Garlic, garlic, every where...

Week 27, Saturday, 28th June 2008

Managed to get down to the lottie for the morning and dropped off all the composting stuff. Managed to catch up with “Ron the chicken man” and pay him for the last two months! I was getting worried that he was sick and tried to have a look at his chicken coops to see if all was in order. Turns out we were just missing each other all the time and he thought I was ill.

Anyway I managed to harvest all the garlic – the bulbs were a bit on the small side but a good harvest with almost 100% success. I have taken them home to dry in the shed and will try my hand at garlic plaiting soon. I cannot see any difference at the moment between the bought white garlic from the French pink garlic (bought at last years French market), which I saved and planted, maybe when they are dry and cleaned up a bit the difference will become clear.

My elephant garlic was wonderful – will try and remember to take a picture for the blog. From 1 bulb we bought for a quid at the last potato festival I harvested a huge bulb plus about a dozen little bulbils around it. So I have pulled off the babies and will store them for next years harvest.

Turned the now empty ground over, added pelleted chicken manure and then put in a row of beetroot seed and two rows of Swiss Chard seedlings that have been waiting in the wings for open ground. Hopefully this position (which is shaded by the Cardoon) will keep the plants cool and help with bolting.

Picked a huge bunch of sweet peas again – a lot more pink and peach colours coming out now but the stems seem to be getting shorter the higher up they get? Not sure why.

The afternoon was booked for Rosemary’s 13th Birthday Party on the beach at Hengistbury Head. Jacquie did hamburgers which were lovely and the kids all enjoyed building their own. I was a bit dubious about taking the barbecue down as there were huge signs “£500 spot fines” but the guys were adamant and sneaked it on. The weather was OK but the wind was really mean and had us skulking behind some rocks which acted as a buffer.