Exciting Kale

Kale Nero Di Toscana turns out to be exciting vegetable No 37 in the top 75 exciting veg.

Mine has miraculously survived the ravages of whitefly and will be served up with the Sunday roast later today. Will I be able to contain my excitement?

I am very pleased with my pumpkin!

At long last I have grown a pumpkin for Halloween. All I need now is a broomstick and a cat!

Miscanthus Sinensis 'Silberspinne'

Last year, Dan Pearson wrote that this grass was, "bright enough on a sunny winter day to erase any melancholy in an instant." I bought one, divided it into three smaller ones and planted them.

Today proved him right.

Can Squirrels spell?

My carefully planted crocus bulbs have been dug up and rearranged by a local squirrel.... no idea what will come up in February now!

Naturalistic planting?

I ordered 100s of crocus bulbs during the summer and this morning I planted them in the front lawn.

It was very tempting to plant them in the shape of a rude word - roll on flowering time!

Leaf Mould

I finally had a few hours to catch up in the garden today and started by raking up all these lovely leaves for next years leaf mould. Who needs the gym?

... ridiculous big hands suddenly appeal.

The beauty of being a newly single woman...

Is that your Godson and neighbour offer to mow your lawn!

Service Suspended

There is a crisis at the Veg Plot.

Normal Service may not be resumed for some time.

Vodka

Having discovered the preserving powers of vodka, I have set about filling a cupboard full of preserved raspberries and damsons.

Much easier than jam and they don't set rock hard either!

Next Year I will Net...

All my cabbages, kale and sprouts resemble sails on the Black Pearl.

The reason is clear from the photo and war has been declared. Steinernema carpcapse is on order...

Spiced Preserved Pears

Is one of the recipes in Sarah Raven's book. Family & friends will all be receiving a jar of this for Christmas because I have loads of pears.

I can't believe I used the C word - in August...

Chickens!

Have spent the day with Mel picking up her new chickens.

Feel broody.

Speckled Bush Cricket

At last we have had some proper summer evenings where I can get in the garden after work. Yesterday I spotted a Speckled Bush Cricket on the Heuchera.

Apparantly, naturalists armed with a bat detector are at a distinct advantage when searching for speckled bush crickets as the stridulation of the male can easily be heard with one up to 30 meters away. Males sing at a peak frequency of 40khz and the song is revealed as a short tick repeated regularly at intervals of four or five seconds.

I will whip our my bat detector tonight!

Guano

Last Friday night, Spouse and I went on a 'Bats in Bodenham Night'. We saw loads of Noctule bats in the Orchards, Common and Soprano pipistrelle bats in the meadows, followed by Daubenton's over the river. There was bat pooh in the church porch (I now know how to identify bat pooh) and one Natterer's bat.


I hope they will all come and pooh on the veg plot

Tippler's Bane

I think the mushrooms in the lawn are edible ink caps but am not tempted to try one after reading that,

"Consuming Coprinopsis atramentaria within a few hours of alcohol results in symptoms including facial reddening, nausea, vomiting, malaise agitation, palpitations and tingling in limbs. Symptom severity is proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed and can occur if even a small amount of alcohol is consumed up to three days after eating the mushrooms."

No thank you.

Daily Bread

Spouse has bought me a book on bread to expand my range.

This is supposed to be 'pain façon beaucaire'.

Spouse is not impressed.

Grey Skies

The weather continues to be rather dull, unlike the veg plot which is looking rather glorious.

I'm now glad that I forgot to pick the artichokes and weed out the poppies.

Asparagus

The Stockton Bury cosmos planted with asparagus combination has been a brilliant success and even looks good on a wet summer Saturday.

If only I could say the same about the rest of the garden!

Poisoned by Ravioli?

Valentine Warner cooked up some very lovely looking ravioli on tv tonight using hedgerow herbs including cow parsley (AKA wild chervil). He cheerfully informed his audience that all the wild herbs were in season now. All the cow parsley round here is over but the hemlock is out.

Uh Oh

Dood's Feet

Dood called round this evening and ended up sharing a bottle of wine.

Dood had been for a pedicure - and then spent all day gardening.