I popped into the garden for my daily caterpillar hunting duties the other day and got a little sidetracked. I found 7 caterpillars and also a good pile of runner beans, 5 chillies, 3 dwarf beans, 1 cherry tomato and a big plum tomato.
If you read my garden update last week you’ll know I found a recipe for runner beans with shallot butter I wanted to try. Well now I have… and it was a party in my mouth. Slightly caramelised shallots in a sweet butter with fresh beans, yum! I used a bean slicer rather than cutting them in chunks.
The cherry tomatoes are starting to ripen now. I’m hoping we’ll get a glut at some point so I can make pasta sauce to squirrel away.
We finally have a female courgette flower which means we might get 1 courgette – if we do I shall declare my courgette growing a success!
It has this lump at the base of the flower which I’m hoping is a courgette. Or have I got that totally wrong? I’ve not grown them before so not sure what I’m doing.
The leeks are starting to look more substantial. I’ve only put a couple of rows in as this is our first year in this house and we are experimenting to see what grows. We don’t have tonnes of space so I don’t want to max out on one crop in case it flops.
I’ve sown some salad leaves but something is nibbling the seedlings. Not sure if it’s slugs or caterpillars. I think the sparrows might be having a go at it as the second row seems to be getting shorter and shorter.
Elsewhere in the garden the sweet peas are just about hanging on. There are only a few flowers left now.
The geraniums are filling out and I’ve spotted a few flower buds growing. I really like how the leaves look in the sun, they smell good too.
And my bargain £1 hanging basket is looking really good. It’s full of petunias.
The wild flowers in the front are starting to fade and a lot of plants are going to seed. Better get seed saving for next year.
What are you all planning to do with your gardens during the next few months?
yes, you will have a courgette before long! My immediate plan is to create some new strawberry plants from the runners, which I will pot up for now and plant out on the allotment next spring.
Ooh thanks Annie! I’ll keep an eye out for how it progresses. Good thinking – I have lots of strawberry runners too, I should pot them up.
Your recipe looks delicious! I’m also now inspired to try growing courgettes again next year.
We are still waiting for our first courgette (!) so I’m going to grow them again next year. Good luck with yours!
that bean dish looks so good!!!! our garden is mainly green at the moment but i do plan to start planning around october. i miss having tomatoes. xx
It was very good! I think it would work with any type of bean.
Your pictures are lovely, it is great seeing vegetables growing isn’t it, theres a real sense of satisfaction when you can harvest them. Our courgettes are coming to an end but we had a lot this year x #HDYGG
Glad you got lots of courgettes. I think my planning ahead jinxed ours 🙂 Growing and eating your own veg is very satisfying!
The beans look delicious. What a great idea.
They were. Just need another batch of beans and we can have them again!
That bargain hanging basket looks gorgeous! You’re getting plenty out of your garden, which much feel very satisfying x
It does! Looking forward to next year now we know more about the garden.
The slugs have ruined my veggies this year 🙁
We do have a courgette plant in a pot though which so far has given us one yummy one! Apparently though it has to have a small tubey thing behind the flower which turns into a courgette, not the fat bit you have. But I may have misunderstood!
I feel your pain with the slugs, they are sucking the life out my lupin 🙁 I’ll go and have a nose for a tubey bit on the courgettes later.
That’s looking like a lovely courgette to me. I am still reeling from losing every single one whilst on holiday, sob. Im not sure I’ll have a glut of anything this year but at least we can enjoy the pickings there are available. I absolutely love the sound of those beans with shallot butter-heaven on a plate 🙂
Oh no, that’s a shame 🙁 They are heaven on a plate, can’t wait until more beans are ready.
Homegrown tastes so much better than shop bought. Your bean dish looks yummy. One of my neighbours gave me some beans and courgettes, which was lucky as my broad bean plants have only produced 4 beans. But I did get a good crop of raspberries and tomatoes. Blogged a bruschetta recipe using the tomatoes. #HDYGG
You’re one broad bean up on me, we only got 3. They were tasty though. I’ll check out your bruschetta recipe!
Beeeeeeeeeean love! So good when you get to really enjoy what you have grown isn’t it? It’s been a tomato fest this week, with salsa made. Good luck on the courgette front, it seems to be a bit pot luck this year, ours did super well and grandads didn’t do well at all. Sadly since discovering our guinea pigs like beans, Kittys has been sneaking them any one she can find – she dislikes them so I think it’s a ploy!
Thanks for joining in again sausage x
Our sweet peas are just about hanging on too – this is the longest we’ve managed to keep them going so I hope they manage a bit more! You’ve prompted me to sow some more lettucy-type seeds, homegrown is definitely soo much better – hope yours survive.
Fabulous Gemma, it really must be so wonderful to be eating from your own garden. Makes me really look forward to planting for next year 🙂 Love the look of that recipe, off to check it out… #HDYGG
Still all looking great Gemma 🙂 You will love that courgette when it is ready to pick and eat – mine have done really well this year, but I’ve not had success before… I think they need quite a big pot or a lot of space to grow well (but I am NO expert!!). Our runner beans have so far produced a couple of side dishes for my hubby and I – they were yummy. Just lovely so fresh! Must try your recipe, it looks delish.