Plum Scrumping!

Yesterday I made a short visit to the RHS Garden at Wisley. As the schools have now broken up for the Summer holidays there were some activities for the young at heart! How about this sunflower maze?
These were only 4ft tall in all but people had picked smiley faces in the sunflowers!
Looks like fun! - last year in the same spot they had a maize maze!
Of course, the main reason to visit is to go to the Model Vegetable Garden to see what's growing there.
And to visit the fruit orchard to check on the ripeness of the plums. There was an amazing variety of colours, sizes and shapes. The gages have a more rounded shape and a much sweeter, honey like taste.
Small cherry plums or mirabelles are just loaded on the branches.
Red cherry plums were ripening nicely too!
Another entertainment at Wisley was a polytunnel filled with unusual shaped curcurbits, gourds, melons and cucumbers. I had never heard of a Mouse Melon!!
When I thought my trombocino squash was unusual I see it is in good company compared to some of these.
A Hedgehog cucumber! a hit with the youngsters visiting!
Or how about a wooly bear gourd? Nature in its infinite variety!

Toms Beans and Peas

I'm not growing quite as many varieties of tomatoes this year. It is lovely to try new ones, but I grow for flavour. Here are gardeners delight, sungold and chocolate cherry. it is interesting to have a variety in a bowl together then eat them one after another to compare the texture, sweetness, acid and flavour between varieties. I think the chocolate cherry comes out near the top, surprisingly!

I love the way that Gardeners delight grows. They come down and down like a double string of pearls!

I shelled my Salmon flowered peas today. There are plenty left over...so..

So if you would like to try some of these heritage peas next year, drop me an email with your details and I will be happy to share. It is important to keep these old varieties going. I know a couple of people have expressed an interest already but I can't remember who!! just drop me a line again please.

I have an amazing crop of parsley this year. It is just perfect right now. I was debating with myself how I might take advantage of this glut. Shall I chop and freeze?

I am thrilled this hairy cucumber 'Bari' seems to be growing. This is an unusual variety I swapped with Mas Du Diable last year. An old family variety passed down from generation to generation by a family in Bari, Italy.
Queensland blue squash coming along nicely too.
As is the Tromba D'albegna squash!

Bilbo is Going Home!

You may remember last Summer I took Bilbo out for a day-trip to London. He has been travelling the world thanks to the Dirt Princess in Mobile, Alabama who set him out on his journey to visit garden bloggers about 18 months ago. Well, Bilbo is at his last stop now in North Dakota then he is finally going home. He has been to Sweden, Italy, Cumbria, Goucestershire, Malaysia, Canada, England and many other places.
The Dirt Princess has a special celebration planned for him when he gets home! What a great adventure!