JCC The JCC Gardening Club

Don't you just love nature?
I've noticed that the best thing for my Monday morning mood is a neat garden. So I've just been tidying it up. I cut the grass, cleaned out the areas where I've sown new grass, removed the weeds and dead leaves, sweeped the path. All looked great but it just needed some water. Sprinkler time? I asked my girlfriend if she could check the weather online, but before the page was loaded, I got my answer - drips started falling on my head.

 

LOL!

Yes, nature is amazing... The way things grow at this time of year is astonishing... By August everything will start to slow. By October it all starts to decay. And then, after everything dies by December it will be reborn again in March... The cycle of life...

 

Buckby Peas are flowering

 

First "Buckby Pea" pods have appeared;





Sweetcorn looking well

 

Potatoes are flowering. 2-3 weeks and we can have a little dig of new spuds I think...



Runner beans are climbing and flowering well



However on of my sweetcorn plants looks a bit sick (not sure what's wrong with it) all the other plants look very well though

 

Have you checked your sweetcorn plant for parasites?

 

Hi Laj,

I've been yold the problem was lack of minerals. Am giving it some special feed and it's improving.

Have just dug one root of my Cara potatoes for Sunday lunch:



Very pleased with these.

 

Looks legit.

Alright, my garden is so small that all pics are going to look the same, so here's a new approach: nine years of gardening.

 

that's beautiful

 

I'm not going to be able to pick a peck of purple peppers, but there's one really nice one.

 

That's good, no? You wouldn't want to eat them all at the same time. The one above it is ready next week, the one on the right is ready in 2 weeks.

My tomatoes are good, but really really small. Dutch tomatoes I guess.

 

today I made a kale and potato frittata seasoned with cayenne pepper from my garden, with a garden purple pepper and romaine salad on the side. I am a poor man but rich in pepper.

 

"Buckby Pea's" are ready for the first picking on Sunday methinks:




First of the "runner beans" appearing;





Sweetcorn is getting tall:

 

Sweetcorn cobs appearing:




Running beans growing quickly now;

 

can't get enough of the deep, dark green of my poblano peppers

For the first time ever, I've grown a traditional bell pepper. Looks good enough for the supermarket.

 

First tomatoes this week: Sungold & Matt's Wild Cherry, and these Moskvitch beauties.



As I was telling people at market this week, I don't know what's better: Christmas, or the first picking of tomatoes each season.

 

my tomatoes are at least 3 weeks back from that, and I'm leaving the country soon, so I have to bring in outsiders to eat them on my behalf.

 

Lovely tomato and Pepper pics.

I think my first tomatoes will be ready to pick in around 2-3 days.

 

Do you live in a city? I see buildings over your wall. I love urban gardens the most. The things people can do with those small spaces is terrific and yours is a great example.

 

Thanks! I live in a part of Amsterdam that was developed around 100 years ago. Lived here for about 20 years. Only started gardening when the lady said I couldn't smoke inside the house anymore. Who said smoking's not good for anything?

But gardening sucks when you go on vacation. I returned today after just a week and my tomato plant is dead.

 

Oh yeah, you have to take care of watering when you go away. You need to arrange for someone (reliable) to come in every day and water for you.

My Buckby Peas are shutting down (leaves going yellow)




I think I'll be able to have about two more "picks" and then I'll have to leave whatever peas are left for next years seed.

Overall I'm quite pleased with my first effort this year. Main thing was to make sure I didn't kill off the family seed (which I've done) and I've managed to have several "picks" as well.

I've got half of last years seed left (I kept half back in case anything went wrong this year so I'd be able to have another go next year) so adding last years seed with this years, I'll be able to do a bumper crop next year and maybe even "stage" them (put in three rows in March and three in April, etc)

 

Congrats on the effort. Personally, i love taking care of the plants and supplementing our diet with organic produce, but continuing a family tradition makes it that much more meaningful.

 

Thanks mate.

I didn't think I'd like gardening but actually I've enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It's very rewarding when you sit down and eat your harvest!