Sunday 25 July 2010

Our First Cucumber


This is what Xanthe considers to be an appropriate 'I grew a cucumber!' pose, it's unclear exactly why. I hadn't planned on growing any cucumbers but we were at a car boot sale a few weeks ago and saw a stall selling vegetable seedlings for 50p each. I offered to buy one each for the children for their section of the allotment, Willow chose a tomato plant and Xanthe chose the cucumber.

I have to admit I didn't think too deeply about either plant, just stuck them in the ground and watered them. The cucumber has romped away, so far we've had this one and the curly one in the previous picture and we still have a few babies too.

The broad beans have finished now so it feels like we're in a vegetal stasis. We've got Rainbow Chard and courgettes a-plenty but are still waiting for the Cavolo Nero, sweetcorn, pumpkins, borlotti beans and runner beans. I also dug out the religious carrots* and have planted peas instead so I hope my allotment book is correct when it says I'm not too late to get a pea crop. I've also planted some red Pak Choi which should be interesting.

My poor home veggie patch is very neglected this year so I'm hoping to lavish some attention on it this week (children permitting) I've just planted my salad tray with a mixture of my favourite mizuna and peas (as a cut and come again salad crop of pea shoots, not for the peas themselves) I figure that should be a nice mix to use either as a salad or a stir fry crop.

I have to admit that, overall, my crops seem to be a little unbalanced in that they're all either green and leafy or beany poddy. I think that's kind of inevitable given that I'm not too keen on root veg which is probably just as well given the wireworm problem. Next year I think I'll mix in some alliums somewhere along the line though I have to keep to my philosophy of growing crops which are either expensive or hard to find in the shops. I'm thinking green garlic but not sure what else. Any suggestions?

* Holy.

5 comments:

  1. How about some of the purple coloured ones, sorry can't think of varieites at the moment. Also elephant garlic? Although a member of the leek family & milder in flavour.

    Great pic ;)

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  2. I am impressed with your cucumber...I cut my first today as well although the plants aren't as good as last year!!

    I am going to sow more peas this week after a terrible crop so fingers crossed we both get some!!

    I love my root veg and grow quite a bit of it but if you are wanting to grow something different for next year then how about melons?? I am growing some this year in the greenhouse but an allotment neighbour has had a couple of seedlings from me and is trying one in the greenhouse and one outside so I'll let you know how they go....have also tried kohl rabi this year thought personally wasn't gushing over the taste but my son really likes it...i just like to go in the seed sections in the sales and pick up things that sound a bit different and give them a go...it works out cheap if you have some failures!!

    Oh and I think Xanthe's cucumber pose is excellent!!

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  3. Purple's a good idea, I tried growing red spring onions in the garden one year but they didn't really work.

    Tanya - Melons are interesting, I would never have considered them. Would love to hear how your neighbour gets on. Let's hope the pea Gods smile on us both!

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  4. Just thought i'd pop in and say hi. I've just got back into my blog again after being absent for almost 2 years.

    I found your blog and love it.. have just finished reading it from start to finish.. keep up the good work.

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  5. Thank you dragonfly, it's very kind of you to say so : )

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