Forgive me gardeners, for I have sinned.....I plucked the first ripe cherry tomato from the vine and ate it immediately, without thought of sharing it, or photographing it. There it was...gone! It was delicious, sweet and juicy, warm and full of summer hope. Had a great day on the allotment, but if we don't get some proper, serious rain soon, I fear many things will be smaller - a sight already seen on my raspberry canes. I grow a variety called Glen Ample, and usually, as the name suggests, they are lovely large plump fruits. This year, due to the lack of moisture, the fruits are delicious, and plentiful, but small. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) I also picked some white alpine strawberries. Now these are special, small but a blast of strawberryness. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) I did get the chance to use a hose pipe from one of the allotment neighbours, so was able to fill all of my waterbutts to the brims. I also used my stinking nettle tea brew to water my tomato plants and my squash plants. Hopefully that will give them all a boost. As you can see, our first cucumber has set. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) To go with the cucumber, and ahem....tomato....the salads are doing well, but quickly bolting in the heat. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) Considering how dry it is on the plot, I was able to harvest a carrier bag of peas and freeze and pound and half of podded peas. I also picked a good armfull of broadbeans. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) The spinach doesn't seem to mind the dry, but these are planted down by my shed which is in the dappled shade of a willow, so is a much cooler end. I have interplanted it with radish as they should be long gone by the time the spinach is large. They also like the cooler air. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) The rhubarb is still producing good stems, these are very young ones, sweet and tender. I will have one more good pick later in July and then I will leave them alone to recover until next year. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) A few people came to the plot today, all moaning about the lack of rain. Funny - to the non gardener, this hot, dry weather is blissful. To us, it has it's downfalls.
Wow! Your garden is doing really well! I have never seen white strawberries. I am sure all of your stash will be very tasty. :-D
All of your produce looks great. Funny, you mentioning tomatoes as I was just complaining about having too many. I hope yours are as prolific as mine have been this year. I am picking a three gallon bucket of large tomatoes daily and a 1 1/2 gal. bucket of the small ones you mentioned. They are really good though. Aren`t they?
Now THAT's what I've been waiting to see from over that way. The sort of a harvest that would fill me with a piping-hot green jealousy. As per usual, you are out in front of we here across the channel. I enjoyed seeing how things are progressing there--it gives me hope for mine. We've been suffering from the arid conditions as well and I have walked myself senseless in the heat carrying cans upon cans of water to keep things going, only to be visited by moles where I had watered. :-? Tch! Anyways, your berries, beans lettuce and cues are making a good showing, as are the rest. Say, Emma--what became of that project that you were going to do down at the ditch? The one whereby you were going to dig deep depressions so the water would pool when it drained into the ditch from time to time? Have the pools also dried-up? I feel for you and your water probs there. I hope that it rains soon.
After seeing all those luscious fruit and veggies you're growing I suppose I can forgive you for eating that first tomato. Just remember we want a photograph of the second one though before you pop it in your mouth!! Mind you if my rasps and strawberries were ready now then the only one to see them would be my stomach.
Your garden is trying to over come the heat EJ.It has a great show now.I have never seen a stawberry that color before.Everything looks soooo yummy.I'm sure that tomato we never saw was too .
What lovely produce EJ and I had already DHL some rain to you!! Oops hope it will reach you. (DHL - Deliver Halfway Lost)
Wonderful looking veggies your're growing! I too plucked our first two cherry tomatoes as soon as they were ready...yumm I sure hope you get the rains... wish I could send some of mine to you.
Oh Emma I'm quite envious of your lovely harvest. Don't blame you for eating the tomato, I would have done exactly the same Like you, my small veg bed is suffering a little from lack of rain, even though I have been watering it regularly but it never has the same effect as pure rain water. We have had some nice stawberries from our new veg bed (albeit most of them a little small) and a few nice handfuls of radish. Your produce is all looking very healthy, unusual white strawberries.
