Wednesday 19 October 2011

My Harvest Home

Now that we are truly in autumn I wanted to show you the veg I grew in my garden this year. It was a good summer and an even better autumn; we have never known such high temperatures here in Surrey for the early part of October.

Do you remember my corn on the cob I planted from seed?....well here they are harvested.






They grew beautifully, just in the soil by my pots, no special treatment, in fact I think they thrived on neglect!


The ladybirds took care of the greenfly as they usually do. Can you spot this one here?



















and the little ears of corn sprouted out as the cobs began to swell...


















until they were big enough for dinner.














and here is my cooked corn...I had NEVER tasted such sweet corn before and it really made me think about how old the "fresh" corn that is sold in the shops actually is. The other incredible thing was how soft they were.........mmmm. We harvested at least 12 cobs from the plants we grew, not bad from a 99p packet of seeds was it!

 You can also see some of my home grown runner beans on the plate above, they too grew very well this year. I cropped so many and the little plants came from my Dad who had grown them from last year's seed.





Here are my beans in September, I really did have an abundance of them and again the ladybirds took care of the black and green fly.


On Saturday I cleared my beans away as they have now died off and I will have to wait until the spring to grow some again.








I am still picking tomatoes but these will be the very last as the first frosts are due tonight. I have picked enough to keep me supplied with tomatoes all summer.
I also had masses of lovely chillies.







I still have some of my flowers in full bloom including fuchsia and geranium but these really are the very last of the season. I am starting to clear them away.
 These photos were taken yesterday but I think tonight's frost will take it's toll. They have bloomed all summer and early autumn.

 It's time to start thinking of potting up some bulbs for next spring and a few winter flowering pansies and violas, just to give me a little tiny bit of colour in my garden whilst everything goes to sleep for the winter months.





I bought this lovely selection of winter flowering pansies and violas from a nursery when we visited my daughter on Sunday.




 I shall plant them up with some of my beloved daffodils which will snooze away through whatever winter weather we get until they start to pop up in the spring.






I also bought a hyacinth vase this year to try growing one in water. I used to grow them this way as a child so it will be fun to give this a try again.













So it really is time to say "Thank you and Goodnight" to my tiny garden, which yet again has given me so much pleasure for another season of growing.  It is time to clear out the pots, tidy up outside and get back indoors (or in my Studio) for more crafting time until nature awakens again in the spring.

Our forecasters are forecasting our first frost tonight with temperatures getting down to freezing. Today has been yet another glorious day of sunshine but it really is very chilly. I wore my coat for the first time and I need to get my scarf and gloves out too.

I hope all of you who have the privilege of having any outdoor space have also enjoyed watching Mother Nature complete another circle of life.

Bye for now,

Jane x

PS Thanks for all wishing Billy well. He is doing OK, he is slowly improving and now occasionally able to "jump" onto a chair but he still has some way to go before he can go up and over the fences with the graceful ease he has. Poor lad, he really did hurt his back. As I type this he is fast asleep on my bed...no trouble getting there ;0)

20 comments:

  1. Well I'm jealous again Jane, this time of your corn-on-the-cob!! It looks absolutely delicious. I really don't think we get enough sunshine here to grow it but I am tempted to try next year.
    My tomatoes are all finished for the year and they really were good but grown in a greenhouse of course, I doubt if I would have had as many if they had been outside.
    Poor Billy really is having a hard time of it, hopefully it will be all better soon.
    Happy Thursday,
    Vivienne x

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  2. Vivienne, if you lived nearer you could have popped over for dinner; you would have loved these corn - delish! Thanks for your good wishes to poor Billy.He sends a purr ;0)
    Jane x

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  3. Dear Jane,

    I'm a bit jealous like Viv as we had some snow coming down this morning (!!) and you're still harvesting and enjoying flowers ;) But then again I can enjoy the beautiful pictures here, thank you so much for sharing! And that snow didn't last, I must say I am relieved...

    Have a wonderful week, and I wish your weather is not getting too bad! And kisses to B, I'm so happy he can now jump...to important places at least ;)

    Yours,
    Mia

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  4. Goodness me, snow already Mia? I'm glad it did not settle though. I love sharing my photos, enjoy them my dear!Billy is still sleeping as we speak and will enjoy seeing Milly as she is driving up tonight.She has a course in London and will be leaving the car with us.
    Enjoy your evening,
    Jane x (and Billy XX)

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  5. Hi Jane! Thank you for your lovely garden post and also for reminding me to try to find hyacinth pulps!
    Hugs to Billy!
    Have a lovely time!
    xxx Teje

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  6. Mmm yummy! What lovely corn. Glad Billy is getting better. Kim

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  7. Hope you find some bulbs Teje and for wishing Billy well.
    Jane x

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  8. Hi Kim great to see you here and for wishing Billy well.The corn was delicious .
    Jane x

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  9. Hi Jane, your corn and beans look so yummy. I remember the same thing, that the best corn I had in my entire life was some we grew here on the farm. The shortest time between the harvest and the cooking is what makes the best corn - plus you need to pick it while it's still "young", not old and meal-y. I told hubby we really need to grow some things next year. And showed him your photos.. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  10. Teresa you could grow so much on your farm! The corn was so hassle free and the taste so memorable. They just grew between my flower pots !
    Jane x

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  11. Hi Jane, What a lovely post. I so enjoyed seeing your "bounty". The corn was very photogenic, I could taste the sweetness. I love green beans, in fact I often just eat them in my salads and snacks. Flowers are so pretty, a real treat to see one last time before snow. Sorry I said that word!
    Have a lovely week, xoRobin❤

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  12. Hi Jane, what a great sampling from your garden! Every picture looks like something straight out of a garden mag. I know those daffodils will have a special place when they awaken in the springtime, especially with your green thumb tending them.
    Sorry I missed your last post and news that Billy was ailing. Please give him a little extra tlc and my wishes that he will be feeling better, soon! :o)

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  13. Hi Robin the corn tasted just as good as it looked . I have woken up to the first frost and really need to find those gloves!
    Happy Thursday,
    Jane x

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  14. Hi Michele I hope to plant up my bulbs on Saturday. They can snooze away until the spring. Thanks for your extra get well wishes for Billy he is such a dear boy and really has been very under the weather.
    Jane x

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  15. I am jealous of your lovely sweetcorn, ours were like bullets :-)

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  16. Oh dear.....what a shame, I think there is not much of a "window" to harvest them at their best...we probably got really lucky!
    Jane x

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  17. Your harvest looks wonderful, especially that delicious corn on the cob! It's a good idea to grow hyacinths in those special little glass vases, and lovely to be able to watch them grow. Glad to hear that poor Billy is getting better. I hope you have a happy weekend.
    Helen x

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  18. I am going to get my bulbs going this weekend Helen. I do love bulbs they give a touch of colour whether inside or outside the house. Billy continues to improve and today for the first time in 2 weeks jumped onto my front room window sill...hurrah, he is improving. Enjoy your weekend,
    Jane x

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  19. Your corn looks delicious, it's one of our favourite things to grow as well, I see you got two ears on your plants, lucky you we only managed one...perhaps I need to change variety next year?

    I have also bought some hyacinth bulbs but can't find my bloomin' vases, I know I 'tidied' them away last year but have no idea where. Time to admit defeat soon and just plant them in bowls, so annoying. Bethx

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  20. They were great corn plants Beth. I have planted my bulbs today, both the water version and in soil...fingers crossed they come up,
    Jane x

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