May 2012 Video

Cold May...slow growing..slow going

Only 10 Degrees

Slowly greening

Lettuce, Japanese Spinach and Strawberries

Lettuce

Brassica Bed

Cauliflowers

Artichoke

Clematis Arch

Raspberries

Fennel

Strawberries in flower

Flower corner

Sweetcorn growing slowly

Cucumber growing slowly

Green and Purple Basil

Cool greenhouse

Strawberry fields forever

Got some new strawberry plants in the post today from Sutton Seeds. Look weird but exciting!!

Strawberry Buddy - "A brand new everbearer strawberry, which will produce a steady supply of large berries from mid July right through to October. Unlike some older everbearers, it has been specifically bred with taste in mind, so its large, glossy red fruits are exceptionally sweet and tasty. Plus it shows good disease resistance too!". 

Framberry - "It may look like a strawberry, but this mouth-watering variety, whose seeds lie deep within the dimples of the fruit, boasts a delicious, sweet raspberry flavour. Harvest the juicy berries from late June to the end of July, and enjoy them fresh from the plant, with cream or ice cream, or even in cakes or salad".

Pineberry - "An unusual variety producing good crops of attractive white fruits with red seeds (which birds tend not to eat as they think they're not ripe!) that are ready to harvest in June. The succulent berries boast a sweet pineapple-like flavour, and are delicious straight from the plant or in a tasty summer fruit salad".

Cool May and overnight frosts return

Well April was the wettest April on record (since 1755) and it was also cooler than average. This wet and cool weather seems to want to continue into May and overnight we will see sub zero temps with an air frost.

I like a bit of long range forecasting and 'analogues' to weather patterns. So, I would hazard a guess at this year being on a par with 2000. If this comes true then this summer will be changeable with cool and wet periods. However, June 2000 was warm and summery (good for 2012 Olympics and Euros).

Cropped some lettuce today, sowed beans and did a bit of weeding around the Parnsips.

Here are some photos:

Slowly greening plot

Lettuce and strawberries

Salad crops

Purple peas

Cabbage bed

Cauliflowers

Rhubarb and herbs

Fennel and artichoke

Broads, Peas and Onions

First Clematis flower

Raspberry and Berlotti beans

Parsnip and Carrot Bed

Broad Beans

Chives and Lupins

Ornamental plot

New design still looking good

Neat bottom plot greening up

Rhubarb Chutney Relish

Been cropping my Rhubarb.

Made a rather tasty sweet Rhubarb Chutney / Relish - based it on this recipe but added / changed a few bits:

http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/quick-rhubarb-chutney

500g Rhubarb
100ml White Wine Vinegar
200g Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Few Raisins
1 Onion
2 Sticks of Celery
1 Teaspoon of Mixed Spice
Strained Chopped Tomatoes (400g)
Peppercorns
1 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

Suggestion: Keep reducing to make a more chutney jam if you like it thicker.
Next time: I might reduce the sugar to try and make it a bit more tart - say use 150g sugar.

Cooking up the Rhubarb

4 Jars Done!

...and the re-modelling of the plot is complete

Finally finished the re-modelling of my plot using old bricks and pea gravel. IMHO I think it looks great!

Removed bricks and replaced with pea gravel

Pea gravel top path now

Finished new ornamental entrance

Tidy bottom plot

Sweeping curve 

Sweeping curve again

Much neater

Easy access

Clematis arch

Aerial shot (I'm in an apple tree)

Aerial shot of 'the sweep'

And the remodelling continues...

Been busy remodelling the plot into something a little bit more aesthetically pleasing. Got last bottom plot to do tomorrow

New sweep path around carrot bin

Brick edges

New ornamental entrance

Clematis arch for ornamental entrance

Last bit to do - brick and gravel paths

Brick and gravel paths will neaten this bit up