The year is well and truly coming to a galloping close. I have been talking to customers on the phone who usually ring us at this time of the year to order their Christmas gifts. We both usually comment on how fast the year has flown. I feel like I have spoken to them only the other week but it is true that a year has passed between conversations.

Garlic Harvest

OK, so this happened at the end of last month but I had forgot to mention it. Which I found hard to believe as I was so proud of my first little garlic harvest. One of the joys of growing my own veggies is that moment of harvest. I always get this sense of awe that my little patch of earth has provided me with edible treats. Especially appreciative when I may have not provided the best TLC for that crop. 🙂

I had grown my garlic in a pot using 5 Steps for Growing Gorgeous Garlic as a guide. Once I had planted my garlic (I did water it a few times after that) I forgot about it. One day while harvesting the last of the carrots and beetroot, I looked at that garlic – the stems had whithered by this stage, and thought I may have garlic ready now. As I pulled up each bulb that happiness just increased. Yay for my first garlic harvest!

Some of the stems broke at the base of the bulb as I was pulling them up, which meant I had some bulbs under the soil. As careful as I tried to be when using a hand fork (a trowel may have been a better idea!) I did spear a few bulbs. But they didn’t go into the compost, I washed them and used them over the next week in my cooking. The rest I hung up.

Baby Basil

I have this jar of basil seeds. I collected these last autumn when my basil was going to seed. I usually let basil pop up in my veggie patch wherever it wants, which happens when I let basil plants got to seed. Because of this, I have had no need to actually sow these seeds. This month, I looked at an empty box that recently held beetroot and thought I will sow those basil seeds in this box.

Basil germinates and grows quickly. I knew that I would get a harvest in next to no time. When my daughter (who loves basil) asks me ‘Do we have any basil in the garden’ I just direct her to the box!  Easy for her to find now, usually she asks me to have a ‘mum look’ when I tell there is basil somewhere in the garden.

Lemon Balm Making a Comeback

I tidied one of the no dig garden beds. What this meant was that the lemon balm plant that had been hidden by all the other plants around it, had a chance to grow. And grow strongly it did. I noticed a few small leaves making an appearance shortly after I cleared this bed. Next thing, I knew there were leaves everywhere.

Lemon Balm is a hardy plant that can take over if you let it. I will be pruning this plant often now that it has ideal growing conditions and is obviously happy with them!

Last of the Kale

As the weather is getting warmer, my kale is starting to grow straggly. The kale below is in a spot that gets more shade than sun. It has continued to grow where as the kale in another sunnier part of my patch, started to die back. I am enjoying having this last patch of kale and using it in the kitchen. Frying it with garlic (which is how I used some of my recent garlic harvest) and adding to wild rice has been a yummy way to enjoy eating it as well as the usual kale chips I make.

That’s all for now. For more regular updates, don’t forget to Like our Facebook  page.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR NOVEMBER HAPPENINGS IN YOUR VEGGIE PATCH? WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW! PLEASE LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

Wanting to make more than tea with lemon balm? Then check out this article, 12 Things to Do with Lemon Balm.