2015 Growing Season

so Ive been away for a couple of days & just been out to see whats been growing without my loving attention:

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First courgette of the year (golden ball), about 1/3 of a big jim chilli (I kinda ate the rest - nice & fresh with a bit of a kick at the end), a single runner bean (firestorm) and some frankly scary pickling cucumbers (Wisconsin SMR) - I mean - its got big black spines - how the heck do I pickle that ? I tempted to leave it outside just in case it grows legs in the night...

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Nice harvest, @OxfordNick Golden ball looks fab! (Just ... don't tell @Beckie76 )

 

After a slow start Cobra F.Beans and Bangkok Cues coming on

 

It's been a good year for me with the cucumbers too... I'm getting this every 2-3 days

 

What variety are you growing Craig? ...my Bangkok cue plants have only really started growing in the last 3 weeks or so and very slow,only 2/3ft tall but fruiting like mad,I'd almost given up on them...

 

They're cucumber mini F1 Hana. They just don't stop producing!

 

Peppers have been decent too...

 

lots of growers around me. A new farm opened up 2 mins from me. They were renovating the beautiful old stone house all last fall and winter, then planted lots of fruit trees and other veggies. Now the sign is up. Been there a few times already. She has tons of cucumbers to "give away" have to stop by Monday to get a huge basket to take to my group home. But in the mean time here is a picture of what I got today for $4.00 .

 

Not a bad year so far considering I've been away a lot and everything bought from a nursery and plonked in the ground.

A little late July recap on things:

Runners - First good crop of Cobra runners for supper tonight, nibbled a few, lovely.
Rhubarb - bumper crop, have another glut to deal with, jam making in the immediate future.
Chillies - Hungarian Hot Wax and Habanero both got lots of chillies on (grown in garden room).
Courgettes - just picked my first few small ones, again for supper tonight.
Summer Squash - fail, put in too early I think and got severe setback with low night temps.
Winter Squash - looking very healthy after an iffy start so fingers crossed.
French Beans - got pecked up by blackbirds while away and didn't replant.
Tomatoes - all things considering not bad with half a dozen plants all with decent fruit on but think they will be late to ripen and I may be away, will tell neighbours to help themselves.
Blackberries - first season for these and looks like a big crop, starting to plump and colour turning nicely now. Not sure of variety, misplaced tag!
Raspberries - earlies have been excellent, eaten lots fresh, lots frozen for winter, crop fading now. Lates just about to fruit.
Blueberries - look to be a nice crop and colouring nicely.
Pear - tree is laden and have had to take out a lot of pearlings as overcrowded, fingers crossed.
Plums - no flowers or fruit, rest year I think.
Herbs - not been a great year for the delicate sort (Coriander etc) as too wet and cool, shrubby shorts doing fine.
Lettuces - terrific this year from supermarket cut and come starter pack just plonked in the ground. Still going strong and lovely taste and texture, haven't got stringy or tough, loving this dull weather I think.
Chard - cropped well throughout the first half of the year, just going to seed.

All in all an assortment so far, but considering it's been rushed not too bad. The tomatoes are what I'm most hoping come good.

gg

 

My runner beans are looking a bit sad in comparison to previous years, but my French beans are coming on really well.
Cucumbers are doing very well.
Lots of green tomatoes in the greenhouse, looking forward to those turning red!
Radishes have been delicious, I love radishes!
Lettuice.....eaten mainly by the hens!!! But the lettuice I've eaten was lovely.
Raspberries a bit slow but really yummy.
Plum tree has a lot of plums obviously not ripe.
Pear tree has a mass of pears
Apple tree is the best it's ever been!
Carrots really small, not really doing anything??
Beetroot very slow but starting to look good.
Gooseberries a bit on the small side but delicious!
Potatoes mainly small but really tasty!
Spinach really good.
Onions doing very well.
You can't beat your own veg no matter how big or small it is!

 

Runner Beans - None whatsoever, still just loads of flowers on my Polestar & White Lady, but I'm picking from my Jescot-Long-uns (growing for Longest Runner Bean), which are fine for eating if picked at only 12 -13" long.

 

Definitely going to limit myself to just one cucumber plant next year. So far from just two plants of Carmen I have picked 13 cucumbers and there are another 5 ready to be picked. We are still eating the second one and the rest I have given away.