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, June 24, 2011

Summer Fruits!

You can just smell the vitamins in this little lot! Gradually all my top fruit are starting to ripen.

This is Gooseberry 'Invicta' a variety that is quite resistant to mildew, but sadly not sawfly attacks. These gooseberries were completely ripe and as sweet as sweet can be. Truly one of the most wonderful sweet fruit you can grow! If you can make room for a gooseberry bush in the corner of your plot, it will repay you abundantly!

This is another lovely, sweet gooseberry 'Hinomaki Red' these start green then ripen to a deep red colour. Not quite there yet, but I'm looking forward to them.

Blackcurrants are another of the top fruit that are wonderfully sweet when they are fully ripe. If you buy them unripe (which you will from a supermarket) they are horrid and sour. These are sweet and lovely!

Same here, redcurrants are generally quite acid and do better when mixed with other sweeter fruit, yet if you get them really ripe, they are lovely.

And I am not the only one enjoying the fruits of the garden! I had to keep my eyes wide open because he was sneaking around helping himself when my back was turned! The lovely Leo!

18 Comments:

At 6:40 PM, Blogger Peggy said...

Hi matron, fabulous array of fruit!Our blackcurrants are still green and the gooseberries not ready to pick either, you are obviousley getting much more sun than we are.Leo is so funny, I have never heard of a dog liking fruit?!

 
At 6:59 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At 9:28 PM, Blogger Rob said...

Hi Matron, it's nice to see the head gardener is keeping his eye on things. From what I've read in other blogs at the moment it seems fruit if very popular with other dogs too.

 
At 9:33 PM, Blogger Cabbage Tree Farm said...

Delicious! Enjoy!
My black and red currants have yet to really 'perform' for us - I guess it takes a while for the bushes to get established.

 
At 10:07 PM, Blogger Kelli said...

The fruits look amazing!

 
At 11:41 PM, Blogger Maureen said...

Matron all your veg and fruit look so healthy. My courgettes don't seem to be doing to well, I hope they pick up as I love courgettes. I was wondering if the chicken pellets (brought from the garden centre) was perhaps too strong for them. Some of the leaves are yellowed and the fruits don't look too healthy. I have the same variety of red gooseberry that you have and I agree they are so worth growing.
Have a lovely week-end.
P.S you really should grow flowers !! it cheers the place up and the bees love them.

 
At 7:40 AM, Blogger Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Yummmmmmmmmmm, fruit my fav food ever! And so easy to grow yourself. Never liked raspberries very much until I got a plant from a friend; it was a revelation. Never knew they could taste that good.

In Dutchland there are no black currants available in the shops, nor gooseberries, so those you have to grow yourself or do without. Weird innit, cause pineapples, passion fruit and many other exotic fruits you can buy.

Lovely Leo made me laugh. Tara is mad about veggies, broad beans especially but I have to cook them first. ;-)

 
At 7:51 AM, Anonymous liz said...

my lab loves strawberries peas and broccli too ?

liz x

 
At 9:22 AM, Blogger Kath said...

It's really fruit time now isn't it? I made 2 gooseberry pies a couple of days ago and yesterday cooked the blackcurrants for another pie. Some went in the freezer. Even I can't eat 3 pies in a few days!

You should be as fit as a butcher's dog - far more than your 3 portions there!

 
At 3:26 PM, Blogger Matron said...

Tanya - if they are really ripe then they do not reach the house! If there are enough then I mix them with other fruit in a Summer pudding. If there are lots then a gooseberry crumble. I have heard of a Caribbean punch with liquidized gooseberries and rum!!! Haven't tried that one yet!

 
At 5:44 PM, Blogger Martin and Amy said...

Delicious!

Nothing better than fresh and juicy, home grown summer berries!

Martin

 
At 6:19 PM, Blogger Sue Garrett said...

I've been picking fruit too and am just writing up about it for my blog.

 
At 6:53 PM, Blogger Celia Hart said...

Ooo yes all the lovely fruit ripening - it's great isn't it?!

I too was awiting the 'Hinomaki Red' gooseberries to reach perfect ripeness - unfortunately so were the wood pigeons and they snaffled the lot while my back was turned! I soooo upset :-( It got to be time to invest in a proper super strength fruit cage!

Celia

 
At 12:45 PM, Blogger melsanford said...

Oooooh, yummy! These all look delicious!!! Love 'n' hugs, Mel xx

 
At 1:25 PM, Blogger Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

Nice looking fruits you have! Mother Nature has really gifted you..

 
At 8:13 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Gooseberry crumble...I think I'll give that one a go!

 
At 8:48 PM, Blogger Alison said...

We have inherited a couple of gooseberry bush in our new garden. They remind me of when I was 'very little' as my dad had one at the bottom of the garden and mum always said thats where she found me!!

I have no idea what I'm going to do with the fruit, the OH suggested gooseberry chutney but quite honestly with everything I have to do at the moment I may just leave them to the birds this year and think about it more next year.

 
At 10:04 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

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The informative Article on Summer Fruits is nice.It give detail information above Mango,Pomegranates Thanks for Sharing the information about it. fruitsgogo

 

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