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

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Plum Scrumping!

Yesterday I made a short visit to the RHS Garden at Wisley. As the schools have now broken up for the Summer holidays there were some activities for the young at heart! How about this sunflower maze?
These were only 4ft tall in all but people had picked smiley faces in the sunflowers!
Looks like fun! - last year in the same spot they had a maize maze!
Of course, the main reason to visit is to go to the Model Vegetable Garden to see what's growing there.
And to visit the fruit orchard to check on the ripeness of the plums. There was an amazing variety of colours, sizes and shapes. The gages have a more rounded shape and a much sweeter, honey like taste.
Small cherry plums or mirabelles are just loaded on the branches.
Red cherry plums were ripening nicely too!
Another entertainment at Wisley was a polytunnel filled with unusual shaped curcurbits, gourds, melons and cucumbers. I had never heard of a Mouse Melon!!
When I thought my trombocino squash was unusual I see it is in good company compared to some of these.
A Hedgehog cucumber! a hit with the youngsters visiting!
Or how about a wooly bear gourd? Nature in its infinite variety!

11 Comments:

At 10:29 AM, Blogger Bangchik and Kakdah said...

Infinite variety, how very true... I love the smileys...., a proof that children are most creative. ~bangchik

 
At 12:00 PM, Blogger Kath said...

Some of those melons and gourds are like aliens! Looks like you had a wonderful time!

 
At 3:31 PM, Anonymous kitsapFG said...

What a fun place! I love the smiley face sunflowers.

 
At 5:34 PM, Anonymous Sarah said...

I'm putting this garden on my things to do before I die list! Those mouse melons are sooo cute. Can you eat them?

 
At 10:22 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Lovely unusual fruits - love them all.Say 'hello' to the sunflowers for me from sunny Malaysia!

 
At 1:07 PM, Blogger Peggy said...

Hi matron, another day out enjoying the sunshine and gardens.I would love to visit this partcular garden having seen it on so many TV programmes.They are obviously encouraging children to have an interest in gardening with the novel plants, I would not like to be peeling the hedgehog or bear cucumbers!
PS, did you find a use for the Carrageen?!

 
At 5:17 PM, Anonymous Damo said...

Looks good fun and great varieties.

 
At 7:01 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

ooo looks like a good place to visit - loving the mouse melons !

 
At 9:55 PM, Blogger VP said...

When I was at Wisley in May I couldn't go in the veg garden because they'd just sprayed it :(

So glad I found this post - I found packets of seed of your last 2 photos for sale in the Czech Republic and have been trying to find out a bit more about them as I don't know enough Czech!

Have you heard that My Tiny Plot is setting up a new veg growing web community? Thought you might be interested...

http://ukveggardeners.com/

 
At 4:38 PM, Anonymous send flowers online said...

The real connection between human being and nature, reveals sometime, when you see real cultures with great aspects, like in your pictures.

 
At 12:29 PM, Anonymous Debbie said...

Fantastic idea with the sunflowers! Really original and I'm sure the kids had a great time.

 

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