Yes, there was only one.
This must be a great year for Walnuts, look at these booties. Did you know there are 50 varieties, so my Dad tells me, and according to scientists they are the healthiest nut of them all.
Hooge damsons, lovely mushrooms, giant sloes...seems to be a good year for foragers.
I dug up a 1.1 lb potato today. Now I'm not saying it's a miracle, but if you look very closely...
Here is the veg plot for this year - extended by a curve, with a new rose arch for beans and a hi-vis scarecrow to keep off the pigeons. But a sad year for broccoli, still no rain and will be lucky to get two portions from this crop.
I thought it would be cold but it was bitter - but in the middle of town a lovely surprise as mine are all finished, and these have been cleaned - thankyou Mr or Ms Artichoke Seller.
Woooo!! I grew these myself !
There is an abundance of huge dusky purple sloes in the hedge at my sisters house - bigger than these - they are so big I am not sure if they are sloes or damsons? They have the sloe mouth-puckering taste but am I supposed to wait until there has been a frost to pick them? I dug up some of the artichokes last week because the leaves were yellow and dying - although I know its a bit early - I couldn't wait to look at them as it's the first time I've grown them, they were big and bright white, but had no flavour at all. Apparently they need frost too, I could put them in the freezer...? I have a nearly empty bottle of gin so gather enough sloes to fill it, prick them all over, add sugar and a cheap bottle of gin from Elmswell Co-op and we'll wait and see.
Nothing much left in here now...a few carrots for later, coriander, rainbow chard that refused to grow, spinach and three lots of broccoli. The artichokes are at the back and to the left my bay tree that got too big for its pot...and a chicken that shouldn't be there. There are three and they are not allowed near the veg. and no, I won't be eating them but I do like a fresh egg. The football grew by itself. I have made a new plot ready for next year, small - but it was all I could force the children to do.
Growing on the grass outside my house - there seem to be lots of fungi around at the moment, is it a good year with this mild damp weather? PS I didn't eat them - I'll be back.
More...
It's growing in my garden for the first time - after a year of picking off caterpillars, spraying, looking, poking and wondering if it was worth it, it has finally produced loads of delicious sprouting heads that are almost as good to eat as asparagus, which is good timing because now I need the space for some new plants.
In real life believe me it looks better, and in lovely WALES Uncle David's veg patch looked a lot healthier than this! But all being well I should have broad beans soon, courgettes, runner beans, french beans, potatoes, spring onions, beetroot, artichokes, gooseberries, currants, carrots, plums and apples, and have already had plenty of broccoli, rainbow chard, spinach, mixed salad leaves for weeks and lots of fresh herbs. The birds stole my strawberries.
Vegetarian week is over but there is still nothing better than a new potato from your own garden with a big knob of butter.