Saturday 25 July 2009

About to reap what I have sown


This is the first of my Tomatoes beginning to ripen. It's a bush variety called 'Whippersnapper' and I can't wait to taste it as I've not grown this variety before. I've eaten my first few Physallis this week and continue to pick Alpine Strawberries and Raspberries. Some of the Courgettes are nearly ready to harvest and the Cucumbers are going great guns too, particularly 'Crystal Lemon' which is one of my favourites. The Beetroot has fared less well but I reckon I'll be lifting my first two or three next weekend.
I've had lots of seeds germinating in the last week or so and have pricked out Welsh Poppy, Polemonium, Dicentra Alba and Aquilegia Chrysanthia. And at long last, on the third sowing, I've managed to get some Ox-eye Daisies to germinate - fresh seed sent to me by a kind poster on A4A. But it doesn't stop there. Today I sowed seeds of Evening Primrose (thanks Lorna) and self-saved seeds of Aquilegias Goldfinch, Clementine White and McKana Hybrid.
This week I've noticed far more hoverflies about who are enjoying the Lilies, Dianthus, Laurentia and Fennel in particular. The Birds Foot Trefoil is just beginning to open, the first flower on the Soapwort is out but the Centratherum and Heliotrope remain stubbornly in bud. But at least they are doing better than the Typha mimima in the pond - there's still no sign of any buds whatsoever.
Georgie

3 comments:

Jo said...

Wow, where are all these flowers going to go?
Nothing happening with my Typha Minima either.
I've been harvesting beetroot, French beans and courgettes.
I've grown what I think is a Crystal Lemon cucumber this year and have lots of fruit on the plant. I say 'think' as the seed was from a seed swap and was just labelled as lemon cucumber. The fruits look very weird though, a very insipid colour and prickly. Does this sound right?

Flighty said...

Well it's to see that you're harvesting some vegetables! Lucky you still picking raspberries.
As for all those flower seedlings I think Jo has taken the words out of my mouth so to speak!
It's good to see that there is still so much going on. xx

Carole said...

LOL, Jo, I know, I just can't help myself. But you can never have enough plants and I usually find somewhere to put them or failing that I give them away to friends.

Yes, those sound exactly like Crystal Lemon. Pick them when they are about the size of a Kiwi fruit, scrape off the prickles with a sharp knife, rinse and enjoy. I bet you'll never want to eat any other type of Cucumber again!

Er Flighty, you'll never guess what I've been doing today? Yes, that's right, sowing more seeds and taking cuttings. :D

G x