Garlic Crop .... and An Early Start

I've got the Garlic in now, after sitting it in the sun, whenever the sun was out and on top of the Aga occasionally when it wasn't, it has dried out quite nicely although it's still looks a smaller than expected crop.  

It was hindered by the rabbits chewing off all the greenery which meant I had to harvest it just before the heavy rains swept in a couple of weeks ago.  This watering from heaven after all the sunshine of Spring would have made for a much bigger juicier harvest. but all is not lost and ever the optimist I've been using some of the smaller cloves that separated out during my pulling it up in my cooking of the last few days, and they have a beautifully mellow flavour so it's been a worthwhile new planting experience.

The rest has now dried out nicely and the bulbs with the good covering of papery dry skin will keep quite well, so I'll just be careful of the order I work my way through it and we should have homegrown garlic for at least a couple of months.

We were up bright and early this morning,  first thing was the arrival of Arthur our builder to tidy the site and make way for the delivery of blocks for the garage and workshop walls, these arrived as promised promptly at 7.30am, followed shortly after by the owners of this truck.  Our solar power equipment providers, while Lovely Hubby sits in the kitchen and chats and plans our future solar installation I am keeping out of the way in the office. 

Arthur is cracking on with the gateposts at the moment, which should be finished by the end of the day, and we are going out later to pick up some slabs which will sit on top of the stonework and hold our slightly unusual finials, which are just waiting to be painted black.  I can't wait to show you what we have chosen to top our posts   :-)

Yesterday saw me busy digging up potatoes, I was hoping for a few matching ones ready to enter into the Trelawnyd Flower Show on Saturday ... and do you know I think I might have the three required, although unfortunately, the weather has not been kind to the quantity or quality of the crop.

In the colander are half the potatoes harvested from this bed, and if it were not for the wonderful taste of the spuds we have already eaten I would have been bitterly disappointed at this small harvest.  As I straightened up yesterday, back aching and slightly miffed at the few potatoes that were appearing after so much work digging it was only the thought of the wonderful texture and taste that kept me going.

After finishing this post I will be over in the polytunnel harvesting the rest of my entries and making up a trug and jug of mixed veggies and herbs.  This is my first time entering any kind of competition so we will have to see how the veggies that have survived the marauding rabbits do.

Wish me luck.

Oh, and to put my Garlic harvest in the basket at the top of the post, kindly given to me with many others by my lovely neighbour Mary, I first had to evict a certain furry friend .....

... you wouldn't believe he had a nice comfy cat bed as well as the choice of four dog beds, two sofas and our bed would you  ;-)

Sue xx