Well it feels like we have been absent for a while. Certainly it has been some time since all our collective members have been together up at our little plot.. Indeed, two have travelled over the big pond and are still Stateside, the rest of us have had family visitors or simply been wiped out by the heat. I think we have just come out of the hottest summer I remember and even the meteorologists are talking about records having been broken. Despite these adverse circumstances we have kept up our visits to the field and have many adventures to regale you with. To give you a wee prologue here....Storms ( the felling of Mr Darcey), Thefts ( minor to major), Insect Attacks and yes Produce Galore..
Lets start with the vegetable news. As we said we had had some problems with bugs on the toms, so generally I would say they have been disappointing. EXCEPT the cherry toms, which need to be harvested no not in the tens but hundreds.
Similarly successful in their abundance and all varieties are the peppers. Courgettes and Aubergines also are being plucked in abundance, in a variety of shapes and sizes which is all very amusing after Sarah s two big melons we now have Helena and..........
.......actually I'm lost for words at this one.2nd CAPTION COMPETITION one for Helena and ppleaseee what on earth is Brenda thinking in the background..
So general produce good Herbs BASIL (Fawlty Towers skit here) You have grown out of all proportion Madness total madness I mean there is only so much pesto you can make. Herbs good both kinds of basil growing wildly , Parsley not so much although being sat on umpteen times by a big dog does not help.. (ATILLAAAAAA)
The melons have also been disappointing although the watermelons doing better we never seem to be able to pick them at the right time . Either they are not red and juicy in the middle yet, so under ripe or we leave them too long and they are mauled by dogs or other creature leaving horrible scars caused by unimaginable beasts that I would rather not dwell on. (R ###S)
Something that as a non gardening person has somewhat surprised me is just how much space water melons and melons do take up, Everyone said plant them far apart and not near anything else and Gordon Bennett given the chance they would just take over everything. I think for next year the ideal place to plant melons and watermelons is...the next field....
So ending this section on the good news lots to eat!! and generally de bloody licious,...
STORM DAMAGE
Now the challenges.... One day it rained and it must have been quite windy as most of the cane supports and even Mr Darcey blew down. The canes with toms and peppers, aubergines were replaced and Mr Darcey re erected. However you can see he has developed definite leaning to the left. A possible response to tough times, or the obvious impotence of our elected leaders in Greece or even a comment on the European dictatorship of Greek politics. Or maybe we just didn't have a ladder to git him straight agin... You decide.
THEFT.. SOMETHING AND NOTHING......
Damn dogs stole one of my shoes, well actually caught the damn thing which had grabbed my camera case and was scooting up the hill with it . I hotly pursued and succeeded in grabbing the camera case only to discover there was a partner in crime TWO ATTILAAAAAAAS. Atillla number 2 got a shoe and off it went. shoe never seen again
. Much more serious, a car was broken into while we were gardening. 10 meters away.. The perp. escaped out the gate. In full view. Note to ourselves always lock cars and go in pairs Difficult Days
Meanwhile back to gardening... and then there is the weeding and more weeding and more weeding.Oh I do do it but mostly just taking photos Oh Insect Attack note to self TUCK SOCKS IN TROUSERS. EUUUUUUGH. Gross really but i felt this think crawling up my leg. Pulled trousers down somewhat rapidly and ejected a huge centipede EUUUUUUU. Refreshments time..
In the dark days that we have here in Greece at least we still feel despite some setbacks that we are working together, achieving something positive, planning ahead, moving forward, learning from our mistakes and eating better. Now we need our full team back as we need to start planning for the winter. I guess its time to sow more seeds.
We will , as ever keep you posted
Lets start with the vegetable news. As we said we had had some problems with bugs on the toms, so generally I would say they have been disappointing. EXCEPT the cherry toms, which need to be harvested no not in the tens but hundreds.
Similarly successful in their abundance and all varieties are the peppers. Courgettes and Aubergines also are being plucked in abundance, in a variety of shapes and sizes which is all very amusing after Sarah s two big melons we now have Helena and..........
.......actually I'm lost for words at this one.2nd CAPTION COMPETITION one for Helena and ppleaseee what on earth is Brenda thinking in the background..
So general produce good Herbs BASIL (Fawlty Towers skit here) You have grown out of all proportion Madness total madness I mean there is only so much pesto you can make. Herbs good both kinds of basil growing wildly , Parsley not so much although being sat on umpteen times by a big dog does not help.. (ATILLAAAAAA)
The melons have also been disappointing although the watermelons doing better we never seem to be able to pick them at the right time . Either they are not red and juicy in the middle yet, so under ripe or we leave them too long and they are mauled by dogs or other creature leaving horrible scars caused by unimaginable beasts that I would rather not dwell on. (R ###S)
Something that as a non gardening person has somewhat surprised me is just how much space water melons and melons do take up, Everyone said plant them far apart and not near anything else and Gordon Bennett given the chance they would just take over everything. I think for next year the ideal place to plant melons and watermelons is...the next field....
So ending this section on the good news lots to eat!! and generally de bloody licious,...
STORM DAMAGE
Now the challenges.... One day it rained and it must have been quite windy as most of the cane supports and even Mr Darcey blew down. The canes with toms and peppers, aubergines were replaced and Mr Darcey re erected. However you can see he has developed definite leaning to the left. A possible response to tough times, or the obvious impotence of our elected leaders in Greece or even a comment on the European dictatorship of Greek politics. Or maybe we just didn't have a ladder to git him straight agin... You decide.
THEFT.. SOMETHING AND NOTHING......
Damn dogs stole one of my shoes, well actually caught the damn thing which had grabbed my camera case and was scooting up the hill with it . I hotly pursued and succeeded in grabbing the camera case only to discover there was a partner in crime TWO ATTILAAAAAAAS. Atillla number 2 got a shoe and off it went. shoe never seen again
. Much more serious, a car was broken into while we were gardening. 10 meters away.. The perp. escaped out the gate. In full view. Note to ourselves always lock cars and go in pairs Difficult Days
Meanwhile back to gardening... and then there is the weeding and more weeding and more weeding.Oh I do do it but mostly just taking photos Oh Insect Attack note to self TUCK SOCKS IN TROUSERS. EUUUUUUGH. Gross really but i felt this think crawling up my leg. Pulled trousers down somewhat rapidly and ejected a huge centipede EUUUUUUU. Refreshments time..
In the dark days that we have here in Greece at least we still feel despite some setbacks that we are working together, achieving something positive, planning ahead, moving forward, learning from our mistakes and eating better. Now we need our full team back as we need to start planning for the winter. I guess its time to sow more seeds.
We will , as ever keep you posted