They call it mellow yellow

After a heavy rainfall on Sunday night and early Monday morning, it started to brighten up and the sun came out for a while during the morning. The rain had left everything in the garden looking fresh and glistening with raindrops. I hadn't realised how much yellow there was this year in the garden. It's the first year that I have grown so many flowers from seed, and the Rudbeckia and the Zinnias are beautiful and are definitely on my 'To grow again next year' list.

Six little 'munchkin' squashes and three round yellow courgettes.

I found the little garden gnome in the loft. It was given as a joke present to my son whilst he was at university, it seemed a shame to leave him up there, so after checking with my son if he wanted it, and he didn't, I put him in the garden.

The herb and salad boxes

Today's bumper harvest

I haven't been up to the allotment for a couple of days, so I went up today and found lots of little jobs that needed urgent attention. The first big job was to cut the comfrey back as it was so overgrown that it was hiding two courgette plants. I will never be able to use it all myself, so I'll give some away to other plot holders to make comfrey tea. It might stink but it's a great tonic for the plants. I will add some to the compost bins as well as it's a good accelerator and adds lots of goodness to the compost.

Then I had some weeding to do, lot's of weeding ! The 'Munchkin' squashes grown this year from seeds kindly sent to me by Kella ( where is that girl ?? she hasn't posted for ages !! ) anyway back to the Munchkins, they have taken over vast amounts of space on the plot, meandering here and there and sprouting baby munchkins all over the place, we had a tiny one (accidentally cut off too early) for dinner this evening, steamed with all the other veg we had and it was delicious.

My harvest today consisted of :

1 large swede

2 munchkin squashes

2 large 'Abraham Lincoln' tomatoes

lots of cherry tomatoes

10 beetroot

french beans

mangetout

carrots

raspberries

2 long green courgettes

1 very overgrown large round green courgette

My neighbours are very pleased that I grow my own as they have been benefiting from my bumper harvests this year. It's nice to give some away as there is only so much one can eat or freeze, it's good to share it.

Busy Busy Busy

I have been so busy these last few weeks, as I expect you all have as well. But I thought I should find a least half an hour today to do a post, as it's so easy to get out of the habit of regular postings.

Last Friday we went to stay with my son and his wife and enjoyed a day/night with the grandchildren, then on Saturday we caught the train and went to our other son who lives in central London. We had a fabulous time and visited Camden Lock , we haven't been there for years. It's an amazing place, buzzing with life and teeming with people. I must have taken over 150 photo's and have captured the spirit of the place, but that will have to be another post or even a link to flikr. If you ever get a chance to go I can really recommend it.


In the evening we ate out in Primrose Hill at a traditional Greek restaurant, the food and ambiance was brilliant. We then walked up Primrose Hill which is always crowded with people whatever the time.

On Sunday we went to Leicester Square and had lunch in a vegetarian South Indian restuarant and went to look around the amazing 'Liberty' store. The interior of the building is stunning, and for 'crafty' people like myself the haberdashery and fabric departments are awesome, I had to be dragged out screaming I WANT I WANT !!!!!!


Anyway ! that was the week-end, so now back to reality and the Garden (watered by a kind neighbour in exchange for Lot's of veggies) and the allotment watered by my daughter. I went up to check the greenhouse and the tomatoes were HUGE and some were ripe. There were courgettes (oh No) aubergines (moussaka today ) and hundreds of red and white onions to pull up and left on racks to dry, a few of the smaller ones I bought home to dry in the garden

Moussaka

These are the 'Abraham Lincoln' tomatoes grown from seed (VICTORIANA NURSERY)

the largest here weighed 12 ozs on it's own.

Little and Large ( a mix of different tomatoes)

The Newly built brassica tent, not quite a cage ! as we need more aluminum rods as I didn't buy enough, I have got all the 'Build a Balls' I need though.


Rosie has new clothes

Flowers picked from the garden this morning

Dahlias make a beautiful bouquet

That's about all for this post. I actually feel very tired today after all the walking about in London and I haven't done half the things I wanted to do. Never mind there is always tomorrow ! I now have to get on and get that moussaka cooked.

Have a good week everyone.

M x