New Beginnings

Happy New Year!

Christmas Wishes

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a successful New year - thanks for following my veg gardening escapades.  See you next year.

Baskets full of Goodies - A 2012 Review

We all know what a lousy gardening year it has been - but I was surprised, when I looked back at the photographs for the year, just how much veg was actually produced.  The only things that didn't really do very well for me were the fruits and squashes.  No raspberries, no apples or plums, only a few black and red currants.  But on the whole it wasn't that bad.

END MARCH - Rainbow Chard, Leeks and Onion Greens



MARCH - Curly Kale



END MARCH - Purple Sprouting Broccoli

MAY - Rainbow Chard

3rd WEEK JUNE - Calabrese

END JUNE - Peas

3rd WEEK JULY - Beetroot, Potatoes, Broad beans, Gooseberries and Redcurrants

END JULY - Calabrese, Romanesco Cauli, Carrots, Broad Beans
Peas, Courgettes, Tomatoes, Beetroot

END JULY - Mint, Sweet Peas, Courgettes, Summer Squash
Peas, Romanesco Caulis, Broccoli Spears, Broad Beans, Tomatoes

BEGINNING AUGUST - Beetroot, Spinach, Mixed Cutting Patch Flowers,
Summer Squash, Courgettes, Broad beans, Peas, Beetroot,
Gooseberries, Redcurrants

1st WEEK AUGUST - Blackcurrants, Tomatoes, Summer Squash, French and Runner Beans
Broc spears, Courgettes

2nd WEEK AUGUST - Runner beans, Cucumber, Romanesco cauli, Crystal Lemon Cucumber
Cauliflower, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Courgettes

18th AUGUST - Summer Squash, Mixed Tomatoes, Parsnips, Runner Beans,
Early potatoes, Courgettes

19th AUGUST -  Sweet peas, Summer Squash, Runner and French Beans,
Beefsteak Tomatoes, Courgettes

25th AUGUST - Tomatoes of every shape and size

26th AUGUST - Cucumbers, Runner Beans, Courgette and Summer Squash

12th SEPTEMBER - Tomatoes, Aubergines and Chillis

END SEPTEMBER - Sungold Tomatoes, Runner Beans, Marrow, Courgettes and
Summer Squash

BEGINNING OCTOBER - Tomatoes brought indoors to ripen
 

These pictures give you an idea of the amount of produce I was able to harvest over seven months.  Of course, this isn't everything, only as much as I remembered to photograph.  All in all, the results weren't as bad as I thought.  If you can produce this much in a rubbish summer, just think what a decent summer will produce.  Here's hoping for next year.

Hardy Herbs

It always amazes me just how hardy herbs are to survive the winter snows and hard frosts -
considering that they are mostly Mediterranean in origin  they do remarkably well. 

thyme

I don't bother to cloche them or give them any extra protection and the only ones that disappear over winter are the mints and chives. 



mint

 I always gather big bunches of mint when it is in full throttle and dry it so I have a plentiful supply over winter.

curly parsley

Parsley is another good survivor - the leaves do get a bit tough though -  I have loads of it in the garden as I leave it to seed itself, which it is pretty good at.

parsley - gone to seed

Last winter was too cold for my bay tree and it sadly died.  But I bought some tiny replacements which are now doing well.  If the weather forecasts a severe drop in temperature then I will take it into the greenhouse for protection.

bay

And last, but not least, is the Rosemary.  I have several bushes in the garden and have only ever lost one to the weather.

rosemary

   I do love to be able to grow my own herbs, and have far more than I would ever need, not that I care much, they are just a great addition to the garden, winter and summer alike.

Alliums that never say die

Japanese Onions - a bit battered and flat after the gales and heavy rain

Spring Onions from last year - still going strong

The garlic that disappeared earlier in the year has decided to re-grow - a little bonus!

The lonely tomatoes

I planted three Sungold tomato plants in a trough.  Blight struck and they withered.  Two tomatoes hung on.
They are still hanging on as the troughs haven't been cleared yet.  Poor little things.  Destined never to be eaten but serving as a reminder of the summer that never was.

A Touch of Colour

Ruby Chard quietly growing and providing a spot of colour in an otherwise drab winter garden

The Borage patch, flowering on, regardless of the cold  - worth its weight in gold.

