The gardening thread

[gentlegreen]

Grandpa Ott is seeking refuge from the heat in my bedroom

 

[gentlegreen]

 

[Artaxerxes]

Stupidly large crop of blackcurrants down my plot this year - seems what they needed was the brutal cutting back they got midwinter. Picked 1/2 a kilo a few hours ago without really breaking a sweat. Wondering what to do with them - initial ideas are icecream, cordial and gin liqueur...View attachment 331984

Best use I found for them was jam tbh, not overly fond of them otherwise. Still got two jars from last year's crop (I'm saving them for when I've room to get a toaster, the rest went wonderfully on porridge over winter)

 

[contadino]

Best use I found for them was jam tbh, not overly fond of them otherwise. Still got two jars from last year's crop (I'm saving them for when I've room to get a toaster, the rest went wonderfully on porridge over winter)

Totally agree re blackcurrant jam - I'd never pick it to put on toast, but a dollop on porridge or rice pudding is amazing.

 

[two sheds]

Inherited loads of blackcurrent plants in the garden but they've never fruited. Someone said they're wild ones or something that don't fruit. Nice flowers though.

 

[iona]

Inherited loads of blackcurrent plants in the garden but they've never fruited. Someone said they're wild ones or something that don't fruit. Nice flowers though.

Lots of big, bright/dark pink flowers?

 

[two sheds]

Pink yes but not really very big. I'd always assumed they were just too old to set fruit but I've no idea really. I did a quick search for blackcurrents that don't fruit but the results were all talking about fruit setting only on last year's wood.

 

[iona]

Pink yes but not really very big. I'd always assumed they were just too old to set fruit but I've no idea really. I did a quick search for blackcurrents that don't fruit but the results were all talking about fruit setting only on last year's wood.

Might be another Ribes, sanguinem maybe?

 

[iona]

(in theory they grow red -iirc- currants, but not always ime. The one I rehomed this spring had never even flowered before)

 

[two sheds]

Ah flowering current rings a bell, thanks. I'll take more notice of it - I've always been slightly disappointed that it didn't fruit.

 

[iona]

If you do want blackcurrants I'm happy to send some cuttings in the winter, though it'd be a few years before you'd get any fruit off them.

 

[gentlegreen]

Ah flowering current rings a bell, thanks. I'll take more notice of it - I've always been slightly disappointed that it didn't fruit.

reputed to smell like cats piss though I never get that ...

 

[Idaho]

It's banana weather in Exeter

 

[gentlegreen]

It's banana weather in Exeter

Did some foliage make it through the winter ?

 

[gentlegreen]

Rather more mundane fruiting in Bristol.
Yesterday's harvest.
I hope it's cool enough tomorrow to cycle to my sister's... I may have to go very early Thursday morning.

 

[MrCurry]

Should I be worried about these black spots on the leaves of my new clematis? It’s only a month old.

 

[Leafster]

reputed to smell like cats piss though I never get that ...

My old neighbour at my previous place had one. Yes, I can confirm it smelt like cats' piss to me.

 

[TopCat]

My fav marrow recipe involves scraping out every trace of marrow and refilling with spiced lamb and veg and roasting in the bbq.

 

[Idaho]

My fav marrow recipe involves scraping out every trace of marrow and refilling with spiced lamb and veg and roasting in the bbq.

I never let them go beyond medium courgettes.

 

[TopCat]

I never let them go beyond medium courgettes.

I love little courgettes and their flowers.

 

[Idaho]

Did some foliage make it through the winter ?

No. I chop the top off and cover with a big thick sack.

 

[gentlegreen]

Even this size they are still fine grated in salad. I'm trying to strike a balance.
My eye spotted a summer squash earlier ...
Once the runner beans get started, cycling to my sister's will be a regular event.
Maybe I should stop feeding them my bath water ...

 

[contadino]

These are good to get thru a few courgettes. New to me, at least.

Courgette griddle cakes recipe | BBC Good Food

If there’s courgette phobia in your household, try these fresh, funky griddle cakes to help change some minds. From BBC Good Food

www.bbcgoodfood.com

 

[BoatieBird]

This is also a delicious use for courgettes

Crunchy courgette pickle recipe | Good Food

Try this fresh, sharp pickle with cold poached salmon, burgers off the barbecue or just buttered bread, from BBC Good Food magazine.

www.bbcgoodfood.com

 

[TopCat]

My beans started to crisp. They got a really good water this morning as well.

 

[campanula]

My garden is embarrassingly lush at the moment but it comes at a hugely guilty cost. Namely, the amount of water I am using. On .y phone so forced to be brief, but much .ore waffling in the post.

 

[gentlegreen]

My beans started to crisp. They got a really good water this morning as well.

Drip irrigation is probably saving mine. If I hadn't invested some compost when I sowed them, they would have been clinging onto dust...

 

[gentlegreen]

My garden is embarrassingly lush at the moment but it comes at a hugely guilty cost. Namely, the amount of water I am using.

You and me both.
I may have to seriously reconsider the Joe Pye next year unless I'm prepared to dig up the path its container is sitting on.
Ditto the miscanthus....

 

[Epona]

Have moved my herbs off their preferred sunny windowsill spot for the rest of the day, the pots themselves were really hot to the touch and I would prefer to only cook them when I am ready to include them in a recipe

They still have sunlight, but not close to the window.

 

[Numbers]

I'm popping cherry tomatoes like sweeties, they're almost ripening by the hour.