Summertime 29/08/2015

As the last days of August are here, as the rain seems to love putting a damping early grey to our sky, I keep crossing fingers to have enough sun bathing all my chillies, sweet peppers and tomatoes to their respective, red, yellow or black...

To be honest, this year proved itself already so bountiful.
It was the first year where I gave a good go at growing root vegetables. Previously, I only tried potatoes which gave me a nice bounty now for five to six years. Different varieties every year: 'Apache' stood out yet who can beat a good 'King Edward' when you grow one... And this year potatoes didn't fail to show up with a  decent harvest for a patio garden.

In Jan/Feb encouraged by the lovely harvest of Mooli radishes, I extended my repertoire of root veg to carrots (2 varieties, 'Nantes 5' and 'Chantenay'), beetroot (a normal classical type which I forgot the name of, let's call it 'Beetroot') and parsnips.

The result for the carrots was impressive although with the 'gianormous' size of the Chantenay, I guess I did let them in the ground a tad too long, however taste wise, braised in butter accompanied with shallots, seasoned with black pepper and cumin, yummy as hell. What's up Doc? So I grew a giant carrot... Not up to standard...? That's okay, I'll get rid of it in two bites... :0) Yep, that harvest made a Bugs Bunny out of me and my partner.



For the beetroot, if it was less of a bountiful, jumping about affair, yet they were duly pickled today to fill a Kilner jar which we will enjoy this autumn. It was my first attempt at pickling, and making that fragrant spiced vinegar filled the entire house with a lovely smell. Pickled beetroot is one of my big favourite since a wee kid. I could never have enough of them, the same went for gherkins. Just having a jar of them, makes me want to try again to grow beetroot next year: A fancy variety definitely, but the normal one too to get me growing them much better.






The hanging baskets full of Bumble Bee tomatoes has been a successful one despite the variety not being made for baskets. I must say they thrived in there and I am very much looking forward to that harvest.  I tricked a bit the stem growth when the plants were so so young with toilet paper roll. First it gives to the seedling that strong upright growth, the chase for the sunlight. Then kept on a bit it gives the lower stem, deprived of sunlight, that weakness, and flexibility perfect for being rooted in a hanging basket. Despite the risk of frost, I put them out mid may, while I delayed my other tomatoes to be planted out by a couple of weeks. When on their first week, their leaves turned brown, I thought they were cold shocked, however months later, they have been the hardiest ones this year and most fruitful of any of my tomatoes. The question between frost/sunlight/ temperatures is a hard one for any gardener. But from this experiment this year, I would say hours of sunlight are crucial more than warmer temperatures. The head start of a couple of weeks had a massive impact on their crops and delivery. I know I will eat those Bumble Bee tomatoes, cocktail size, they are the perfect Sunday afternoon nibbles mixed with little mozzarella pearls and
Greek basil, probably accompanied by a late summer Pimms and lemonade, while day dreaming of my next year's projects, patio wise and writing wise and plenty wise. The Bumble Bees turned out to be a physical reality, taking the risk of them fighting frosty nights. They are a bumper crop.  Shine a light, dare to put some beams on those tender leaves and let them do their things.

For the rest of the tomatoes, it is a show but a fairly weak one. My black ones did show up, though, lol, I have two that made it so far... Tigerella is a non show but in flowers, Moneymaker has a descent crop needing to turn red, and the Yellow Stuffer, a beef tomato kind has done a few which need lots of plumping up and to turn yellow to be bespoke to its name.

When it concerns the chillies and sweet peppers a lot just need that good big burst of sunshine, Let's say a good decent 14 days of rays kissing their flesh to the blushing red or yellow they should be. The Cayenne peppers have been sun kissed red and duly harvested. For the rest the size is there and the bounty but not the colour. The Romanesco pepper delivered on size, but also the sweet mini pepper who are not that mini whatsoever. Then the lemon drop chilli who have to turn yellow are giving us a fantastic crop.

As for the unusual, the gherkins which I was pinning for did start to do something and so are the cucamelons.Too early to say anything yet, but grown or sown a couple of weeks earlier may have helped there too, or put outside in a less conservative way.

There is still a good month of Summer left. For my part if the rain allows me to be lazy and not do any watering in the garden, I wish for more sun right now to sun kiss all my endeavours of the year with a blessed harvest of goodies for my kitchen.

Autumn is another adventure altogether. I went Sasquash for the Fall: Coquina squash and butternut Squash are growing fast but also the hundredweight Pumpkins slowly. Hopefully I will carve my own pumpkin for Halloween, and I will have a couple more for soup and tart. That's the grand plan as well as publishing the sequel to 'Hair Rising, Heir Raising, Erasing', the spooky tale, 'A Ghost Spell, A W-C's Haunting Return'.

This Winter, I intend to grow more of the Mooli, but I planted some winter leaves, from Spinach beet to curly scarlet kale passing by Japanese cabbage which are doing well so far. Cooking with those are going to bring funk into the winter plate.

Taking stock and looking back at all the months gone past, I marvel at what you can do with just pots and veggie bags and hanging baskets. Any spare metre counts if you want to make an adventure of it. Yet nothing are a given, nature, pests, weather are a crucial parameters to work with. But given hard work, you may turn that square metre into something palatable or gorgeous to the eyes.

My plans are already forming for next year to transform that space again into a bountiful kitchen garden with plenty new varieties I never tried before... Gardening is simply grounding you back to nature and rewarding. Planting the seed that will feed you later, gives you hope in a future within your own hands. Watch it grow with TLC, gives you strength. When the outside world tries to squeeze you and others out for monetary whatsoever reasons in despicable corporate ways, breaking free back to a true simply loving life gives you wings, strong and powerful, the hurt, the past caused, a voice.

Any time you feel the pain, just remember that you are FREE.

Remember to make it Better somehow for yourself.
For it is Your Life and No one else.

Love what you do: Truly.

XXX

Never forget to Dream.

Never forget to act upon those dreams.

To the people who told me you could never grow lemons in England:

Check my lemon tree in my British garden, full of rain, he was blessed with it this Summer,

Check these babies out: fruitful despite everything: It's just TLC.

Take loving care of your Dreams and just watch

them happening. Firetongue.