Alliums - The Next Generation

I don't know whether you remember but at the end of last year I mentioned that I had been experimenting with the Allium family here.  Instead of digging leeks up when I wanted to use them I began just cutting them off at the base.  And it worked.  After cutting off the parent leek I then had at least another four cuts from each leek plant.  The picture below is the same leeks this year.

So I would say that the experiment worked - I haven't had the bother of sowing, transplanting, growing on, planting out etc.  so I am well-chuffed.  My aim was to try and get as many vegetables as I could to become perennial and if it didn't work I had lost nothing.  I tried it with a container of pickling onions, not for the onions but for the tops to cut and add to dishes instead of chives.  That sort of worked too.

These are the original pickling onions, one or two rotted, but as you can see some have divided and are still shooting.  I will bring this pot into the greenhouse now to save them from the harshness of the weather.  It has worked on spring onions and the garlic as well.  I have also tried it with the celery. 

Instead of digging up the whole celery plant I cut the sticks when I needed them, eventually just leaving the base of the plant.  I left this in the ground, and as you can see it has started pushing new sticks out.  I have covered the row with a mesh cloche for protection, and if it survives  the winter I should be able to have a continuous perennial supply.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together.

The First Real Frost of the Year

After a windy night,( the weather not me), I woke up to see heavy frost on the car windscreen signalling that winter is on the way.  The temperature was only 1 deg. but it felt colder after the mildish weather we have been having.  I ventured out to check on my sheep and see how the frost had affected the veg plot.

I gave Alf (pictured) and Ed some Sheep Mix which they love and they lick their bowls clean, but then hang about wondering if I will give them some kale leaves.  This morning I didn't as they were frosted.

The leeks that have gone to seed are putting on a lovely display

Although they look wonderful like this, it does mean they are mostly inedible due to the hard core that forms down the centre of the leek.

The last courgette plant is a gonner now, the colder weather has seen to that.  Now that it has finished I can compost it and start to weed the area before I mulch it.  Funnily enough the Nasturtiums have survived the frost, they are still manfully flowering, as are the Marigolds.

This year my raspberry crop has been zilch, and guess what, it is nearly winter and they have suddenly decided to produce fruit.  Contrary or what?

 It's been a funny old year.  Hoping for better next year - what say you?

The Winter Garden - Parsnips

Yesterday I spent a pleasant couple of hours at the veg plot, taking down the sweet pea nets, dismantling the runner bean supports and digging up a few parsnips for Sunday lunch.

I sowed them way back in March on one of the rare days when it didn't rain.  I didn't hold out much hope for them, but, surprisingly, they thrived.  Two rows is plenty for our household if they all germinate - and they did.  But, on digging up a few from each row, I was surprised at the difference between them.

One row were perfect, well, almost perfect, specimens - they hadn't quite filled out all the way down the root - a bit top heavy you could say - but they were a really good size.

I'm not quite sure what variety they are, as I had picked up several packets of different varieties, forgetting that I had already bought some - so I mixed them all together - the thinking being that if some didn't do well, others would.

The other row was a disaster.  Squat, multi-pronged roots, that were hardly useable.  Not sure what went wrong there - perhaps they hit a hard patch where I hadn't loosened the soil enough.  Anyway, the other good row will see us through the winter.  I will gradually dig the whole row up and keep them stored layered in dry earth in a very large plant pot.  They keep very well this way as long as they aren't washed beforehand.

Here's what Nigel Slater has to say about parsnips:-
The soil-encrusted root, gnarled like the bark of an old tree, hides a creamy flesh that is both earthy and sweet.  Snapped in half, it smells of freshly dug ground.  Roasted in butter, it smells of warm heather honey.  I value the parsnip for its gentle sweetness, its happy marriage with the crusted edges of a piece of roast beef, and the velvety soup you can make even from its woody core.  Steamed, mashed and softened to a puree with warm cream, the frugal root becomes a deceptively luxurious accompaniment to roast lamb.  Baked in a slow oven with cream and the milder spices - cumin, nutmeg, and a few specks of mace - the parsnip makes a sensual supper on a day when you are expecting someone to arrive home cold and sodden. 

