I feel like we have our own slice of the Good Life this week. We’ve had quite a few veggies from the patch, lots of things are almost ready to pick, we’re eating homemade jam and I’m drying chillies and herbs. We picked our first runner beans the other day – they were so tasty, well worth the wait! When we had the fungus gnat problem I barely watered anything for 2 weeks, the beans really struggled and didn’t think they’d make it. So I’m chuffed they pulled through and we have beans.
There are a lot more to come too – I’ve got my eye on runner beans with shallot butter and if they all come at once, runner bean chutney.
This chilli photo was taken by Scott. He doesn’t normally take photos of the garden but one day while I was picking caterpillars off the kale, he bought the camera out and had a snap. I really like this photo, it makes the chillies look a bit evil and hot.
I’ve finally dug all the garlic up, I’ve been itching to see it! We ate a couple of bulbs straight out of the ground and the rest are drying. Now I’ve had a practise run I feel ready to put a few rows in. It’s odd because you literally put the cloves in the ground and leave them for a few months. They don’t take much work, but it feels like a big achievement for me. Fingers crossed the drying goes well.
It appears my swearing at the brother trucking pests paid off last week because they haven’t been back for seconds. Most of the fruits are now orangey green so it shouldn’t be long before they are ready.
This is the first tomato from the same plant. When I picked it, it was still warm from the sun so I carried it around in my hand for a while. Who knew tomatoes made good hand warmers.
Elsewhere in the garden, the Spotted Lady’s Thumb is turning reddy pink. It has started to go to seed so I don’t think it’ll be around for much longer. I have no idea how it got there but I’m hoping it comes back next year.
The Begonias G+G gave us are doing really well. I’m glad they sent some our way because I don’t really know much about bedding plants and wouldn’t have thought to pick them up. The best thing about being given plants is discovering things you wouldn’t normally buy.
I spotted tiny tiny flower buds appearing on tips of the heather plant. This one is Autumn flowering but it looks like we still have a way to go yet.
I’ve started noticing small hints of Summer winding down. It’s still warm but the Autumn heather is forming buds, the cornflowers are starting to look pooped and the back garden is getting less sun than it did a few weeks ago. But it doesn’t make me sad because in a few weeks time I’ll be planting garlic, spinach and lettuce that loves cold weather as much as I do. Vive la veg patch!
Viva la Veg Revolution! *waves cucumber around like a lunatic*
The size of your brother trucking veg! The bean and tomato – wow! I’m dying to see how you get on drying the garlic , I must head back to the post where you planted some and make notes. Our courgettes and beetroots have finished here now and I’m itching to plant something in the space. My neighbour says I should ‘leave the soil’ now but that sounds far too boring – I want to plant garlic! It’s not hard to do is it? Tell me it’s not!
I know exactly what you mean about signs of Autumn, the New Forest is covered in a blanket of purple and pink heathers now, really makes me realise that Summer won’t last much longer.
Thanks for joining in again Gemma! Hmmmm shallot butter *dribbles*
Haha! Honestly, the garlic was seriously easy. I think as long as you put the clove in the ground the right way up it’ll work out fine. Resting is for people who do things by the book. I’m going to be a rebel and sow some new seeds pronto. Still no courgettes for us, thinking about beetroot for next year. Nom!
Your beans and tomatoes look lovely and put my efforts to shame! We had garlic a coup,r of years back and they kept for such a long time – well worth it!
Thank you! I don’t think we’ll have to worry about how long the garlic will keep for, we get through so much of it in this house 🙂
Your crop looks wonderful! The tomato is a beast, I hope it tasted good. I keep saying I will plant garlic and never get around to it, after seeing this I certainly will.
Go for it Emma, it’s really rewarding to harvest your own garlic. The tomato was deeeeelish!
those are some beans Gemma!!! so wonderful that your garden is doing so well.
I know, what a whopper! The record in the family is about 14.5 inches. Not quite there yet.
Gemma those beans are show quality. Top stuff!
Thanks so much. I never dreamed I’d grow such large beans!
Oh man all looks so good! Those beans are impressive.
Lovely crop. Garlic has never worked for me for some reason. I will try again though, one day I’ll harvest some as great as yours xxx
you have inspired me to try growing garlic too – we use so much it seems mad not to! We grew dwarf French beans instead of runner beans this year and they are tasty too, although not as dramatic as yours x
We had some dwarf French beans too this year. Very tasty but being mobbed by the tomatoes at the moment 🙂
those beans are enormous, as is that tomato i would just want to slice that bad boy up in the garden and scoff it, its a wonder anything makes it back to the kitchen. Drying herbs thats a good idea i totally forgot i tend to freeze them, so i will try drying.
Freezing them is a good idea, I’ll have to try that! I’m a nibbly gardener too, I eat little bits of herbs when I’m in the garden.
WOW! Your beans and tomatoes look incr-edible!
Vive le veg patch indeed! What gorgeous produce 🙂
Some top growing there! I’m very impressed with the length of your runner beans. I’m always afraid of letting them grow too long. Nice to hear you have your autumn planting plans ready.
Gorgeous photos – and my tomatoes are taking forever to ripen: I’ve just got one plant that’s producing ripe fruits at the moment, while the others stay stubbornly green.
My garlic got that funny white rot underneath and then infected the onions. Whoops!