It's my first growing year, and it's actually really comforting to hear how difficult this year has been for other, more experienced growers! I've put in a LOT of effort for not much in return. I hope next year is better!
I've felt the same watching others, esp Katrina at @homegrown.garden. I was just saying to my mum, you graft all year for one good month of harvests, and that's not even good this year. Why do we do it to ourselves?? 🤣 We must be fools in love! ❤️
I had something like those "flimsies" and knew we get incredible winds, so I took some steel wire, wound it between the two back, front legs and put a bag of "play sand across the wires. We got 60kmph winds with high gusts, and after dreading what I would find, it stated put. 👍 I too had seedlings in it, but they got away with staying put too. Phew.
😅 the weather that blight wished for 😂😂 I concur 🙌 I'm also ready to pack up the failed season...it was not easy...and I really feel for anybody who doesn't have a greenhouse or polytunnel to take a little shelter in from the wind and rain .... You had a beautiful foraging walk, it was so peaceful and beautiful 😍 The allotment open day looked really interesting, and oh, the Dahlia walk with Verbena Bonariensis 🎉🎉 really nice harvest basket, too 😀
That plot with all the dahlias and verbena - wow! And they said they lift everyone single tuber every year. What a mammoth task. Yes, the greenhouse tomatoes are definitely the saviour of my growing year!
I laughed when you said it was the weather than blight wished for! Not funny but so true! Hope that’s the only stem for now 🙏🏻 Your flimsy falling made me so sad for you. You have so much more patience and resilience than me! You’ve some lovely tomatoes ripening and the plot is looking lovely. All that work you did over you previous annual leave is really paying off. Nice to see you able to fill harvest baskets after the awful weather and slug onslaught. Gotta love someone who keeps going in spite of everything seemingly against them succeeding this year. Really enjoyed this video Kerry, especially the allotment open day. What a beautiful allotment site. ❤
Aw thank you Clare ❤️ I feel awful that so much of what you, Jo and Danny gifted me got slugged 😭 but it's a relief to be cropping some things (mostly tree spinach 🤣). It's a huge allotment site - second largest in Leicestershire - and looks over the surrounding countryside. The plots are all quite secluded too, so you get that secret garden feel.
I believe sungold is only available as an F1 - so it might explain the unexpected variety! Your toms are very impressive, quite jealous! Zlatlava have been a firm favourite of mine this year so happy to grow them next year too!
That's right - I thought I had new seed, but it must have been saved and that's why it isn't coming true. I thought the inside of the zlatlava would be brighter - but maybe I need to let them ripen a little more...
I really sympathise with you on your mini greenhouses blowing over. The same thing happened to me in April and everything ended up on the floor. Managed to salvage about half of it but had no idea what anything was 🤷♀️ Then last week my prized pot of Eskimo tomatoes which I had put on a chair ( avoiding carrot root fly) got blown off the chair by the almost constant vicious wind we’ve had here (Edinburgh) for weeks. Remind me again why we do this ! 😅
Oh no, I usually place a bag of compost or a big stone slab on the bottom shelf my mini greenhouses to keep them from falling over or blowing away, worked really well, even a couple of bricks or big stones would also work
Interesting....the only tomato in my garden that got botrytis was the Barry's Crazy Cherry. It was healthy right up to that point. Look into botrytis or grey mold as that could be your issue too? Not sure I will grow again. Funny, my neighbor grew one of my BCC's in a pot, and called me over to peek at it. It was in rough shape, but not diseased. I gave it a good organic concoction and moved it into a sunnier local in her yard, and it's taken off no disease etc. Blow away zipper greenhouses. I weigh them down with paving stones over the bottom rods and bricks to weigh down the plastic covering. I made a video about them if you want to see my set up. I learned the hard way, one spring but after I scooped up all the starter trays I just went with it and had a true "polyculture" surprise that spring. Sungold F1 probably reverted to parent traits in the saved seed. Does it taste nice? I'm done sowing here except a possible radish clump here or there. You have a great squash patch going against all odds!