Garlic Planting Time

I didn't have much success with garlic this year - they rotted in the ground or disapeared altogether.  So I'm just wondering whether I shall bother with them again - but if I do  - now is the time to be planting them.


source

Garlic is widely used around the world for its pungent flavor as a seasoning or condiment.
The garlic plant's bulb is the most commonly used part of the plant. With the exception of the single clove types, garlic bulbs are normally divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. Garlic cloves are used for consumption (raw or cooked) or for medicinal purposes. They have a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.
Other parts of the garlic plant are also edible. The leaves and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are sometimes eaten. They are milder in flavor than the bulbs, and are most often consumed while immature and still tender. Immature garlic is sometimes pulled, rather like a scallion, and sold as "green garlic". When green garlic is allowed to grow past the "scallion" stage, but not permitted to fully mature, it may produce a garlic "round", a bulb like a boiling onion, but not separated into cloves like a mature bulb. Additionally, the immature flower stalks (scapes) of the hardneck and elephant types are sometimes marketed for uses similar to asparagus in stir-fries.
Inedible or rarely eaten parts of the garlic plant include the "skin" and root cluster. The papery, protective layers of "skin" over various parts of the plant are generally discarded during preparation for most culinary uses, though in Korea immature whole heads are sometimes prepared with the tender skins intact. The root cluster attached to the basal plate of the bulb is the only part not typically considered palatable in any form.

Garlic is a fundamental component in many or most dishes of various regions, including eastern Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, northern Africa, southern Europe, and parts of South and Central America. The flavour varies in intensity and aroma with the different cooking methods. It is often paired with onion, tomato, or ginger. The parchment-like skin is much like the skin of an onion, and is typically removed before using in raw or cooked form. An alternative is to cut the top off the bulb, coat the cloves by dribbling olive oil (or other oil-based seasoning) over them, and roast them in an oven. Garlic softens and can be extracted from the cloves by squeezing the (root) end of the bulb, or individually by squeezing one end of the clove. In Korea, heads of garlic are fermented at high temperature; the resulting product, called black garlic, is sweet and syrupy, and is now being sold in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.
Garlic may be applied to different kinds of bread to create a variety of classic dishes, such as garlic bread, garlic toast, bruschetta, crostini and canapé.
Oils can be flavored with garlic cloves. These infused oils are used to season all categories of vegetables, meats, breads and pasta.

source

In some cuisines, the young bulbs are pickled for three to six weeks in a mixture of sugar, salt, and spices. In eastern Europe, the shoots are pickled and eaten as an appetizer.
Immature scapes are tender and edible. They are also known as "garlic spears", "stems", or "tops". Scapes generally have a milder taste than the cloves. They are often used in stir frying or braised like asparagus. Garlic leaves are a popular vegetable in many parts of Asia. The leaves are cut, cleaned, and then stir-fried with eggs, meat, or vegetables.
Mixing garlic with egg yolks and olive oil produces aioli. Garlic, oil, and a chunky base produce skordalia. Blending garlic, almond, oil, and soaked bread produces ajoblanco.
Garlic powder has a different taste from fresh garlic. If used as a substitute for fresh garlic, 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder is equivalent to one clove.



