you say tomato..

If you remember, this is first year we have had a proper little lean-to greenhouse and it's been fabulous. One day we will get a standard sized one (I promise Andrew) but until then, it is amazing the amount of produce you can get from two tomato plants in the right heat and one pepper. Here is a photo of our, I think 3rd little haul from the toms so far and there are many, many more to come. These are Tumbler tomatoes for a change, we usually only grow Gardener's Delight.

See now, I have actually come outside with my camera to prove to you that these plants are bonkers full of new fruits and really that's just a flavour, a couple of close ups :) Can you tell I'm pleased?

There is also a pepper plant out there, I don't know the variety, I think Andrew rescued it from certain death one day in a nursery. Well that's what my brain is telling me anyway. As far as I can recollect (my memory isn't great today) this is the first successful pepper plant we have had and it sure beats last year's disastrous chili plant attempt - oh the aphids, oh the inhumanity of it all...

We haven't picked any yet as they're still small but they sure look good and so shiny :)

Just whilst I'm on the title of 'you say tomato', I ought to show you the potatoes/potatoes before I 'just call the whole thing off' and go for a nap. 

These are either Sharps' express or Pentland javelin - okay, it's official I suck at remembering things! - but they are great looking and every one is edible. To think back in April we thought we'd never get any planted with the weather so bad, but there's been as good a haul as any year previously :) However not a single plant flowered and I do love me a potato flower photo :(

So, there we are, just a little more boasting about the things that have gone well, to keep this blog and this summer from sounding like an awful season.

Hugs and Love
Carrie

The worst, yet I get an award?!

I have been the worst blogger known to humankind of late. I do apologise, I really haven't been well. I know I told you a little about it last time but things are truly very bad and now I am in between two different zones of mental health teams and both are asking to work with me; I am still not sure what the do-lally is going on and as a result I am slowly (ironically) getting much more ill due to the upheaval.

So I have been finding it hard to talk, walk, read and write. I have tried to take a photo every now and then but to be honest even looking outside makes me nervous never mind going out there!

Here are a few little pics of some fabulous harvests we have had though -

Yummy beetroots, runner beans, parsnips and celeriac

The last of the tomatoes ('Gardener's Delight' ~ a truly apt name)

Our only big pumpkin - now ripe and the same size as Maggie :) This shall not be carved so don't tempt me, it's the only one we have and I swear everything shall be eaten, even the seeds shall be roasted and memory of it lingered over all winter. Oh, last year we had an attic full of Pumpkins - they got quite sickening in the end :(

Apart from that the rain has scuppered any plans for work at the lotties - they are a swamp.

But! I did receive an award from my lovely friend Annuk (a jeweller and blogger). I am to link back to her at Annuk Creations and tell you 7 things about myself....ummmmm.....

1. I am allergic to peanuts, intolerant to onions and just plan rude to mushrooms.
2. I stood on a snail last night - yuck, it makes such a gross crunching sound and you slide on your sole at the same time.
3. I adore roses but hate, hate, hate the smell of them (there, good to get that off my chest)
4. I love anything to do with cute (not realistic) drawings of Unicorns :) I believe!!! haha
5. I have size 3 feet.
6. I am an excellent baker but I don't bake anymore because I am so good - I eat it all.
7. I will not answer the phone unless I know who is calling - weird I know but true all the same. Phone me on my mobile and all is well, I can see the number...

There you go, terribly interesting I'm sure. Again I am sorry for the lack of blogging content this week, times are hard and my head is not a nice place to be.

Hoping you are all well and looking forward to sowing seeds, planting those bulbs, taking cuttings for next year. Yuck and *big raspberries* to Winter xxxx

France's never ending growing season

Something that Lawerence, the owner of our Gite in the North of Brittany, told us somewhat surprised me. He said that they don't really have a winter where they are and he cuts the grass every 2 weeks all year round! Many years there are just a few weeks were the frost comes and then it's the eternal growing season again. So that made sense of the fact that everywhere you look in Brittany there are artichokes and maize and cabbage etc in large fields, all at different stages of growth.

