Today I feel like awarding myself (and Mr PoppyM) a 1st level badge in Self- Sufficiency. All our food today was NOT home produced but a majority of it was - onwards & upwards. Today there was: home-made bread, eggs from our own hens, home-grown potatoes, Swiss chard, baby turnips, mint & rosemary.
The Swiss-chard has been a revelation - I struggle to find leafy greens I like eating & I like chard - hurrah. An easy to grow crop,with a very long season & very versatile, plus, if grown from seed - very very cheap. Shame I just cant get to like turnips - on the plus side Mr PoppyM does & so do the hens (the main reason I am growing them).
I still get a real thrill from watching seeds turn into plants. At the present I am extremely proud of the parsnip & cabbage youngsters that have emerged from seeds. Today there is great excitement at the arrival of my new radish & spring onion seeds (plus some climbing nasturtiums) from Moles Seeds - I can barely wait to get them planted. The weather has obliged this small wish by producing rain - it is gently falling as I write.
I still get a real thrill from watching seeds turn into plants. At the present I am extremely proud of the parsnip & cabbage youngsters that have emerged from seeds. Today there is great excitement at the arrival of my new radish & spring onion seeds (plus some climbing nasturtiums) from Moles Seeds - I can barely wait to get them planted. The weather has obliged this small wish by producing rain - it is gently falling as I write.
A number of years ago, when I travelled to work by bus, I passed a Pumpkin Patch. In the late summer orange fruits sat proudly amongst large chaotic leaves. As the days shortened, some of the leaves were removed to expose the pumpkins to the sun. By the time of harvest, large fruits sat boldly in a clear patch of soil soaking up the last rays of sun. It created a lasting image & now to me this typifies Autumn - perhaps my favourite season of the year. Well this year I have one of my own - it has cucumbers, courgettes, marrows & 5 squashes that could be either mini pumpkin, butternut squash or a mixture - I forgot to label them! The early squashes already have magnificent leaves & small fruits that I anticipate picking from next week. Another one of life's wishes fulfilled!
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Pumpkin Patch photo from: Flickr- the fiends photostream.
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