Companionship is an important part of life. And this is just so in the kitchen garden where the carrots have been making friends with Marigolds. These are orange beacons amongst the predominant greens and as well as bringing colour to the garden they’ve kept the pests away from our prized crops. I’m definitely going to increase the amount of flowers we grow with the vegetables next year. These are both beautiful and purposeful so deserve a prized place.
Although we are moving to the end of our prime growing season there is still plenty to marvel over. I am also getting increasingly inspired about what are the culinary possibilities from our remaining crops.
There are piles of gardening and food magazines around the house. Each tagged with post-its and markers reminding me of recipes and ideas for growing. I’m sure I’d benefit from a more systemmatic filing and index system but where would the fun be if things were so organised. I do however get a buzz from reading a recipe and mentally ticked vegetables off the shopping list as we have them down in the garden. I am loving my backyard pantry more and more.
I’m enjoying picking a few sticks of celery as we need them. And looking forward even more to harvesting celeriac which leaves have a striking resemblance to celery leaves.
The red crops are some of my favourites for the boldness they bring to the garden.We have chard, red cabbage and loads more beetroot.
It’s all happening still with the carrots and the squashes are starting to go crazy. What’s more the aubergines (or egg plants) have finally shown their true colours. There’s a multitude of flowers coming through. I’m not convinced they will turn into a fruit for picking but it’s good to know that at least I can grown them from seed.
The tomatoes are still romping away. Pity they’re not showing any signs of turning red. I’m on a mission to find the perfect green tomato recipe though.
This coming weekend I’ll be lifting the main crop potatoes and planting out new seeds of winter crops to start off in the barn. Broad beans are also going in to replace the peas which were sumptuous while they lasted.
I’ve been keeping copious notes of things to remember when planning for next year’s season. Most of all it’s to remember that it isn’t that long till I need to get the next crops underway. To give us the best chance of success we’re going to invest in some poly tunnels for our raised beds and may go for broke and get ourselves a small greenhouse as an insurance against another full crop of green tomatoes.
What’s really strange right now is that whilst I’m starting to wind down our food growing efforts our friends and family in the northern hemisphere are only just starting this year’s theirs.