[Troubled Waters]

I know I'm just like a kid at Christmas but I don't care!   Tonight I have 'harvested' a whole seven mange tout (had nine last week), a large handful of broad bean pods and some more lettuce.  I have picked at least a handful of strawbs everyday for the last 4 weeks. My runner beans have flowers on them, and my red cabbages are hearting up finally. My turnips (all 4 of them) are coming on a little and I have my first tomato just setting on the vine.  we have had a bucket of spuds and i think some more are nearly ready. and also tons of rhubarb and some goosberries earlier in the year.

Ok ok, I know sound like I'm bragging, I'm sorry.  it's just I find it so exciting.  Right from seeing the seeds germinating, to seeing the plants getting bigger and finally harvesting.  How excited am I going to be when we are properly self sufficient in veg and start raising our own animals for meat?!?

I just had to share my excitement, I'm sure hubby thinks I'm mad!  

[Fluffywelshsheep]

Well done
It always great to get your good come up trumpets

Linz

[northfifeduckling]

keep it up, TW! I felt the same today as first time ever I have little white things growing in cauliflowers! The feeling is great and do keep sharing it with us!

[Greenerlife]

I think this is weird but normal (if that makes any sense I'll be surprised!)  Every season and every year I get that excited by my first crops.

I am in freezerprep mode at the moment...(ie I am squeezing impossible amounts into tiniest empty corners of my freezer and thinking I need a new and bigger freezer)

[Roxy]

Well done!  It is nice when your hard work pays off!!

We are always behind with crops, being well over 1,000ft above sea level, and our strawberries for example are still green, so will not be enjoying those for a little while longer.

[lara]

Don't worry we're all as bad - in fact I'm probably worse, this year I put my dwarf french bean plants in a hanging basket - strange I know but due to lack of growing space it was the only option    , so now I am harvesting them -  getting about 6 - 10 beans each harvest (wow) .... the really sad thing is that these beans few then get 'blanched' for 30 seconds  in the microwave , cooled and then added to the small bag of beans frozen from the last 'harvest'..... I am proud now to nearly have enough for a serving (2 people.. with hopefully small appetites) I'm so proud of what i've grown..   

[northfifeduckling]

Same here  ! We're living in pea glut just now, can't keep up with cooking them! A nice crop of tatties, digging up only the ones with blighted leaves. Loving every single piece I'm eating! 

[sabrina]

We had our first peas last night and they were great. Also had a few cucumbers which taste wonderful and my peppers are turning red. Its so good when the things you planted start to show results 

[lara]

They can keep all the stuff in the supermarkets - apart from the stuff we cant grow ... of course  we'll have that!

[northfifeduckling]

Yes, for now I'm counting the pennies and pounds I'm NOT spending, while I'm walking down the veggie isle 

[lara]

Just wish the sun would shine a bit more now so my toms will ripen

[Wellieboots]

gotta agree. We've got through 20lbs of first earlies, recently dug up 36lbs of Anyas, had 6 courgettes already, same for cucumbers, made roasted tomato sauce for the freezer as well as loads of tattie soup, caulies have already been done as well, just as the cabbage whites are starting on me calebrase & purple sprouting broccoli, strawberry jam done, Hugh's gluteny = 12 jars, broad beans done, some early nante carrots done, paramax round ones also done & far too much basil, coriander, spring onions, mixed salad leaves etc!

Oh and don't ask about the glut of garlic & onions!!! It took me the best part of an afternoon to build a big enough wire drying rack & now me garage hums!

1 chook kealed over whilst broody for no good reason, another just turned broody so new brood pen built. It is so funny watching them puff up - she is now called "broody 2 shoes"....ahem.....

[doganjo]

I've just eaten my first tomato - should have been more patient although I didn't want it to turn bad on the bush.  It was a wee bit green and hard still inside.  Never mine the chooks liked that bit!  Have two packs of broccoli and one of carrots in the freezer - off out to see what else I can glean today.

[lara]

my toms are outside   (as dont have greenhouse) so not ripening very fast,
 have had lots and lots of lettuce ( would highly recommend mixed salad leaves variety called salad bowl) in fact been giving away to Daz's workmates for about 6 weeks now.
 my Strawberries ... well.... there looked to be loads coming on the plants in may,  but they turned ripe in june whilst v small so i was really disapointed - - - but now they have all re-flowered and have more fruit on this time.... the strawberries are really big.... so don't know whats going on as its late now to be getting a new crop and they are ripening nicely ( not that i'm complaining ) .. but very strange - anyone know why this has happened .. maybe cos of all the rain  that I 'm getting a second crop

[doganjo]

I am too - I think it's just the yo-yo weather we've been having that's done it.  The plant's don't know where they're at.