Fruit and Veg

While Sir lay on the sofa with a box of tissues and a bottle of cough medicine, sipping Earl Grey and gathering his strength, I decided it was high time to take advantage of the second day of fine weather (in a row!) to carry out my monthly inspection of the farm. I had given it a quick once-over the day we returned from our hols, but hadn't had the chance to do a proper evaluation since.

With some trepidation, I snuck around the back to see what was The Situation.

Not bad, as it turned out! Here's where we stand:

All my herbs are growing like proverbial weeds. I can report it has been a particularly fine year for tarragon, thyme, and lavender, although my basil is quite respectable, too. Even my leggy and bedraggled basilico Genovese, which I bought cheap very late in the season (to replace the borage that I yanked out, discovering it was Too Ugly To Live), has grown to shrub-size, auguring many gallons of pesto in October.

The tomatoes are doing their thing, of which I have written elsewhere. Even the poor heirloom plant situated directly in front of the hot air vent seems to have developed a liking for its growing conditions and has been performing its duties admirably. I have heard a number of complaints from gardeners round and about that their tomatoes are a strange shade of orange this year (rather than their traditional ruby red) but I have had no such difficulties here on the hill. Perhaps the altitude has something to do with it.

The butternuts are growing nicely but still have some way to go. I assume they will make like pumpkins and be ready some time in October, should the warm weather last that long. I hope it will - they are my favorite things in the garden, at present. They are so cute!

My peppers are hugely successful, but I think I will have insufficient numbers for the bottling project I had originally planned. Never mind - I have found an awesome recipe for Sweet Hellfire Jelly, made with finely-diced peppers, Sauternes, and lemon. This is so exciting I will probably be whipping up a batch tomorrow, together with the banana jam I am preparing for the Allentown Fair. Next year I will cultivate twice as many plants and there will be no stopping me.

Of my experimental veg, the less said the better. My cauliflower went completely to seed, as previously predicted, and the romanesco - two feet tall with fearsome spikes on top - was blown over in a gale while we were away. I removed both eyesores from their beds and dumped them in the woods, where somebody or something is bound to enjoy them. Lesson learned: brassicas are a no-go, given my rather laissez-faire gardening style.

Sir's plums are, as per usual, falling to the ground with great determination. He has been too sick to do any harvesting, more's the pity, but there's still plenty on the trees awaiting his attention. And very pretty they are, too.

Oh no ... what's that I hear? Guess what?

It's raining again!

*sigh* I better go and close all the windows.