I was out early this gorgeous morning after gentle rain on and off for a couple of days.
Since I was out before the yapping dogs from next door I took the time
to tie up the trailing tomato branches to the bamboo stakes.
I had in my mind to neatly tie the branches
to the stakes designated to the plants.
I soon realised that the branches could not co-operate!
I thought
Any solidly enough grounded (to support the branch) stake will actually do!
So I happily tied the branches to the stakes that could most
conveniently support them as they grew and fruited.
I go out, usually in the late afternoon, to dump my kitchen peelings.
While the container is conveniently empty I gather the ripening crop.
Since I was out of habit late yesterday, I went out early this morning.
This is my crop for today.
The tomatoes are doing wonderfully.
The beans planted so conveniently next to the bamboo stakes
are finding it difficult to get a hold and so are not doing well this year.
I chop them up as soon as I get them into the kitchen, and add them to the bag in the freezer.
When I have enough for a meal I will use them.
The spinach is flourishing.
A couple of days I made spinach cheesy white sauce,
put it in small containers and froze it.
So now, when I want to serve spinach, I will cut it,
blanch it and add the defrosted sauce for our meal.
Interesting that when I bought the tomato plants
I intended to get the same as last year.
I didn't look carefully enough I guess,
and discovered I have these cherry tomatoes.
They bear abundantly.
We are enjoying them.
I have gem squashes (I hope) growing from my kitchen peelings.
(Perhaps they will prove to be butternut plants.)
We will enjoy those.
I also have some tomato seedlings coming up from last year which I am
gently lifting and planting conveniently near the stakes in place.
The flowers I planted last year because we would be away
are coming up all over the place, plus some others as well,
plus the ever-present and vigorous weeds of course.
I will let them all grow together until they need to be pulled out,
whether in full flower or not,
to make space for the food bearing plants.
Many lessons I quietly learn every time I work in my little garden plot.
I need to go and get some more bamboo stakes soon. Maybe today.
I go up to the Chapel grounds.
There is a forest of bamboo on the east side of the unused and little used back lot.
I cut them and bring them home- that benefits the Chapel grounds
by clearing some they don't need to,
and it benefits me by getting stakes I don't need to pay for.
