2023 season begins..................

[oldherbaceous]

Very good, Burnie…..
I was getting worried where you had got to!

[tigerburnie]

I seem to keep having infections and protein where I shouldn't have, knocks the stuffing out of you a bit.

[oldherbaceous]

I hope you are soon feeling a whole lot better, Burnie.

[tigerburnie]

Thanks OH, as long as we stay on the green side all is well lol.

[snooky]

After a slow start, lifting early potatoes and picking broad beans.All the other crops are doing well.I may get a late harvest but I am well pleased with the way things are going at the moment

[Primrose]

Our red gooseberries are still too tart to pick yet so testing daily in the hope they sweeten up. Then it will be a race between us and the wood oigeons to see who gets them first ,
Mr Primrose pruned the two redcurrant bushes back to oblivion last autumn so for the first time in years neither of them are bearing any fruit.

[oldherbaceous]

Oooops, I hope you weren’t too hard on Mr Primrose, Primrose…

[Primrose]

No I wasn't. Our freezer is still loaded with surplus redcurrants from the previous year. They,re rather tart so only tend to get used in small quantities at a time !

[tigerburnie]

I know I'm recovering from my last hospital trip, my wife has stopped following me into the greenhouse to catch me if I collapse again lol. Strawberries almost ready for the second flush of fruit on the perpetuals, these Flamenco are huge fruits compared to the Mara des Bois. Tommies are coming along, more Minibell and Black Cherry ripe and the Tigerella almost ready along with Borghese too. Sweetcorn is a new variety(wish I could remember what they are lol), flower spikes appearing. Still loads of sweet peas and just planted some more lettuce plants in between the tommies away from the slugs and snails.

[retropants]

glad you are feeling better tiger

I will be harvesting the first tomatoes(red tumbling) in a few days, they are currently orange, so not long now. I need to pick the remaining broccoli and either eat it or freeze it. My basket (large pot actually) backberries are forming fruit. I doubt I'll get many, but better than none. Savoy cabbages are still getting bigger!

[Primrose]

Good you,re getting better Tigerburnie but no bad thing to have a minder who's watching out for you! It will be interesting to see how your sweetcorn fruits up being grown in the greenhouse compared with outdoors.

[oldherbaceous]

Good to read you are getting there, Burnie….but take it steady Old Sausage…..

[Westi]

Glad you are on the mend Tiger & you're right your wife's barometer of concern is indeed a good sign!

My Flamenco is also starting to flower again & for a large fruit it has a great taste, certainly compared to some of the other varieties I grow. Sweet corn tassels are turning brown so not long for them. Actually successfully managed to successionally sow these this year so I won't get a glut. (maybe)! My brassica's are finally growing but not ready yet & I have runner beans which should be ready in the next few days.

I am still surprised how the brassica's all just stood still & did nothing for so long? Wasn't too cold, but something made them go into survival mode.

[tigerburnie]

Peas all picked and ready for tea, had a decent crop both in the greenhouse and in the garden. I started to lift those Onions that the tops have gone over on, put them in the greenhouse as rain is forecast later, had some very nice looking crops, not a single one has bolted this year and no pests or diseases either happy with that crop, the shallots though small also looking good.
Down side most of the carrots have failed, but in the same bed the Parsnips are looking good, not sure about the Beetroots and the bulb fennel is just appearing after a late sowing.

[Primrose]

Tiger. Have you ever saved your pea pods for soup? I tried one year and the flavour was good but bit of a messy process getting them all smashed up..