Hobbies and Crafts

The mint has gone to plant heaven :-(

Everything else is growing like crazy.... I have to go shopping for some chicken wire to keep the possums & the fruit bats off.

:-D

Sheila ~ I make a carrot cake, one of the ingredients is a grated zuchinni/courgette... first time I made it I did what the recipe said, grate it, put it in a colander/sieve & squeeze out excess water.... I got about 3 drips! I don't bother any more (but I use the chopper that came with the stick-mixer to chop up the zuchinni).

We don't have a very good garden for veg growing (mostly shady and wild) and the one plot is full of runners from surrounding trees etc. I just chucked some butternut squash plants in this year and they have done well, several fruits ripening nicely. Am going to make an effort next year with things in pots, plus we are moving the (small lean-to) greenhouse to a sunnier wall.

I tried making a cougette cake but it was very soggy - some recipes say to squidge the water out of the grated veg, some don't????

I only grow in a large poly tunnel now as we are overun with rabbits. I even grow a pumpkin there and have had 6 good sized ones already cut and more coming. Late with my runners but they are now cropping well. Cues hav'nt done well this year in there so I sowed a late one which is now showing signs of little ababy cues.

Toms I have been picking for some weeks now and the Sungold are always the first to ripen and they are gorgeous........................ Also have Sweet Million 1 plant which is one mass of flowers on the top but ripe on the bottom trusses, Suncherry Premium 2 plants and these you seem to be able to pick on the vine if you leave them all to ripen. 3 Gardeners Delight another favourite on toast!! and which can be grown indoors or out and are absolutely loaded and the rest are Alicante which is a large tom with a good flavour. I also have 4 Butternut squashes in there and have picked a lot of those which are carring on ripening in the tunnel along with the pumkins. I have 2 marrow plants which were supposed to be bush varietys but are at least 6 foot long and have had many marrows. 3 courgettes, 2 yellow and one green. a few french beans which the seed did'nt grow properly and twice I sowed some. Of the 6 plants I have had pounds of beans a really good doer as long as you give them a bit of support from canes or small branches. Strawberries are in a meter square basketwork planter but I think I have the dreaded vine weevil in there so it is getting chucked out this year. Chasrd and parsley on the end of one raised bed doing great. \Peppers 3 plants and one chilli all loaded with fruits and peppers I have picked and eaten too. There is also two large plants of Lemon Sorrel which come up each year and the leaves are lovely in salads with a lemon sharp taste to spice up any salad. There is also sweet peas in there and carrots. They are Sugarsnack and are very long but delish. All this is grown in raised beds within the tunnel.

I will pm you a recipe for runner bean chutney if you wish, its great.

Brussels, cabbages etc are covered with aphids so had to resort to an organic spray. The success of this year are the sweetcorn which are huge and taste wonderful. Grew Lark and have to protect them from the badgers with gates and tin. Spent yesterday blanching and shucking many of the cobs for the freezer. Plums are good as well and damsons nearly ready

Grew Sungold toms which were wonderful again, but are slowing down now. The squash did well this year with the heat and rain and in colours of oranges, blues and yellows look really pretty

Re peas we always grow Hurst Greenshaft, if the sparrows don't get them first!!

early Spring here.

I have a few pots on the deck, with veg & herbs.

I've just given them their morning drink........... the lettuce looks good, as do the peas and most of the herbs.......... but some rotten little bug has been for an early breakfast and eaten most of............ I don't believe this........ THE MINT!

Everything got sprayed with my home-made bug zapper :-D

:-) :-) ;-)

I think they are still alive and kicking Joy ;-) :-D

There used to be a thread or two about lost plots :-) :-)

When is the time to harvest tomatos once ripening has slowed down? I love green tomato chutney but it would be nice to taste one of the beefy tomatos.

Anyone one else had a huge glut of runner beans? We've frozen some, given some away, eaten them of course - made soup, eeeyuk! and put some in the compost bin. I'm leaving the on the plants until the end of the month and hope to have some good results from podding them.
Any ideas?

Any recommendations on broad bean and pea varieties to sow straight into the plot next month?

I'm impressed. :-D :-D

I think the beasties have woken up now as my salad leaves and beetroot tops are looking moth eaten - and I know it's not moths!

LOADSA LETTUCES GROWN IN A SIEVE ON AN OLD BBQ,IN THE MIDDLE A FLOWER POT WITH MORE GROWING ALL DIFFERENT,IN SPACES SPRING ONIONS GREW IT WAS QUITE A SIGHT,
RUNNER BEANS DOING VERY WELL HAVE TO KEEP PICKING THEM AS THERE GETTING VERY LARGE,
TOMATOES STUFFED 4 VARIETIES 2 LITTLE ONES 2 LARGE IN ONE FLOWER POT LOOKS GOOD ALL DIFFERENT SIZES AND COLOURS

Hi Island
Well we are doing ok with veg now after a slow start.
Broad Beans and peas picked and dug up now.I have bags of peas in he freezer.
B Beans were a bit of a disappointment though.Dwarf French beans have been fairly good but some have grown curly .Carrots doing well .Garlic hanging in bunches on the summerhouse and are great.Onions all grown and sitting on top of the earth now.
The Cucumbers have been amazing and so many I have had to give many away.We have Peppers and Chillies doing fine.
The best of all is that I have picked the first Runner Beans today.My favourite veg of all :-D :-D
Some cabbages had to be ditched because they were being eaten (not by humans)
but some French Pointed ones have been really good.
So after some dodgy months of thinking things were not going to be great we are doing fine :-D :-D

Eewww.....i don't want earwigs. I've already braced meself for slugs :-0

Ugh! don't they make you jump Mau?

Did I say clean vege.? ...washed a lettuce and a HUGE earwig's just marched across me sink argh >>>>>>>>> :-|

If it's not in pounds, shillings and pence..........i dunno what your talking about.

:-D

ta m8 ;-) u is so th bizz innit

Cheers Mau, I'll go out and threaten a courgette :-D

I thought 8 ing and 10 ing might be some high ferlooting txt speak - I know what a lickle technotrendy you are :-D sorry, iz innit :-D

Sugar Free

7 oz butter
10.5 oz plain flour
2 tsp bicarb.
1 jar of sugar free apricot jam
1lb 1oz grated courgette (no need to peel)
1 tsp. vanilla essence
Splash full fat milk
2 tsp. Ground cinnamon


oven.. 180 c/ 350/ F gas 4

Cream butter and two thirds of jam together in a large bowl until light and fluffy
Add essence and a splash of milk
Stir in courgettes
Add flour and bicarb.,stir thoroughly.

Grease 20cm (8 ins) cake tin, pour in mixture.
Bake in centre for approx. 30 mins, or until golden brown...and skewer clean.
Allow to cool before removing from the tin.

Slice in two and spread the remainder of jam inside. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon—slice.

Makes a lovely moist cake mmm

Sorry ing.= ingredients ..........I've typed out sugar free for you (thought it was in docs. :-( )