Inspiration from The Courts Gardens

I am now a member of the national trust and try every week to go to one of there places. This week it was the courts in Holt. I had a lovely time, beautiful house which you don't go in because people live there, but the gardens are old gardens which were beautifully planted without being overly fussy. To my great excitement they had a kitchen garden so i have posted up the photos which i took, and it may give you some great ideas. 

Clover on the side acting as green manure.
Corn and squashes growing together.






Caterpillars, they were everywhere.
This was my favorite idea training young apple trees to grow over an arch.
These are some photos i took, because i love the colors and textures.

Last of the beans for now

I realise i have been stuck with a bad seed packet because above are meant to be french beans. I don't know what they are they look like a mix of haricot and french beans, but they have been growing like this since they were small. So i have thrown the packet away and cut the plant down so there is still the stem, because i read until you need the ground leave the bean plant in there because they provide a lot of nutrients.

This is Lucas in the wheel barrow when i was transporting everything to the compost bin. I do have another dog but he is not as cooperative.

Devastation

My pumpkins are not having a good time, first there leaves suffer from mildew and now one of the pumpkins has rotted. My personal opinion and other witnesses have said its because of all the humidity and that we had all that rain.

When i did the autopsy it was complete mush. It has been really upsetting because this was my pride and joy because it had got so big and i had never grown a pumpkin.

There is still hope i have one pumpkin left, which hasn't been attacked by woodpeckers or humidity. I think this is because it is down on the ground is shaded by corn and my enormous haricot plant, and i think its cooler nearer the ground, because the other one had been lifted off the ground nothing to shelter it from the weather. Anyway its just a theory if you know what has happened please leave a comment, i would love to know.

Corn

I was able to harvest three cobs today, because the silk had started to go brown and the corn when you press on it white juice comes out so thats when you know its ready. I boiled mine and had it with butter,it was lovely.

Spoiled

I have just harvested my vast crop of radishes. This is my third time trying to grow them this year and i have got three radishes which proves that the number 3 is the magic number. I think they don't grow in my soil because there is to many rocks and they just push them selves out, well that is my theory. So this winter when i have pushed on, with extending my plot i am going try and get rid of as many stones as i can.

Starting Over

I have taken out all my carrots because i started thinning them and then i got so fed up i took them all out. I know hadn't planted them right the first time a) i scattered them b) and put way to many seeds in. So i thought i would scratch the lot and start over the traditional way. You may also be thinking what is that she is planting them in, it is an old travis and perkins bag which i filled with soil, compost, grass cuttings an some other nutrients. I did this because my soil is littered with stones, and i want long carrots not rude carrots. I saw this idea on an episode of gardeners world. 

My measly crop

Lucas with my only carrot!

Brussel time

I've had these brussel sprouts growing for a while now so i have now planted them in my overcrowded bed to hopefully get some more growth from them. I would like some brussel sprouts for Christmas at least because that's the only time i really eat them, because as it says on the stake "i hate Brussels" it is true. My soil is pretty firm and i have planted it next to the courgette which will shelter it from heavy winds,and i have staked them for support.