Monday 2 August 2010

The first tomatoes ripen, it must be mid summer already!

Another great pleasure for me is gardening. I really do get so much pleasure planting things and seeing them come into flower or fruit. My garden is postage stamp size but it does not stop me cramming as many plants, pots etc in as possible.

Today is one of those special days because I have found my very first tomatoes have started to ripen. That's a sure sign that we have reached mid-summer.

I will resist the urge to pick it now as you do need to leave a  ripening tomato on the plant, the chemical secreted by this process causes the other to follow suit.

Also I find that leaving my tomatoes on the vine to ripen in the sun naturally produces much sweeter fruits.

I grow the Gardener's Delight variety, it produces lots of scrumptious, sweet tasting small fruits. They even freeze quite well and can be added to stews etc in the Winter. Perfect!

I have also been able to harvest my first chillies, seen below. This plant produces very unusual purple coloured fruits which are quite mild. This suits me - I am not someone who can eat the really fierce hot varieties but I enjoy adding the mild varieties to some of my meals, especially my home made chili con carne.

This is an unusual Chilli plant which I bought at the Hampton Court Flower Show in early July. I was able to buy 4 different varieties and the purple is the first variety to bear fruit.
Summer got off to a very late start here in the UK but for the last month we have had high temperature and no rain in the South at all. My poor grass looks like hay.

So that's a peek in my garden, I will feature more of my antics out here in my blog but for now it's time to get out the watering can.

Bye for now, Jx

5 comments:

  1. Your plants are fabulous, Jane,
    I adore your tomatoes! And oh my, you have a stamp sized garden with all that and we have a huge backyard with...well...some roses and not much else *sigh*. maybe next year I´ll find the time to make something pretty of it.

    Happy harvesting and sunshine from Finland again!

    Yours,
    Mia

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  2. Thank you Mia, it's a shame you do not live nearer, you could have some of the masses of runner beans I also have growing!

    I am so excited about your new crafting journey :0)

    Speak soon,
    Love, Jane X

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. finally!! worked out how to leave a comment, I got a little confused as I had an account a couple of years ago that I never used...hence the deleted comment...that was me ;)......anyway, I was saying - great photos, fab garden, jealous of the toms and chillies as I am not growing them this year, but I do have some fab new pots!! I enjoyed reading this, but now need a glass of wine for the effort in making a comment!! x

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  5. LOL! Welcome Laney fab to have your comment here! I know the feeling of trying to work out how to add things/comment etc...I managed to add a Flickr account this pm and actually have no idea how I finally got it up and running but hey it's there!The
    garden is desperate for some water....still no real rain here in the South East for the last month.
    Take care, speak soon, Jx

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Jane x