2013/14 Summer Garden Update

Ok, ok, ok. So it’s been a while since we last gave you an update. At least long enough for this:…

emptytunnel

To turn into this:…

fulltunnel_small

Cucumbers, gherkins, tomatoes, chillies, peppers, basil and eggplants all merrily growing away. Basil in particular has been pretty successful so far this year. Enough that we’ve made three batches of pesto to both eat fresh and freeze (tip we learnt – if you’re going to freeze pesto, don’t add the Parmesan until you’re going to use it). And everything else is looking good so far.

We also managed to finally get around to making and filling the two garden beds that have been sitting around in bits since we built the first batch of them a long time ago now.

newbeds_small

So that makes a reasonable size vege patch so far. Now we just have to work out how to maximise production from it. But I can also at least see where the next beds will go. Just need to get motivated enough to measure, build, and fill them. But I suspect that might wait a while yet. We need to at least get this lot ticking over first.

veggardens2013_small

In other garden news, the dwarf sunflowers in a pot have been a bit of a success this year. Made for a bit more colour on the deck over summer. Next year I think I’ll have a few more staged in smaller pots to replace those almost done, but they have lasted pretty well so far, and still more to come fully into flower. Not bad for a single pot.

sunflowers

And I think the only other news is that the 2013 garlic harvest has been and gone. Fifty bulbs in the end. Which is more than double last year. Those that have good memories, or do a little link surfing will remember/find that I only planted 45 cloves. But five of those were those tricky cloves that appear to be a single clove, but are actually two or three instead. But anyway, it was perfect timing to be able to use nice fresh garlic for the pesto making too. Not at all as hefty as last year’s harvest, but pretty good still. Let’s see how far through the year it’ll get us. Hopefully further than last year! And no, it appears I still can’t work out a decent way to plait garlic, so it just ends up being tied in bunches. Any tips appreciated!

garlicharvest2013

So that’s it. An update on proceedings at least. We’ll try to be a bit more regular again, but no promises!

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