I fell in love with the artichoke flowers that were for sale in the florists and were often to be found in abundance in large vases outside resturants. (Far better this than eating them - yuck, personally I HATE them).

It's also no wonder that most private gardens have their own vegetable area and everything looks fabulous even though up here at home, they would be over by now. Even caravans on holiday resorts have there own tomato plants growing outside - it's inspirational.

Of course there was no getting away from the fact that it was September and thus it was apple season and cidre making time. All along the sides of roads were apples of all varieties and the supermarkets were no different. Such pride in the apple was lovely and every apple I ate was a delight (even the ones we stole!) Yep, Andrew went scrumping as it was just a shame to see so many apples potentially going to waste, especially when we were pretty sure they were Royal Gala.

Usually on holidays we love going into the local markets to see all the vegetable and fruit varieties and this time was no exception, though to be fair, the supermarkets are amazing as well in their variety and freshness. Here are a couple of gorgous displays from Quimper town market, that is one thing you will always see when it is a personal stall - attention to detail and everything lovingly displayed...it was also the cool place to hang out if you were a student!

Don't want to bore you so I shall write another French piece later in the week, hugs for now xx

All's well that ends well..

Maggie is home! The vets rang us this morning and said the little angel was ready to go home, so we rushed off to get her and gave her cuddles galore. On the way back to the house we quickly stopped off at the lottie and let her have a wee run round. She is so full of beans and had a bath to clean up the boke-y beard, so she looks great. This afternoon she slept like a log, but I loved watching her and just felt that everything was alright again. I loves my Maggie!!

Speaking of which I have a cute photo of her 'helping' Andy last weekend when he was planting seeds - hahaha. I thought it was too sweet to be annoyed at her for being up on the bed.

What did he plant there anyway? I know the second row was Scorzonera; cool seeds eh? We haven't grown this before but according to the River Cottage Handbook No. 4 Veg Patch it  is ' hugely popular in France and Italy....look[s] like a size-zero parsnip', and '...according to fable, is reminiscient of oysters [or] simply nutty and sweet'. Mark Diacono confesses here that he is 'shamelessly evanglical about them' so I hope they're bloody good!!

Not to be out done I too did some 'proper' gardening for a change. I pruned back the dogwood [afer a little lesson] all by myself; look at the difference. Seems very brutal but obviously necessary. I'll just use the decarded branches for arty-farty stuff. Plus at the far end of this plot the rhuburb is really starting to go for it!

Lastly I thought I'd share some photos of a few of the window sill seedlings in the sun room /nursery. We're doing really well with germination rates so far in the tomatoes, chillies, flowers for the cut flower border and celeriac and marigolds.

 

Reclaiming my Bloomin' Monday!

Well gosh darn it if the mind monster in my head didn't just steal another day from me. I am here (not at full power but getting there) to get it back! I am aware that it is Tuesday but this is my blog and here I make the rules. So today is Monday - I shall have my Monday with a side of 'happy', thank you very much Mr Monster.

As per usual I have a very beautiful bloom to share with you (which ironically may not have been this open and this gorgeous yesterday...). This little darling and her friends were found outside in a pot in Mamma G's garden. Just smiling away at the world and easily overlooked; with a bin in front of them poor dears.

Also whilst outside I was able to see the sun room window sill (it's so full in there with all Andrew and my sofas and furniture etc, that it is for the present, un-useable. Andrew, with his long legs and arms can reach all the way to this window from the inside (amazing what the body can do in extreme situations) and has these Spuds chitting away merrily. Of course they won't be planted until St Patrick's Day (as is tradition). Beside them in a very condensation filled covered tray I think there are Celeraic and happy news from the lottie yesterday ~ tiny specks of green in the Leek seed trays!! Yippeeeeee.

Andrew also planted some Tomato seeds, they're on a window sill too, I think it's the kitchen, can't think where else they could be.

Still have lots to tell about the lottie at the weekend. But for now a very big THANK YOU to everyone who wrote a comment yesterday. Reading them late last night honestly gave me a lot of hope and strength. I truly have the nicest followers in the world. I will get around to personal replies but forgive me, migraines are haunting me after yesterday and I can't stay on the computer long. Big HUGS xx