Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Friday, August 20, 2010

Planning Ahead

Such a dry Summer, this is the sum total of my purple potato harvest! These are a French variety called 'Vitelotte' - I assume a crossbreed with Charlotte and something else?
So many blogs are featuring pictures of courgettes at the moment. Gluts of courgettes and no one knows what to do with them. My answer is to try to pick them small! Only trouble is that if you miss one for a couple of days then they grow and grow!
I managed to get some Winter and Spring seeds planted today. It is easy to forget to do this because the allotment is just bursting with fresh produce at the moment, but when it all starts to slow down in November and December it will be a long few months with nothing to show for it. Planning ahead is the thing to do at the moment. Here I have planted perpetual spinach, hardy Winter Lettuce and Swiss Chard Bright Lights.
As a result of a comment from Cath at Veg Heaven, I sliced up one of my overgrown courgettes and the chickens loved it!
Buddy just loves eating courgettes as well! He just doesn't take his eyes off me when I am sitting down to eat courgettes.
In his 14 years he has finely honed the art of pitiful stares! Who could resist this one?

18 Comments:

At 5:35 PM, Blogger Mal's Allotment said...

Grommit couldn't do a better expresion than the one you've captured on your Buddy.

 
At 5:54 PM, Blogger Bangchik and Kakdah said...

Oh, nice to see chicken served with sliced courgettes.... i remembered how chicken love coconuts... definitely not sliced, but just open up in two halves... ~bangchik

 
At 6:21 PM, Blogger Doc said...

Buddy is adorable

 
At 7:53 PM, Blogger Rob said...

No - I couldn't resist that look for one second! Matron please don't keep rubbing it in about your long dry summer, hardly a day has gone by without rain here since the middle of July LOL!

 
At 8:55 PM, Blogger Midmarsh John said...

Buddy definitely knows how to get what he wants. Lovely captures of a master of silent persuasion.

 
At 9:13 PM, Blogger RobD said...

Whilst it's true we have a lot of courgettes, it's a challenge to see how to use them up in different dishes. Only had to give a few away, but I'm leaves one just to see how big it can get ;>)

 
At 1:45 AM, Anonymous Lou Murray's Green World said...

I have summer squash (courgette) envy. My plants produced two patty pan squash and gave up the ghost. I'm trying a late summer planting now to see if I can get any squash this summer.

 
At 4:24 AM, Blogger Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

We tried blue potatoes this year and got about the same amount with a wet summer. I finally saw the first zucchini growing on the vine, everything is behind this year.

 
At 9:51 AM, Blogger Kath said...

I've not had much of a harvest with my own variety of purple potatoes - far too dry. I'm having trouble finding spuds big enough to save for next year!

I just knew the chickens would love your courgettes. You are right about the pitiful stare. Buddy could wring the hardest heart!

 
At 6:23 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

ooo I'll be more than happy to send some of my enormous courgettes to Buddy if you run low !

 
At 8:26 PM, Anonymous tessa said...

i was given a book recently called 'Help, what will i do with all these Cougettes!'. I have found that if i leave them at the end of my garden path, with a small sign saying 'looking for a good home!', they soon disappear!

 
At 9:42 PM, Blogger Wishful Acres Farm said...

Hi!
I just dug up a few rows of "All Blue" potatoes a couple of days ago. They look almost exactly the same as your French variety.
My farm garden is growing well this year, I'm also selling at farmers market. The 20 varieties of heirloom tomatoes are finally all ripe and delicious! With almost 300 tomato plants I am canning a lot! Many people are scared to buy too many at market - they are not red! Lol.
I have 7 varieties of summer squash this year.
Nice to see your veggies!
Penny

 
At 11:07 PM, Blogger Robert Brenchley said...

With blight active on my allotment, I'm not expecting much in the way of purple potatoes either, though they haven't got it yet. I've cut back the British Queen and King Edwards, which had it badly; there were traces on the Ratte so that'll be next. If it is Ratte, that is; the stallholder didn't know the name. It looks like it anyway. No trace on the purples, but I don't suppose they'll be far behind. After two days heavy rain they're probably riddled with it.

I'm going to publicise blight from now on, since hardly anyone on the sight seems to know what it is.

 
At 12:45 AM, Blogger One said...

Hi Matron, This is my first time here. I like the way Buddy puts his chin on your lap. Very adorable. Very often when I take photos about nature and gardening, I ended up taking shots of my dogs as they keep getting in the way and looking adorable.

 
At 6:49 AM, Anonymous Damo said...

Thanks for the reminder Matron I must get sowing!

 
At 1:53 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Buddy is quite like our Robbie. patiently, never taking eyes off our food!! A great organiser, you are - good luck with the veggies.

 
At 3:50 PM, Anonymous kitsapFG said...

Like you I try to pick my zucchini fruit small rather than let them grow too large, however, now and then they get away from me. I have tried to feed my oversized ones to the chickens but they are not interested in them!? I may have to try again and see if I can pique their interest.

Buddy definitely has the pitiful look down cold!

 
At 6:04 AM, Blogger Country Bliss said...

I posted some courgette recipes on my blog last week as we've had loads too. I keep trying to tempt my hens with them but they don't want to know!

 

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