Garden Disaster!

I think most of us [in the UK] are a bit disappointed that we have gone from a semi-acceptable summer into mid-autumn in one fell swoop. I am profoundly irritated by this but receive no sympathy at home as Paul always laughs at me because he says I take it too personally!! 

​Yet, it comes to something when I was talking [via Messenger] to a friend in South Australia and, in the midst of the southern hemisphere’s winter, at 4.30pm on Friday afternoon, it was a balmy 25 degrees Celsius (77F).   On the flip side, she also said they were desperate for some rain because all the crops on their farm were parched.  However, from the point of view  of the small vegetable plot digger, I can only report that this summer has been – on the whole - a disaster! Admittedly I was unable to do as much as usual and sowing and planting out became more random than usual but the odd weather patterns have not helped:

• French beans:  okay – very small quantities
• Peas: terrible and paltry – only one portion picked and now in the freezer
• Runner beans: good – to a point, but they are already showing signs of dying off
• Florence fennel: notoriously difficult to grow apparently (according to Alan Titchmarsh and the like) and this is my first attempt, so they look good but upon digging one up, it was pathetically small and woody.  I resorted to just using the fronds for flavouring.  Disappointed thus far – but they are still in the ground. Fingers crossed.
• Beetroot:  quite good;  I should have planted more!
• Courgette:  quite good – but you only need a limited number of courgettes, really?!
• Cucumbers:  pathetic up-take for those planted outside, but the ones in the greenhouse seem to have bucked up their ideas, however, the two that have been eaten so far taste amazing!
• Tomatoes:  good – but already on the wane.  Two varieties grown this year; one of which are small and golden yellow and so sweet … I will see if I have kept the packet for identification (ha! ha!). These were all grown in GH2
• Peppers and Chilis: excellent.  A lot of varied produce (red, green, yellow) from 4 plants (peppers) and one chili plant.  These were all grown in GH2 and then moved to GH1.
• Basil:  excellent – even the black basil that was transplanted into the raised bed.  The rest were all grown in GH2 and then moved to GH1.
• Sweetcorn:  useless.  I became rather despondent after a week of rain and just a glimmer of sunshine that I dug them up yesterday.  The very small cobs tasted fabulous but compared to last year’s crop it was pathetic.
• Radish, turnips, summer greens, purple sprouting broccoli, cabbages … terrible; either they did not germinate at all with seeds rotting in the ground or if they bravely struggled through then the pigeons, butterflies and caterpillars got ‘em! 

Hurrumph!