In the polytunnels…

Despite the weather most things are doing well. This is the small polytunnel, the middle bed is planted with Carrots, with Garlic at each end to guard against carrot fly. Some self-seeded plants were also left to add a bit of colour, Borage, Orach and Poppies all came free in the garden compost.

One of the side beds is filled with Strawberry plants. They are almost spent now but this little Alpine Strawberry continues to give masses of small super sweet fruits. Not juicy like the big Strawberries but the flavour makes up for that.  It does’nt send out runners so all it’s energy goes into making fruits.

In the big polytunnel the Grapes are filling out nicely, should be a good crop by August. These are Black Hamburg, a dessert grape.

The first Tomato was ripe today from this hanging basket variety. Oh the smell! Delicious! The essence of Summer for me.

The first Courgette also presented itself today. Later than usual but most welcome. I suppose we will have a glut of them soon enough.

Peaches are starting to blush. Amazing how they are ripening really considering we had very little sunshine in June.

The plants in the little pond at the bottom of the polytunnel are doing well…Flowering Rush and Water Forget me Not planted last year have established nicely. The tadpoles are still there…no sign of them turning into Frogs yet!!

I’m back!

Hi folks, I’m back in blogland again after my break. I have’nt been near the computer in 3 weeks. No blog, email, Facebook, Twitter or checking out all the wonderful and inspiring blogs out there. I have to say I enjoyed the break, the world did’nt end and I had no withdrawal symptoms. But hey, I’m back and the weather here in Ireland is fab. Hurrah!!

The Sun has been shining since daybreak. I took these pictures at about 8.30 when I went to open the polytunnel. There’s no going in there later when it gets to 25c. The fields are filled with golden Buttercups right now…beautiful!

So nice to break fast with a few ripe Strawberries already warm from the morning Sun…

and the promise of many more to come.

Everything in the polytunnel is growing at a great rate,  lots of Lettuce for the salads we have everyday. Nasturtiums in flower as are Pot Marigold. Dual purpose plants as they draw in beneficial insects as well as being edible.

The Peach has set lots of fruit…I really must thin them this year. Thinning ensures you get nice big fruits of better quality. Take out any fruits that are touching each other as they will end up squashing and bruising each other. Bob Flowerdew in his Grow your Own, Eat your Own book says ” Peaches over crop as of right, and really must be ruthlessly thinned so that no 2 fruits will touch each other when they’re full size, leave only a sensible number per tree or you will be processing masses of under-ripe squits. Too many exhaust the tree, fail to reach any size or even ripen. Literally decimate them down to the best one in every ten, leave those and they will get huge!” Don’t know if I can be that ruthless…but I’ll try! Bye for now…off to enjoy some sunshine.

 

Friday Fotos from Prospect Cottage.

 

Daffodils about to bloom…these should be in flower for St. Patrick’s Day.

 

Lots of growth on Summer flowering plants in the background.

 

Tete a tete still in flower. Poached Egg plant, in front, survived the mild Winter.

 

Hot chocolate in Sligo…did’nt realise the “large” would be quite this big! We managed it though!

 

First Peach blossoms in the polytunnel. I will hand pollinate these when all the blooms are out. Not enough insects yet to do the job.

 

The first forage…picking Wild Garlic in Lough Key Forest Park.

 

Made Wild Garlic and Parsley pesto. Delicious with pasta and home-grown salad.

 

Planting Foxgloves with local school children. The teacher told me the old local name for Foxgloves is Fairy Fingers.

Click on pics to enlarge.

Sunday Ramblings from Prospect Cottage.

View from the back door.

 The weather this month has been extraordinary. Fluctuating between wet and dry weather but always so mild…springlike actually. The pic above was taken yesterday…very low cloud on Corry Mountain making the wind turbines invisible. I spent 2 hours in the garden…weeding and tidying up. It was too warm for a coat!

Japenese Anemones.

 Japenese Anemones continue to produce flowers. Be careful where you plant these as they are impossible to remove and spread like crazy. I thought I had dug them all up from this corner of one of the veg beds…but no…they came back with a vengeance again this year. Any little bit of root produces a new plant…a bit like Bindweed.

In the polytunnel the Peach tree has dropped most of it’s leaves…making a bright splash of yellow for a short time. I will enjoy this colour for a little while before collecting the leaves for the compost.

The Grapevine too will soon be bare. In the kitchen above the stove the last of the grapes are bubbling away… hopefully a nice wine will result.

There is still lots of Beetroot to be harvested in the polytunnel. I have made lots of Beetroot Chutney and tried Borscht for the first time earlier this week…delicious. Beetroot is said to have health enhancing properties and contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, C, E, K plus calcium, mangenese, potassium, iron, copper, phosphorus, sodium, zinc and selenium. It does’nt have to be eaten from a bath of cheap vinerar only. It is delicious roasted…can be grated over salads…makes great soup…and can even be used in cakes. I have a recipe for Chocolate and Beetroot Cake which I intend to make this week. I’m also going to juice some…I’ve had Beetroot juice in the past…it’s very sweet. Beetroot is said to provide more oxygen to the blood. So there you go…the humble easy to grow Beetroot is really a superfood.

Finally a look at where I do my blogging from…the front porch looks out onto our front field and beyond that to Sliabh an Iriann (the Iron Mountain)which is shrouded in heavy mist today. A comfy chair…bookshelves to my right…I like to check info before I put it out there. Laptop on desk in front of radiator…cushy. Looking out on our little world whilst communicating with the big wide world out there. Lovin it!

A Visit to Strokestown Park Gardens.

Yesterday was a windy, blustery day here in Roscommon. Undeterred by weather we decided to pay a visit to Strokestown Park Walled Garden. As if by magic, the rain kept away while we were there.

Really enjoy walking around the 6 acres of restored Georgian gardens, especially the wilder undergrowth beyond the lake. Love this double flowered vibrant pink Hawthorn. The large bush was covered in blossom which look like miniature roses.

 Nice to see the display of old tools and paraphernalia from a bygone age, replaced now by mechanisation.

The Peach harvest is looking promising, incredibly healthy looking plants.

Grapes looking good too, lots of fruits forming.

An early flowering Honeysuckle which is also scented, perfection!