The FastDay Forum

[wildmissus]

Look everybody, look. I feel like an excited child but I've never grown cucumbers and they are outside in the Highlands of Scotland. They are a variety call Mini Munch which can be picked from 3". So now a quarter of one on those cucumbers is my tummy. And very nice is was too....I'll definitely do these again next year.

There are also my patio cherry tomatoes. I can't wait to try them but I'll need to wait a while yet.

Well chuffed with both of these.

Well done @Wildmissus on your success with your cues and toms.
Mine are coming along just fine too, however, I have discovered that of the two cucumber plants I brought, only one is a cucumber. The other it appears is a courgette plant. They both looked the same to me when I brought them, same pot, same leaves, same little plastic sign saying yummy baby cucumber plants!! Good job the Min family like courgettes.
Sadly I talk to my tomatoes everyday, encouraging them to ripen...one has actually listened to me and is getting more orange by the day. Don't ask me what variety it is, my brother gave it to me and said "try not to kill it" well I haven't and I have a tomato! Yay me

@wildmissus,

Your cuke and tomatoes look wonderful!

Wish I could say the same for my two bargain tomato plants. They had tomatoes on them when I bought them, and I put them in pots placed on one of the sunniest spots on my very shady property, but they don't look a lot bigger than they were when I bought them several weeks ago.

@minsmum,

An honest mistake. courgettes (zucchini in these parts) look exactly like cukes. We are paying $1.74/pound for the organic ones now (pretty close to £1), and the plants bear like mad, so think of it as a successful investment!

Beautiful cucumbers, [@wildmissus Such satisfying plants. Is this climate change? You can grow cucumbers outside where you couldn't before?

[carorees]

Our cucumbers are woeful this year but the courgettes have suddenly gone mad! I've secreted courgette in home-made burgers, had BBQ'ed courgette, sauteed courgette, courgette batons with dip, courgette in salad and courgette in stir fry, and, of course, courgette spaghetti! Now what?

Picked enough runner beans last night for DS to have with his meal while OH and I had mange tout. Looks like the runners will really get going while we are away on holiday . Plums may also ripen while we are away .

Tomatoes are ripening and a lovely bright red, but their skins are rather tough...is that the variety or the weather?

Lunch today was veggies with hummus. The tomatoes, cukes and zukes (courgettes) were from my garden! They were just WONDERFUL!

@carorees tomatoes are ripe when they come off the vine fairly easily - just a little tug. Generally homegrown toms have thinner skins, but they can vary. I found this site that says type of tomato, weather, and watering can affect thickness of the skin:

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/ ... -skins.htm

Will I ever finish the rose pruning/cutting back? Filled the green recycling bin again yesterday. I may have to cheat and put some rose prunings in the regular bin. Shh, don't tell anyone!

I have had to leave cucumbers and tomatoes ripening in the greenhouse while I am in Germany. My son was responsible for watering and I only discovered today that he hasn't been home since last Friday. What chance that they and all my pots and tubs will survive?

[carieoates]

Picked my first ever cues today, taste so sweet like melon almost. Plus have little purple flowers on my aubergines. I hope my lovely neighbour looks after everything whilst we away next week. Everything is outside the greenhouse now except the cues and courgettes. ! She will I'm sure. Especially as she will need to give our lone chook a daily cuddle to keep her happy,

After much help from Carorees and Carieoates I should now be able to show of my beautiful Japanese maples and weeping apricots that arrived today. Here goes

Exciting!

I'm familiar with the weeping cherries, but not the weeping apricots. Do they bear fruit or are they just ornamental?

@peebles the apricots do bear fruit but it's just ornamental. We found them by accident when looking at the maples and thought they were just beautiful.
@Sallyo my broad beans now have lots of little beans so I'm glad I stopped hubby from pulling them out.

@wineoclock. That's wonderful. Now they will really start to grow and you will be eating broad beans by September. Lucky you. I will probably have to wait until November. I am so blown away by the photo of you on Facebook. I had no idea you were so gorgeous. It's funny, I feel a bit shy now I know that.

@Sallyo thank you, now I feel shy!! Well it is amazing what a bit of spakfilla, big sunglasses and good lighting can do

Another excited child here ........... seems to be a few of us growing veggies for the first time. I chose miniature everything as I thought it would be more manageable. Two cucumbers so far. Lovely round mini yellow courgettes - (very cute) I have four plants on the go - they just keep producing as does the little green pepper plant. The cherry tomatoes are starting to ripen and last night we had yummy fennel with fish. @carieoates my aubergine plants are also in flower - did you find the tiny thorns - ouch I did! The slugs ate my beans, coriander and parsley Sunflowers are huge and starting to flower. I'm especially proud of the purple climbing petunias - grown from seed - a stunning display. I've yet to work out how to post photos but when I have time I will.