Allotment/Veg Patch - Thread 7 - The Harvesters Arms

[bookbook]

Well, it's been an interesting summer, to say the least.
We are now heading into the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness :)
Everyone welcome to join in and ask for advice , share their woes and just enjoy growing!
previous thread here

Thanks teacup.

Well I've managed to finish the worst gardening job of the year for me... Cleaning the greenhouse inside and out and ALL the pots and trays. Some 400 of them in total! I still smell a bit of Jeyes fluid, even after a shower.

I also stacked up all my logs for the winter so feeling a bit more organised!

Weed + if you get in touch with a local apple or orchard society they may have special heritage varieties that are specific to your location!! There are Nottinghamshire apples and Suffolk apples and Cornish apples. And you help preserve the stock for the future too.

Alternatively, the budget option is to hang on for a bit and Aldi will have bare root trees in soon for around £3. A lot of the varieties are rubbish supermarket ones that are lacking on taste, e.g. Jazz but you can get some tastier things too. I got loads of James Grieve there.

My favourite apple is Laxton's Fortune. It is a smashing eater!!

Oh and book mentioned spare dahlia tubers... Has anyone tried eating them? James Wong says you can. But it sounds like an expensive experiment!

Talking of tubers, I am looking forward to harvesting my Peruvian ground apple at the plot and seeing what it tastes like!

We used to have a local farm do an apple day, but they sold up a few years ago, and that was that.
Is that yakon shove - will be interesting to try, though do you have to cook it first? Not sure I fancy trying an old , gnarly dahlia tuber tbh! And I am in awe - I hate washing out pots. I suppose I could do them while waiting to do the greenhouse.....
Did you hear the tip from Bob Flowerdew today. If your greenhouse has soil beds , try growing a green manure over winter , and dig in ready for tomatoes in spring. ( no use to me though - I have weed membrane and flooring in mine)

Ooh shove I like that idea of having 'local' apples. I'll look into it. I also like the idea if an aldi bargain!!

Didn't go up today, had stuff on but will go tomorrow hopefully. Also hoping to g with a friend to get some free manure this week!

Yes, eating a dahlia just feels wrong to me! (Part of my head wails "But what about the beautiful flowers?!) If someone were to say they were delicious, this could change in a (ruthlessly cold-hearted) heartbeat, though.

According to the book, you can eat the Yacon raw or cooked but it's best raw. And there are two kinds of tubers it produces: some for growing on next year and others for eating. I just need to make sure I get them the right way around. The plants are really attractive - a bit like a cross between a sunflower and a Jerusalem artichoke. Apparently they taste like pear - quite sweet. I shall report back! I just have one right now, but if it's worth it, I will get more as it seems like a good perennial to try.

My greenhouse has a stone floor - I was advised not to do open soil beds as disease could set in and be a PITA. I slightly regret this, I think, because I'm now growing toms in bags and pots instead of the ground - but at the same time, it is sensible advice. So conflicted!

My NDN on the plot has soil floors, and it does make watering that bit easier. But I think having to dig them out when they are exhausted/diseased sounds like too much work to me!
No plot today - have something of a packed diary, but may find half an hour to take out all my pots - its much nicer to wash them while the weather is still reasonable!

I'd like to put myself forward as the official 'slightly strange/not sure about it to eat' tester.

On behalf of all of you, I've already tested dahlia and canna edulis. In short don't bother. The canna does the scorzonera thing - discolours and makes a sticky residue. You can, however make your own arrowroot from the canna tubers, but there is pffafff involved. Using canna leaves to bake/bbq things in is quite good (as long as you have an abundant supply).

Please put forward your suggestions of anything else you'd like me to try (but don't be cruel...)

Forgot to say ages ago - great thread title book.

teacup - Amazing! I am so impressed that you've tried both of those things (genuinely, this is the kind of thing that does seriously gain my admiration!!). I hadn't realised you can eat the canna leaves as well as the tubers. I can't really grow them, though - they like it warmer and dryer than I have things here.

Have you tried skirret? It looks very unappealing and a faff to wash, but all the books rave about it in flavour terms. I am wondering whether to get a crown or two?? Am trying to set some of my plot to perennials for the eco-friendliness of it.

shove the canna leaves are for wrapping things in - instead of foil. I don't think it would harm you to eat them, I just don't think the texture would be good (having said that, I might have a go with a bit tonight - will let you know)

Evening !
well, a busy two days, just a few minutes here and there to sit down with a coffee.So absolutely nothing has been done for two whole days in plot/garden or greenhouse
Having said that - it rained today , was not in the forecast and it was cold. I wonder if my butternuts have survived fingers crossed.
Tomorrow is more manure shifting - hey -ho ! and probably digging up courgettes. My garlic is on its way, so need to be prepped up for planting. Saw Monty saying it needs rich soil, so am now going to get some extra compost on there - that is next job after manure shovelling. What an exciting life I do lead :)

teacup - that is self sacrifice of the highest order. All I can say is, really don't bother with asparagus peas . I know dandelion roots can be used as a chicory/coffee substitute, but in all honesty, I don't think I want to grow dandelions, however nice the young leaves are in salad!

