Unlike last week, I have loads of photos of harvests today. The first of these is my entire leek harvest. Now maybe I harvested too early but frankly I don’t think you should have to wait more than 6 months for a vegetable (garlic excluded) and I’m pretty sure I planted these out about 8 months ago. In a nutshell they were disappointing, very few had diameters bigger than my fingers. I’ve used them already in cauliflower soup.
along with some green garlic and celery:
I did quite a bit of clearing space in the garden this week. The leeks went to make way for cucumbers, and these carrots were in a pot I want to put a chilli in.
There was still a broccoli plant in my eggplant bed. That came out as well. I still have one plant left, so hopefully this wont be the last of the broccoli but it may well prove to be.
I didn’t just harvest old crops, I also harvested quite a bit of new growth. My thyme is looking particularly lush at the moment, this lot was cooked with some lentils for a salad.
Also on the herb front I made tabouleh a few times this week, so needed quite a bit of mint and parsley.
I think the most productive things in the garden at the moment are the salad leaves. As well as parsley and mint, this week I’ve been harvesting, lettuce, coriander, watercress, rocket, and tarragon.
I harvested my second tub of winter grown potatoes. They were Dutch Cream and the yield was OK but not what I get from Spring grown ones.
It wasn’t just vegetables this week, the first bit of fruit is starting to trickle in, although not particularly impressively. I had a few Cape Gooseberries (also known as Physalis and Ground Cherries) this week with more to come. I really like them but I know they are not for everyone. The one pictured isn’t quite ripe – they go much yellower when ripe, but those didn’t make it in front of the camera.
For more harvests that were captured on film (or should that be digitally?) head over to Daphne’s Dandelions and check them out.
Nice harvest, things are looking pretty at the moment aren’t they? I agree with you particularly on the thyme. Cute carrots too! But I wonder what happened to your leeks and why they didn’t get a move on? I don’t always grow leeks but usually get reasonable ones. BTW, did you mean to strike thru Daphne’s link?
Thanks and no I didn’t mean to strike through the link, its now rectified. I keep changing my mind about the leeks I have grown them successfully before but this doesn’t seem to have been their year. Perhaps variety, perhaps lack of sun – really not sure.
We’re hoping for a broccoli harvest this spring which is better than last. So far the plants look really good better than the tatty bought-in plants of last year so maybe we’ll be lucky!
I’ll cross my fingers for you. Broccoli is one of those crops that seems to like our climate so I generally don’t have trouble with it. If only it would give the leeks a talking to….
Beautiful harvests. I always have trouble with leeks. Sometimes they size up and sometimes they don’t. They seem to be very fickle for me. I didn’t even grow them last year.
FRankly I can understand why. I think that was the last time I’ll bother. I’ve had good ones in the past but they just take up space for too long and I think my beds just don’t get enough sun, or at least thats my current reasoning. Having said that I’m not sure that Wales in over endowed with sunshine so perhaps its something else.
I should pull some leeks to see what’s going on, hope they are good size. You are harvesting garlic green and I am just planting my garlic. Nice herb harvest, my parsley did not do will this year.
Ah the symmetry. I like how I am often harvesting at the same times as you guys over the other side of the world are sowing.
I love the look of your salad greens and thyme! So fresh and green. My leeks were also small this year, but I still love using them chopped in dishes and especially in potato leek soup.
They are fabulous in soup no matter the size.
I skipped leeks this year, but typically I don’t get really fat ones here either. I think it has to do with sun exposure. I think they like good humousy moist soil and lots of sunshine. I have the soil but not the abundant sunshine living where I do.
I agree with the sunshine theory although having said that I don’t tend to associate Wales with sunshine and yet its their national plant emblem.
great harvest this week. Sorry the leeks didn’t turn out as good as you would have liked. Your thyme looks very nice, much nicer than mine. Wonder if it is the variety, or maybe just the season since you are in spring and we are in fall!
