Buff aside, things are going well in the garden at the moment. I had a nearly full day out there yesterday – digging, potting on, planting out, sowing more successional stuff and staring into space under the pretext of “planning”. I also spent a lot of time checking out how things are progressing…
Weeee! our first pinkening strawberry!
We’ve got quite a lot of fruit but this one is the first to go red. They’re Flamenco strawberries – starting a little late but should fruit right through until the autumn — a few at a time for a longer season will be better for us this year, although I think I might add an early crop/June-July cropping one for a jam-making glut :)
I also spotted my first set of to-be-courgettes this week – they’re only about 15mm by 5mm at the moment so we might need quite a few to make a ratatouille…!
They don’t need pollination so should just grow now – and knowing courgettes, by tomorrow they’ll be marrows ;)
In the winter squash department, I also spotted some round-bottomed female flowers on a few of the pumpkins – I think they will need pollinating when the flowers open up. There are plenty of male flowers open but I’ve not seen many bees around over the last week, so I might get in there with a little paintbrush, just to be on the safe side.
There are little tiny bumpy baby cucumbers appearing up too.
We’ve also got a few apples starting – it’s the trees’ first year here so we shouldn’t really let them grow apples (they should concentrate on growing up and out first) but we’re going to let each tree grow a couple, just to see what they’re like.
I think I’m especially excited about all these things because, aside from the courgettes, they’re all first for our garden – never grown strawberries, pumpkins or cucumbers before, and there is always the “what if they don’t grow?” worry.
How’s your fruiting going? Any suggestions for an early/summer glut strawberry type?
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I'm Louisa and I live a Really Good Life. I grow, I craft, I cook and I make the most of what I've got instead of forever craving more.
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Our strawberries are just starting to change colour, too, and I spotted tiny pods on both the peas and the broad beans this morning! My cucumbers, squash and courgettes are way behind yours, though. In fact, I really should be planting some of those out just about now…
It’s so lovely to see all the summer veggies coming up on the other side of the world! We are currently sitting on a pile of wet mud!
Our strawberries have already been eaten by the birds… So far, everything red has…
Cucumbers are almost big enough to harvest but we grow them in a greenhouse ;-)
Hi i’m probably going to make you a little envious right now..i have had 5lb of strawberries,2lb raspberries,lettuces,radishes..and 3 kilos of cherries..plus some new potatoes…
very tasty indeed..
sara
I’m distinctly underwhelmed by my growing this year. Still I have only myself to blame, having, for various reasons, neglected my garden for several years. Realistically, I am using this year, to sort, tidy, weed and generally prepare for next year. I have got some stuff growing but not loads.
[...] Louisa over at the Really Good Life has little baby courgettes forming already too, as well as a cou…. I only put my squash, cues and courgettes in last week, so while Jo and Louisa are munching on their first courgettes, I’ll still be willing mine to flower! [...]
Rachel: I saw your tomato flowers on your blog too – it’s all go!
Laura: hehe, don’t worry, in a few months the situation will be reversed and we’ll be the jealous ones :)
sara: oh I am super envious! I’m definitely going to get some earlier strawberries for next year, I’m so jealous of everyone’s early crops! :)
Su: oh that’s a shame – but a good way to look at it. I was in a similar position last year (our first year in our new house), because it took so much effort to get our garden in growing shape – but this year has been a lot easier so that effort does pay off!