June 2019 in pictures

Right at the beginning of this month we had one of what we call our first and last Sunday lunches. We had the first of the peas (mangetout), garlic scapes and cavolo nero of the year from the garden. We've been picking onions (in the bubble and squeak) and broad beans for a few weeks. We ate the last of the sprouting broccoli/brassicas (in the bubble and squeak) and the overwintered swiss chard. Pie, potatoes and carrots were from Reading Farmers' Market. 

Two of the bag beds had peas that were grown at the start of the year indoors for pea shoots. We usually manage to harvest three cuts before they start to get a bit tough, and then we plant them outside. In previous years we have had mixed results: some would just give up or show minimal new growth (cold weather conditions plus rodent activity perhaps?) whilst others would grow quite well and produce an average crop. This year they are going berserk and we are having to hack them back on a regular basis!

We've picked some more of the overwintered onions, the first of the garlic and the strawberries. The sorrel, both french and red-veined are plentiful as are the various herbs.

At the end of the month, temperatures rose to over 35degrees C and the forecast is for the hot weather to continue well into July. The pots will need regular watering, but I am hoping the mulch that we put on the main beds earlier in the year will help those retain moisture for longer.

May 2019 in pictures

The brassicas are now flowering in earnest and going to seed. They will soon have to come out to make way for summer and autumn crops.


Meanwhile the Eleonora broad beans are doing really well. At this relatively early stage we pick the pods while they are still quite small and cook and eat them whole, along with some of the tips from the plants. There has been some blackfly on a few of the plants on the outside of the block but we seem to have got away with a light infestation.

We are still harvesting a few of the sprouting brassicas that haven't yet broken into flower, and there are the overwintered spring onion, onions, Swiss chard and bulb fennel. The last, though, was very close to bolting. Must remember to keep a keener eye on them next year.

Overall, I feel that we are finally using the garden to the full for the whole year: one crop finishes and is replaced with a new sowing or seedlings. Meanwhile the cat guards the strawberry and asparagus beds, with the rhubarb offering her some shade from the midday and afternoon sun!

And talking of new sowings, this is the time of year we start the runner beans. First they are soaked overnight. Then they are placed between wet paper kitchen towel until they start to germinate, when they are transferred into small pots and home made compost. These are harvested from last years plant's and we always have excellent germination rates.

March 2019 in pictures

The greens and overwintered oriental leaves have been doing well, especially the purple pak choi. The onions are also coming along nicely.

After the warm weather we had had in February the brassicas that had begun to form heads started to bolt and flower. Although we didn't get many solid heads for harvesting we did have plenty of loose leaves and flower heads that tasted a lot better than sprouting broccoli. So nothing was wasted.

The broad bean seedlings were planted out. We've gone for Eleonora again this year; quick growing and very tasty. 

January 2019 in pictures

January is always a quiet month with very little to do in the garden other than keep everything tidy, minimal weeding and watch out for heavy frosts. We had a few overnight this month and I did wonder if they would affect our rhubarb which had already sprung into action. It seems to have survived the freezing temperatures as have the overwintered broad beans that have been planted amongst the Brussel's sprouts.

We decided, though, to cut the remaining overwintering lettuces that were growing in a pot but I wonder if they would have survived the cold snap had I left them.

Most of the garden work has been indoor - checking seed catalogues and taking an inventory of what we already have. 

July 2018 in pictures

It has been hot! The main part of the garden has been largely protected by mulching but it has been hard work watering the numerous pots and the grow sacks. The water buts are now empty so we have been saving water used to clean vegetables and pouring that on the garden, and are now having to resort to water straight from the tap.



The cucumbers are doing well as are the two aubergine plants. I decided to try the aubergines again, having failed over the last 4-5 years to get a decent crop and they have, naturally, been flourishing in the heat.

We were really pleased with the broad beans (variety Eleonora). This is the first time I have succeeded in growing them and we are now saving some of the beans for next year's seed. I started them off in small pots indoors and then planted them out under cover. (Enviromesh). That put a stop to the pigeons feasting on them. 

I'm most pleased with how the beetroot turned out this year. For the first time we used Charles Dowding's technique of multisowing. I honestly did not think they would turn out that well but many of them grew to about the size of tennis balls. This is definitely a technique that we shall adopt next year.