I think the season – my thyme always starts to look a bit ragged by Autumn. I grow pizza and lemon thyme.
I have never grown leeks before, but I agree…veggies shouldn’t take so long to ripen up! Your potatoes are wonderful! I’d take any in the spring if we could over-winter them!
For us winter isn’t the problem, summer is – I don’t get great summer crops at all.
I only ever grew leeks once. They occupied the space for ages and produced a small return. And they are cheap in the shops. Very poor VSR if you ask me. Herbs score about a thousand percent better!
You are absolutely right about the VSR for leeks, even though they aren’t particularly cheap here I still don’t reckon they’re worth it.
Those have to be the funniest looking carrots I ever saw. I’ll bet they’re delicious!
I really like the flavour of that variety.
That’s a nice looking harvest! I like the taste of ground cherries, but the plants didn’t produce enough at a time for more than a nibble; maybe next year I’ll do a whole bed of them.
Oh I wish i had the space for a whole bed – that would be lovely, a veritable feast.
Beautiful and abundant harvest week for you! Congrats!
I am growing tomatillos (which look somewhat like the ground cherries). I never know when they are ripe unless they actually fall off the vines. The flavor is interesting, but good.
I should try them again – my efforts last year were pretty pathetic, I left them in a pot which was far too small and they didn’t do that well.
This is a really great harvest for you! I love that you have winter grown potatoes!
Your herbs and salad leaves are looking good. It’s nice to see some fresh green growth just as everything is winding down here. My leeks are looking a lot like yours at the moment – except for one or two which are bigger than the others, not sure why.
Mine do that too – I’ll get a couple growing well and the rest will move at the pace of your average (very skinny) snail.
I know what you mean about those leeks, it’s the celeriac for me this year, I don’t think it will ever size up.
You harvested a lot of beautiful vegetables, it’s all so pretty and fresh.
Oh goodness, I’ve just sown celeraic – will my patience levels cope?
Those carrots, you grew in a pot. When I looked at the picture I thought they are a cross crop of turnip and carrots. I can think of growing some in my pot. Your herbs and salad leaves look so fresh and green. I used up all my thyme today for lentil stew.
I think the carrots were a French variety called ‘Paris Market’, they are round and taste great. I always struggle with the long varieties and have had more success with this shape.
Liz, I so love to see your garden starting to produce. It will keep me going through the long winter ahead and also anxious to get planting again.
Glad to be of help. It wont be too long before your planting again and I’m planning my winter garden.
Hello! I’m fairly new to gardening and enjoy reading your blog to see what you’re doing. I was excited to see you are growing cape gooseberries, which I love but haven’t eaten for years. I’ve been looking for them in our local plant nurseries but haven’t had any luck. Did you grow yours from seed, or do you have any idea where I can buy a plant? (I’m in Melbourne too).
I grow mine from seed. http://www.newgipps.com.au stocks them. Now would be a good time to sow seed. Where abouts in Melbourne are you? I have some recently germinated seeds which I am planning on potting up tomorrow – you are welcome to some, they should be ready for planting out in a about a month.
That’s very kind of you Liz. I mostly move between Clayton and Carnegie where the kids are at school/kinder. Where are you? Nowhere nearby, I’m guessing! Maybe I will just get some seeds and try my luck. Any tips for germinating them?
Coburg so not super close I’m afraid. I would send you some seed but I don’t seem to have any. Once I harvest some more fruits I could probably save some for you though which hopefully would be viable.
I just ordered some cape gooseberry seeds and will see how they go. Speaking of things from the cape, I have plenty of extra gem squash seeds if you’d like to give them a try! They’re not to everyone’s taste, but they are very popular in south africa. I think the botanical name is cucurbita pepo.
Thanks for the offer – very nice of you. I’m have to admit to not being much of a fan of squash – too many college dinners of water squash and it has scarred me for life. I would try again except I have completely run out of space in the garden this year.
Well, goodness, I hadn’t at all realized that cape gooseberries and ground cherries were the same thing until your post!