Aloos, gobi’s and shalgums

June 30, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

The hour spent on the plot this morning. Is best described as seminal. A success.

You can find the photographic evidence on the Facebook page. But success is hard to express.

Yesterday, mama h was positively bouncing. There were caulis in the plot. She told that that there was two. One as big as her hand. Today. We found three, the one really was as big as her hand. They’ve been left today. To get bigger still.

Then there was those tiddler tomatoes. These were sunk into the areas cleared of Bolted radishes. There are also some bolted moolis, which I think are going to be left to form spicy seed pods that hark back to my childhood.

As June departs, it’s time to furtle for potatoes. New potatoes at least. And furtling was done. Retrieved a dozen or so new potatoes. Most were orla, and few of kestral. The floo’ers are deceptive. In most cases, the tubers are only the size of a pea or a marble. Alas. We have potatoes. Making that experiment a qualified success.

Will be leaving those for a while though. To see we move beyond all leaf. Ma has plans for the harvest. It’s called dad’s dinner. Curried turnips and swedes. With the spuds boiled and put into aloo paneer.

And my lunch today? Fenugreek chapatti. Not bad that.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

chillies, success

Chocka blocka chillies

June 25, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

I like my chillies and bells, I really do. Whilst Nigel, purple rainbow chilli and purple beauty sit quite contently in the windows of my classroom as the top set; bottom and middle set chillies reside in my battered and holey Wendy.

There were of course Aunty VVG’s three adoptees. That would frauzauber, lemon drop and lipstick. These 3 were more than middle set but not as huge as the top set; but these were fairly robust as early sowings. They are flowering now. Lipstick and frauzauber are very similar. Two neat habited creatures not too tall. Lemon drop is also small, but is a very leafy madam with branches stretched out. At the end of which are these rather dainty, petite looking buds. Daintier still, compared to the purple rainbow chillie. Lemon drop has more leaves in comparison.

Not many of the chillies are labelled; so it will be a case of match the description or image should they fruit. There are a few flowering ones, a great achievement; considering how developmentally delayed some of them were. I guess traditionalists would say that you would need a conventional, traditional greenhouse. But I do think that the Wendy is doing a fine job. There is definite progress being made. My mistake is that unlike the classroom crop, I don’t tend to water as much and I perhaps should now, when making my after work visit. Yes, regular feeding could be seen to make them more leafier. But that will help the fruits and that is the name of the game. Not quite sure if they like the big flower buckets either.

Over the last few days, more and more blooms have appeared and also opened in the classroom. The purple rainbow chilli, is as spindly as ever. Yet, has these very pretty white and purple flowers. Nigel, has easily half a dozen baby yellow blooms. I think one opened to day. I rather think of Nigel as a grumpy moustachioed old man sat in my classroom. The blooms go up, whilst the ones on the purple rainbow go down.

The triffids would the two sweet peppers. Measured to be approximately 60 centimetres tall. They have yet to get bigger. The lovely lady who cleans my classroom took pity on them one day, said they looked a bit depressed and droopy; so felt compelled to water them. There is something of a fascination amongst the ladies who used to clean my room about the greenery in there. It will be interesting to see if they crop, we only have a few weeks left of term. Don’t really want to leave them over the summer.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

classroom experimentation, success

Nigel, Nigel, Nigel

June 21, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

No, not Monty’s dog!

But a chilli pepper. I didn’t give him that name, he came with it.

He sits in the corner window of my classroom, next to the Purple rainbow chillies. Now whilst these are quite spindly and delicate looking, Nigel is a rather robust, leafy looking creature, created with a flurry of flower buds. There are easily a dozen or so on the plant; at his highest point he is 25 centimetres tall. Smaller by a great deal compared to the 42 centimetre tall sweet peppers a couple windows down the room.

The blooms have a beautiful baby yellow tinge about. As mentioned previously, the plant itself is a robust thick stemmed creature. Suggesting that at some point in its pedigree; there may have been a pepper involved.

I’m hoping that Nigel will crop before the end of term on mid July. As will the three sweet peppers. I am convinced that there grow a matter of centimetres daily; and will soon outgrow the window. These too are blooming. Quite a number of buds have developed. How they are too be transporter home, I do not know.

Delicately poised are the purple raj blow chillies, no bigger than Nigel really. And the key word is delicate. Two flowers have opened, a white bloom; with a purple rink formed by the edges of the petals. The plan may be to try and over winter these inside.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

success

Pinched and pulled

June 19, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

“I found a mooli!”

“Have you? Lovely.”

Well, mother, it’s a white icicle radish. But if you insist.

Mum pulled out a few sparkler radishes as well for herself and pops. Both of whom, have now decked that they don’t like the leaves. So these were composted.

The one key coup today.

Chard and spinach.

That was she wanted today. And no messing.

Mum harvested a fair bit of what looks like perpetual spinach and may have been Vulcan chard. The premise was to make it into pakoras-that’s onion bhajis, folks. But we really shouldn’t be eating more fried food.

And what was I doing whilst she cut that stuff down? Watering squashes. Striato di Napoli has a couple of babies, there may be a little jack baby, and baby bush marrow. Please to report that leaves are filling out nicely. Must keep feeding them.

Yours in anticipation

Horticultural Hobbit

classroom experimentation, success

Captivated

June 17, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

I swear that the sweet peppers in my classroom and be chillies in fact, are getting bigger by the day. There really is a tangible difference; in the height. Leaves are fanned out, basking in the day light. I don’t think it matters so much about the heat. The sweet peppers are standing to attention. Their stems becoming thicker and more robust. On both the Spanish mammoth and the purple beauty, there are small, tight flower buds forming. Loaded with promise. To think that they can get to a meter high. That would be as big the the window, then.

