Harvested Cabbage from 2012

I've just been looking through my blog which I must say I have neglected over the last few months, due to my move and I've come across a few blogs I'd started, this being one.

Last year I grew my first ever batch of Cabbage and I'm happy to say that they turned out very well. I was a little reluctant as I did loose quiet a few in the first few months, but during the summer they came on leaps and bounds and I got four great heads of Cabbage to show for it.

These have since been chopped up, blanched and put in the freezer for when I need them. So far I've made Cabbage and leftover vegetable soup with one batch.

                                                        Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: 2012

                                                        Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: 2012

 

                                                       Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: 2012

The Little Balcony 2013

As you all may know, late last year, around October time, The Little Balcony was dismantled and taken apart, due to our recent move and since then, and luckily for me, there wasn't really much I could do anyway in the way of gardening, as winter was also setting in for the year.

The new year has now come around and normally around this time of the year I'd start prepping for this year growing session, which I really enjoy doing, I can't normally wait to get all the seeds out and starting planning where I should grow things, but due to my lack of garden or balcony, I'm unable to do this and I'm feeling a little lost.

There is a new move on the horizon and hopefully this will mean a new garden, yes an actual garden, which I can't wait to start digging up and growing fruit and vegetables in. Look out for the updates.

New Home for The Little Balcony

Sadly last weekend The Little Balcony was packed up and taken to a new location. Our current London flat was sold, which we had been planning for a whole and in a very mad last minute rush, due to a last minute change, we moved to a new rented London flat, which unfortunately does not have a garden or a balcony, as I had hoped.

During the move, I had to get rid of all the vegetable plants, which included the last of the Tomatoes, Chilies and Courgettes; luckily it was coming to the end of the session so these were ready to be thrown away. Otherwise along with the Herbs, the Brussels Sprout plant, which is still growing away and the Strawberry plants, these were all taken to my mum’s house up north in Chester, which will be their new home.

I am a little sad about this, as I won't be able to plant anything new next year, but it will give me time to start on the cook book, which I've been trying to get off the ground for the last couple of years. Hopefully we will be moving somewhere new in about six months and a garden/balcony is high on my list.

Having said that I did manage to keep a few plants, which hopefully will survive indoors on the kitchen windowsill, I have a Lavender plant, the Vietnamese Coriander plant, a Parsley plant and two Chili plants, which are still flowering and then all the other house plants.

New Herb for Me: Vietnamese Coriander

The last couple of times I've been to my local garden centre, which I only discovered last year, they didn't seem to have a large variety of plants, but this might have been due to the summer season ending.

A couple of weekends ago I headed down there to find a great variety of flower plants, vegetables, trees including fruit and a large section full of herbs, some of which I never thought I'd see there, including the Vietnamese Coriander plant which I picked up for £1.49.

I've done a little research on this, and I found that some other buyers have struggled to look after this plant as it is meant for a much hotter climate, so it is best to bring this in doors once the cooler weather comes in, so I'm looking forward to seeing if I manage to keep this alive. It also needs a lot of water, as I found out over the last hot weekend.

                                                                    Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: 21 August 2012

Even More Courgettes

We had lovely weather over the past weekend, very warm and humid but great for all the vegetables which seem to blossom and enjoy the splash of heat that's finally arrived. I had a little nosey around the vegetables to see how everything was doing and I notices one long Courgette as least 6cm in size and then another four just starting to form behind this.

I'm really really excited as last year it was very disappointing, due to only getting one Courgette from four plants, so I'm overjoyed that this one plant has so many Courgettes on, they obviously love there new place on the Balcony.
 

                                                        Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: August 2012

                                                                     Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: August