Saturday, June 11, 2011

raspberry harvest

Returned from my week's jaunt and everything is doing ok. Well, except the gooseberries - tiny caterpillars have managed to strip them more or less of all their leaves. However, it seemed to have rained enough that everything else looked lush.


It's amazing what difference a week can make. Before I went there were one or two raspberries that looked like they may be ripe soon but today I did my first substantial harvest. A good handful of nice big fruit. Which reminded me to get the last of the frozen raspberries out to use up before a new batch takes their place...

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Definitely a month ahead...

A longish post before I go away for a week and everything shrivels up - it's going remarkably well and the garden is a full month ahead.

The evidence: the first raspberries. I checked back over the blog and the last two years the first few ripened end of June/beginning of July instead of beginning of June.

Strawberries also ripening in the pot and I picked a couple - so sweet! I fear however that the snails are getting to them before I will, even the copper tape doesn't seem to stop them.


The squashes, cucumbers and tomatoes are growing well, too, although they could do with more watering. I ended up with three different kinds of cucumbers (lemon, ridge and "Delta Star F1" mini cucumber) alongside my six varieties of tomatoes (the first ones are now flowering). Patty pan squashes are only two varieties, to keep it simple ;)




In the other bit of veg garden there are the curly kale (starting to curl), the beetroot, carrots and leafy lettuce mix (need to remember to pick before it bolts) and the pole beans (getting there but no Jack and the Beanstalk material).




Overall the garden is looking very nice. Very "orderly" - veg on the left, flowers on the right. The level beyond the curved path hides more veg and flowers. Now I do hope that it rains a bit over the next week so it doesn't all die...