Sunday 4 August 2013

Home To A Glut

We arrived home from our fortnight in Cornwall last night and I was thrilled to find that the cucumbers are doing so well. I've never had huge success with cucumbers before, but the two large ones in the photo are Fanfare, a variety which grows well in containers, and which I'm growing outdoors. The other is one of four Mini Munch, a lunch box sized variety. More of these have been taken from the plant whilst I was away. I'm growing this in the greenhouse along with the Crystal Lemon which is also doing very well, it had several fruit waiting for me on my return. I also harvested some potatoes from one of the containers, this is half of the haul from one pot, which were taken, along with the three cucumbers, for my mum and dad.

The tomatoes have gone mad whilst I've been away and a few are just starting to turn red. It's interesting to see that the outdoor plants have grown far better than the ones I'm growing in the greenhouse, though there's plenty of fruit on both. I'm growing the greenhouse plants in containers but the outdoor ones are growing in growbags which have been cut in half and turned on their end, so there's plenty of room for their roots. I shall definitely use growbags in this way again.

Some really fat blueberries have been harvested. I'm really pleased with the amount as I initially thought there wouldn't be much fruit this year, and the Tayberry is still producing even though it's still languishing in it's pot, it still hasn't been planted out yet. I'm hoping to visit the allotment later on today where I'm hoping I'll find more things ready to harvest. We've returned home to some worrying and upsetting news about my dad's health, so I'm hoping to have plenty of fresh goodies from the garden and allotment to supply him with. I'm hoping to catch up with all of your news very soon.

30 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear that your Dad is not well. If fresh veg can help him to improve, then I'm sure you will administer the right "medicine"!

    We're off to Cornwall next Friday, staying in an NT cottage near Penzance. Hope the weather holds up...

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    1. My dad enjoys anything home grown and now he doesn't have a garden I like to supply him with as much as I can. I'm sure you'll enjoy Cornwall whatever the weather, though it's always nicer when the sun shines.

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  2. hello jo
    welcome back! your cucumbers looking great!! great harvest.
    have a nice day,
    regina

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    1. It was nice surprise to return home and find cucumbers ready for harvesting. I've never been particularly successful with them before so it makes a nice change.

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  3. I'm glad you came home to a nice surprise after holiday! I bet you have some gorgeous photos of Cornwall as well!
    Have a great week, I hope you get all unpacked and settled back in!
    Tammy

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    1. I'm unpacked and some washing and ironing has been done, but there's still plenty more to go. It's raining today though so it's not a drying day. You can find photos of my holiday on my other blog:- www.jo-throughthekeyhole.blogspot.co.uk

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  4. My 2 cucumber plants are taking over the greenhouse. I've given one of them a trim today as it was smothering the tomato plants!
    Love from Mum
    xx

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    1. My cucumber plants are wrapped around other plants in the greenhouse too, I'm going to have to try and untangle them.

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  5. Oh Jo were did that fortnight go? Hope that you had a brilliant holiday. Some nice looking cues there and your tomatoes are on the turn!!! I think that I will just have to stop looking at mine so often. I'm so sorry to read that your dad is unwell. Will be keeping you in my thoughts xxx

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    1. The fortnight flew past for us too, it always seems to go by so quickly. I'm really pleased with the cucumbers, there's more on the way too. Thank you so much for your good wishes.

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  6. Gosh yours are all ahead of mine, although I have a substantial glut of beans, runner and french and am going to look like one soon as I'm having to eat them at most meals! I have tomatoes and cucumbers growing well but none nearly ready to eat. Enjoy your harvest!

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    1. My beans are no where near ready yet. I don't think the weather we're having today will help my tomatoes to ripen, rain, rain and more rain. The plants are full of fruit though so I think there'll be a glut when they do eventually turn red.

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  7. Sorry that you have come back to bad news - I hope things turn out OK for your dad.

    Our blueberries have never really kicked into a good producing mode!

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    1. Thank you for your good wishes. My blueberries haven't produced very well at all for the last couple of years so it's about time they really got going. They're still not giving a huge harvest but there's considerably more than I first thought.

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  8. Welcome home, Jo! Sorry to hear about your Dad. I'm sure the fresh produce from your garden will be of benefit. Blueberries and tayberries sound delicious fruit to be able to grow and harvest.

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    1. I think fresh produce definitely helps the body, so I'll be supplying my dad with whatever I can. I've had the blueberry bushes for a few years now but the tayberry is new. I can't say I'm over keen on the fruit but hubby and daughter like it.

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  9. Cucumbers have taken off for me this year too.. be interested to hear your opinion on flavour of Mini Munch, I grew Zeina (also lunchbox) and am told it's not so good.
    I hope you had a good holiday, weather OK up until last couple of days?
    Best wishes to your Dad.

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    1. I haven't tried the Mini Munch yet, but I'm having a salad for tea so I'll be able to report on the flavour afterwards. We had great weather in Cornwall, just one day of rain. It's making up for it today though, no chance of getting any washing dry. Thank you for your good wishes.

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  10. Oh Jo, I'm so sorry to learn about your worrying news. I hope you find plenty of great food in the allotment for your Dad - and please don't forget to make sure you eat well too. When those we love are ill, we so often overlook ourselves and at a time like this, it is more important than ever for you to eat well. Wishing you and your family all the very best. You are in my thoughts.

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    1. Thank you for your good wishes and your lovely comment. My dad enjoys eating well so I'll be supplying him with whatever I can, I'm sure it must help.

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  11. I do love this time of year when there's plenty of produce. Interesting that your outdoor tomatoes are doing better than the greenhouse ones. I always grow mine outside in the ground now, and in the fertile ground at the allotment they are doing brilliantly this year. They're not doing too badly in the poor soil at home either, although everything seems to grow much better at the allotment. I'm really sorry about your dad's health. No doubt you will find plenty of things at your plot to take to him.

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    1. It's great when the harvests start to arrive. I'm sure it must be the deep growbags full of nutrients which the outdoor tomatoes are growing in which are making the difference, I shall definitely use them this way again in the future. My dad enjoys no nonsense food so fresh produce from the allotment is right up his street. I'll be supplying him with whatever I can.

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  12. We're both doing well with cucumbers as I've had four from my one plant so far.
    It seems that you're not the only one finding that outside tomatoes have ripened before indoor ones, but I've seen no reason given as to why.
    I'm sorry to read about your dad. Flighty xx

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    1. It must be a good year for cucumbers, mine have never done so well. I'm still waiting for the taste of home grown tomato but the wait is always worth it. It was a bit of a shock to come home to the news about my dad but he seems to be doing ok at the moment.

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  13. Lovely to have you back Jo, I do hope your dad is ok.

    Your cucumbers look wonderful and what a lot of spuds from a pot!!! I am envious re your blueberries, mine never seem to take off!

    Good luck with the washing....that's always the down side of a holiday isn't it. xxxx

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    1. Thank you for your good wishes. The potatoes seem to be doing really well, I'm getting a good harvest from each container. The washing pile is always the down side to a holiday but it'll all get done eventually.

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  14. Glad to hear your crops are doing well and I really hope they will help your Dad. Best wishes. X

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    1. Thank you for your good wishes. I didn't have high hopes for my crops this year when the weather was so cold, but they look to be coming good now.

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  15. Belatedly catching up with posts, sorry to hear your dad not well, hope he gets well soon. Your plot harvests are looking fabulous. Those cucumbers look superb. I've had my first really good outdoor cucumber this year, they are growing well.

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    1. Thank you for your good wishes. I'm really pleased with the cucumbers, they've never done so well for me in past years as they're doing this year.

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