Veg Garden - Year 1

Boxing Day - I hope those of our readers who celebrate Christmas enjoyed their day and were able to share that enjoyment in some way with someone they treasure.

Mr B and I had a quiet day having not made much in the way of preparation for it.  We had purchased a charcoal oven cum barbeque thing and some legs of lamb but not practiced at all so the cooking of some meat was entirely experimental. However, it came out ok in the end.

Said meat was accompanied by spuds, peas, lettuce and tomatoes from the garden.  Hardly a feast of Christmas proportions but a satisfying meal on more than one level.

There were lots of phone calls to and from England and videos of grandchildren opening or modelling presents.

Although a hot day here,  the weather was tempered by a strong (hot, dry) nor'west wind.  It developed into heavy rain overnight - a welcome dousing for the garden - and another hot, sunny but blustery no'wester afternoon today.

Pumpkins (winter squash) are developing.

Tomatillos are springing to action at last.

Corn, while not as "high as an elephant's eye" is sprouting a few cobs, promising some kind of harvest in a few weeks.

Nasturtiums are colourful (and tasty in salads)

Bumblebees fight over access to their bounty.   Here is just one revelling in the delights of a flower all to itself...

With summer school holidays on Scully is dividing her time according to her own rules. Her younger human sister came to fetch her before Christmas lunch and delivered to me 4 tomato plants. I sent her home with dog and a bag of new spuds that she helped me extract from the deep straw bed they grew in. It seemed a fair exchange - the dog returned several times that day to check on our welfare, play ball, get the bone out of the roasted lamb, and escape from the staffy (dog) that was visiting her humans.

It's relaxed and lazy around here in this part of the season.