When we returned to the allotment, we saw that an onion had shot. Without missing a step we got stuck-in and lifted them all. We have tried curing them in several different ways and places. This new method was the Bride’s idea. We harvested the Swiss chard again and put-up six more freezer bags full and ate one portion for supper. “That would have been seven”, I lamented. The Bride just stood there, arms akimbo and tilted her head in a disapproving manner...with one eyebrow raised, finally culminated with a head-shaking. Cackle. The sad spinach replanting all shot and so we schoffeled them flat, weeded then raked and planted Phacelia as the green manure. Finally it was the turn of the broad beans’ patch. We removed and chopped-up the leaves and stalks and chucked that into the compost bin. We will plant more Phacelia as well as Borage in their place. It was time to lop off some runners and side-chutes from the cukes. The roses needed to be deadheaded again. I am doing it every day now, and almost all the blooms are gone. We watered the neighbour lady’s garden for the last time and placed a welcome home jar of strawberry jam in her elevated strawberry “patch” which we had also been tending. We also had a mate over for barbecued burgies and potato salad with tiramisu to end with. Aside from the Swiss chard processing, it was time for more jamming. Here we can see the strawbs that we froze-in over the past weeks. Then the jars lined-up on the catwalk. Some of the the blueberry plants needed to be packed in curtains because they were beginning to turn blue. You have to do that here because of the birds. They will pick a bush clean in just a day and a half ! Things are going along now, but the whole season seems a bit strange. When I chat with other members on our terrain they say the same thing. We all have the same failures and same things doing well. One thing especially noted is that the weeds are doing better than ever before. Very difficult to keep them contained. I hate to end on a sad note but, we harvested two of the four spud plants that came up. It was devastating to see. They looked pitiful. We’ll have some tonight.
Looks like the perfect way to dry onions Sjoerd! I'm wondering what the plant is, in your "neighbour ladys garden", at the bottom left side corner of the photo? Those leaves do not look familiar to me at all!
Netty, that is difficult for you to see because of the camera angle, but it is the top of a hazel hedge. (If we are talking about the same thing).
If nothing else, the folks in your neck of the woods certainly take gardening seriously. Love the onion drying rack/string. Love the purple flowers. Love that you make use of everything. You will not starve if Hard times come. Do you use the Borage for tea? I dry it and drink the tea.
I have never made borage tea for drinking. I have eaten the blooms on my salad though. The borage I use for conditioning the soil. You are right, the gardeners here do take the gardening very seriously. Perhaps its in the DNA.
We, my housemate and I, take gardening seriously too. I see very little veggie growing aside from ours. My daughter does try, but her space is limited. I took out the last of the potatoes. We gathered cukes and squash, both yellow and Zucchini, twice today. If only tomatoes would begin to ripen.
