What a Difference the Sun Makes

It is amazing what a little sunshine can do to a vegetable patch. I went down just the other day and had a seat among the growings on. Everything looked so healthy, and HUGE! Everything had been trying its best to make the most of the sunshine. We are defiantly going to get a good crop of Runner Beans this year, much to my surprise as they were looking pretty unhappy for a while, what with the wind that whistles over the hill and across the garden.

The beans are growing crazy. One managed to produce two beans! Way ahead of the other plants, not sure why it chose to be so early!
The peas too are going mad. Check out the graph at the bottom to keep track of the farms produce this year.
Raspberry bushes are coming on a treat!
The last minute decision to plant carrots seems to be paying off!
We lost a couple of Brussel plants in the beginning but the remainder are looking SO healthy I think we are going to be inundated with Sprouts.
We have had a few potatoes from the garden but there are plenty more under there for us to find!
The strawberry patch is producing a few fruit but the main purpose is to get some nice runners off them so we can beef up the strawberry patch next year.


The garlic is also looking good. It has been through a lot in the past what with sheep and a strimmer attack but we hope that they have pulled through.

If You Go Down to the Patch Today...

I went out today to have a go at being a farmer. Well, this is the point of the self-sufficiency plan isn't it? So down to the veggie garden I trooped. I haven't got a nice wicker basket yet to carry my findings so I am doing my bit for the environment and am using old plastic fruit trays from the supermarket instead!

I went specifically for potatoes as the time has come for my first earlies to be ready. I have noticed that things on top of our hill seem to be slower to 'do' than is listed in any book, so I have had to wait a little longer than the books advise for my early potatoes but I was not disappointed! We currently have nowhere to store a total haul of tatties so I am digging as needed so I managed to unearth 6 nice looking Red Dukes for tea. And my oh my how red they are once all that grub is washed off!!!

But I was surprised to find that my wind battered pea plants had come good in the end and had left me a few pods, with some still remaining! I don't think these plants will be seeing us through the bleak midwinter but I am glad that they have grown as well as the have and I think that I have learned much from this year about making next year a success!

As you can see the strawberry plants (of which 5 remain after the sheep/cat/rabbit attack) have managed to club together and produce 3 fruit for me. Not huge but very tasty. This year I am really just trying to get the plants nice and established and get them producing some nice runners to up the Strawberry Patch population!