 Location: Choose a sunny spot, it thrives in full sun if possible but it will be ok with some shade.
Make sure to give it well draining soil to prevent fungus and rot, if you have a raised garden bed it will thrive there since the drainage will be good.
Apply compost and aged manure to make a rich soil, mulch lightly after planting to help with soil moisture (weeds can also be deterred by a mulch layer). Before planting dig up the soil area really well (about 10″ deep) to provide a nice, loose soil environment.
How: Separate a bulb and select large, healthy cloves (the outer ones). Do not use any that are bruised or show signs of mold. Leave the paper on and plant them about 2″ deep (3″ to 4″ for colder climates) and 6″ to 8″ apart with rows 12″ apart.
Position each clove pointy side up and flat side down. In a harsh winter lay 4 to 6 inches of mulch on top when the ground freezes to provide some protection from winter kill, remove when Spring arrives.
Watering Conditions: Water deeply at least once a week. The soil should be consistently moist and not dry, but don’t let the garlic sit in water. A sign of overwatering is fungus growth or mold.
Garlic has a shallow root system so don’t let the soil dry out. If there is no moisture in the soil 1″ deep, it’s time to water.
Water well in the first few months then start easing off a couple weeks before harvest (when the top leaves start flopping over, that’s a sign to stop watering).
Location: Choose a sunny spot, it thrives in full sun if possible but it will be ok with some shade.
Make sure to give it well draining soil to prevent fungus and rot, if you have a raised garden bed it will thrive there since the drainage will be good.
Apply compost and aged manure to make a rich soil, mulch lightly after planting to help with soil moisture (weeds can also be deterred by a mulch layer). Before planting dig up the soil area really well (about 10″ deep) to provide a nice, loose soil environment.
How: Separate a bulb and select large, healthy cloves (the outer ones). Do not use any that are bruised or show signs of mold. Leave the paper on and plant them about 2″ deep (3″ to 4″ for colder climates) and 6″ to 8″ apart with rows 12″ apart.
Position each clove pointy side up and flat side down. In a harsh winter lay 4 to 6 inches of mulch on top when the ground freezes to provide some protection from winter kill, remove when Spring arrives.
Watering Conditions: Water deeply at least once a week. The soil should be consistently moist and not dry, but don’t let the garlic sit in water. A sign of overwatering is fungus growth or mold.
Garlic has a shallow root system so don’t let the soil dry out. If there is no moisture in the soil 1″ deep, it’s time to water.
Water well in the first few months then start easing off a couple weeks before harvest (when the top leaves start flopping over, that’s a sign to stop watering).

source

Of Cabbages and Kales

Whilst I was thinking about what to write about the winding down of the gardening season - I had a wander round the 'net to see how Brassicas are represented in art - as you do - and found some wonderful paintings of Cabbages which I though I would share with you.

Green Cabbage - oil on linen
by
Jean Christofori Howton




Watercolour painting of Three Red Cabbages
by
Marilyn Z. Kahn

 

Ornamental Cabbage by Bonnie Haversat

I used to do quite a bit of painting myself and have to say I think these are wonderful representations of the vegetable.

Now - down to business.  As the vegetable garden is winding down the only crops, besides leeks and parsnips, are the brassicas.  I have planted plenty to see me through the winter - Savoy cabbage, January King, Scarlet Kale, Cavolo Nero Kale (if you look at the first illustration - top right, you will see it is called Dinosaur Kale), and Purple Sprouting Broccoli.  I have also just planted out Cauliflower and Spring Cabbage. I have to say that I love my greens.  I know it isn't the same for everyone, children in particular, and although I love the summer crops - beans etc.   In my book you just can't beat a good cabbage.



Savoy cabbage

 The original family name of brassicas was Cruciferae, which derived from the flower petal pattern thought by medieval Europeans to resemble a crucifix. The word brassica derives from bresic, a Celtic word for cabbage. The late Middle English word cabbage derives from the word caboche, meaning "head", from the Picard dialect of Old French. This in turn is a variant of the Old French caboce.

Scarlet Kale

Although cabbage has an extensive history, it is difficult to trace its exact roots owing to the many varieties of leafy greens classified as "brassicas". The wild ancestor of cabbage was originally found in Britain and continental Europe.  Nonheading cabbages and kale were probably the first to be domesticated, sometime before 1000 BC, and the Greeks and Romans had some variety of cabbage, although whether it was more closely related to today's cabbage or to one of the other Brassica crops is unknown.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

During the 16th century, German gardeners developed the savoy cabbage.During the 17th and 18th centuries, cabbage was a food staple in such countries as Germany, England and Russia, and pickled cabbage was frequently seen.Saurkraut was used by Dutch sailors to prevent scurvy during long ship voyages.Jacques Cartier first brought cabbage to the Americas in 1541–42, and it was probably planted in what is now the United States by the early colonists, despite the lack of written evidence of its existence there until the mid-17th century. By the 18th century, it was commonly planted by both colonists and native American Indians.Cabbage seeds traveled to Australia in 1788 with the First Fleet, and were planted the same year on Norfolk Island. It became a favorite vegetable of Australians by the 1830s and was frequently seen at the Sydney Markets.

Cavolo Nero (Black) Kale

Most of the winter preparations have been completed - there is still a bit more to do but there is no hurry - plenty of time to get on with the mulching and spreading of manure.

The plot on Sunday - a foggy morning