Oh that's interesting - maybe it was grey mold then. I know Allie @therightpearplot had that near the start of the tomato season. I've checked today and no further signs... You know, I used to have bricks in the bottom. I don't know why I took them out!!! Rookie mistake. Yes, Allie sent me the seed thinking it was new seed but we've figured it out it must have been the saved seed - tastes fine, nothing special.
Great catch up Kerry! Disappointments, yes, but lots to be happy about! I made rhubarb wine for the first time this year, so wont know what it will be like until 2025, but I loosely followed recipes from Lovely Greens and Brewbitz. It's all gone to plan so far, but I think my next batch will have some additives, maybe some ginger, or vanilla. My next brew will be blackberry and elder. 🙂
Ohh I'll be very interested to know what you think. I've made elderflower champagne before, but prefer my elderflower kombucha so haven't bothered again.
the little grow house are a pain when they fall over i never use the bottom shelf as put something heavy iv got a bag of compost on 1 of mine and brick in the other
Thanks for the tour and update. Great bargains. Good thing most from the flimsies could be saved. I sowed some winter claytonia last week. Next sowing now will be winter sowing. Were your cosmos self seeded? I don't think that would work for me with my short season. Mine used 3 months to grow and started blooming i August, but wow, they took off a lot more than I expected.
Yes, all self-seeded. Never happens in the home garden, but on the plot they come back every year. That's why I didn't bother sowing many this year - but then they've taken an age to come up (buried under compost, slugs, general bad weather...) - but hoping for a late display.
I really don’t know what to say I was just going to mention Jessie so between the 2 of you your attracting critters with tasty fertilizers. I asked about the BFB a few months ago when the potatoes were being dug up 🤦♀️. It’s been challenging for most gardeners this year but you have definitely had your share. Not too late to perhaps try bush beans and my trombonchino is doing amazing. I refuse to do corn anymore because it just attracts squirrels 🐿️. Oh 😻😻 zephyr I love them and growing more plants next year. 😢 sorry about the flimsies. Poop happens but we get on with it, it’s what gardeners do. Great video and update Kerry, have an awesome week, Ali ☔️🌧️💨🌤️🇨🇦
Zephyr has definitely been the star of the squash this year. I will definitely grow again too. Yes, this season keeps throwing stuff at us, but keep on keeping on and there's always next year! You have a great week too Ali 💕
Fabulous harvest Kerry ❤ What a great allotment open day you went to. Shame there isn't one here although we could do our own I suppose but not sure about that.Maybe I just need to walk around our own allotment site, not done that for a while. 😂 That tree spinach looks fabulous, what does it taste like? It does look pretty 😍 x
I love walking around our own site, but it's always interesting to see others. Next year on allotment week take a look if any local sites are doing open days. I find the tree spinach really tasty - it's like a stronger spinach but I know some people aren't keen on the texture. Either way though it's gorgeous on the plot (if a very ready self seeder!!)
Hi Kerry and Dorie, I've just Subscribed, when I saw you Dorie I was sold on the channel. I have two Mini Schnauzers so you caught my attention BIG TIME ❤ Kerry I've watched a few of your videos and you're such a hard worker. Best of luck with all your crops , unlike unfortunately Jessie at plot 37 😢
@@dogontheplot They certainly are, my two big babies spoiled rotten. I love your videos you put so much time, effort , thought and a little piece of yourself into every vlog they're just brilliant to watch. Thanks 👍👍 best wishes from Dublin
So disappointed for you re the suspected blight at the allotment. However, your home greenhouse hopefully will swerve the dreaded menace this time of year. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. It appears we all have had probably one of the most challenging seasons with varying successes and failures. In comparison down here on the coast, my squash, courgette, melon and cucumber have been really poor (understatement) and greenhouse tomatoes have been the most challenging. I’ve never had such sickly looking plants that required so much intervention. As for peppers, eventually found mine had thrips🔍, after thinking it was a nutrient deficiency and now waiting for nematodes from Green Gardener🤞🏻 Brassicas and beans on the other hand are doing really well. I guess we take the wins where we can. Despite the non stop unseasonal rain, low temps and low light levels, we’ve all managed some good harvests and deserve to give ourselves a pat on the back me thinks! Great tomato harvest Kerry and looking forward to your Alice’s Dream taste test. Keep smiling
Hi Kaz. Yes, I've never had blight (or much of it) in the greenhouse so I'm feeling fairly confident those ones will be ok - not so much on the plot as there's no glass in the greenhouse 🤣 What a year it has been - but you're right, there are still harvests to be had!
