Well to answer the question in the title ... not a lot really!
But saying that I couldn't not grow anything, even while we are in this building stage of our self sufficient little world I had to have something on the go. The first lot of seedlings I put in were all devoured by the birds and rabbits. But growing happily away all on their own were the Blueberry bushes, one that was mine and two that Mum gave us when she moved into her bungalow last year.
I'm harvesting these everyday at the moment, usually I get a couple of good handfuls and they get popped straight into the freezer each day. Once the bushes have stopped cropping I will share them all out and take Mum her share.
The herbs have been adding their deliciousness to all sorts of lovely meals over the last couple of months. In fact when I can think of nothing else to cook it's so easy to simply chop a few herbs and stir them into a couple of our own eggs beaten up and then cooked gently in butter, either scrambled or left to set as an omelette. You could never starve if you have a couple of chickens and a pot of herbs.
Growing away in this tub are some Radishes. The potato that was growing there so well admitted defeat .... it was no match for dust bathing chickens and a certain little doggy intent on burying her bones at every opportunity.
As it was a very old packet of seeds I sprinkled them all in and as you can see most of them germinated. So every couple of days I pull out some of the thinnings and add them to a salad or sprinkle over one of my homemade sandwich spreads. It makes for a lovely peppery crunch. I simply pick them, rinse them and use the lot, tiny roots and leaves.
Up on the hillside there are some Courgette plants growing in the first of the two raised beds we filled, but they are growing very slowly, The Radishes around them are doing slightly better but we have had none to eat yet!!
So while I'm nowhere near growing what I normally grow I do have something growing which settles my conscience slightly.
Sue xx
We are doing the same to our blackcurrant bushes. I get a couple of handfuls a day and freeze them.
ReplyDeleteWe weren't going to grow anything this year as we were so busy around sowing time but we did a few things. Like you I just couldn't not grow anything!
Imagine this time next year Sue !
ReplyDeleteI have had a similar time of it myself this year! Mice or birds or both took out my 20+ lettuce seedlings so I was left with just sprinkling a salad mix instead! which is fine! but not the look I was going for! I've never tried homegrown blueberries, that's one on the wish list for next year!
ReplyDeleteOh how envious I am lol. I cant even keep a basil plant alive on my kitchen window ledge :(
ReplyDeleteHint hint..... We have a herb section in the flower show?
ReplyDeleteWe have 2 blueberries in pots....one was looking decidedly sickly, when we looked closely we found red ants nesting in the pot which had destroyed a lot of the roots - repotted and hoping for the best, but it doesn't look good right now. The other bush is cropping quite well, but birds were eating the berries as they ripened faster than I could pick them! Now covered with fleece to stop them.....I don't mind the birds getting a few, but not the lot! And the birds ate at least half of my blackcurrants.....greedy little things round here.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have so much produce next year Sue, you won't know what to do with it all!!
Like Sooze above, the birds keep getting to our blueberries. They even sit on the wall next to the plants and look longingly! Other Half made a huge cage to cover them all up. We have three bushes, will go out to pick today's crop immediately. They are too delicious to put in the freezer, but as we are on a 'fruit free' part of our diet at present that is where they will have to go. Ann x
ReplyDeleteI had to go to the net to look Courgette, as I had not idea what that is. So it's a cucumber family item, maybe a zucchini? Love Zucchini, and made some bread with it last week. Delicious
ReplyDeleteI have a small blueberry bush, but my berries come from Waitrose, as the birds get the ones in the garden even before they are properly ripe. That goes for the hazelnuts too……squirrels are picking them already, and they are nowhere near ripe! ( Must check the www to see if they can be ripened off the tree)
ReplyDeleteNever give up, my third planting of Salvia are almost in flower, darn slugs.
ReplyDeleteI only grow herbs but I might try the radishes in a pot , good idea x
ReplyDeleteThe herbs look lovely, I love an omelette with fresh herbs chopped into it. I think I need to plant some fruit bushes, I'm envious of all the lovely photos of peoples fruit. x
ReplyDeleteI have just started picking Blueberries, I have moved mine into the small poly tunnel so the birds cant get them.
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