Have got myself together enough to think about a blog! I have been enjoying plums and nectarines, and all the lovely fruit around, so being really interested in food and photography, combined them both!
I love plums, especially Victorias, straight off the tree, warmed by the sun! We used to take our holidays in Greece for a number of years, and one of the joys was buying fresh fruit - gorgeous juicy peaches and nectarines, and huge, funny-shaped tomatoes. They tasted far nicer than the fruit you buy in the Supermarkets! There were also pomegranites and figs, often just dropping from the trees. To say nothing of oranges and lemons. it semed nearly every house had a lemon tree in its garden, even if they only had a tiny courtyard, one would be growing in a pot!
I loved Greece, the whole laid-back-ness, the warmth, and the sheer difference from life here. Ah, those were the days - clambering over ruins, sitting at waterside Tavernas, sipping drinks, eating on the harbourside in the evening watching the sunset and the moon over the water.......
However, back to the present! I am sorry to report that vegetable growing has been a failure. Nothing grew in my "raised beds", things came up and then stopped! Even my french beans, which normally I am excellent at, have stopped growing half-way up the poles. Though I have had flowers and now have a few, a very few, little beans. The two tomato plants are strong and sturdy, but have managed only two tomatoes between them. I have a nasty feeling it is the lack of bees to pollinate. don't know how my courgettes will fare - they have lots of leaves, and I spotted a flower (male) but I have hopes!
However, the flowers in tubs are bright and cheerful, though the roses made a big show a few weeks ago and have now died away. Judicious pruning will probably bring a second blooming later. At least we are not suffering from a drought this year! Where the long hot summer that was promised has gone to I don't know, but we seem to be having monsoon showers!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
8 comments:
oh what a beautiful fruit I would love to take a bite Greece is one of my favourite countries and on my wishlist
Sorry to hear about your vegies. Here we have vulcanic soil and everything grows like mad which is not always good either
What gorgeous succulent and juicy photos..we had plenty in France, must have been at the right time. I adore peaches and nectarines, and we used to have a lovely tree that gave the sweetest and biggest peaches until it was destroyed in the storms of 1988...
you must have sent the bees this way, sorry about your veggie growing, we have a plethora at the moment, only our daughter ran in yesterday having picked half a dozen beans scared because of the buzzing from the bees!! :) Have to say I have mainly let nature take it's course due to not having enough hours in the day, but it hardly seems fair... no sign of tomatoes yet though!
We came across to Manchester on Tuesday evening - I have first hand experience of the Monsoon showers!!! I loved the way that the paving stones in the city centre were only half fixed in so that they filled with water, then when you stood on them, they soaked your feet!! I shall be blogging about it. Hope whatever is causing you hassle sorts itself soon. xxxx
Beautiful photos, Gilly. I love plums and had some good ones last week. I have always wanted to go to Greece.
Marja, Rainbow Dreams - yes, don't know what went wrong with the veggies - I'm very envious of yours!
Diane - well, we all got wet that time! Ssorry about the flagstones!!
Kenju - I will try and find some photos of our Greek holidays and post them!
Gilly - I am sorry about your veggies too. This is the first year I have tried to grow veggies, and I have not had a great deal of success. Attempts to feed the pair of us so far have been pathetic
Beans - enough for 2 meals
Tomatoes - ONE ripe, and 14 'on the way'
Courgettes - ONE just about ready to harvest and 5 little ones following behind
Potatoes- 3 bucketsful due to be harvested in August.
Perhaps you are right about lack of bees, but I think my failure is due to the fact I have been a neglectful gardener!
maybe next year...
Mmmmmmmm.
Know the feeling....
My beans were decimated early on,
leaving me with seven. Three are kinda ok so am now resigned to the last few being a mildly decorative feature across the top of a fence!
This part of Canada is known for their berries (and maple syrup!) and I miss the fresh peaches and bing cherries which grew abundantly in Ontario where I grew up. However, I love berries too! We are just coming into the raspberry season. They grow in abundance all over the place here. However, the monsoons you write about did a number on the strawberries which are my fav.
Blueberries to come!!!!
I've never attempted vegies. I prefer to buy them at the local market....or from the young girl who sells them at the bottom of my street. :)
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