That Was Summer 2012, That Was (Part 2)

The Vegetable Garden

We did pretty well in the veg garden this year, given the weather.  We grew some things from seeds for the first time, and as well as some old favourites, grew some things we'd not grown before.  Clockwise from the shed...

...'tates!  We planned to grow first earlies, second earlies and maincrop, but the weather was so epically foul that we didn't get our earlies out until the end of April.  It seemed to take forever for them to sprout, and they didn't flower until August!

We then had to dig them up sharpish, as they got blight.  However, we didn't lose any, and I was really pleased with that.  Joe, a neighbour who's lived and gardened in the village for over 50 said his 'tates got blight too, so I didn't feel too bad.

Out tomatoes, which went in the extra veg bed in front of the 'tates were grown from seed and nurtured in the cold-frame, where they lived a very happy life for a while.  Unfortunately the poor things got blighted very soon after they were planted out.  As we don't have a greenhouse, a tomato crop was never really going to happen.  They were so healthy and happy when they came out of the cold frame!

I've grown courgettes for the past few years, but this year I grew them from seed, which I am really proud of.  They were sown in little compostable pots and put to germinate on a sunny (well, relatively) windowsill.  Alastair watered them three times a day, and they had a 100% germination rate, which made for an awful lot of baby courgette plants!

I potted some up for us, and some for Mum and Dad, and they went into the cold-frame.  I would really recommend growing seedlings in little compostable pots, as it makes potting on much, much easier.

The remaining plantlets were given to neighbours.  Of course, as soon as they went outside, every slug within a 10-mile radius turned up and started eating them, leading to the purchase of this...

It works!  The poor courgettes' traumas weren't over yet though, as I planted them out way too early (20th May!), and in deep shade. 

The one on the right had had two weeks outside, and the one on the left had had two weeks in the cold-frame.





The poor little outside courgettes got dug up and returned to the cold-frame for some intensive care.  After some time in the cold-frame, I eventually planted them out, where they flowered prettily and produced a decent crop under the circumstances.

This year was our first year of growing broad beans, and we'll definitely grow them again.  I didn't grow them from seed, Dad planted some of his up for me, but they did really well and were a pleasure to grow.  I loved the beatiful, delicate, violet-grey flowers.

We also grew onions this year (or possibly shallots) from some sets that Dad gave us.  In spite of the fact I planted them too deep and they didn't appear for ages one or two of the six I planted out survived, and I used them in a stew I made just the other week!

Dad gave us a green bean plant (I don't think they're actually called that!) towards the end of the Summer, and although it looked like a very sad specimen indeed, it gave us a nice boiling of beans.

And finally...cauliflowers!  I grew them from seed, and planted six out.  Four of them turned into slug-snacks, but two survived.  I didn't get to taste either, but Alastair said they were nice.

Snow!

We had the first snow of the year yesterday - and it was proper snow!

One of my Autumn Bliss raspberries got a little hat of snow!

Weight Watchers: the Thirteenth Week

I have been at the Mediterranean baked goods again.  I weighed in at 9st 10lbs this week - I was very chuffed - and celebrated at Ciao Ciao.  Tempted as I was by the baklava, I went for what I guessed was a lower-point alternative, a honey and walnut biscuit (it went by the name of biscuit, it was the size of my hand!).  And very delicious it was too, although what effect it will have on next week's weight loss remains to be seen!

My Weight Watchers chart told me that I have lost 10% of my body weight since starting Weight Watchers (a little purple bouncing star appeared on my weight tracking graph!).  This apparently reduces my risk of developing all sorts of nasty diseases later in life - which is great, although I have to be honest and say that the fact that I can now comfortably fit into my size eight Coast trousers is offering me more immediate satisfaction. 

The photo of the size 10 label (10 for 10%!) is from my new running/cycling top (which is gorgeous and very warm, I went for a run earlier today and was very snug, especially at the top of the hills).  My official weight loss goal is 9st, but I may decide to get down to 9st 7lbs and then concentrate on exercise more than losing weight.  I have two goals at the moment regarding exercise, one goal is to make my exercise routine a little more varied and interesting, by taking at least one class a week as well as cycling to work every day and doing either a long walk or a run at the weekend, and to try and start on changing my body shape.  I have a little pot belly I'd like to get rid of but I'm not sure how to do it!

That Was Summer 2012, That Was (Part I)

Now that Autumn is well and truly here, it's time for a recap of Summer 2012.  Such as it was...I think it was officially the mankiest Summer since records began, or some such statistic.  However, in spite of much angst caused by the truly disgusting weather (who knew it was possible to get SAD in June?!), a plague of slugs of Biblical proportions and blight, we didn't do too badly.  It was our first proper year of gardening, and we enjoyed it and learnt a lot.

The Front Garden

The front garden worked well this year.  Alastair - who is a fantastic carpenter - had made the raised beds the previous year, or maybe even a couple of years ago, so they were quite well established.  I finally got round to gravelling the back half of the garden, and it looked brilliant.

The cold frame - which Alastair made, and did an absolutely beautiful job of - really came into its own this year.  Without it we wouldn't have been able to grow our own vegetables from seed (and our courgettes would either have died or had to stay in the house until they reached nearly full growth, the weather was so disgusting!).  It nurtured broad beans and cauliflowers, courgettes, tomatoes, basil, oregano and rosemary, and various flowers I grew from seed...even in the snow!

Clockwise from under the dining room window, we grew herbs - parsley, mint, thyme and chive were already established from previous years, and I grew basil, oregano and rosemary from seed (although they only grew to about an inch high due to the weather).  I'm not sure whether basil comes back, but I think oregano and rosemary do, so hopefully they will return in the Spring.  I'll just have to try again with the remaining basil seeds and cross my fingers for more sunshine!

The raspberries were new (after my beloved Autumn Bliss canes got blight and had to be pulled up) and they didn't fruit much.  Poor things were probably frozen to death.  I'm very happy that one Autumn Bliss survived the cull and is blight-free and producing beautiful raspberries as I write.  Porridge with raspberries and honey for breakfast tomorrow morning!

The strawberries loved all the rain.  We had a fantastic crop.  The slugs and woodlice enjoyed them too.  I never knew that woodlice enjoyed strawberries until I caught one in the act.

 

King Rhubarb was as splendid as ever, cropping right from Spring into late Summer.  I made stewed rhubarb, a delicious rhubarb and ginger strudel and a very nice rhubarb upside down cake.

I'm going to divide King Rhubarb in early Spring...Prince Regent Rhubarb?!

The blueberries cropped well also - they're good reliable croppers, and are currently looking very pretty with bright red Autumn foliage.  I gorged on summer fruits this Summer, and having my own blueberries was brilliant.

Our new apple trees flowered very prettily, but didn't fruit at all - hopefully next year.

We grew potatoes in a bag - not as easy as growing them in the ground.

Clematis montana was as beautiful and prolific as ever, and delighted me against a deep blue Spring sky.

I grew a few different types of bulbs in pots, with varying levels of success (I don't do very well with container gardening, as a rule), but I did have some pretty flowers.  The dahlias were the biggest fail ever (slug-snacks!).