Tomatillos

Further to my post of April 12th this year, here are my Tomatillo plants. From the picture on the previous post, you can see that they are green tomato shaped fruits inside a husk which is not unlike the paper husk you get round a physallis. These are more common in the USA, particularly where Mexican food is sold. Most often they are used in a green salsa with perhaps coriander, onion and chilli. Hard to describe the taste; they are not acid but a pleasant green vegetable flavour... I have seen them grown over here at the model vegetable garden at RHS Wisley. They do tolerably well in our climate, though they can do better with some protection. Here I have grown them up against a South facing wall. Has anyone grown tomatillo here?

The fruits of Spring

A few weeks ago I took a trip down to Tiverton for the day to meet a friend at Blundells school. On the way there I had an hour to spare so I took a short detour to Cheddar. Having sampled the excellent cheese, and scrumpy.... I visited a local village shop to purchase some clotted cream. Outside this village shop were a few veggie plants, so as a memorable souvenir I bought a 'Butternut Squash'. This is incredibly early and the bush is now covered with little squashes. It also looks at this early stage as if they are all female flowers too! I've not grown butternut before. Looks promising.

Everything seems to be getting bigger day by day at the moment. Lots of the tomatoes have set and are progressing well. Here is one of my 'Tigerella' tomatoes which I am trying for the first time this year. Even as young fruitlets they are beautiful, but the proof of the pudding, of course, is in the eating. The packet said they are prolific and resistant to greenback.

PS. I've now got broadband!! pictures took a fraction of the time to upload to blogger. Hooray!

I don't do flowers!

I must make it clear that this is a 'veggies only' blogspot, however... I couldn't resist showing you a picture I took last week in Madeira. This is a King Protea, one of my favourite flowers. I remember collecting stamps when I was a wee little girl, and the stamps from South Africa had one of these featured on them. I have loved them ever since.