Yesterday when I got to the lotty, there at the entrance gate was this sight. It made me smile. Until now I hadn’t paid attention to it, but it caught my eye this time. Oké, it is only a small glimpse of the whole flower garden but I thought it was still pretty. You can see several things that are blooming at the moment. Another plot in the flower section is the home of a newcomer, a Hibiscus type. Last fall I was walking by a garden and the chap was lessening the stand of these along the walking path. Ach, it was October and I thought I would just try it as he was going to throw it away anyway. Years ago I had some Lavatera and two types of Hibiscus. Over time they died. We are a bit too cool and moist here. He has had this species for a few years now bordering his lottie, so I reasoned that it was a type that could make it here. It is less than one year since it was transplanted. I can recall my Bride and I noticing the first chutes of green coming out of the rootball. We followed it’s progress like excited children. Here is it’s second bloom: I ought to try and identify the species. Sadly the man has no idea what it is, saying his partner picked it out. I have guarded optimism as I know it is a Mediterranean native. Right then, over to the last of the onions. They were almost ready to bring home for storage. Tja, then I left them out didn’t I. Yeah, and then Murphy came into play and, yeppers—it rained on them. I placed them back, on the floor of the greenhouse to dry out again. Then they will go into storage. Another thing that I am very fond of is Purple Sprouting Broccoli. With most types it is two years before you can harvest; however, some smart person developed what is called, “Summer Sprouting Broccoli”. It is not bi-annual, and one can harvest it the same year as planting. Brassicas are a bit difficult to get to adulthood because of the gamut of challenges one must be aware of and navigate through. Flies, moths and other flying insects are the most common. We have grown many types of Brassicas, and find the extra work, disappointment and worry not worth it. Having said that, our love of the flavour draws us back time and time again, like moths to a flame. We have florets, or bimi’s, as I have heard some call them. Here they come as seen through the netting. To check, I just press my face into the net and this is what I see: Now, you may remember three weeks ago, I got some beans from a fellow gardening lady up the way. It was the end of July and that meant that I would just have time to get a crop. I have planted beans in July before and know that one can do this. These are purple French climbers, the lady did not know the specific name. No matter…like Will Rogers, I have never met a bean I didn’t like. The flowers are lovely to see along with the vigorous purple stems. We have reached our maximum of beans in the freezer, so we will have to sacrifice ourselves and eat them fresh I suppose. If you look closely, you can see some Borage leaves at the base of the wigwam. We had already planted this green manure plant and they were coming along. What to do… my Bride simply transplanted two rows to make room for the new ordered strawb plants. They are stunted a little, but are blooming at present. The wigwam for the purple climbers we just sort of stuck-in at the end of the green manure patch. it is raining throughout Nederland today, so I have time for this writing. i wonder how the race will be affected and how Max will fare.
Too right, Loggie. Chuckle, yeah, running out of space is a pain. There are still things to harvest— wotsa bloke to do !
My stars, how lovely and prolific is your lottie! How about getting another freezer to accommodate the produce overflow? Sure wish I had your green thumb .
Ha ha, another freezer. My word, now there’s an idea. Your thumb IS green, what are you talking about! Heavens to mergatroid, even.
I understand your difficulty. I too am running out of space. The spaghetti sauce went into the refrigerator freezer. But my freezer is very small. I picked quite a few raspberries yesterday. If I pick the same tomorrow I'll can another batch of jelly. I wanted to freeze it, but I'm getting very particular about what's going in either freezer.
Yes Sjoerd you can buy another freezer but there's only so much space for each one, I've done that and i still need another.
Uh-oh Loggie, perhaps I had better not splash out for a second freezer. Willow— yes that is the stage that we are at now—being very selective at what we freeze-in.
Sjoerd, yes get a second freezer if you want to but be prepared that it might not be enough. I have 2 chest freezers upstairs, at first it was intended for half of it for the raw dog food and half for the fruit, eventually the fruit wone.
Well, if I got a second freezer, would I be able to eat it all. Haha. That is the question. I have things left over every year— veg and fruit as it is.
Yes you would have produce left over,so do we but now i put some more of the fruit on our breakfast, by the time it's harvest time again I've got more room so I've started doing that earlier. You would have to think what other meals you could you use it for.
I make a lot of smoothies. I can drink them on the way to work and I throw in a handful of raspberries and a chunk of kale, and spinach (if I have any). Last year I froze 11 or 12 quart bags and I was on my last one when I started picking them again, and I had no kale left. I could have picked more, but I ran out of freezer space, that was before I had my little freezer (thank you Amazon days).
Yes, I had a smaller, but bigger than what I have now freezer when my kids were growing up. When I moved to Georgia, then Texas I wasn't using it so I got rid of it. In Washington I didn't have room for another freezer, so I canned. Now that I'm here in Wisconsin, I have space for a couple raised beds, my raspberries and strawberries, I should have grapes next year and this spring I'm going to put in a fruit tree or two and probably a pink champagne current. So a freezer was definitely on my list. Although I do have a basement with lots of storage for canning, freezing is so much nicer.
I agree, but I do like to do jams in jars. They go into the pantry. My grandparents used to can toms, beans and other things. One year many of her canned veggies went all wrong and she never did them again. As an adult, I wondered if there was botulism in those jars. It can happen.