The purple rainbow chilli is equally illustrious looking. It is also fanned out. Compared to the pepper, the plants are some what dainty. But the number of flower buds is far greater than the majesty of the sweet peppers great broad leaves. The leaves are smaller, neater. Tinged with a shade or two, smudged purple. Little white fluffy flowers are just waiting.

We go from little fluffy, to big fluffy. The lipstick in the Wendy is blooming. The one flower, is larger than the dainty ones on the purple rainbow. Bigger, fluffier and you can’t miss it.

The chillies that were sat outside, have been brought back into the Wendy. Attacked savagely by slimers- I has to pick one up and lob it from the pot-they are going to be looked after. Cue blue pellets of doom. The chillies in the Wendy all need feeding, some form of acceleration. Compared to the ones in the classroom- the classroom ones are the top set-the contents of the Wendy are very, very, diminutive. The ones in the classroom do, however, get fed with the tomato feed almost religiously.

Moving again, from white fluffy, to bright, beautiful yellow. A bright, splash, of quilled yellow. That is the one single solitary flower, from the astia courgette. The courgette itself is no bigger than say my finger or thumb. But the flower is beautiful. Already, compared to last year, a courgette success.

Yesterday, mama H took a knife to the mustard and harvested it as saag. Harvested and frozen for dad’s
Dinner. Talking of radishes, he is being supplied with radishes as they come. I don’t personally like them; but he’s not complaining.

There is broccoli and also some white excel cauliflowers. The cauliflowers have been netted; but alas some stupid birdy has chomped on bits of the broccoli. So these were covered today.

Not bad for the moment.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

chillies, classroom experimentation, success

Chilli challenge continues

June 14, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

You’ll have to wander over to the FB page for what the latest look is.

But to report ongoing progress; the classroom chillies are getting on much better the those which sit in the Wendy house. On the window sills we have purple rainbow chilli, Nigel’s outdoor chilli as well as purple beauty and Spanish mammoth sweet peppers. The two sweet peppers seem to get taller with each passing day-about 9 inches high at the moment- and could get bigger. The purple rainbow chilli and Nigel’s are some what smaller; but they are all in the process of flowering. They really are remarkable compared to the ones in Wendy house, in terms of height in particular. The Wendy house residents are also in large black buckets and don’t seem to be getting any taller. Even though, at least three of the varieties have set flowers. I might take a closer look at these over the weekend, to further investigate. These are still technically under cover.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

Uncategorized

Glimmers of hope

June 13, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit 1 Comment

Could have collared by the fashion police, wandering down in my Smart navy school suit and red wellingtons.

I am pleased to announce the posh roses, some of them, have buds. And at least three roses are forming.

My grapevine, is looking beautiful. As tiny as she is, I think the one that you see is a red one. She had been presumed dead. So very, very happy to see her get going.

Broadies look a bit bent over; has been a very miserable, wet and windy day today. They are, however, starting to flower. That was reason for the visit today, to see if the Wendy was still there. And it was. Home to the chillies and bells, frauzauber has some rather nice yellow tinged floo’ers. Lipstick does too, so we shall see!

Whilst the garlic is sending up scrapes, shallots show no sign of wanting to budge. Will be keeping an eye on them. Pickle, perhaps.

The difference a spot of rain makes. Potatoes are going crazy. Didn’t think they got that tall.

Out of 9, I have seen 3 cucumber plants. Have started to grow a little. But still not very big.

Some of Ma’s mustard has bolted, is sending out floo’ers that will be yellow.

All is not bad ^_^

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

success

All sorts of scrapes

June 12, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

Dammit can’t upload pics…

Garlic might need taking up soon; came home this morning with garlic scrapes. Crop is on its ways to bolting. So these have been snapped off.

And they reek! Very, very potent.

Ma has rummaged for more radishes. We are leaving the leaves for pops this time.

In other news, first early potatoes are flowering. These are orla potatoes I think. Mama already had designs on the leaves. Pathra. Stuffed potatoes leaves.

We’ll see!

Astia courgette has a baby, as does striato di Napoli.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural hobbit

success

Radish me

June 9, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

Finally!

We have radishes. They are not big, apart from the one and only one seen at the top. This was primarily an exercise in thinning. The radishes are struggling in their broadcast sown state. So I furtled for anything that could be taken home and eaten.

I composted the leaves, and getting home; dad asked why I didn’t keep them. They’d be good for Salad. Didn’t look so good to me!

Pops ate the big red thing, and declared it better than the shop ones. I discovered that I don’t like them.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit

success

Allez Alliums

June 8, 2013 horticultural 'Obbit

I know that there is a least one overwintering onion on the plot. Saw one today. Suggesting that some did it fact survive. There were a few varieties, both red and white, that were planted. In spring, subsequent onions were planted.

With that, there is garlic and shallots. This year, is much better than last year for shallots. In that they are there. They exists. There are about a dozen clumps in various places. Definitely more successful than last summer.

Then there is the garlic. I did sink a lot more than the autumn before last( but again, weather is a compromising variable. It is getting rather tall, a little wind burned; but looking good. Showing no signs yet of wanting to come up. There are both soft and hard necked varieties planted.

Red onions do feature heavily on the plot. Having previously sunk red electric onions, I am intrigued as to what will come up. Red electric were very small. A red onion trait, I think.

At least the Vampires will be kept away.

Yours in anticipation,

Horticultural Hobbit