September 2017 in pictures

The autumn harvest started in earnest including an interesting range of varieties of squash and tomatoes. 

Unknown variety of monster squash growing
against the kitchen wall

Black Krim tomatoes

Brown Turkey figs

Cherry Bomb chillis

The recent storms had already weakened two of the posts of the fence between us and one of our neighbours. Heavy winds overnight on September 12th/13th resulted in three of the panels coming down flattening the potatoes in the growing bags and seedlings in the adjacent ground. This is not going to be fixed for several weeks, which means we won't be able to plant out all of the winter and spring veg seedlings. 

Typical autumn lunch! Pie from Reading Farmers' Market and veg from the garden

20th September 2015, Harvest and lunch

Today's harvest from the garden. The yellow courgette, which had been hiding underneath a mass of leaves, is more like a marrow in size but was still delicious. The yellow courgettes have been truly prolific this year.The other veg I gathered are swiss chard, runner beans, hungarian wax pepper and a long thin hot chilli (can't remember the name and the label as gone AWOL)





For lunch we had spiced chicken with some of today's veg harvest. The veg mix included the last of the squash that had been picked a couple of weeks ago. See the entry under 7th September on the Harvests 2015 page for a photo of the beast. I have been told by friends that it is a non-orange skinned form of pumpkin. Whatever it is it was delicious and we have another one sitting in the kitchen ready to be eaten.

February 2014, Windowsill gardening

As the rain and gale force winds continue here in Caversham outdoor gardening and even general tidying up is impossible. There is still plenty to do indoors: planning the sowing calendar and checking through the catalogues for seeds I've forgotten to order. In any case, it is the time of year for starting off some of the plants and vegetables indoors. Potatoes are chitting on the kitchen windowsill alongside the Babingtons leeks that I have started off in pots. The kiwi plant - 'Jenny', a self fertile variety - has arrived but will have to stay on the sill until there is a lull in the stormy weather and we can plant it out. 

On my office window sill I have sown the chilli seeds in a propagator. The varieties I am growing this year include:

• Habanero Fatali HHH+ "Brightyellow, very hot, fruity"
• AJI Pulsar HH "Nearly white, erect fruit turn orange then red. Low growing"
• Bulgarian carrot HHH "Hot and fruity "Carrot coloured and shaped"
• Nepalese Bell H-HHH "Jumbo sized version of Friars hat" [Friars Hat - "2" (5cm) flange shaped fruits. Slow to mature but worth it. Heat strength variable."]
• Habanero 7 pot yellow HHHH+ "Fruits mature pale yellow with wonderful flavour"
• Scotch Bonnet Bahamian Goat HHH "Pale green, slightly ribbed, fruit ripen peach/orange"

All came from Simpsons Seeds.

Next onto the windowsill will be the aubergines.