Entries from August 2007 ↓

Do you remember when my comfrey was cut down by those helpful plot tidiers?

Well it has grown again almost to its former glory. It was a bit of a surprise, as I thought it was gone for this season. I did use it as compost, but I wanted to wait until the end of the season as it would then over winter nicely. Now it has grown again, I think it will still provide a good over winter compost enhancer.

I decided to harvest a colly this weekend as I had guests round and wanted them to try one:

It was beautiful and sweet and so tender. I was very impressed as this is my first attempt at cauliflower and the slugs and bugs have been kept off them, plus they have had to contend with weeds stealing their nutrients.

I lightly steamed it and provided a home-made cheese sauce in case they wanted to smother it, but I found it didn’t need it.

I did weed a bit this weekend, but only for an hour as I wanted to get back and prepare for my guests arrival.

This is the last of the cabbage. I have harvested them all now:

I had hoped they would be larger before they were ready, but they had started to burst, so it was definitely time to harvest. They have all been rather nice and have offered up a selection of creepy crawlies in their folds.

When on the plot on Sunday, I noticed that the rhubarb was still growing:

I’m quite surprised as the heads on the next plot are just a small brown mound and nothing seems to be growing form them now. I haven’t eaten any as I’ve not had an opportunity. however, the season runs from April to September, so there is still time to pick a bit and smother it in custard 😉

I just thought you might like to see the other plots on the site. They are just as overgrown and weedy as mine. So I’m not being lazy, honest.

The bad weather has returned today, but not before I was able to get up there and dig out the remaining spuds

I was also pleased to see that a pumpkin had survived so far and had actually grown. It’s not as far along the line as I would have liked, but I am pleased that it has stuck two fingers up to the weather and got on with doing its business.

You also know I mentioned how my sweetcorn had survived the last bout of rampant rain? Well, it has managed to grow and produce cobs. I don’t think they will be massive – unlike my neighbour who planted his very early on, but at least they will be edible by the looks of it. The plants themselves are not very tall – dwarf I guess you could say – but nature has done its best to provide.

This weather has really thinned out my runners as well. Last year the plants were all bushy and produced a lot of pods. This year they are very thin and are doing their best to provide, but are thin on the ground. At least they are tender and tasty.

Someone was asking about Borage and composting the other day. Well, yes you can compost Borage leaves. They act much like Comfrey and speed up the process and help make a lovely loam.

If you want to eat the leaves then they seem to have a cucumber-like flavour which is nice in salads. Some – if you have seen this summers adverts for Pimms O’clock’ – like to put it in drinks, though I don’t see why you should waste the leaves this way.

The blue flowers are more showy than Comfrey and attract bees and butterflies. to your garden.

If you want to grow Borage, then you are best served by sowing directly in pots or seed trays in good seed compost. Keep them out of strong sun light until they have germinated and produced true leaves. Then plant out or pot on when seedlings are large enough to handle.

I have decided this year that the best form of defence against the weather is to accept that this year is not the year for growing things on the plot.

As you can see from the video, the weeds are like triffids and have taken over despite my best efforts. In fact, my plot is one of the lesser overgrown ones. Most others have given up sooner. However, I am still harvesting a few items from it and so it does add to the pot.

I would much rather have it as it was last year though.

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I was amazed at the weekend that the sprouts had not succumbed to the weather extremes, like most of the other plants. In fact they are doing so well I am looking forward to some good sprouts over winter.

You can see that I have left them netted for the time being. Not that they need it now, but it hasn’t stopped them growing upwards.

The runner beans have survived the weather and are now growing tall.

Taking a look round the site at other people’s I can see that mine have done rather well. Some others are really small and have no beans on them yet.

In fact I have harvested a few beans already. 😉