The Beauty of the Beast..
What a glorious weekend to be out on the allotment having a good clear up! Damp soil, warm temperatures and bright blue sky. Matron now has a satisfying back ache!
I have brought my Scotch Bonnet chillis indoors onto a warm, bright windowsill. All they needed was a bit of sunlight and look at these vibrant colours.
I will probably dry these in a string and use as Christmas decorations! edible decorations!
My new F1 Oarsman leeks are amazing! I didn't earth up too much stem here, but they have a lovely colour. I wait to see how well they stand over Winter. A wise person pointed out to me this week that if you look at the arrangement of the leaves each side, it reminds you of a rowing boat...think Oxford / Cambridge boat race? .. then wouldn't this variety be called Oarsmen instead?
I dried off the last of my new F1 St George runner beans, and shelled them today. I was expecting pink beans, but these are white! I am going to grow them next year and see what the 2nd generation are like. I really don't like paying such prices for F1 hybrids.
I have started off my Isle of Wight garlic 'Early Purple' in pots in the greenhouse. Hopefully they should put on some roots and a shoot in the next few weeks. I like to give them a good head start in case they get nibbled!
The mild weather in the past couple of weeks has kept my courgettes going! this is one of my climbing courgettes Black Forest.
These are the last two Courgette Defender. This spot has been tidied up now and a few Winter lettuce have been planted in their place.
During my clear up efforts today, I disturbed several frogs, was harrassed by an excited robin, and I found this beast lurking around my cabbages! A quick look on google image (whatever happened to going to the library!) confirmed its identification as a Leopard Slug. What a beautiful beast! I couldn't bear to squish it, so I threw it into a neighbours garden!! I bet it will find its way back, they do say they have a good homing instinct!
posted by Matron @ 5:39 PM
16 Comments:
"Threw it into a neighbours garden"??? Hope they're not reading your post?
(I have been intrigued at how snails managed to trampoline onto the brassica netting....)
Sligs and snails - pests without any redeeming features!
Those chillies are gorgeous - fantastic colour.
Leopard slugs are one of those slugs that do no harm in the garden. So, if it finds its way home, no harm will be done!
Rob
Good looking chillis you have there. I have always fancied growing chillis but I am the only one in our house who likes them!
You'll be sorry you threw it into the neighbours garden when it returns and eats the winter lettuce you've just planted. I've grown serrano chilies this year and they're ripening slowly.
Great harvest as always!
Those chillis look amazing.
And yeah i dont think i would have had a heart to squish that leopard slug, it does look beautiful.
Just hope your neighbors don't mind
Those big grey slugs love my beehinves; I get masses in empty hives in damp weather, and the odd one in an occupied hive. They don't seem to be bothered by the bees; I think they just find the occupied hives a bit to dry for them.
So that is what a british leopard slug looks like! Weh ave them here in Oreogn, but they are a very dark green with lighter green spots and they can get up yo 8 inches long. They love our damp, mild winters. Your leaks look just beautiful. That is one veg that is on my "must try" list to grow- soon. As for your beans, I was always told that F1 hybrids created seed that would grow, but the nezt generation would be sterile. So if that is correct, the seeds in your hands won't sprout. I will be interested to read your update on them.
Due to severe back problems caused by doing too much heavy digging earlier this year, I am now extremely envious of your peppers and leeks.
But throwing a slug into a neighbours garden why we gardeners nver do that do we?
Oh goodness you make me feel so lazy - I haven't had time for weeks now to go to the lottie with all the new house stuff! Your produce is so fab, I'm super jealous :)
So glad there are others out there willing to admit that they throw 'the enemy' into the neighbour's place - oh we are cheeky ;)
Lovely leek! Your comment about edible decorations makes me think I should, after all, harvest the beautiful but tasteless chillies I tended lovingly from seed this year and use them as garlands. At least then all is not lost :-(
So glad you managed to take a photo of the 'monster' and Rob (above) has said they do no harm. I cut down some more ivy last week from our garden walls and found several lurking underneath. I just left them as I felt sorry for disturbing them in the first place!
I wang slugs and snails too - just hope they never drop on anyone's head or there will be rumours of flying slugs! I know the big ones don't do any harm but they are really yukky aren't they and leave messy trails everywhere!
What gorgeous chillis! It's definitely going on my 'to grow' list next year. That leopard slug is quite something. Until now, I thought all slugs are pure brown slime!
The leek and chilis are gorgeous. I have skipped leeks in the garden for the past two years and am missing them. I think I will grow some in 2011 again.
Slugs are a constant presence in my maritime climate garden. I fling them into the deep dark woods and feed the small ones to the chickens. They won't eat the big ones though so i throw them as far as I can into the forest.
Those Scotch bonnets are looking great!
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