by then end of the week as I go away for 10 days then.

Lucky you having greengages. I love greengages. My Mum and Dad had an ancient greengage tree when we all moved house when I was 19 and it lasted another couple of years before it died.

We planted an apple tree at Christmas and I managed to rescue a few apples off it before they were completely ripe before the wasps got to them. I've had one that was nearly ripe and I'm hoping the others will ripen up soon.

I've had lots of blueberries off my Blueberry bush and there are still a few to ripen but they will be ready when I'm not here to pick them.
 
Betsy said:
The plums on my plum tree seem like The Magic Porridge Pot. The more I pick the more there are to pick! I have had a friend of MIL pick a bag full, given a lot a way to neighbours, I've eaten quite a few, and frozen 2 x 2 litre soup and stand bags and it doesn't look like I've bothered to pick any! I'll be stewing and freezing some more today. I have to get them all picked, stewed and frozen by then end of the week as I go away for 10 days then.

Lucky you having greengages. I love greengages. My Mum and Dad had an ancient greengage tree when we all moved house when I was 19 and it lasted another couple of years before it died.

We planted an apple tree at Christmas and I managed to rescue a few apples off it before they were completely ripe before the wasps got to them. I've had one that was nearly ripe and I'm hoping the others will ripen up soon.

I've had lots of blueberries off my Blueberry bush and there are still a few to ripen but they will be ready when I'm not here to pick them.
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Yes my plums have so many I give them to friends, I just wouldn't have time to deal with them myself. Unfortunately last week while I was otherwise engaged all the Czars ripened and most were too ripe or wasp nibbled when I got up a ladder to pick them today. But the Victoria's are now ripening, so on it goes...
I remember you said you loved greengages last year, if I'd known you were bringing your son up to the uni I'd have said drop in and take some...

My blueberry bush seems to be doing better than last year in its pot of ericaceous compost etc, but no berries. It didn't like it at all last year in the apparently alkaline soil of my veg garden. Maybe next year!
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
I remember you said you loved greengages last year, if I'd known you were bringing your son up to the uni I'd have said drop in and take some...
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Thanks. Son No 3 is in Leamington Spa this year in a nice student flat. I have 4 litres of stewed plums in my freezer now (ready for plum crumble in the winter) and still plenty more to pick. I can actually see where I have picked the plums now at last. I'll have to make my plum streusel cake again.
 
Betsy said:
Thanks. Son No 3 is in Leamington Spa this year in a nice student flat. I have 4 litres of stewed plums in my freezer now (ready for plum crumble in the winter) and still plenty more to pick. I can actually see where I have picked the plums now at last. I'll have to make my plum streusel cake again.
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I'm doing the same, picked as many plums as I could off our 2 Victoria plum trees before going away for a break. Made a plum streusel cake too, chutney, crumble and froze the remainder. Still loads so hope to make jam too, which is my favourite jam of all time!
Tomatoes pitiful this year compared to last year, so disappointing, maybe there will be a pleasant surprise though on our return from hols, here's hoping, otherwise it will be tonnes of green tomato chutney!
 
We are in the same position with tomatoes, not had a ripe one yet! I always make a lot of chutney anyway but it would be nice to have some home grown red tomatoes soon. I hope you enjoy your holiday @LollyJJ .
 
LollyJJ said:
I'm doing the same, picked as many plums as I could off our 2 Victoria plum trees before going away for a break. Made a plum streusel cake too, chutney, crumble and froze the remainder. Still loads so hope to make jam too, which is my favourite jam of all time!
Tomatoes pitiful this year compared to last year, so disappointing, maybe there will be a pleasant surprise though on our return from hols, here's hoping, otherwise it will be tonnes of green tomato chutney!
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Your Victoria plums must ripen a bit earlier down south, I've only just started picking ours. Need to freeze and stew them as soon as I can, if I've time I hope to make some jam. I'll probably use my gages mostly in jam too.

