Kitchen Garden Forum

After a mixed (to say the least!) spring, let's have a new thread. A rainy start to June yesterday, but now most places seem set fair and warm.

The recent welcome rain has put nothing in the rivers, but plenty where it was needed in the fields and gardens. In the tunnel all the tomatoes are now trained on their strings and well in flower, the climbing french beans are twining top-of-polewards, strawberries are ripening and being picked daily. So it's about time I got outside and planted the courgettes and pumpkins and a few runners. There, I've said it so I'll have to do it. Looking forward to the first new potatoes (later planted this year so longer to wait).

Morning Alan, and may i just say, what a positive attitude to the new thread.

The bountiful harvest will soon be with us.

Morning Alan, you are about early, not looking down your drive to make sure there's not Grockie there with her suitcase are you?

Morning OH

No problem - gates well secured with new locks

Getting myself together to go out and plant my pumpkins and courgettes before that old hot sun gets up

I suppose it is safe to cast a clout now both Mays are out.

Did Squashes, Pumpkins, Courgettes and Gourds yesterday.

Did you get them all planted, Alan?

Lovely photograph, Geoff.

oldherbaceous wrote:Did you get them all planted, Alan?

All in and watered before breakfast

I can well imagine, that gave you a hearty appetite, Alan.

As we are all getting older, maybe we should be looking to eat more foods with preservatives in them!

Just a thought.

Well its a lovely morning here, so I'm off into town on the motorbike (pleasant ride in, with the advantage of free parking) to do a few chores, then off to the allotment with the dog for the rest of the day.

I will mostly plant out runners, courgettes, squash, pumpkins, rather pathetic french beans and nasturtiums. And anything else I can find.

And this evening I'm going to donate some blood. Not so much fun, but always worthwhile.

My partner let the chickens out and let them scratch up all my courgettes
after the worms under the mulch - sadly, back to the drawing board ! Ammo to get him to build the portable chicken run he had promised! They are good at cleaning up empty beds but a disaster if let loose on the plants!
Looking at my self-fertile kiwi Jenny it is covered in tiny fruitlets, what they lack in size, they look like they will compensate in sheer quantity The newly planted I male and 2 female kiwis are now growing strongly up a large arch, so maybe will fruit next year, have pruned each plant back to one strong leader, it will make a bit of shade to sit under, they have lovely large heart shaped leaves. The desert grape trained into the greenhouse looks good, grapes about the size of marrowfat peas now! the same vine trained outside is not even in flower yet! It's an old vine and since drastic pruning is quite vigorous and productive.

Fab day in Suffolk. Been on allotment since 6.30 am, lots of weeding done and have come home to collapse in the shade. Have a great day everyone!

oldherbaceous wrote:As we are all getting older, maybe we should be looking to eat more foods with preservatives in them!

Just a thought.

Hi OH

Maybe you need a drop or two of this

Dear Alan, do you eat it or, rub it over ones self.

I could do with some of that today, Alan, to drink AND to rub on, OH! Spent all day on the allotment and in the garden, planting the marrows and courgettes, the last broad beans (hoping they will be just about ready in time for our Village Show in early September), climbing French beans and tagetes to attract beneficial insects. Sowed night-scented stock, pot marigold, nasturtiums and love-in-a-mist which I have loved since I grew some about 70 years ago!

My OH did a lot of mowing, strimming and edging - you would think we are expecting a royal visitor!

The reasons for all this activity today: tomorrow and Sunday we are expected to get RAIN, glorious RAIN!