For the first time last week on a trip up to the City, The Sage got to see this blog and the veggie updates were carefully analysed (The Sages don’t have broadband yet). I am glad to say that at the end of it all he was grinning from ear to ear and seemed to think it pretty good stuff. In fact, he really seems to be getting into it. In the weekend just gone we had a second crop from the blackcurrants and this was even better than the first, with the rain helping to swell the berries and those left were mostly a deep dark colour waiting to be picked.
“I hope you have got a good picture of them” said the Sage, though it really came across as a bit of a question.
“This one will do I said”, noting that all the branches seemed to be laden with their dark fruit.
“We can do better than that”, decreed The Sage, promptly lifting up another branch.
So from possibly finding the photo snapping sessions a bit of a rude interruption, The Sage is now looking to ensure that time is taken for the blog to show the best bits of the plot. This bunch of blackcurrants was deemed to be suitably photogenic for your consumption. As for the currants themselves, they are proving to be so bountiful this year that we have been giving away bowls of the fruit as well as doing a spot of freezing and jam making.
The courgettes are also starting to produce and the knife came out to claim a couple. The other great bit of news is that we have our first properly defined cauliflower heart with one of the ‘All Year Round’ varieties providing a nice creamy white centre. Cabbages are also thriving and I think we may be making offerings with these too – no point in seeing them go to waste.
It is mostly going really well and shows us just how dependent we are on the weather. There we were at the end of May bemoaning that the harshly cold weather had stunted all growth, when we get a great period of sun and warmth all topped off by some recent showers to provide bumper crops. So difficult to predict.
The Ugly
Of course, no garden story is complete without its failures, only partial in this latest case. The Broad Beans have not delivered this year and have suffered from blackly and being in one of the poorer beds (a bit less light) to produce a fairly meagre crop. A number of pods were empty, knobbled and twisted too. Still we did get a crop and have rations in the freezer.
Meticulous Mick 
May be he still connects with your mother when gardening (and maybe he can still hear her tutting). It may just be a place to lose himself now, and what can be wrong with that? Reconnecting with nature has to be good in many ways. Hope you are keeping well Vicki and been managing to get about. MM 😎
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If you enjoy gardening, you’ll love this article. How to easily prepare for dynamic, organic crops: http://68anda6pack.com/2013/07/12/forking-good-exercise/
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I think the photos are excellent and the crops look very prolific.
My Mother and maternal Grandmother were the greatest gardeners around, but my Father still tends all my Mother’s veggie garden since her passing 15mths ago. My Mother used to say, my Father was useless in the garden, but I think he learned a thing or two in the 20 years they lived in the retirement village and their back garden was close to the back door. In the last few years of her life, my Mother couldn’t do gardening and used to direct my Father from her outdoor chair (with her walking stick).
Poor Dad. My Mother was a very critical lady and must have given him a pretty hard time.
Growing you own food is not just a hobby – it’s a great way to reconnect with Nature and protect the environment.
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So the Sage is taking an interest in your blogs now, I’d mind your tomato challenge toms if I were you..lol
Lovely crop of blackcurrants you have there, ours seem to be food for the blackbirds as the bushes are down at the end of the garden where the birds had taken up residency when the berries were beginning to ripen, and the early bird catches the berries ! I didn’t grow courgettes this year as our fridge could not hold the gluts, and there’s only so many courgettes us 2 could eat in a week!
I hope we don’t get the tornado that some are expecting soon !!
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The trouble with gardening is that so much comes all at once. For that the freezer is a must. The Sage is bringing down some veg tomorrow as no doubt he has a few crops coming out of his ears (possibly literally). Will be getting the update now I am back. Hope all has been good here. MM 😎
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