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

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Delicious!

The bees just LOVE vegetable flowers! I always try to leave a couple of whatever I am growing to go to seed and flower. The most spectacular success a couple of years ago was leaving a parsnip in the ground to grow and flower the next year. 6 ft tall and masses of yellow flowers covered in bees! These chive flowers are no exception! Pretty in a pot on the patio!

The 3 Sisters planting is looking rather good at the moment. I had to put in some bamboo canes for the beans to climb up, but the runner beans, sweetcorn and pumpkins are attracting yet more bees on to the patch.

This is one of my Queensland Blue pumpkins which has started to grow. Blink once or twice and it will have doubled in size! This is the time that, should you wish to do so, you get a needle out of your sewing kit, and you carefully scratch a smiley face in your pumpkin!

Courgettes are in full flood at the moment too! We've had quite a bit of rain in the last few weeks, and I've been picking a new batch of these Defender courgettes every few days. Again, blink twice and you have a monster pumpkin on your hands!

One veggie I am particularly looking forward to is this new Delizia cucumber. New this year from Medwyns of Anglesey, this F1 hybrid cucumber is a very pale green, small straight cucumber. Very thin skinned and with a flesh almost like a melon. Incredibly prolific, a cucumber at every leaf joint as well as side shoots establishing. Looking good!

These long beetroot Cylindra have enjoyed the wet weather (so have the weeds!) I love these long beetroot, they are just brilliant for slicing!

15 Comments:

At 8:40 PM, Blogger gintoino said...

Seeing lots of flower there! What ever happened to "Matron doesn't do flowers" ? hehehehehe

 
At 9:09 PM, Blogger Alison said...

I've never seen a long beetroot before, I'm going to make a note of that one.

Just catching up with 3 weeks of blogs after moving into our new place!!

 
At 9:57 PM, Blogger Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

I'm with Alison, I've never seen or heard of that one, looks like it might be a tasty one.

 
At 10:04 PM, Blogger Tira said...

Pretty flowers and what luscious looking veggies! Wish I could get beets like that.

 
At 11:11 PM, Blogger Mal's Allotment said...

I'm growing Defender and Cylindra too. The first has started production, but the second has some way to go. Mind you I have slugs that big!

 
At 11:22 PM, Blogger Rob said...

What would you scratch a smiley face on your pumpkin for? I've never heard of that before. I often grow the Cylindra beetroot.

 
At 2:10 AM, Blogger Wyatt said...

That cucumber is almost too perfect to eat :)
We have had lots of bees working the tomato blooms, lovely sound!

Wyatt's Mom

 
At 8:41 AM, Blogger suburban veg gardener said...

Your baby pumpkin looks perfect. Just waiting for my Hooligan pumpkin plant to produce something similar now.

 
At 9:13 AM, Anonymous Caro (Urban Veg Patch) said...

Lovely to see the variety of veg flourishing under your care, Matron! Had to smile at Rob's comment, the children love to put their names on the pumpkins so they know who grew what at Hallowe'en! P.S. Very impressed at your 3 sisters arrangement as it didn't work for me; now I'll adapt your methods for next year. : )

 
At 10:32 AM, Blogger Sue Garrett said...

Cleve West had parsnips in his ornamental show garden at Chelsea so you are in good company

 
At 10:39 AM, Blogger Greenorchid said...

Chicory and leeks flowers are really beautiful too the bees love them... as for chive flowers yummy...
I'm leaving at lest one of everything to seed this year so I look forward to seeing the parsnip flowers...

 
At 10:56 AM, Blogger LindaG said...

Never seen a veggie like that beetroot, Matron. Very pretty!
Since I am clueless as a cook, I planted basil as a companion plant, because I read that I should. I just let it go to flower and the bees seem to love that, too!
I love your 3 sisters planting. All of your garden is looking great! :)

 
At 4:33 PM, Blogger Kelli said...

That long beetroot and cucumber both look really good.

 
At 12:26 PM, Blogger Lrong Lim said...

Your three sisters look so good... I have not tried it yet...

 
At 6:13 AM, Anonymous Patrick said...

queensland pumpkin looking good!

 

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