Pretty impressive, eh?

Yesterday’s blog about the transformation of the diningroom window into a hummingbird haven, prompted me to think it was probably time for the semi-annual “compare and contrast” posting.

I may not (and let’s face it, never will) be successfully growing and harvesting enough fruit and veg to feed myself year round, but, dang, the garden sure does look pretty these days.

This photo was taken yesterday.

This is where we began in May 2010. Pretty fucking impressive contrast, eh?

So, how did we get from this sad photo to the one above it?

Considering where I started in May 2010, I was quite pleased that three months later the garden looked like this. Please note the ceanothus (planted for its bee-friendliness to replace the dead rhododendron marking Jenny’s grave) in the bottom left corner.

I don’t seem to have taken a comparison photo in 2011. It was a bad year for the blog. Not much better for the garden. Hardly surprising, under the circumstances. The photo above was taken in April 2012 – first year I attempted to fertilise (semi) proper beds.

 

By the time this photo was taken in May 2013, I had (thanks to Krys and Glenn) a proper raised bed with fresh top soil. It was a good year for peas, beets, tomatoes, courgettes, squash and strawberries.

 

Alas, I don’t seem to have taken a comparison photo in 2014. Closest thing is this one of the prayer flags I put up confound and confuse Bambo after his garden invasion, but you can at least see there is now a second raised bed, thanks to the wonderful Cec Ashley.

By June 2015, the garden swing (best garden news of that year for both Stella and me) was added. Now let's see that first photo again.

Once again I say (along with giving thanks for the friends who’ve helped), pretty fucking impressive, eh? Oh, and FYI, remember that ceanothus I said to note?

This is what it looks like now.

Zukes alors!

Okay, okay, okay. I know I am long overdue for an update and I do promise there will be one – eventually. For now I simply pose the question: are courgettes/zucchinis mutants?

When I left for Seattle on Sunday morning for the Mike Wallace Memorial Baseball Game, there were two young courgettes on the plant and two barely starting to grow from their flowers. When I went down to the garden this morning I had two fucking huge courgettes and two smaller ones. WTF?

Thank heavens for Becky’s courgette soup recipe, another batch of which I am about to make, otherwise I’d have to give the damn things away.

I reproduce it here for anyone having a similar problem.

Courgette and cheese soup

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 900g courgettes, trimmed and sliced
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or 3 tbsp fresh oregano)
• 600 ml veg stock
• 115g dolcelatte cheese, diced (or gorgonzola for more cheesy input)
• 300ml / 1.25 cups of single cream (Becky: I don’t think you really need this*)
• salt and pepper

1. Heat oil and butter in saucepan until foaming. Add onion and cook for about 5 mins stirring frequently until softened
2. Add the courgettes and oregano, with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 10 mins on medium heat, stirring.
3. Pour in stock and bring to boil, stirring frequently, lower heat and half cover pan, simmer gently for about 30 mins.
4. Stir in cheese until melted
5. Process in blender until smooth
6. Add 2/3 of the cream and stir over low heat until hot but not boiling. 
7. Adjust seasoning if you like.
8. Pour into bowls and swirl in remaining cream.

* Like Becky, I really don’t think the cream adds anything.

Elsewhere: As you can see from the photo above of today's pickings, the blackberry bush has gone mad this year, which means there will be lots to freeze. Hurrah.

The yellow cherry tomato plants – the only kind available when I needed to replace the red cherry tomato plants eaten by the deer (grr) – have been producing well and are very tasty indeed.

And, in case you’re wondering how I’m keeping further invaders out of the garden…

So far, so good. Namaste.