What a difference a week makes. The children and I only visited the plot last Friday, just before we went on holiday, and gathered all of the ripe raspberries leaving masses of still barely pink fruit to pick upon our return. The wasps had other plans, and when I visited today to have a good harvesting session, there was not a decent raspberry left. The rotten wasps had sucked them all dry. However, whilst they were busy on the rasps, they have ignored the currants so I was able to harvest black, red and white currants, and a large bowl of Jostaberries - a blackcurrant/gooseberry cross. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) Had a good gossip with a couple who have a plot at the other end of the sight. They were very downhearted as pretty much everything they had planted has whithered and died. It is very trickly on our allotment with no piped water. I also had a gossip with one of my lottie neighbours, who kindly gave me 3 courgettes as mine are very slow at starting. Picked a cucumber, some lettuce and great beetroot. They don't seem to have minded the drought at all. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) All things being equal, I plan to go to the plot later in the week for a weed and pick. The spuds need digging and the toms desperately need tying in as they are weighed down with green fruits. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden )
Mmmm...yummy! Those currents look fantastic EJ...the birds always get mine. I've also picked a few tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers.
Welcome back, EJ-- Hope you guys enjoyed your hols. Well, you had quite a harvest, didn't you...and there's more on the way. I am curious about the Jostaberries. I have never seen or tasted them. What are they like, taste-wise? The wasps here are also a bit aggressive with fruit. They especially like my plums. If it gets any worse here, I shall have to make some wasp traps. What a shame about your gardening neighbour's dried and withered plot. It's so dis-heartening. I hope that they don't give-up. Trading--giving and receiving produce is one of the BIG plusses of gardening on an allotment complex, I dind. Hope you enjoy the courgettes. I have been harvesting alot lately and this bit of coolness and moisture here is helping enormously. I am taking vacation beginning tuesday for two and a half weeks to harvest and process the fruit and veg. Your fruit and veg quality look splendid. Too bad you have finished your hols--you could come over here and helped me harvest and process (payment in jam and fresh veg, of course). hahahahaha.
Mmmm... Our berries are just starting to ripen now. Bad summer indeed. Sorry about the raspberries, but the rest of your harvest looks yummy.
Great crops you've got there EJ. I just picked all our blackcurrants and made sorbet out of them. Wasps are a real pain when there's ripe, soft fruit around but at least you have plenty of other berries they didn't get a chance to munch on.
