How does your garden grow?

[Arch]

I picked a good sized pot of blackberries this morning. I'd have thought it had been too dry but they're looking good.

You're well ahead. Ours are still red. Found a couple of black ones on Friday, but on tasting they were still way too sharp.

 

[montage]

The day I start talking of my gardening is the day I will admit to being "old"

 

[summerdays]

Well we've had a good crop of garlic

Some potatoes, and spinach and today we had some of our chard for lunch.

 

[scots_lass]

I still don't have any ripe tomatoes. Same variety as last year and growing in a greenhouse. Is the season really late in Scotland this year or just me?

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

The day I start talking of my gardening is the day I will admit to being "old"

Monty - gardening isn't just for the old. I've been gardening since I was a tiddler. Get out there and enjoy

Braod beans ( over wintered) suffered from the cr&p winter but we did have a few meals but not enough to freeze this year. I dug my onions and garlic yesterday. The over wintered ones are superb (cloches) but the spring sets are not so good. We've had a good crop of peas and more to come and the French beans are so prolific I've frozen pounds of them. Started to harvest the brocolli. Strawberries did very well and we've polished off a tree load of opal plums. Carrots and parsnips look OK - the ones which germinated - but not many did despite several sowings. Courgettes are coming out of our ears and aubergines are doing well. Toms have set and I've had 2 or 3 to eat from the conservatory. Cukes have been slow but are looking better now. We've had a few. Beetroot is now being harvested. I have some brassicas to plant out (sprouts, cauli and purple sprouting) and some leeks. I have some Sweet corn which is about ready and some lettuce too. The sweet peppers seem to be struggling a bit but the melons are looking good. Physalis is coming along nicely.

What a great thing to be involved with

I've got my name down for an allotment. I can't wait ( I have waited a year and a half so far)

 

[upsidedown]

Just made this week's work soup with carrots, potatoes, leeks, onions.

Got loads of beetroot that i don't know what to do with.
Spring onions and raspberries have all gone now.

Going to try to plan a bit more next year so we don't have it all ready at the same time.

 

[longers]

The day I start talking of my gardening is the day I will admit to being "old"

There was a list of things that show you've reached thirty I saw a few years ago and the only one I remember was about sitting in beer gardens and admiring the hanging baskets. Guilty of that even before thirty.

And well said twenty five, growing stuff is ace. Hope you get your allotment soon, I've been on three lists for the same amount of time. Friends in Morecambe got told it's ten years or more on their waiting list!

Apparently there is a landshare type thing that I've lost the details for - Hugh FW might be involved - where people with surplus land make it available for others to use. Anyone know what it is please?

 

[dellzeqq]

very dry. The hydrangea is looking a bit sad, but the pseudoacacia I planted two years ago has grown another two foot this year.

 

[661-Pete]

Got loads of beetroot that i don't know what to do with.

By coincidence, this evening we had a fairly unusual dish featuring beetroot. A step away from the usual pickled-beetroot sort of thing. Would anyone like the recipe? Depends whether you like goats cheese - here it is anyway:

BEETROOT AND GOAT’S CHEESE TART

(serves 2-3)


For pastry:
75 g (3oz) margarine
150g (6oz) plain flour

For filling:
knob butter
1 red onion sliced
75 ml red wine
1 tbsp wine vinegar
¾ tbsp honey
1 tbsp thyme
salt and pepper
250g beetroot (cooked and sliced)
150 g soft goats cheese log
teaspoon dill

Prepare and blind bake pastry case. Melt butter and gently fry onion until soft. Add wine, vinegar, honey, thyme, salt and pepper, stir, raise heat and cook until almost all the liquid is absorbed and the mix is glossy. Stir in the beetroot and dill. Cut the cheese into thin slices, put some in the base of the tart. Add beetroot mixture and lay rest of cheese slices on top. Check seasoning. Bake in oven at 180° C for about 25minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve warm.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Just made this week's work soup with carrots, potatoes, leeks, onions.

Got loads of beetroot that i don't know what to do with.
Spring onions and raspberries have all gone now.

Going to try to plan a bit more next year so we don't have it all ready at the same time.

Boil it up and eat. Cold is best I think

Or Goole a recipe for borscht http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borscht

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

There was a list of things that show you've reached thirty I saw a few years ago and the only one I remember was about sitting in beer gardens and admiring the hanging baskets. Guilty of that even before thirty.

And well said twenty five, growing stuff is ace. Hope you get your allotment soon, I've been on three lists for the same amount of time. Friends in Morecambe got told it's ten years or more on their waiting list!

Apparently there is a landshare type thing that I've lost the details for - Hugh FW might be involved - where people with surplus land make it available for others to use. Anyone know what it is please?

Yeah - I've heard the same. My Mother in Law has just moved nearby - so I've planted some toms in her greenhouse and some spare brassicas in her (unused) Veg patch

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I still don't have any ripe tomatoes. Same variety as last year and growing in a greenhouse. Is the season really late in Scotland this year or just me?

You're OK S_L. Mine haven't ripened yet and I'm at least 250 miles further south........

Biggest problem I've had with Toms is Blight if the rain kicks in too soon. In the green house you'll be better as you can control the dampness.

 

[longers]

I've found the details for the Landshare project mentioned upthread.

Website here. It seems you have to sign up before you can look for opportunities near you.

 

[longers]

We barbecued some beetroots last weekend. We wrapped them in two layers of tin foil and chucked them in the coals for an hour.
They were very, very tasty.

 

[accountantpete]

Still time (just) to get the winter new potatoes on the go in time for Christmas day - ours are flowering already so another couple might have to be started.