I want to try an asparagus pea, just so I understand why everyone hates them so much!!

I haven't been able to get to the plot for a WEEK book!! Owing to not having a car and being totally tied up with sorting out all the other things that have gone wrong. I now have my car back, though. They have written it off, but it is something called (I think) 'category D', which just means the repair costs more than the car so they won't do it! It is still driveable and I have had it MOTed after the accident, so at least I have some transport while I look for another car. I feel disloyal to my ancient old banger even typing that!!

Morning! -
oh shove - I bet you are having withdrawal symptoms as well as worrying. But yours is so normally so tidy, I bet you can hardly tell you haven't been :)
I managed a couple of hours amongst the squally showers - waterproof coats slow me down , and I made the rookie error of putting on the wrong ( far too big) trousers and not putting on a belt- so I was either constantly pulling up the trousers, or pulling the hood up and down on coat, depending on wind /rain. In consequence I didn't get quite as many barrows done as I wanted - only 5 today. But I had a look around the plot as well, and picked a load of sprouting broccoli - both green ( Brokali Atlantis) and the first of my purple sprouting. I had been asked for some strawberry runners, I am so late, but went to get some to pot up - and look at this - flowers and strawberries! Whether they will ripen is another matter. Squashes are holding on just - some very sad leaves now...

Oh shove you poor thing, how frustrating.

Book I have a handful of strawberries coming too!

Did some shovelling yesterday so a bit achy today! Might pop up later because the sun is out

Well, yesterday it started raining and by the time I got home, did x and y and z, I'd lost the will to go and pick canna leaves. Won't be doing it tonight, stuff to do before going to the airport tomorrow (UK for long w/end ). However, the young canna shoots can be eaten similarly to bamboo shoots (?not sure about my phrasing there!).

Picked five more butternuts. A couple of them are whoppers - will weigh them next week when I get back!

A quick sign in from me. Very sadly, my DF passed away yesterday. He was elderly with advanced cancer, with so much pain and illness over the last 6 months, so a blessing that he went peacefully with his family there.
After a day wandering around aimlessly, I had a therapeutic strim of long grass and weeds today. Being alone in the garden is very therapeutic at times like this.

Morning .
quince - nothing that I could put into words will help, but I am so sorry. -gardens are such a solace I find. It allows your mind to float and get some much needed rest after turmoil.
It is due to rain today, so no plot today, but hoping on a trip out to divert to go and see about buying shallot sets...
teacup - huge butternuts? and be warned - its gone dark here, morning and evening - nights are really drawing in

shove - I seem to remember you were looking at a green roof for your extension. You may not watch Grand Designs ( I do to go and "how much" ? ) . Last nights had a low cost sedum roof put on, they seemed to be in lots of plug plant trays, and called low maintenance. You probably want a bit more diversity, but thought I would mention it :)

quince sorry to read about your DF

Bookbook I am exhausted just reading about the amount of manure you've shifted!

I haven't made it to the plot at all just recently. DH went yesterday evening and harvested a few leeks which we had for dinner (another risotto!). I made a very nice minestrone at the weekend with our borlotti harvest. We definitely need to plant more plants next year as they are so pretty but also to make it worthwhile doing it at all. Last weekend I tackled a part of our front garden which had a couple of very elderly lavenders and some rosemary bushes which had given up. So I dug those up and then replanted with some spring bulbs, pansies, wall flowers and a random rudbeckia. The spring plants are so it will look good in the spring and give me a chance to think about what else to plant in there.

While I was at the garden centre I also bought some garlic bulbs - some normal and some elephant. We did say we wouldn't bother with the normal garlic as the bulbs were really small this year but I got persuaded by DD to have another go.

This weekend I am determined to go and shovel some manure from the shared area before everyone else gets it!

Oh quince I'm so, so sorry. It is so heartwrenching to hear about your DF in pain - I am glad you were able to be with him at the end and to say goodbye. We are all here to hand hold. Some flowers for you.

book - I haven't watched it lately - will check that out, thank you so much.

Afternoon!
Boy we have had some showers today, so glad I made the decision to not garden at all :)
DH and I had a trip out and rather nicely ended up at one of my favourite nurseries. Sadly no shallot sets left, but a few things appeared in my trolley. So a good day. I have compensated the decadence by spending an hour washing pots, listening to the radio in my half empty greenhouse, out of the rain and wind !

Thanks all of you, so much. Shove, those flowers are beautiful and have made me cry.
Back at work today, but should have a whole garden day again tomorrow.

So many hugs for you quince. I hope your day at work is OK and that your colleagues shower you with love and care. I am keeping my fingers crossed that you have good weather tomorrow.

Morning
I hope you get some peace and calm in the garden today quince. I am sat here, very slightly cursing. The gas service people are here, so I can't leave them. But also - it is raining - it rained nearly all day yesterday, overnight, and now this. So apart from some harvesting, I think it is going to be too wet for moving manure today. On another note - out yesterday, so I have a small white packet to pick up at the post office ( they *always^ wait until I am out! - I'm assuming my garlic :)) So it looks like more pot washing is on the cards...