We're having fab warm weather this summer - with many dry days and temperatures in the 70s F (20s Celsius). This is fantastic weather for Northern Ireland. The courgettes and other plants are generally loving the warm conditions. Not a bit of blossom rot in sight on the courgettes!
Left: Courgette Tondo di Piacenza are producing well in the large terracotta pot - two plants in the one pot.
This week I started harvesting courgette and I think my next challenge will be using them as there are many fruits forming on four of my five plants, and they mature very quickly. Tonight I'm making shepherds pie and will be chopping up the two courgette pictured below and putting them in, along with parsley from the garden.
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| Above: these are about grapefruit size. I'm hoping to find a good recipe for stuffed courgettes as I think this shape is ideal. |
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| The Courgette All Green Bush is also doing well and is starting to produce - the courgette pictured will soon turn into marrow size so it's on my list to harvest tonight! |
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| Above & Below: don't cucumber look much like courgette! Up at the Community Garden at Antrim Castle Gardens - we've had lots of cucumber ready to eat from the end of June! Most of our members don't like the taste of cucumber so I've been eating some, and we give them to garden visitors to take home. |
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| Above: Cucumbers growing in the greenhouse at Antrim Castle Gardens love the warm conditions and are producing well. Below: My own cucumber growing outdoors in a pot outside the back door - is just beginning to flower - what a difference from the greenhouse grown ones! |
On a different topic, I've been away touring Wicklow and Wexford in Ireland over the last few weeks so haven't updated my blog much. I have three beds that I grow vegetables in and while I was away slugs and snails ate two whole veg beds worth of seedlings/plants - I came back to two empty beds! My third veg bed wasn't touched for some reason (apart from caterpillar damage to beetroot). On a positive note the vegetable plants at the community gardening project at Antrim Castle Gardens are thriving and I've been able to use some veg from there. More on all of this in the coming weeks. I hope to get caught up on my blog reading in the upcoming week as well!
Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.
It is nice that you were able to get away for a bit. Gardens usually get along fine in our absence as long as they are watered, so how terribly disappointing to find that slugs have destroyed your garden. At least you have your zucchini. I like the small round one, one that I have not seen before.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the disastrous slug damage. I expect the courgette crop will restore the balance a bit though. Before log you will be inundated with the things. It's a pity that courgettes don't store well. If they were like potatoes, lasting for months, that would be so much better!
ReplyDeleteYour zucchini look nice! It is great that you don't have any bloom rot....my zucchini was a disaster. I love zucchini bread...have you tried making that? Jim taught be a delicious side dish for cucumber. Just slice a whole bowl of them(peeled first), pour cold water with ice cubes in it over top until they are completely submerged, sprinkle with a generous spoonful of salt. Chill. Pass as a side dish with any meat.
ReplyDeleteThe cucumber recipe sounds good, and easy to make which is a big plus. I was also thinking about making salsa using the cucumbers.
DeleteP.S. Kelli, you slice the cucumber thinly and you drain off the cold water right before serving.
ReplyDeleteHi Kelli, Sorry to hear the nasty slugs got your veggies. A community garden sounds like a great idea.....especially a greenhouse! There must be a lot less worry about weather. In the US we use cucumbers like crazy. They are in most salads.....I love them right from the vine....just wash and eat like an apple. Happy gardening!
ReplyDeleteWe stuff our ball shaped courgettes by tend to just use whatever we have and sprinkle breadvcumbs and fgated cheese on top
ReplyDeleteSounds good Sue. I will have to experiment with the courgettes and try a few new recipes.
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