Hoikkaido squashes. The squash plants were a first-time experiment for me, and they quickly took over the garden. Lemon crystal cucumbers (and Patch). Delicious served cold from the fridge with a little rice wine vinegar/soy sauce/sesame seed combo. A delicate lemon flavour and crisp flesh.Mystery potatoes. These are the children of some spontaneous potato plants that grew from our not-fully-broken-down compost.
The courgette glut continues apace. We’ve had massive fruits from our two main plants, and looks like plenty more to come. Still working on perfecting the courgette fritter (with mint, feta, garlic, egg and flour).We’re growing two varieties of tomato: Gardeners’ Delight (a cherry variety) and Douglas F1 (medium fruits). We’ve started eating the cherries (deliciously sweet), haven’t had a fully ripened Douglas as yet.Our two crystal lemon cucumber plants are starting to fruit. They’re not ideally positioned (outside the greenhouse, in a slightly shady spot) so we’ll see how they turn out.The sprouts are growing slowly but steadily.I’ve counted nine squashes growing, and many more little fruits showing on our ever-extending plants. We harvested one last week, but far too early. It was not a pleasant eating experience!Our runner beans have run amok. Many are now harbouring full size beans that I’ll leave on the vine and harvest later in the year for drying. The younger beans coming through are very tender and pleasant when steamed and served with a little oil or butter, sea salt and black pepper.Late-sown spinach is doing well, with regular monitoring for eggs and leaf miners.Lamb’s lettuce, strong chervil and rocket courtesy of LIDL’s seed pots!Another LIDL seed pot experiment – outdoor aubergine. Their success will depend on the hot weather keeping up. No sign of any fruit yet.The root vegetable patch (where first potatoes, beetroot, carrots and parsnips were grown) is now home to an odd assortment of veg including broccoli, courgette, compost-borne potato plants and more beetroot. Potted carrots doing well too.Our little wildflower wilderness is doing well, and the borage in particular is very popular with the bees.Time to deadhead some of Madge’s roses (so named as they were planted by the garden’s former owner). These old roses have a beautiful sherbet scent.Coriander flowers. I’ve planted lots coriander but have had very little to use as the plants bolt so quickly.One of our many bee visitors investigating the oregano flowers.Radish flowers and seed pods.Patch and Pip supervising garden activity.Pip’s tennis balls keep disappearing into the squash leaf jungle.
