A Pear Tree without a Partridge and some Calebrese

I recently received my annual order from Victoriana Nursery,  last week the Pear tree arrived and this week the ten Calebrese plants. I can't recommend Victoriana enough ! everything I have ever ordered from Stephen Shirley has been top notch.  I did have a problem with some asparagus which just never appeared above ground after I planted it, but Stephen sent replacements without me even asking, I just e-mailed him for advise. I can't ask for better after sales than that.

The Pear tree arrived well packed and bare rooted. It was a perfect day to get it planted, so that's what we did and it seems to have settled in nicely.  We have lot's of fruit at the allotment now. There is a Victoria Plum tree which went in last year, The Pear tree as mentioned above ( which was much better priced than the plum tree from our local garden centre!!) then there's, rhubarb, raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, green gooseberries and red ones as well.  Lot's of strawberries, and a Tayberry which is also from Victoriana nursery. I should have my first big crop from the Tayberry this year (fingers crossed )

The Pear tree. An excellent specimen and already budding !

 Planted in place and staked on the plot. We put the sticky band around the tree and the stake today.

The Calebrese plugs are really healthy and large, but as its raining on and off today I decided to add some compost and grow them on in this individual plant tray for another week or so. This will give me time to decide where to put them and get the bed ready.  I am behind this year with all this crazy weather.

I have always got a link on my side bar for Victoriana Nursery as Stephen's advice on growing and planting is always helpful on his website as well as first class plants and seeds, and there is 10% off all orders .

Almost the week-end again !! I hope the sun shines and we can all catch up in the garden and on our plots.

M x

I've grown too much AGAIN !!!!

Last year I vowed not to grow excess amounts of veg on the plot this year, but I'm not sure how it happened but I have done it again.  Although it's lovely to share with the neighbours (which I did today !) but it all takes time to look after such vast amounts of plants. Trouble is I can't bring myself to compost healthy plants so even though I give away lot's of plants every year, I still have way too many.

I had a good harvest today and It's scary to know that although my fridge is full there will be more to harvest on my next visit. Next year I have to get it right !! how do you manage to just grow enough ? or do you also do as I do and grow too much ?

Here is some photo's taken on the plot today, it's all looking very lush. I dug up some garlic from the second bed  and this variety 'Cristo' is huge, it fit's into the palm of my hand.

The Globe Artichokes are enormous and growing like crazy.

The onions are growing well, they looked like blades of grass when I put them in as I grew them from seed.

I have lots of  self seeded Sunflowers and Calendulas, all brightening up the plot

The pumpkin and squashes are in

The Spinach has been amazing, but is slowly going to seed now so I have sown some more today.

The Runner beans and French beans have now reached the top of the wigwams and are all in flower.

The Tayberry has quite a few fruits now and I have been eating some for a couple of days.

The gooseberries have loads of fruit, the green ones are huge and the red ones are just turning from green to red and are delicious.

I am growing Cape Gooseberries in the greenhouse and this one is really getting big now and has quite a few fruits forming

And finally  here is the Broad beans, Mangetout, and Calabrese that I harvest today. I haven't grown calabrese before and I am so pleased with it as the heads have grown so big over the last week, I will definitely grow it every year.

It's been an amazing year so far, and there is so much more to come. All the potatoes are dug up now as I only grew first earlies. I will post the results on the varieties soon, as they were unusual  and I haven't grown them before.