@Betsy , you could plant a greengage tree in your garden if you've a little space in the sun 🥲
 
My tomatoes haven't done at all well this year either. Very few tomatoes in the first place but even fewer have ripened. I'd normally put them on the windowsill to ripen but there is just no point this year as there isnt enough to make a salad!
My father in law must have 20 tomato plants in various varieties and they are all absolutely full of tomatoes but only one variety is ripening but still not even all of that variety.
 
Anyone having a mare with the old blackfly? First year I've grown runner beans this year. The blackfly have eaten most of the little runner beanlets and only 2 have fully grown. The plants are healthy enough with lots of flowers but also about a million blackfly too. I've watered enough runner bean plants over the years (my Mum's and my neighbour's) and those plants never had anything like the blackfly my poor runner beans plants had had to suffer this year.
 
Poor you! I don't grow runner beans, but I did get aphids on the tips of my broad beans again. I think they were kept in check by the ladybirds and their larvae that hatched on my aphid-infested foxgloves in the spring.
I prefer natural control like ladybirds and companion planting, it doesn't eradicate pests but experts say it can help a lot.
 
I had one bean plant that seemed to attract black fly more than the others for some reason. I sprayed them with a dilute washing up liquid mix in the end as the birds weren't keeping them down enough! Our plum trees were absolutely decimated by black fly, it was really sad as the trees had to go this year and we were hoping for some farewell jam.
 
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We had two weeks of autumn in August, but now it's back to lovely late summer days.
Just wanted to share this picture with you.
I'm afraid I don't have any veggies growing and the blackbirds always get to enjoy the grapes, but there is lot's of dandelion and plantain.
And the butterflies enjoy the flowers.
 
We have almost eaten all our crop of tomatoes, just a few plum tomatoes and Big Boy Beef steak left
 
We've still not had a red tomato, they are starting to turn since yesterday though. I don't think I can remember another summer with so little sun.
 
piggieminder said:
We've still not had a red tomato, they are starting to turn since yesterday though. I don't think I can remember another summer with so little sun.
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piggieminder said:
We've still not had a red tomato, they are starting to turn since yesterday though. I don't think I can remember another summer with so little sun.
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How strange, it’s been ok here for sunshine. Tomatoes have all ripened and all the peppers have turned orange too. Dreadful year for shallots and onions though, far too dry!
 
I think you've had better weather than us from what I've heard from family. I've been seeing pictures on line of people on beaches in sunshine! The sun finally came out here on Friday. Even friends in North Bristol have had better weather than us, still at least the water butts didn't run out this year. :)) Dry! The only thing that's grown well here is the runner beans, corgettes, pumpkins and marrows rotted on the plants, covered in mold. I did get one decent marrow for chutney and a pumpkin for soup which is really all I need but the neighbours have missed out this year. :(
 
piggieminder said:
I think you've had better weather than us from what I've heard from family. I've been seeing pictures on line of people on beaches in sunshine! The sun finally came out here on Friday. Even friends in North Bristol have had better weather than us, still at least the water butts didn't run out this year. :)) Dry! The only thing that's grown well here is the runner beans, corgettes, pumpkins and marrows rotted on the plants, covered in mold. I did get one decent marrow for chutney and a pumpkin for soup which is really all I need but the neighbours have missed out this year. :(
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Yes, it’s been weird weather, dry when it needed to be wet! All our pumpkins died after planting and purple french beans didn’t produce one bean but the green climbing one produced far too many? Salad leaves have been rubbish too. Plenty of pears though and a reasonable amount of eating apples. It’s swings and roundabouts! never seen so many holiday makers everywhere down here enjoying a break 😀 We are off to Dorset at the end of September, hoping the weathers still good x
 
I hope you have a lovely time in Dorset. I was born and brought up there. We miss our days out in Dorset and Cornwall and seeing family. The drives a bit much for us now, human's and elderly car! Getting to Cornwall soon is on my wish list now we are allowed o again, not seen the grandchildren for nearly 2 years, wish the trains were more reliable from here.
 
Betsy said:
You are welcome to visit us as long as we are free send me a text and we'll see if we can meet up x
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We are staying at Charmouth between Monday 27th to Friday 1st October Jackie. So perhaps we can meet up somewhere towards you? have a good holiday too x
 
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