Red Rose Petals and Strawberries
I mentioned in my last Harvest Monday blog post that the weather in the UK is glorious. It truly has been weather of Mediterranean climes, but some of the plants have not appreciated it.
First my lovely red roses are scorched and dry from the blazing heat, and those rose that were still clinging on are now fallen petals.
The strawberries started off very well and looked promising, but have stopped fruiting - unless of course the birds have got to them all.
Last year the strawberry plants yielded lots, this year maybe enough to fill four small punnets.
A small bowl of homegrown strawberries that was made into Strawberry Crisp Crumble.
A good harvest of wild strawberries.
Some raspberries growing in the garden, but like the strawberries I don't think its going to be as good as previous years harvests.
A handful of raspberries.
I have also harvested some rhubarb (not pictured) which was promptly transformed into a crumble.
Ah remember my Red Gooseberries. Well they were doing well turning a lovely currant red, but I decided to move them from prying birdy eyes and eager beaks and in moving them, they got neglected as I forgot to water the Red Gooseberry bush, that they are fell off and shrivelled. Another year without enjoying homegrown red gooseberries, not for me or for the birds.
The Courgettes are beginning to come along. I have harvested 4 Courgette Tondo di Piacenza. I reckon this time next week I will have also harvested the first Courgette Gold Rush. I also have marrows growing, well its called Courgette Squash Striato di Napoli which I hope to pick this weekend and stuff with grains.
Before heading to work early this morning, I picked a handful of garden peas, but I have not had a chance to download those pictures tonight. I will share a better harvest next week. I am sharing this with Harvest Monday hosted by Dave over Our Happy Acres.
I'm sorry the weather reduced your beautiful roses to petals, and that your berry harvests are low. You have a lovely group of fruit and veg, though. Don't give up!
ReplyDeletePart and parcel of nature and its cycle. I am hoping the courgettes will be prolific, but I am not too sure - get times like that, next year will be better for sure.
DeleteIt's been toasty here too but fortunately I don't have any plants these days that are sensitive to heat, years of drought saw to that for me. Better luck next year for those currants. Your courgettes look happy, but they do love the heat!
ReplyDeleteOh Michelle, what a shame of the droughts. My courgettes are happy, lots of flowers though - not so many courgettes.
DeleteI envy you your garden... and your green fingers! We have parsley, mint and tomatoes in ours. It's been mild and very wet and humid here today. Not conducive to working indoors in an office. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteFresh peas! I have some too. Looking for a recipe for tomorrow....
Your kind, its taken a few years to get to this stage. Always hoping that the next year will be better. You have tomatoes, great. I bet they are doing better than ours in the greenhouse that are a bit stray this year as D did not tend to them well. The greenhouse is his space.
DeleteOoh you have fresh peas, again - i bet more than mine. Look forward to seeing your recipe, mine will just be incorporated into a dish as part of other veg
Lovely harvests; those roses are beautiful even if they are a bit droopy. It's way too hot here too, tho our monsoon rains are trying to start
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary. We have some white roses growing on the other side, that seem to be doing well. I will showcase them next time if they hold on.
DeleteWhat a shame about your lovely gooseberries! These things happen, but don't you just kick yourself when you realise
ReplyDeleteI know Kathryn, i am so annoyed with myself about the red gooseberries - wiser for next year. Got to protect my blueberries now.
DeleteSorry to hear your garden has suffered in the heat but still envious of the produce and colour you produce - I would love raspberries in the garden but am not sure how my strawberry plants will last over winter - the leaves look quite red.
ReplyDelete:( yes, plus the fact that we have been away for a week also has not helped. But like you said, still have some harvest to enjoy and still much more to come. I think the strawberries will come back, they do often turn red then dry out and disappear pretty much for awhile until the following year, so don't give up on them - also keep potting any new runners from the strawberries to replenish any that have def. given up.
DeleteYummy courgette! Oh, I feel your pain with those gooseberries - I'm the worst when it comes to remembering to water which is why I have so few potted plants. Each year, though, I strive to do better :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret. Yes, the round courgettes seem to be coming on well, not so much the other - but i hope. Yes we all aim to do better each year and can only hope. Thank you so much for your comment.
DeleteI'm sorry the warm weather hasn't been helpful in your garden - the petals do look very pretty at least!
ReplyDeleteKari, so true - i thought the petals looked pretty too - so felt the desire to share, wish i had picked some roses to make rose syrup though, maybe next year.
DeleteIt has been hot here too so I know what you mean about the heat. I hope more courgettes start setting on for you soon!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave, just harvested the three in the photograph above but waiting patiently for the golden one!
DeleteSo sad to see the suffering plants! Too much heat is never good. There are some lovely red colours though, and what a marvellous wild strawberry bounty! Those are my favourites. Enjoy the good weather while it lasts!
ReplyDeleteThank you VegHog.
Deleteglad you're having enough sun...we've been a little lacking in warmth an sun up here!
ReplyDeleteThe weather is so changeable in Wales, it was raining heavy yesterday and today its blazing. I just want it to be cool.
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