Simple pleasures of growing your own

Last week was very restful but also productive in the garden and the allotment. More seeds sown and more lovely greens harvested. I thought today I would post pictures of how things are growing and what we've been harvesting. I will do another post on seeds and seedlings anouther day soon.

We've overwintered many things this year that have produced perfect amounts of food for picking without giving us a glut. These plants are still giving too, except the Cavalo Nero are now starting to flower so we shall let them do what they want to do and collect the seed. They have given so much, and there are more being raised to replace them. The last of the leaves were picked at the weekend.

 Kale and Cavalo Nero harvest

Spinach bed (after harvesting)

The Kale and the Spinach have equally thrived and lots are being picked now. One Kale plant became victim to the pigeons as the netting had become loose on that side, but still plenty for us to eat.

The purple sprouting broccoli, and now the white variety are also providing us with lots to eat too.

 Purple and White sprouting broccoli

The Chard plants are doing well, note to self to get some more seed as I cannot find the packet from last year - I'm sure I didn't use them all, but they are nowhere to be found.

Chard

Look at these lovely things to come too; our Garlic planted last October doing very well, these are about 12-18 inches high now.

Garlic

Not far away is the bed we planted up with Wild Garlic, bunching Onions and Welsh onions - all perennial so they will fill this space in no time and we can harvest these beauties regularly.

Wild Garlic, bunching onions and Welsh onions (top to bottom)

These Broad Beans planted in October 2009 too, lovely, healthy, sturdy plants and full of flowers already and if you take a closer look the bean pods are developing behind. Oh, how I love Broad Beans - sauteed in a little homemade sage butter, yum.

 Broad Beans thriving and flowering

Spring salads - can you beat them? I love Summer, Autumn and Winte salads too mind you. This mizuna leaf keeps wanting to flower though, so need to find a shadier spot to sow more of this.

 Salad leaves and mizuna for picking

I picked some herbs to take home too from the herb spiral - they and the welsh onions are so well established in there now. More to plant in there this season.

Herb Spiral April 2010

All other seedlings are doing well, especially all the tomatoes - we gave some away at the weekend and will have more to give away as the germination rate has been amazing this year. I have numerous seedlings of the varieties planted, including lots of the Black Russians which are so lovely. We didn't have a brilliant season with them last year so hoping for better this year. These are the ones I shall be keeping in the greenhouse, along with some of the Sun-dried variety which I have so many seedlings for too. These were very successful last year and I finished off the drying of them in the dehydrator.

More seeds sown at the weekend too; more lettuce, beetroot and radishes. More to do this week, and then the succession sowings will continue for many things.

We also discovered these forgotten Parsnips from last year, now into their 2nd year of growing so we shall let these flower and go to seed for collecting lovely fresh seed. There were some forgotten carrots too so they too shall become seed collecting plants. Carrot flowers are loved by bees, butterflies and hoverflies - all great for helping pollination and pest control.

forgotten Parsnips

Long may this glorious weather continue. Then the rain can come again soon to keep the soil moist and fill the water butts.