June 2023 – How things are progressing

Until now, June has been hot & dry meaning that the tomato plants in the greenhouses have got away well. Most plants have now got fruit set and, my guess is, we will start to see fruit ripening over the next few weeks (my records show that we get ripe fruit starting mid-July). The dry…… Continue reading June 2023 – How things are progressing

Tomatoes for 2023 and other things

I’ve been sorting through my tomato seeds and trying to work out what to grow in 2023. As ever, its a balancing act, trying to select a range of cultivars that meet the conflicting needs of an amateur grower with not a lot of space. I have seeds for around 200 different cultivars and (as…… Continue reading Tomatoes for 2023 and other things

2023 Gardening Decisions

At this time of year when everything in the garden is quiet, thoughts turn to deciding what to grow next year. I’ve increased the space in the tunnel dedicated to strawberries which means there won’t be as much space for beans but it will be easier to separate them. There will still be space for…… Continue reading 2023 Gardening Decisions

2022 – End of June Status

So here we are approaching the end of June (which means we’re past midsummer and on our way to Autumn) the garden and vegetables are beginning to be productive and I’m making the record of what we’re harvesting. The tomatoes are all growing well and have small fruit growing on them. I have a feeling…… Continue reading 2022 – End of June Status

Chitting Potatoes

I haven’t grown potatoes since giving up the allotment. Even then, I really only grew them to fill space. However, this year I’ve decided to minimise the amount of time I spend growing vegetables but I still need to fill the various spaces. So, potatoes get a chance this year. I’ll plant a few in…… Continue reading Chitting Potatoes

Recipe: Slow Cooker Leek & Potato Soup

This is an incredibly simple recipe and produces an acceptable soup. (Acceptable because like all soups with potato in them, it tends to be a little “gloopy”. Its barely even worth a layout: The ingredients are (as you would expect): Leeks, potatoes, stock (vegetable or chicken- enough to cover the leeks & potatoes) and pepper…… Continue reading Recipe: Slow Cooker Leek & Potato Soup

Recipe: Fish Tagine

A quick and easy risotto that uses plenty of tomatoes and so is good during August when there are plenty of ripe tomatoes coming from the garden. Ingredients (for 4) 400+g ripe tomatoes 150g carrots 1 Onion 3 small potatoes 2 celery stalks 100g mushrooms 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (or less…… Continue reading Recipe: Fish Tagine