Below is my first Italian red onion, with the round courgette, all ready to go into a stir fry. I bent over the foliage on lot's of the onions today ready to dig them up at the week-end, or whenever they look ready to come out. I should be self sufficient with garlic and red and white onions until well into next year. That's providing they all keep well. I grew all the onions from seed as I read that they store better for longer than onion grown from sets, we shall see !!
I went onto the Internet and googled 'plaiting garlic' , I found a good site that had really clear instructions and diagrams, so printed it off and had a go as i want to store the garlic traditionally. Below is the first and final attempt, it was fiddly but worth the effort as it looks nice as well as being good for the garlic as the air circulates well and help preserve it for longer.
This is how the garlic started out, it had just been dug up.
Dry, clean and roots trimmed.
My first attempt at plaiting, it's trickier than you think.
I got better on the second attempt
And below is the link for the instructions and diagrams for plaiting your own garlic.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PHOTO'S OF THE PLOT TAKEN TODAY.
Nasturtium's, 'tom thumb'French bean flower, 'Fasold'
A Squash flower, they are so beautiful.
First squash.
The sunflower hedge, 'Velvet Queen'
As you can see from this photo the plot opposite has been strimmed of all the tall weeds, it looks so much better.
The blue painted wheelbarrow that was given to me by Ken, another plot holder. I planted it up and it looks great.
Cosmos and dahlias
Dahlia 'Pink Giraffe'
7 comments:
hello,
your plot looks amazing... and so colourful.
plaited garlic always makes me giggle as we did this last year... got some intructions off the internet and had a go... it is tricky isn't it? and my man and i ended up arguing about the best way to do it!! this is why it makes me smile... we did have success in the end and laughed at our own silly behaviour.
wishing you a lovely harvesting week,
best wishes
ginny x
Hi Ginny, thanks for the comment. Yes it is a tricky job plaiting garlic, but it does look lovely hanging in the garage. The smell was too overwhelming in the kitchen! Loved you photo of the heart shaped crisp, what a find !.
Maureen, I read with interest that onions from seed keep longer than ones from sets. Mine (from seed) have kept very well for four months (hanging in mesh bags). Not as fancy as your garlic, but same idea, I suppose.
I laugh when I see your summer squash. That time has long since passed here. It's too hot and humid and the squashes just fold like a tent.
I had my first watermelon, though. It was amazing. The flesh was completely orange (almost a neon orange). And it was so sweet and refreshing. I'll do this again next year.
Right now, I'm keeping my eye on my guavas and my sugar apples.
Your flowers are looking great. The sunflowers are large and impressive.
Your garlic looks very professional. Well done on your success. I've never plaited garlic but I've heard it's tricky, so you've done really well.
The next door plot is looking better now that it's been strimmed, and it will keep all those weed seeds of your plot.
Your garlic looks great much bigger than mine. I was plaiting at the weekend too.
The rest of the plot looks fantastic too.
I'll check out the link re plaiting garlic I have a small amount I would like to pratice on.
Your plot looks great and so colourful, well done!! Love the sunfower hedge and the wheelbarrow.
Hi everyone, apologies for not responding to your comments before.
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PROSPERO, I wish I could grow watermelon,I love them, and guavas I love them too. I've not heard of sugar apples before.
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JO, thanks for the comment on my garlic plaiting. The plot next door definitely looks better for the strim.
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ALLOT OF VEG, thank you for your comments. When did you plant your garlic ? autumn planted garlic is the best as the cold spell swells the bulb, so they are always much bigger. Also it doesn't always work if you plant supermarket bought garlic, well it never has for me anyway and it's not recommended by professional gardeners.
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KELLA, good luck with the plaiting, I hope you will post a photo when your done. Thanks for the nice comments about my plot.
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