On a sultry, sticky morning I take time out to have a wander in the garden and think about what has worked and what hasn’t this year…….and begin to think about how I might do things next year…….and harvest yet more tomatoes, too, of course.
Category: Vlog
Thoughts on……Self-sufficiency – living richly on a tiny budget.
I may have very little money but my life is richer now than ever. I’m still working things out……every day is a learning day…..and every day offers the opportunity for simplicity and beauty. I am happier and more fulfilled now than I ever have been. It’s hard work and takes a bit of planning but the rewards are worth it.
Vivi’s Kitchen Garden 115: Odd jobs and harvesting – Coco de Paimpol and Chickpeas.
After a busy few days and plenty of rain it feels great to get back out to the garden. There are lots of little jobs to be done but no desperate hurry…….and the harvests are coming in so kitchen time needs to be factored into the day…….the garden feels buzzing with life and vitality after the rain.
Vivi’s Kitchen Garden: August in the Garden (2018).
Despite the heat and drought the garden is showing signs of abundance….I was worried earlier in the year that the garden simply wasn’t going to produce this year but persistence (and multiple sowings of some seeds!) has paid off…….there’s food!
Vivi’s Kitchen Garden 114: Blanching celery and harvesting berries under a blazing sun.
Our heatwave/zero rain weather continues – making daytime gardening not just uncomfortable but even possibly dangerous. I tried to get a step ahead of the heat by getting to the garden early to tackle some of the little jobs that have fallen by the wayside…..in particular I wanted to get more of the brassicas into the ground. I was shocked to read the thermometer at 8.30 am…….and had to beat a retreat by mid-morning. Most nights I am dreaming of rain……….
Vivi’s Kitchen Garden 113: FAQs: What is an allotment? How big is your plot? Cats etc.
I get asked these questions a lot……so I thought I’d take a little time out to answer them by video and give you a bit of a look around parts of the site I’m on…..and show you why I love this place so much.
Vivi’s Kitchen Garden 112: Cabbages, beer traps, carrots and harvests….and bees.
If at first you don’t succeed try, try, try again……….I have carrots!….after the millionth sowing!! The daily harvests are getting bigger and bigger so that I’m getting to the stage where things need preserving because I can’t eat it all in one go. Lots of little jobs during a balmy afternoon mean time to sit at the end of the session to take stock and enjoy some quiet time simply watching the bees…….I hope you will enjoy watching them at the end of this video as much as I do.
Vivi’s Kitchen Garden 111: Climbing beans, climbing squash and tomato care.
Finally we have a day with slightly cooler temperatures (still hot!) so I can attend to the garden……so many little jobs are outstanding because all I have done for weeks is water… My priorities today were the tomatoes…….the beans and squash got a bit of attention too. And I discovered the joy of spritzing myself with cold water……
Vivi’s Kitchen Garden 110: Harvesting broad bean seed, lavender and calendula (and drying).
It’s wonderful to spend some quiet time in the garden amongst the flowers with the bees for company. It’s time to start harvesting and drying them for use later in the year……and it’s time to gather the first vegetable seeds for next year’s harvest. Our heat wave and total absence of rain continues so my ‘adopted’ tree in the local park needs my help with regular watering – it seems to be doing OK.
Vivi’s Kitchen Garden: Harvesting, drying (curing) and stringing up the onion harvest for storage.
Here’s a little video I made last year to explain how I harvest, dry and string up my onions for storing. The white onions were lifted in July and stored perfectly well with this method until I used the last one in April of this year.
