Vivi's Kitchen Garden

On a beautifully warm, sunny day I get on with the job of stringing up my onions for storing over the winter. As I string them I think about things that have gone well this year and things which have gone poorly…..and think about changes I may make next year.

After a few days away from the garden….and a visit to the lovely kitchen gardens at Kew…it was time to get back to my soil and deal with the changes which are happening so quickly at this time of year. My garden is in need of some love and thanks.

Continuing from where I left off in the previous video……..this is more from the glorious Kew Gardens. After having gone a bit nuts over the vegetable and herb gardens I turned my attention to the beautiful structures and buildings within the garden……at every turn I needed a new superlative…….

During a rare day off I get the treat of the year…….a day out at Kew Gardens with the wonderful Richard and Paul. It was a truly special and magical day with so much to see and wonder at. Here I share my excitement over the various vegetable and herb gardens. In part 2 I will be sharing some of the amazing structures and sights around the gardens.

It is finally time to harvest the precious Coco de Paimpol…..my favourite and, now, most treasured bean……they thoroughly deserve the time and attention they will get over the coming days during this very narrow window of harvesting opportunity. As more and more beds are harvested my thoughts turn towards winter and how I will manage my fallow spaces to give me the best start to next year……

A typical day in the kitchen garden at this time of year sees me harvesting for meals for the following week (or more) and harvesting for veggies to store for the winter months. The colours coming out of the garden are beautiful at this time of year.

Another month has flown by and the garden is starting to look very different from how it did at the beginning of August…..the season is changing and the garden is letting me know it will soon be time to slow down.

While my lovely plot friend Katherine is away on her honeymoon it’s time for me to sort out her wedding present……I have no money for a gift…..but she will appreciate this more than something I could buy from a shop. As I tend to my garden I spot it…….argh….yes…..the first signs of blight are all around me.

This is a bit of a departure from my normal monthly round up and reflection……because…..at the eleventh hour my old camera was found…..and although the camera itself was pretty dead, the memory card still worked……it was a beautiful reminder of the importance and joy of being part of a beautiful community.

It’s the time of year to start keeping a close eye on all the beans……depending on how you intend to store them will dictate when to begin harvesting. I need to start harvesting the beans which I will freeze as ‘demi-sec’. A long awaited treat is my reward for the day’s work…..I prepare one of my favourite meals in the shed with produce harvested just seconds before…..