I left for the plot at 9 am this morning. The rain started at 9:05 and by 9:15 I realised that I had to turn back. Its been raining all day since. So instead of tidying up the now empty onion patch and cutting the grass on the path I have the opportunity to do a catch up on the state of the plot with a few pictures taken in the last week:
The biggest surprise has been the discovery of three Sharks Fin Melon/Fig Leaf Gourd fruit hidden away at ground level underneath all those leaves:
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| Surprise |
Its already more than six inches across, as is this one, and another one. There are plenty more on the way too!
Not to be left out the Kabocha have started to bulk up too:
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| Kabocha All in all there is a riot at this end of the plot. The Jerusalem Artechokes are now over 6ft tall.  In the foreground the parsnip is coming on nicely, and behind them, next to the carrot tent there is a bit of an experiment: |
These are scorzonera:
The brassica patch is thriving on top of the weed suppressant fabric.
and the maincrop spuds are looking good:
Of course the earlies are looking very scruffy now by comparison:
but they are providing good eating.
At the other end the beans and the leeks are keeping each other company. The broad beans are all finished, but the runners have started cropping and the Canadian Wonder are being left for drying. In the background of this shot the fruit cage has given up on both strawberries and summer raspberries (although the Autumn have yet to start). Thank goodness for rhubarb which just goes on and on giving.
The signs are that the blackberries won't be long now with a bumper crop:
So a lazy day, but on review I am well pleased with the plot this year.
Looking good. I hope you take a photo of inside the shark's fin melon when you cut it open and tell us what it tastes like.
ReplyDeleteI will post further as they mature and promise to include the cross sectional view. While I've yet to taste one the flavour of the ripe fruit is reported to be a cross between a melon and a cucumber. Sounds good doesn't it? Another thing I know is that the seeds should be black. Also the flesh tends to be stringy - like vermicelli - and when cooked has a peculiar texture which is similar to that obtained from boilings sharks fins (hence the daft name).
DeleteThose brassicas are looking good Mal. Our rhubarb is just starting to come again after totally giving up in the hot dry weather of July. Our maincrop potatoes look the same as your earlies so I'm not too hopeful of an enormous crop.
ReplyDeleteIs that Sharks Fin Melon a proper melon melon? Beechgrove Garden looked to be struggling a little with their indoor and hotbed melons. You might have to show them how it's done.
Sorry to hear about the spuds Martyn.
DeleteMelon?... pumpkin, gourd, marrow, squash - it's a Cucurbita.
It seems it's origins are high up on some wet Andean mountainside so growing under glass is not necessary, although the plants will not survive a frost.
It's very interesting to see someone growing Scorzonera. It's not something you see very frequently. Have you eaten it before? I mean, do you know what to expect? I have eaten Salsify, which might perhaps be similar...
ReplyDeleteI hope the storm hasn't done any damage to your lovely plot!
I have grown and eaten salsify before. My abiding memory is that it tasted like mashed up sweetcorn. It didn't go down very well with the children. Now that we are no longer catering for them I am trying scorzonera which is reputedly similar but more spindly and with a black skin, adding to the preparation challenge. I like some novelty and a challenge - and I've given up trying to grow celeriac!
DeleteThe storm seems to have dissipated before crossing the Scottish Border, but we have had rain all day!
It all looks so well this year...wish the same could be said for mine. I was so far behind and I am lacking in things i have never lacked on in the past. I will get some harvest though but nothing like i am used to. Oh well...it can only get better next year. By the way ...what is scorzonera? I have never heard of it. Oh and I didn't hear any mention of celeriac this year..not growing it Mal??
ReplyDeleteYes Tany, I've finally admitted defeat on the celeriac front. I haven't tried bees either. Sounds like quite a commitment.
DeleteOn the plus side I am growing two sorts of squash for the first time. I've only grown courgettes before, and marrows (when they got out of hand). Scorzonera is a root crop favoured on the continent but virtually unknown here - rather like courgettes used to be. If you want to try it you have to grow it - or travel to a French market. I will be posting on progress but like our parsnips they require a long growing season so don't hold your breath.
The melens look fab. Looks like you have loads of good eating ahead of you.
ReplyDeleteHi Kelli, with an unfamiliar crop it can be a problem figuring out what to do with them, but nowadays we have the internet!
DeleteLooks great I'd like to try melon growing one year.
ReplyDelete