Harvest Home

In the greenhouse are the tomatoes which started off as tiny seedlings back in April and planted out in May. I'm a bit disappointed with them as the quantity and quality are not as good as I hoped. Not every flower has set, the skins are thick and tend to split and they don't taste as good as home grown tomatoes should.

I'm not sure why any of this is; they have been regularly watered and fed. Perhaps there is not enough light in the greenhouse? Perhaps also I should have sprayed the flowers to help the fruit set. They're better than last year, but not as good as I'd hoped.

The garlic and the shallots, drying on the shelves, on the other hand are very satisfactory. Shallots particularly so and should last us all year, as should the garlic.

Best of all has been the cucumber which has produced some of the best fruit we've ever had, the last 2 were well over 12" long and great tasting.

So, each year you win some and you lose some, which is part of the fascination and frustration of growing your own vegetables, gardening generally and a metaphor for life.