In the allotment, Aug 2021

 

The husband took this photo for me while I was still self-isolating, Aug 2021

We lost 10 days of allotment visiting while self isolating, and I lost a further five days after that (the husband only had the inital 10 days, unlike the children and I).  Thankfully we got some rain and overall it wasn't too hot--nothing suffered from our enforced neglect.

Most of the plot is still pretty grassy, even in some recently sheet mulched beds.  Many of the newer seedlings/seeds I've put down have disappeared--probably from pest pressure.  There are still some late beetroot transplants growing and a few little leeks from bubils (one of my own leeks at home flowered and formed tiny bulbs on its flowerhead which I managed to transplant the day before we began to isolate).  However, recent transplants of fennel and celery and sowings of swede and peas are all simply gone.

The artichokes have been producing steadily and I have a 1.4 L jar of the hearts in brine in my fridge.  The raspberries still continued fruiting till the middle of the month, and though the rhubarb has been unharvested, it's not because of unworthiness.

The best spot producing now is the old chicken yard, full up of sweetcorn, squash and beans.  It had some Roma tomatoes too, but I just pulled them all up as they were showing signs of blight--no red tomatoes present and to be honest not a lot of green ones either, though the plants were enormous.  Regardless, I collected what green fruits there were and brined a batch of spicy pickle with them:  somewhat like salsa.  I had to discard a few affected fruits;  they go brown instead of ripening when blighted so thankfully I managed to save most.

Today I picked the first batch of sweetcorn--to be served at a small dinner for friends we're having tomorrow.  After bringing them home and shucking, I parboiled them to stop them going starchy before eating.  I then made a three bean salad with the French beans I picked, and will be making a potato salad with allotment potatoes;  I'm looking forward to this meal (which will also include a plum cobbler from our tree and some salad greens from the veg patch out back)!

Judgment Day (for Peep)

 

Mother and child, Aug 2021

Judgment Day for Peep the duckling was 31 July.  It came and went while the two adults in our household were stricken with norovirus;  it was a horrible, miserable weekend and no ducks were judged.  However, we then decided that Peep was making more girl noises and not really any boy noises (little quacks instead of croaking) and made a tentative call for female.

I'm still not 100% though!  Peep still says "peep" and doesn't really make any loud noises, like female ducks do--she's quiet, more like the males.  And her coloring is against her too:  it looks like she might be developing a green head like her dad.  She might be a boy after all...

Peep has been living with the other ducks in their spacious yard and is friends with the two Cherry Valley ducks, and recently all three of them have finally been deemed acceptable by the original three ducks (two drakes and a Campbell duck).  Up until now the two drakes have been extremely territoral and there has been a lot of chasing and panicking.  

She was recently reunited with her mother hen Cookie for a brief free range and was so happy about it;  as soon as she saw Cookie she started peeping and ducking her head and trying to get Cookie's attention.  Cookie, meanwhile, was not particularly interested but after first telling Peep off, the two of them had a graze of the lawn together.

If Peep is incontrovertibly a boy?  I may have to kill and eat him after all.  I understand that ducks are extremely difficult to pluck after 10 weeks (long past now), but that won't stop me (being tender hearted is what stops me).

Eating from the garden, Aug 2021

A bit weedy, July 2021

We are self isolating in our household until the end of this week, which means no shopping trips or going to the allotment.  Thankfully at this time of year there is fresh veg in the garden to supplement our food storage (currently at a good level: about a month's worth of meals).  We even have fresh fruit, and we also have some of last year's harvest still in the pantry.

 Mainly our veg out back is the multitude of chard!  It makes a nice salad green and cooks well too, whether on its own as a side dish, or in a stew or the like.  I've also started pulling up some of the carrots.  There are only two short rows;  enough for eating fresh about weekly.  There is an even shorter row of kohl rabi, one of which we have eaten so far.  And fresh herbs to liven things up;  the basil and rosemary are particularly welcome.

We have the garlic from the allotment earlier this summer;  but I'm hoping to save the broad beans in the freezer until winter.  I'd picked a couple of zucchinis and some French beans from the allotment too, which are in the fridge for today (two of the zucs are in the dehydrator for later use).

One by one figs ripen, July 2021

Our figs have finally started ripening and have been fantastic in smoothies with frozen strawberries, but are also good eating as is.  The rogue blackberries are also coming into their own;  I did not plant them, nor do I want them!  However, the daughter really enjoys stuffing them into her mouth;  they're a bit sour and seedy for my taste but she just loves them.  

We even had a couple of slightly underripe Sparta apples which fell off as I was inspecting a branch.  Sparta is a red apple but these were in shade and completely green.  I staked up the branch and the remaining green apples now have a red blush on them, just a few days later.  However, I don't anticipate eating the remainder till the end of this month at the earliest;  we still have some applesauce and a jar or two of apple halves in the cupboard from last year so we're not completely bereft of apples.

Taking it easy in August

 

A nice place to relax (and hang laundry), July 2021

A good portion of the back property is not dedicated to our food producing engine:  the washing line gets a lot of use, for instance.  Some parts are simply ornamental, and for us humans to enjoy and share with the resident wildlife.  The blackbirds have been very friendly this year, and we like to see the many other birds such as wrens, goldfinches and dunnets.

As for our lawn;  it feeds chickens and ducks in cooler weather but in summer we prefer to use it ourselves without worrying about poo--those birds seem to produce a lot!  After mowing the son gives them the grass clippings to peck over as a consolation.

It's been nice these past few weeks to sit out in the garden and just relax*.  I do a little maintenance here and there, and I'm steadily working on the weeds at the allotment for half an hour most days (though it's hard to tell by looking!) but mostly it's no work and all play.

*Or chase the daughter around, who is 17 months and loves playing in the garden, rain or shine.  There's a lot of places to explore out there.

Food totals, July 2021

 

Almonds and grapes growing together, July 2021

Vegetables

 

66 oz cabbage

6 oz snap peas (in pods)

64.5 oz chard

85 oz peas (shelled)

2.5 oz lettuce

70.5 oz broad beans (shelled)

7.5 oz rhubarb

23 oz artichoke hearts

1.5 oz cauliflower

1.5 oz purple French beans (in pods)

1.5 oz carrots

Total: 329.5 oz, or 20 lb 9.5 oz

 

Note:  I weigh all my vegetables after preparation:  peeling, trimming, etc.

Fruit

 

15 oz strawberries

152.5 oz raspberries

16.5 oz blackcurrants 

Total: 184 oz, or 11 lb 8 oz

Eggs

109 eggs from 8 hens and 3 ducks