Being used to a temperate climate we don't cope well when it is too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too windy, too snowy or too icy. Weather is always a popular topic of conversation especially when we are planning outings etc. Is it going to rain? Do we need coats, sweaters, raincoats, umbrellas?
The recent spell of hot weather didn't last long. I'm sure that those of you who live in areas where it is hot for weeks and weeks, wonder at our lethargy when we find short spells of temperatures in the high 20s nudging into 30C (80/90 F) difficult to cope with. The problem is that periods of hot weather rarely last long enough for us to acclimatise.
Last week we had rain and wind, not an ideal combination for the garden and the allotment. Our allotment site is fairly exposed so windy weather tends to batter plants - even more so when the plants are in full leaf and wet. Fortunately last week nothing was damaged beyond repair.
Last week, we concentrated mainly on harvesting with a little general tidying thrown in.
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26 July - Raspberries, Blackcurrants, Blueberries, Gooseberries - Pax, Courgettes - Boldenice, Ambassador and Black Forest, Tomatoes - Sungold and Tumbler and Sweet Peas
In general, picking berries is a time consuming activity, which is probably why they tend to be expensive in the shops and usually only offered in small amounts. Blackcurrants must be one of the most tedious berries to pick so we tend to harvest them in small batches. These are made into fruit compotes which are frozen and added to yoghurts and porridge throughout the year. Blackcurrants are packed with a wide range of health promoting benefits so the time spent picking is well worth it and they taste good too. |
Cherry tomatoes are beginning to ripen but interestingly the first plants to have ripe fruits are the ones growing outside, On the allotment these are from the leftover plants that were surplus to requirements. We used to plant lots of tomatoes outdoors. They rarely suffered from blight but as more plots began to be cultivated the more we experienced problems from plant disease. The tomatoes growing on the plot are far more susceptible to blight than are the ones at home in the garden.
The tomatoes below were picked from plants growing outside in the garden in a raised bed.
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| 27 July - Tomatoes - Tumbler, Cucumber - Pepinex and some salad leaves |
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27 July - Blackcurrants, Raspberries, Courgettes - Boldenice and Black Forest, Carrots - Romance, Cabbage - Mozart, Calabrese - Calabrini and Gooseberries - Hinnonmaki Yellow
Martyn, braved the nettles that refuse to be dissuaded from growing through the Hinnonmaki Yellow gooseberries. As if the thorns on the gooseberries weren't enough to contend with. |
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| One of, Martyns main aims for Saturday was to lift all the Casablanca potatoes. The ones grown in crates only produce small yields so we were hoping for something better and they didn't disappoint. Martyn put together a video of these potatoes being lifted here. Despite last week's rain the soil was still very dry. |
Fortunately we have several people who willingly take excess courgettes off our hands.
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| 31 July - Potatoes - Casablanca, Courgettes - Boldenice, Ambassador, Carrots - Amsterdam Forcing, |
Calabrese - Calabrini, Sweet Oeas and Dahlias,
The sweet peas are in full swing and now we also have dahlias to cut and so there are plenty of flowers for the house and to share with my sister.
Last week, as well as being eaten as an accompaniment to fish meals we also used our courgettes and onions in a vegetable bake topped with Casablanca potatoes based on this recipe.
Courgettes were also used in a turkey dish based on this recipe.
Some of the cabbage, some of our garlic and some leeks that I had frozen earlier went into a spiced chicken rice based on this recipe
In other news, I had a couple of appointments that show how post Covid England has changed. My first appointment was at the opticians for my annual contact lens check. On entering the opticians I was kept at a distance from the reception desk by a barrier, similar to what you would find in a stately home. There I had my temperature checked and asked to sanitise my hands. Everyone was fully masked. I wanted some sunglasses and was told that it was OK to handle those on display as they had been disinfected but after handling them I had to place them on a tray rather than putting them back on the display.
I tried to get a doctor's appointment as I have patches of what I think are bites on my legs. I've had these for weeks now and had tried asking a pharmacist for advice but things weren't improving and at night the itching was waking me up. When I eventually got through the receptionist asked me to take photos of the affected areas and text them to the surgery, after which someone would ring me. After a long wait, a nurse practitioner rang me and I basically diagnosed myself over the phone. Some cream was duly prescribed. I'm not sure how my rash could be assessed using a photo but this seems to be the new way of doing things. Apparently, it is more convenient for the patient to be kept hanging around waiting for a call back, I'm not convinced.
