Garden update -- 22 September

I got home from work earlier than usual today, so I had a bit of time to have a proper look around the garden... Incidentally, I also got the hosepipe out and gave the garden a good drink, because it was looking very dry. Most in need of it were the climbing beans, which do always need a lot of water. It looks as if I will get a decent crop of Borlotti, so I am particularly keen to look after them.

The "Tundra" cabbage seedlings have been under attack, and today I found the culprit (or one of them?) -- a big (well-fed) green (well-camouflaged) caterpillar. Anyone know what butterfly this one comes from? I don't think it is the Cabbage White, is it? Their caterpillars are black and yellow.

Caught red-handed!


  How about this for re-cycling... I killed the offending caterpillar, then put it on the bird-table, and I confidently expect my friendly young Robin to consume it. (The Food Chain in action!).

The chilli plants are still going strong. Some of them have already produced masses of fruit, but there is a new batch coming on, and lots more flowers.

A heavy crop of "Medium Long" chillis

Chilli "Long Fat" producing a second crop

The "Long Thin" chillis are ripening now. Jane is using the first ones in an Indonesian Beef Rendang tonight. We're hoping the chillis will be a bit hotter than the other varieties I have grown this year.

Chilli "Long Thin" has some ripe fruits now

The Greek Oregano is nearly finished for the year. With the advent of some cooler conditions, the plants have now turned a sort of pinkish / purple colour.

The Greek Oregano has turned pink

I also picked nearly a kilogram of tomatoes this evening, most of which were the little yellow "Ildi" ones. They are certainly stunning to look at!

Ildi tomatoes in profusion...

Some of the "Black Cherry" tomatoes are on the menu for a pre-dinner appetiser snack.



"Black Cherry"

 The observant ones amongst you will notice that there is an uneven number of tomato halves in the picture. This is because I simply couldn't wait to sample them -- I just HAD to eat one as soon as I had sliced them.

I had a close look at the parsnips too. I reckon that it's worth harvesting the first ones, so I'll probably do this at the weekend .(They wouldn't really go with tonight's Beef Rendang, would they?). Cavolo Nero will also be on the menu very soon. There a still a few beetroots and carrots as well. It never ceases to amaze me how many roots you can get from a single 2.4 metre row, if you try hard enough.