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You can see the first harvest of my Blue Lake climbing French beans in the photo as well as my final carrot harvest. My beans had a bad start this year, not many of them wanted to germinate, so I had to make later sowings. I was unsure if I'd manage to harvest anything from these before the colder weather arrived, but now that they've started producing, I can see that there's plenty more on the way. It's a race against time. These carrots were from a later sowing than the ones I harvested previously and haven't grown half as big. I've managed to get something from them though, so I've blanched and frozen them for use in a slow cooker casserole I'll make at a later date.
The goldfinches have found my window feeder and are more than happy to spend long periods of time feeding from it. It's lovely to see them up close, though I never seem to have my camera handy when they arrive and any movement scares them away. I shall try my best to get a photo to share.
Extra Sweet? Sounds like my kind of corn. I put a second sowing of beans in this year as the first lot were traumatised by slugs. Here's to a long autumn and lots more beans!
ReplyDeleteA long, mild autumn would be great. I can see there's so many beans there, we just need the mild weather to continue so they get a chance to grow.
DeleteCan you set up your camera on a tripod so the goldfinches get used to it?
ReplyDeleteOur sweetcorn isn't brilliant this year either.
I don't have a tripod but I can see the benefits of acquiring one. You usually do so well with your sweetcorn, I wonder what happened.
DeleteFresh veggies arre a treasure aren't they. It must be a bit rough to not be able to have the garden right at your fingertips in your own yard , I should count my blessings there.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear the goldfinches are gracing you with their presence. I love seeing the goldfinch.
It can be a pain having the allotment away from the house sometimes, but at least it gives me room to grow my veggies. I'm lucky to have it as the waiting lists for allotments are so long. Goldfinches are regular visitors to the garden now, they're such pretty birds.
DeleteI'm envious as I've no sweetcorn this year. I'm still picking a few climbing French beans.
ReplyDeleteLucky you with the goldfinches, and fingers crossed that you get a few photos. Flighty xx
The sweetcorn isn't as bad as previous years so I'm happy about that. I'm hoping that the weather holds for a while, there'll be plenty of beans to pick if it does. I'd love to get a photo of the goldfinches on the window feeder, they're such lovely birds and there's a few babies around too. It would make for a great photo.
DeleteGlad you finally had some luck with your sweetcorn Jo, it is one of my favourite veg to grow as it tastes so much better than any bought in a store!! I had a really good crop this year...I still have a few on the plants which I am going to harvest tomorrow...the season is certainly coming to an end very quickly!!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that your sweetcorn has done well. I harvested all mine in one go, not a huge crop as no one other than me eats it. I'm pleased I managed any sort of harvest after the problems I've had in previous years.
DeleteYour corn is a success in my books. It looks delicious even if it hasn't full cobs. I'm still trying to pick beans as well but I haven't had much luck with beans.
ReplyDeleteIt tasted delicious, so I suppose that's all that matters. I think this must be my worst bean year yet, though I'm still hopeful that I'll be able to pick more from the Blue Lake.
DeleteGlad to read that your sweetcorn has done well for you this year Jo. Tastes so much better than shop bought. I could kick myself for not growing it this year. Himself is in the middle of major dental work and was not going to be able to nibble any this year so I decided to keep him company. Have been looking at other plot holder's sweet corn with much envy! Hope that the weather continues to be kind for your beans.
ReplyDeleteI always regret my decision not to grow something when it comes to harvest time. I've decided not to grow broad beans next year, but I bet I regret it when I see everyone else's plants ready for harvesting.
DeleteI'm afraid I've given up trying to grow corn. The cobs you can buy in the shops are really good, and cheap too - so much so that growing them yourself hardly seems worth the effort! :( My paltry efforts in this area have been embarassingly bad! I'll stick to Runner Beans. How is it that supermarkets still try to sell Runner Benas that are at least 10 days past being edible??
ReplyDeleteI've persevered trying to grow corn as it's definitely the one veg where home grown is far superior to anything you can buy in a shop. This is the best I've managed yet, and I've had the allotment for five years now, yet I had no problem at all when I grew them in containers, so puzzling. I know exactly what you mean about runner beans, I never buy them.
DeleteI'd agree with Sue, a tripod would be a good investment. Also, if you can, get a long cable to attach to the camera to take the shot. Then you can stand far enough away not to disturb the birds.
ReplyDeleteI've had more success with the mini sweetcorn this year, the large ones haven't done well at all.
I think I'll have to look in to buying a tripod, I'm sure it would get plenty of use. Mini sweetcorn isn't something we eat really, I much prefer the large cobs.
DeleteA remote for your camera is a good idea too - especially if you can see the viewfinder to focus. I can't attach a remote to my new camera which is a disappointment.
DeleteI shall have to look in to it all. My camera is still quite new and I don't know the first thing about photography, but I shall have to learn.
DeleteIt's still a busy time with the harvesting especially as we've left it for a few days to go on a trip and now the weather has turned wet and miserable. We haven't harvested the sweetcorn yet, but need too. Efforts have been on the digging of a new batch of potatoes and de-podding borlotti beans, bagging and freezing ready for those minestrone soups. I've also been cooking them fresh as they are nice and tender.
ReplyDeleteThere's still plenty of harvesting going on here, though I'm sure it will slow down soon as we're in to October now.
DeleteI tried sweetcorn the first year we had the plot but was disappointed with the cobs. I planted them in the block as you're meant to but I wonder if they need a much bigger number of plants to ensure good pollination.
ReplyDeleteI think a bigger number of plants would help, yet I only grew a few when I was growing in containers and they've been the best I've grown.
DeleteI've never been able to grow sweetcorn yet my friend Katie who borrowed a bed on my plot one year seemed to manage it easily???!!! Veggies are unpredictable!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how some people seem to have the magic touch. I'm really enjoying my sweetcorn this year, not a huge crop, but delicious all the same.
DeleteI never had much luck with sweetcorn either Jo, and only having a small veggie patch meant they took up so much room.
ReplyDeleteYour's look lovely and healthy though....I swear I can taste them with the butter dripping off them and a dash of salt and pepper....mmmm
Everything got off to a slow start this year I think, thank goodness for the sunshine or we would have been left with zilch harvest.xxxx
My sweetcorn seems to improve year on year, though I've never had the wonderful cobs I had when I grew it in containers in the garden. They can take up quite a bit of room, but if you get a harvest from it, it doesn't really matter as it's such a wonderful harvest to have. Things did get off to a slow start this year, I wonder what next year will bring.
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