My little 'Victory Garden' is still producing things to eat.
I keep thinking I should start to cut everything back but then I spot one more courgette or one more little cucumber and the sun comes out again and I think ' I'll just give them a chance to grow'. And they are rewarding me wonderfully. I feel a bit guilty that the leeks are not getting the space that they should, but they are strong and sturdy and holding their own again the rampant cucumber plant.
The Christmas potatoes are lovely healthy plants, whether there are any potatoes in there is a whole other matter, but the foliage is beautiful. The spiders love joining the two beds together with webs during the night and getting to the shed means destroying some wonderful creations ... so I try not to venture in there too often.
The tomatoes in the new narrow bed are coming in at a few red ones each day. Once they stop ripening outside, I am hoping for enough left to be able to make a jar of green tomato chutney for my rationing store-cupboard.
We are still picking lettuce leaves virtually every day and they are doing really well. The only job I do need to do this week is to pick the apples off the tree and band the tree against the coddling moths that I have spotted this year, I'm not too hopeful for edible apples really, but Alan scrumped a few the other day so we do have some local ones ready for storing to supplement my rations.
Talking of rations, last week I had a good sort out of the store-cupboard. It was mostly to see what I had in stock and to make space to completely clear one shelf for my rations to live on.
I have a good selection of things in, and I will be able to 'shop my cupboard' for most of the 'on points' rations for quite a long time.
Thank you for all the good wishes for my Mum in yesterday's comments. She's safer now in hospital than I have felt she's been for a long time. Hopefully they will be able to sort out her many medical issues, get her medication under control and send her home once she is able to manage in her little bungalow again.
Sue xx
Gosh, your Victory Garden produce is looking lush and healthy. Our Christmas potatoes have lots of lovely leaves too so we live in hope of a tub of tasty potatoes at the end! Homegrown produce must have been so very welcome during the war years as, indeed, it will be now for many families.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed for your lovely mum. I do hope she feels better very soon.
I've just been harvesting all the green tomatoes; it's getting much too cold at nights for them to ripen outside now. It will be nice to have some homegrown potatoes in a couple of months, if it works. It's never worked for me before ... fingers crossed!
DeleteOh I do hope your mum is better soon, and back home, but meanwhile that her medical problems get proper treatment in hospital. What a worry for you.
ReplyDeleteGood that you still have things growing, and a good store cupboard too.
I'm relieved rather than worried, hopefully they will get things sorted out for her before she is sent home. I think we are right at the end of the Summer growing period now, I have just brought in all the green tomatoes. Chutney it is then!!
DeleteWhat well organised cupboards! Plenty there to choose from but I’m guessing some things will be off limits during the challenge eg the bags of crisps, tins of chickpeas. I met a neighbour last week who was dashing in and out of Lidl to buy brown sugar for her green tomato chutney. Catriona
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to have a tidy up and see exactly what's available isn't it. The only things available to me will be things that would have been in a store-cupboard at the start of the war. The rest is out of bounds for now. There's a photo of the actual cupboard as it is now over on the My Modern Wartime Rationing blog.
DeleteWhat a lovely little garden. And still producing! All my best to your mother. How difficult it must be for you all.
ReplyDeleteThe garden has taken shape over this Summer, I'm really pleased with it now. Thank you, she's in the right place to get the help she needs.
DeleteYour output from that little space is amazing! Lesson for us all!
ReplyDeleteIt could be better, but it's been a tough year. I am always more hopeful for the next growing season ... as I think most gardeners are. :-)
DeleteLove that your garden is still producing. Ours is on its last legs, but I do find the occasional ripe tomato and Harvey found two small cucumbers when he cleared out the pumpkin vines.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
It's right at the tail end of the summer plants now, but there should be at least potatoes and leeks for the winter. It's lovely to find little treasures that you don't know are there isn't it, I bet those cucumbers were all the tastier for being a surprise.
DeleteIt's so much easier to see what you have when most things are in jars isn't it, and no faffing about opening packets every time you need something. I used to be terrible for getting flour everywhere!!
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