Kitchen Garden update September 2009
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Save Money, Vegetables | 11 comments
Photo: Purple sprouting brocolli in Autumn
Thank goodness the cabbage white butterflies have stopped using our kitchen garden as a prime love fest location. They were attracted by so many tasty brassicas they are the new super food after all. Watching them canoodling was fun but fighting with their caterpillar offspring was a nightmare. For a good two months it was war.
By the end I was patrolling morning and evening with the organic gardener’s version of a Kalashnikov – a powerful soapy spray gun. I don’t know whether it did much good. But the chickens enjoyed eating the biggest caterpillars and hundreds of dolls sized beasties on cabbage leaves were savoured behind the wire in the chicken run.
This is the first year that we are trying to grow vegetables all year round. Normally we plant garlic and broad (fava) beans in late autumn and the sprouting broccoli is planted out in July for a Spring harvest. But this year we decided to expand our horizons as home grown vegetables taste so much better than the ones in the shops. Ok they do require some time and attention but the savings are massive.
Taking account of the cost of the seed, fertilisers and mains water when our butts run dry I reckon that we are saving around £900 a year on vegetables alone. When I look at the soft fruit in our freezers and bottled fruit in the barn I reckon that we are saving at least £1,200 overall. Before we even count the chutneys, piccalilli, pickles, jellies, jams, fruit cheeses and butters.
For the winter we have lots of Brussels sprouts (Bedford Fillbasket), luckily maturing at different rates. Six different types of cabbage, four varieties of kale, winter cauliflowers and Swiss chard. Our leeks are beginning to fatten from biro refills to biro sized specimens. We also have successional sowings of salad and stir fry leaves. Our runner beans are just into their second flush, and we are harvesting the last of the calabrese and summer cauliflowers. The latter taste so delicate and sweet – completely different to their burly supermarket cousins.
If all goes well we will be feasting on early autumn planted carrots in the Spring, along with white and purple sprouting broccoli and early peas. The cash savings are good but the satisfaction is huge.
And this is just the start of a very exciting journey.
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Goodluck Fiona. That is my aim for next winter. We are just going into spring & having a very warm one considering we were still having frosts & snow into November last year. Havent had a frost for a few weeks now but its too early to count your chickens. Today Im planting a peach (golden queen) and a fig (brown turkey) they are the first of my longed for fruit trees. I have taken your hint regarding hole watering prior to planting as it is very late to be planting the fruit trees. The peach is flowering already – wish me luck.
Wow, those brassicas look fantastic … and I’m glad I’m not the only one who spent a big portion of the summer at war with cabbage whites. I think they won during our 2 week holiday, but thankfully I’m on top of it now and the brassicas are recovering.
Do you need to cold-frame your autumn carrot sowings?
Fiona- your cottage is old, the water table is high- just dowse around the garden, you will probably find a well, it may have been topped off with a flagstone when the water supply was connected to the mains, but chances are you will have one.
I never knew that fava bean was just another name for broad bean!
Hi Michelle NZ
I’m not a wild fan of brassica but I’ve been told to eat more of them and I reckon that home grown will taste so much better than the shop bought ones.
I love peas and adore asparagus.
Love to you and Zeb.
Hello Anita
Underground water? Sounds great. Our water table is high in the cottage garden (about five feet down) I wonder if I could access it?
Home grown salads are a delicious delight.
Hi Helen
I reckon that Swiss Chard is a good idea as it is so hardy. I love eating it in a white sauce.
Hi Catalina
The brassicas are very hardy and can survive UK winter snow. I’ll need cloches for the salad leaves. I’m just determined to harvest some vegetables this winter.
Hi Kitty
We have overwintered Swiss Chard in the past and it turned out fine.
Raspberry vodka is my favourite.
You have inspired me to try some autumn chard! Thanks for the recipe for raspberry vodka liqueur, I made some up tonight and hoping it will be good for Xmas pressies and drinking.
Your garden looks good!
I wish I could garden year round like you.
Ooo I am sooo..o green with envy all my sowings for winter veg were taken, either lack of watering:( or birds:( or the chickens on a raid in the veg beds:(
So I shall put in some garlic very soon, I have read that it is not too late to sow chard.
Wish me luck
Your veggies look great.
we had a sunny weekend here in the Cape and I planted out swiss chard, spring onions, green peppers, four lettuce varieties, parsley and basil ready for my summer table. Greatfully we have underground water that feeds our lush garden and so my veggies and herbs are always happy to produce. We love having barbecues in the evening and I often make salad out of all the fresh leaves I can find in the garden and add fresh herbs to the salad which is a winner amongst our friends. Unfortunately we are having a late cold spell here and so the braai is out for tonight so am going to make some delicious chilli and tomato jam tonight.
Take care
The brassicas in the photo look wonderful, I sincerely hope they do well for you. Very sincere despite most of this type being a disaster for my innards.
Do enjoy the brussels sprouts (complete ick to me, but now I can’t eat them anyway – a real excuse to avoid!!!) Hope you have a good amount of them available for your Xmas dinner. Here trad green veg for Xmas dinner is fresh peas – also no good for me, however is also the last gasp of our asparagus season so I’m fine and happy (unless they’re overcooked!)
Your chooks must love the greens they get, and means very little discarded only for the compost.
Smiles all around (yes, my darling Zebby is sound asleep!)
love and super care, Michelle xxx