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

Growing my Tomatoes in lockdown

I’m not sure if I grow tomatoes in the same way as other people. My desire (usually) is to grow as many different varieties as I can fit into the available space and, because of the weather in the UK, this usually means growing them in the polytunnel or greenhouse. This year however, I think…… Continue reading Growing my Tomatoes in lockdown

Tomato Father Frost

A “standard” red tomato on short potato leafed indeterminate vines Description This tomato is from the 2019 seed swap so this page will be updated as we get more information As a potato leafed variety, it is a little different from the standard tomato. However, it is supposed to be early and (in our experience)…… Continue reading Tomato Father Frost

Tomato Dancing with Smurfs

A blue cherry tomato on Indeterminate vines. Description Another blue cherry tomato from the 2019 seed swap. The web suggests that this was first created at the Oregon State University and further developed by Tom Wagner (a well know tomato breeder) and released in 2012. My guess is that its colour will depend upon the…… Continue reading Tomato Dancing with Smurfs

Tomato Brad’s Atomic (aka Brad’s Atomic Grape)

A multi-coloured grape shaped cherry tomato on indeterminate vines. Description Another blue/multi-coloured tomato from the 2019 seed swap which we’re growing in 2020 for the first time. According to the web it was developed by Brad Gates the owner of Wild Boar Farms in California. The descriptions seem to be of a tasty, grape shaped,…… Continue reading Tomato Brad’s Atomic (aka Brad’s Atomic Grape)

Tomato Blue Ambrosia

A dark/gold cherry tomato on an Indeterminate plant Description From the 2019 seed swap, we are growing this for the first time in 2020. As we get more details, this page will be updated. However, according to the web its a tasty, prolific cultivar producing golden cherry fruit that turn violet in strong sunlight. This…… Continue reading Tomato Blue Ambrosia

2020 Tomatoes Sown

After Tuesday’s indecision as to what to sow, today (despite the wind and rain) I spent some time in the greenhouse sowing my tomatoes which are now on top of the cupboards in the kitchen (a warm place). My final set was: Ailsa Craig, Bloody Butcher, Blue Ambrosia, Brad’s Atomic, Brown Berry, Crimson Crush (Cloudy…… Continue reading 2020 Tomatoes Sown

RSPB Garden Birdwatch 2020

Well, its that time of year again when we sit and watch the birds in the garden for an hour or so. As ever, the weather isn’t the best and it makes one wonder why we do it now. However, whilst we didn’t see all the variety of birds that regularly come to our garden,…… Continue reading RSPB Garden Birdwatch 2020