Those who grow their own veggies and fruit know the ecstatic feeling at the peak of harvesting time. August! Day after day your tastebuds are about to explode with happiness from fresh and healthy vegetable. There’s noting like it. There are some moments of disappointment as well of course and some surprises. Here’s a flood of photos from August and the first week of September. I’m starting with pleasant surprises.
For the first time I tried growing tenderstem broccoli from seed. I didn’t start till late April, so was told it was unlikely that I’d get some crop. However, I had a major crush on my tiny plants so decided to give them a chance. In June I planted them in the grow boxes. Lo and behold, in August I’ve had a great crop and the flavour is amazing!
The salad crop has been great. I’m still harvesting. On this plate everything is from the garden and greenhouse. Salad, celery, cocktail cucumbers and tenderstem broccoli. So nice!
In the last article I told you about a mistake I made, when I moved the cocktail cucumber plants I’d grown from seeds too early to the greenhouse. They died from being too cold poor things. I decided to try and grow from seeds again, even if it was June already. I’m glad I did cause in August I’ve been getting loads of cucumbers which are delicious!
Even got my first twins! Look at those cuties! 🙂
Fully grown twins.
This is one day’s crop and also some nasturtium (Indian cress) seeds I’ve been collecting and will use next spring. Notice a few jalapeños. The flavour was really mild as they hadn’t matured enough. A bit of a disappointment. However, I’m hoping to get a few good ones before the winter sets in. At least three are becoming oval after being round the whole summer.
Isn’t this beautiful? Yellow and red tomatoes, tenderstem broccoli, cucumber and a tad of cauliflower. Dressing made from olive oil and fresh herbs.
The mad growth of the potato vines was worrying. They became like a forrest and almost waist high.
And then started blooming.
The flowers were gorgeous, but I worried that since the plant had spent so much energy in leaves and flowers potatoes would be few and small.
Turned out to be needless to worry. Got even more than last year of wonderful potatoes. About 10-16 under each vine.
I tried cutting the flowers and bring it into my living room. They were a sight for sore eyes for almost two weeks.
Potatoes, tenderstem broccoli, salad, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs from the garden and greenhouse.
Look at those wonderful potatoes! Also Parisian carrots, herbs, kale, celery, cucumbers, sugar snaps and chilli.
Lots of chilli growing bigger.
I’ll be harvesting celery until October or even November if the weahter will be good.
Got a few nice heads of cauliflower. Such a small harvest though so probably I’m better off using the space for salad. As I use so much of that.
This was more than a little tasty.
Same with the tomatoes. They are divine but I only get a few of them towards the end of August.
I wasn’t optimistic about getting any cherry tomatoes cause the plant stayed small and grew no tomatoes until suddenly in August. Probably because of the horrific weather in May and June. However, now it has lots of green tomatoes. If the winter comes too soon for them to turn red I’ll take them into the kitchen window. Hopefully they’ll blush there.
My favourite this summer were these lovely little wild strawberries. This one plant from Kitty Von-Sometime has produced more than a handful of strawberries most days from early July and is still going strong!
The strawberry tower has given great crop as well, though not as much as last year.
Strawberries for dessert.
With a bit of cashews and pecans or even granola.
Whipped oat- or coconut cream, a tad of dark chocolate and you’re set. Mostly though they go directly from the plant into my mouth or into the mouths of my family and friends.
For the first time I tried growing new plants from the runners.
There they are in their small pots. They’ve become much bigger now. I’ll stick the pots into the tomato bed in the greenhouse to keep them warmer during the winter. Hopefully they’ll survive.
Finally the lovely flowers. I love having lavender in the greenhouse as well as outside. Such a beautiful fragrance.
And my darling Rhapsody in Blue, her fragrance is divine.
Confession. I planted some Dahlia bulbs in the spring, but the plants were legged and didn’t grow any flowers. Don’t know why. So I bought two small Dahlias and they’ve grown beautifully and have been blooming constantly since late June.
I didn’t have much luck with the Freesia’s either this year. Only one of them blossomed. It’s gorgeous though and the smell is lovely.
The only real disappointment this year is little or no garlic. I did everything the same way as last year when the I got great crop. Don’t know why, but suspect the unusually long and frosty winter.
If there’s anything I’ve learned this year it’s never to give up. The cocktail cucumbers and tenderstem broccoli taught me that. So I’m not giving up and planting garlic again this autumn.
Now it’s just looking forward to next spring! 😄
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