Jul 28th, 2010
by isabel.
I never meant to grow onions this year. If I’m honest, I think they’re a bit of a waste of space as they are so very cheap in the shops, and there isn’t a huge difference in taste between home-grown bulbs and shop-bought.
But enticed by an offer at my local nursery, I found myself growing ‘Ailsa Craig’, ‘Electric’ and ‘Snowball’ in pots on the balcony and in one bed in my veg plot. I planted the sets in the autumn, and watched anxiously as the sky plonked a load of snow on top of them. Alliums are pretty hardy beasts, but this was pushing it. Interestingly, although all survived, those that grew the strongest were those on the balcony, presumably because they had more sun and the snow melted more swiftly.
When it came to harvesting, I waited for the foliage to fall over and die before I pulled the bulbs. It’s really important not interfere with the plant at this stage: old-fashioned methods of bending the leaves over manually can often bruise the delicate bulb and lead to rots in storage.
After harvesting, I left the bulbs in the sun for a week to allow the skins to form a protective layer around the bulb, which will also encourage a long life in storage. And then I carefully arranged the bulbs in a single layer in my storage boxes, and placed gently in my cool, dry shed, to store for the coming months.
Don’t store any bulbs which have got rots or bruises, or which bolted and produced flower spikes. These won’t last very long at all in storage, and will only spoil the pristine bulbs around them.
Posted in: blog, vegetables.
Jul 27th, 2010
by Vegalicious.
Wondering what to do with your glut of courgettes? Fear not – the Vegalicious team have cooked up a storm of appetisers from this fabulous vegetable.
Continue reading →
Posted in: blog, recipes.
Jul 26th, 2010
by isabel.
This year, the cherry tree in our garden gave us a mythical-sized crop. The fat waddling wood pigeon who normally scoffs every single fruit on the branches has disappeared to some great orchard elsewhere, and so in the evenings after work, I clambered onto chairs and picked huge bowlfuls. The tree is full sized, which meant that even though I was harvesting a big mixing bowl of cherries every two or three days, there was still plenty to share with the starlings.
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Posted in: blog, fruit.
Here’s a date for your diary. Next Saturday. Check the blog for an extremely exciting launch. Don’t miss it.
{Weekly wrap-up}
Hot posts, stories and images from the web this week.
Claire Sutton makes a yummy, scrummy pear cake.
Ryan Lewis gives some sage tips on saving water in the garden.
Dave Warwick makes a fabulous redcurrant kir.
For cooks who might pluck their herbs to death, Gayla Trail gives tips on increasing your stock.
Posted in: blog, news.
Jul 25th, 2010
by isabel.
My mangetout really is marvellous this year. I always grow ‘Oregon Giant’, because it has the most super-duper juicy taste, and also stays soft and munchable even when you leave it to grow as big as this pod.
Continue reading →
Posted in: blog, vegetables.
I always fall in love with Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ far before it has started to flower. I just adore those flower spikes which look like rib cages, and then when the flowers burst into flame, I’m smitten until mid-September, when the display ends.
This Crocosmia cultivar is much taller than the little orange species, with long reed-like leaves and tall, arching stems. The flowers are huge and showy and bright as a button. I grow these plants in my vegetable patch, surrounded by cheese-coloured squash flowers and bright red tomatoes.
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Posted in: blog, flowers, grow this.
Tagged: grow this
Image by Dwight Sipler
Ask most vegetable growers what their worst, most dreaded plant problem is, and they snap ‘blight’ right back at you. Late tomato blight is one of those very miserable diseases that sneaks right up at you, often as your fruits are swelling on the plant, and ruins everything.
This is a snap of what blight looks like when it hits a tomato plant. You’ll see blackened patches on the stems, followed by brown splodges on the tops of the leaves, and white furry splodges on their underside.
There’s nothing you can do once your plants have got blight, save acting fast to save the fruits. Cut them off as soon as the symptoms appear, and take them indoors. You can either use them to make delicious green tomato chutney, or ripen them in a warm place.
As for those blight-infected plants, you need to bin them or burn them. Don’t put them on the compost heap as there is a chance the spores may overwinter and revisit the misery on next year’s crop.
To prevent blight, space your plants well so that air circulates around the plant. Remove the lower leaves as the season draws on, and never, ever water the leaves as these sort of damp, humid conditions are blight’s favourite breeding ground.
Posted in: diseases.
This really is a rather fabulous shrub. It’s so fabulous that even those who hate the conventional purple spires of Buddleia davidii will find themselves irresistibly falling in love with it. Buddleia x weyeriana ‘Sungold’ is a big bush covered in scoops of vanilla ice cream. Last summer I was so entranced by the shape of the blooms that I made a quirky flower arrangement from them.
This super-duper hybrid bush is a bee and butterfly magnet, smells gorgeous, and has flowers which look much more beautiful Continue reading →
Posted in: blog, flowers, grow this, shrubs.
Tagged: grow this
{Ryan’s Rare Plants}
Image courtesy of Solana Seeds
This is a plant for superfood and gourmet veg fans. Jaltomata procumbens (jaltomato) is a relatively rare fruit with the potential for great things. This South American fruit, with a sweet, spicy taste similar to grapes or tomatoes, is could make for an exciting new addition to your veg patch.
These easy-to-grow plants can grow as short-lived perennials but are better grown as annuals in our climate, if you can’t offer protection from cold. As with other members of the Solanum family, such as tomatoes and aubergines, jaltomata may require staking or some form of support. Fruits can be eaten raw or cooked and are particularly good in jams.
Vital stats
Location:
Sheltered and frost free
Light:
Full sun
When to plant:
Spring after all risk of frost has passed
What can I expect from this plant?
Height: 1m (3ft)
Spread: 1m (3ft)
Flowers: Smalll white flowers followed by shiny black fruits
Posted in: blog, flowers, fruit, vegetables.
