Proud Gardeners announce their new arrivals

[zephyr]

will dex Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Strawberries have come (orig from dulwich GC) and

> if rated at 100% tasteness then supermarket ones

> are 2%

>

> are there any allotments round here?

Depends where 'here' is. Fortunately I have allotments at the top of my road (Stuart Road Allotments) on the side of the Nunead reservoir. I believe there are some in ED but I know a few people who have allotments up by Dulwich College. There are also some on One Tree Hill in Honor Oak. Not sure which ones are council run - Stuart Road isn't.

[Pandora]

I recommended them on the other thread - Cruson's the grocer on Camberwell Church Street has lots of bargainous plants for sale and everything I've bought from there is doing very well!

As reported on the other thread, one very healthy chilli plant bearing fruits, and the tomato plants are growing well but not fruit yet.. the mint is going mad too! It's in all in pots as we only have a yard.

No slug damage yet, which is odd as every night I find herds (collective noun for slugs anyone? A slime of slugs maybe?) of the little blighters in the kitchen each night. Last night we found a family, a big one, a medium one and two little ones. Almost felt mean getting rid of them...

[jollybaby]

Went on holiday for a week and boyfriend has managed to kill my herb windowbox- all lovingly grown from seed. He promised he watered them! Oh well back to the dried stuff.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Thanks for the recommendations. I got tomato plants and strawberries at Crystal Palace Garden Centre (next to the Sainsburys Car Park) and Chillies in Crusons Grocers on Camberwell Church Street. I know it its late in the season, but we will see.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Update 3 months on.

The balcony allotment is still going! Just as I think the runners are dying off, new growth appears as do some flowers. I have 3 bunches of young runner bean that should be ready in a week or so. The climbing french beans did quite well, but clearly didnt appreciate the breeze of a first floor balcony. The occasional bouts of sunshine seems to perk them up and there are some flowers, so you never know. I have two large bags of runners and half a bag of french beans in the freezer.

Toms are doing well and are still producing fruit which are ripening even in this declining weather.

The broad beans finally decided to set and are now producing pods which will probably deliver beans in about a month.

The strawberries and courgettes failed dismally, not enough sun I suspect. I have just stuffed some broad bean seeds in the spare pot, I might see something appear in the new year.

Plans for next year include some screens and a more complex framework of bamboo which will allow me to grow non-climbers at the front of the balcony (broadies and toms) with climbers at the back (runners, climbing french and possibly a climbing pea or colourful borlotti bean). This will allow the climbers to climb up and over the shorter front row without blocking the sun.

How did your year go/ is it going?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Absolute rubbish. Beans didn't appear at all. Peas numbered about 8. Four strawberries off three plants. Have only had two tomatoes ripen so far. The rest are beginning to rot. Brussels got attacked by cabbage white caterpillars and don't appear to be doing much at the moment. Haven't tried the carrots yet, but the tops look very weedy.

Had some impressive looking grapes so manically built a pergola to take the weight. They all disappeared. Whether it was the wood pigeons or strange orangy hovering things that took them, I don't know.

Only thing that thrived was the thyme, but since I planted it last summer, it doesn't count.

Conclusion: I have green tomatoes, not fingers.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Chutney?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Made a batch last month from a glut that a friend down the road had. The recipe called for chilli and lime juice. I went off piste and threw the whole lime in. Tasted disgusting so added honey to counteract it. Still tasted disgusting.

Kept it in dark for required month, tasted it a few days ago [you know, wanted a present for some chilli-loving dude] and guess what? It is still disgusting.

So can't cook either.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Strawbs were great this year. Toms are coming on slowly but nicely. Peas not much better than last year - so far six. Broad beans - two.

Saw a wonderful miniscule front garden planted up with raised beds full of delicious salads at Austin Court. Well done whoever you are - had to stop myself from plucking.

[Alec John Moore]

A bit off topic but we got our first egg from our new hens today. This is remarkable since we only got them yesterday and they are supposed to take a week or two to settle in. They even spent the night huddled together in their run, apparently not aware that they could sleep inside their eglu! Apart from that the beans have been good and the blackberries. I also made goosebery jam a couple of weeks ago with a bumperr crop of the red gooseberries. This despite the leaves being stripped by gooseberry sawfly.

[Dulwich Gardening]

I have a small veg area 3ft by 3ft and have been 'testing' various crops over the last two years. At the moment, I'm doing well on courgettes, runner beans, peas and lettuce. Am also using pots for tomatoes (3 large plants thriving) spinach and swiss chard.

Had a few strawberry plants but only got 7 strawberries this year, hoping for more next

Wont be self sufficient but really into going out and picking produce fresh from the vine as it were.

With regards to the herbs, I have found it better to buy them as plants rather than trying to grow from seeds.

[citizenED]

Two tiny green tomatoes on my petite plant on the kitchen window sill. There is a blush of red hue on one of them. I'm the proud father of twins!

[Michael Palaeologus]

Big squash and my runners are coming through. Bit concerned that there arent as many polinating insects about as previous years.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Buy a pot of lavender - that will attract them.

[louisiana]

Cut and come again lettuce is doing really well... but the tomatoes (two varieties) stalled in early July after a promising start and only now seem to be getting going again. There should be a glut when they do.

Chillies (including a Dorset Naga) doing well.

Courgettes a bit of a disappointment so far.

On herbs: chives, Giant Napoli parsley, tiny-leaved basil, and oregano (all grown from seed) all doing well. Coriander bolting as usual - I must remember to keep on sowing more seeds.

Experimenting with black Tuscan kale (coming along slowly) and some rather weird black climbing beans (not traditional runners).

On non-edible, my foxgloves and hollyhocks from seed are doing well, but the delphiniums proved poor at germinating so I don't have many.

The fig and plum I planted two years ago are now bearing fruit, as is the vine I planted last year (not much though!)

[louisiana]

Just posted something on Dulwich Veg Garden on a new thread.