sodium barcarbinate slows down blight and kills other similar bacterial and mildew on courgettes too doenst kil the bees but use at off peak bee time lol , tomatoes actually love a dose of it watered down i use a teaspoon per litre and and i use it on everything that looks a lil sad it even cured a pepper plant that had rot mid stem in june , so worth a try chick , prune spray and pray i say xxxxx!!!
Hope mine are ok too Kerry. Fingers crossed 👍🏽 And what was the microphone saying? 😂😂 Oh my Nero lol it's a bit dead 😂 might see about planting it at home tomorrow 🤔 6:29 aww I'm so happy for you 🙌🏽 And your courgettes! Wow nice one
@@dogontheplot Oh dear 😳 I've now resorted to hammering 4ft stakes into the ground and threading the greenhouse over them and zip tying internal frames to the stakes PLUS the bricks...seems to be working (shouldn't have said that out loud 🤪). Obviously not doable on concrete ground!
Hi Kerry, can I ask, at the end of your video I noticed your aubergines were sitting in a tray of water (I think you said there was comfrey in it). Do you keep them in there permanently or was that just a watering/feeding session? I’m fairly new to your channel but you seem to have made your garden particularly into such a personal inviting place. I loved it. Thanks for all your inspiration
im glad im not teh only one having a bad year I've not had a rat or 2 in my home garden eating my cucumbers in the pollys the I'll monsters can climb all the way up to the roof to monch on them lol and I've now got a huge catterpillar farm which is ok for next years butterflies but now they've eaten all my nasturtiums they've moved on to the kale and cabbage ,my bad tho for not getting proper enviromesh lol
Oh no - note to self - more nasturtiums next year!!! I need to have a proper inspection of plot brassicas now because I've been noticing a bit of munching...
@@dogontheplot ye it sis save a lot of brassica monching I jsut used the wrong kinda netting over my cabbages but the sprouts have been fine and I've ordered some proper enviromesh so I can plant out more pak choi and I'm thinking of starting so spring cabbage
I love it. I think it is really tasty. I put in stuff, like you would regular spinach, but also just panfry with garlic as a side dish. I don't tend to eat it raw.
That courgette bake looked amazing Kerry. I’ve been looking at trying nooch but I’m a little overwhelmed by the choice. Do you have a brand that you could recommend? X
Hi Lindsey. Tbh they're much of a muchness in my experience. Engevita, the BOSH one, I've had bulk ones from Buy Whole Foods Online. The trick is to pulse it with cashews, garlic powder, salt, pepper and a little drizzle of truffle oil - that gives a great parmesan alternative to add to the top of bakes and pizzas etc. I've been making the courgette bake so much - it was great with tromboncino too.
Don't talk to me about rhubarb 🥴 I bought a bareroot plant 🌿 when it came it looked like a random piece of wood🪵 I left it on the side in my kitchen for a couple of weeks and then spotted a tiny bit of green on it 😀 I potted it up 🪴watered it and then planted it into a nice corner in my garden 🌿 about a week later I checked on it and it's disappeared 😭🙄 no rhubarb crumble for me 🥴🤦
