As the day has gone on so the temperature has risen and now, at seven in the evening, it is quite airless. Plants I have recently planted are looking a bit droopy and will need a water just before it gets dark; washing at present on the line will be fetched indoors and if I can raise the energy I might even iron it tonight as tomorrow is forecast to be very hot indeed before a chilly wind blows in making it ten degrees cooler by Sunday.
Tess and I have just been for a walk - you could hardly call it that as we had to walk so slowly (for both our sakes) - as H called and took Tess for a long walk where there are countless rabbits last evening the fact that she has only had two shortish walks today will not come amiss.
Do you have a favourite vegetable? Mine seems to vary depending upon the time of year. In the late winter/early spring it is the delicious purple sprouting broccoli; then this is followed by English Asparagus - I bought what will probably be my last lot this morning as I found it quite disappointing and flavourless in spite of it being freshly picked in Kent. Now I impatiently wait for the arrival of new broad beans and peas. But one thing that has already arrived is the glorious array of summer fruit. I am spoilt for choice - today I bought apricots, peaches, nectarines, strawberries and enough fruit to fill my fruit bowl - bananas, apples, pears, satsumas. We really have the most superb Friday market here in Leyburn.
In my garden this very hot weather has finished off many of the plants which have flowered for the last month or so but luckily the French Lavender is in full bloom and attracting hundreds of bees and the Gallardias are just beginning to come out so Summer flowers are on their way. Two or three giant poppies have seeded themselves from somewhere and the first one emerged today - it is a deep purple and a welcome addition. I shall talk nicely to them and hope to encourage them to seed and visit me every year.
Whatever you intend doing this weekend, do bear the weather in mind and don't overdo it.
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16 comments:
Oh yes. Summer fruit. So glorious. We have just finished the last of our strawberries and are looking forward to nectarines and peaches now (alas, not from our garden). Our cherry trees seem to be doing well but we can never beat the birds to it - they always get the fruit before us! My favourite summer veg has to be peas straight from the garden. My husband always offers to shell them as I admit to eating most of them before they make it to the pot.
My favourite likes are celery, which I steam, leeks, carrots and dwarf runner beans.
We are near enough to the coast (about 4 miles) for there to be quite a cooling breeze today.
After a very cold start, the wind and grey cloud finally relented after lunch and we got up to the heady heights of 20 degrees - 10 degrees lower than western Scotland.
My favourite vegetables are new potatoes and leeks (English) and also English stone fruits, especially plums.
Very hot here in Tees Valley.I love young broad beans with bacon, a favourite meal from my childhood. More Painted Ladies,Red Admirals and Small Tortoishells than I have seen for years on a clump of Hebe plants on our housing estate.
I will be working this weekend as i do every weekend.. sadly.. But i shall be in air condition and enjoying it.. We have a speaker coming on Sunday who will talk about bugs that suck... chiggers and bedbugs and ticks... yucky subject but really might be quite interesting.. Hot and humid here.. Hmmm .. favorite veggie.. hard to pick.. i LOVE brussel sprouts and asparagus and beets .. I love tiny English peas mixed with fresh from the garden carrots.. yum.. great... now i'm hungry...lol Hugs! deb
Anything fresh and young - new potatoes, broad beans, French beans, baby carrots...
I read and hear good things about broccoli, yet I myself keep away from it as its head seems to be a reservoir of hidden bacteria and all kinds of pathogenes. I prefer lettuce, but not every type - there are many types on the market, some of them not edible.
I love all your culinary choices. I wonder about eating through all that fruit in time, though.
Anything freshly grown! Right now it is strawberries and asparagus. I can't wait for peaches to be in season (usually August for us). -Jenn
I am growing both green and yellow Courgettes, and we often eat them for lunch simply sliced and fried in olive oil, butter, and garlic. I then leave them to become tepid; they are sensational. As for fruit, we now have just Cherries and Tayberries.
The weather here is cloudy in the morning, then the sun comes out but there is a fresh wind to cool us down. The North sea must bring the cloud, I find it quite extraordinary that we are so near to Europe but not experiencing their hot temperatures. As for fruit, went to the local PYO and got strawberries, all those exotic fruits never taste sweet enough. Favourite fruit greengages and favourite vegetable, most of them.
Only 28 Celsius yesterday, a welcome respite after days of up to 38 and nights that did not cool off at all. Today and tomorrow are going to be hotter again, but I am determined to enjoy the summer (without overdoing it). I went for only a short run last night at 8:45, only 5K, and it wasn't really hot anymore (around 25 C), but I was drenched afterwards and walked straight into the shower when I came home.
Favourite vegetables? I like all veg - the greener, the better! Spinach and spuds are favourites, and carrots (cooked) and yellow peppers (raw) are high up my list as well.
As for fruit, yes, there is such an abundance right now, it's great!
The hot weather is coming from the Sahara. We are further away and the sea cools it down by the time it gets here, together with northerly breeze and the jet stream being further south than last year keeping us on an Iceland air stream rather than a Saharan.
I love Penhill's choice and as I have both in the freezer I intend to have them for lunch today. Thanks for all your mouth-watering suggestions. Shall work through them.
I am so glad I went out early this morning. Hardly a breath of wind and it was already feeling sticky by 10 am, so I was beginning to wilt on the way home.
I loved finding things that had seeded themselves into my garden, even some wild flowers.
Enjoy the weekend and your garden, and keep cool if you can.
Thanks everyone.
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