My Week..............
While over in the west of the country they have had rain and cooler weather, here it was hot and humid nearly all week. I need to get on with some clearing outside but it's been too hot - especially in the greenhouse. Even on Thursday when thunderstorms were forecast and there was a 90% chance of rain for several hours, what we had here wasn't even enough to run off the roof! In Bury St Edmunds which is only about 20 miles away, they had a months worth of rain in a few hours.
Took me half the week to recover from having the nearly 6 year old Eldest Granddaughter to stay overnight last weekend! Lovely to spend time with her, as now she's at school I don't get to visit so often but she has a lot more energy than I have!
I got a good batch of Red Relish made during the week. I labelled it Not-So-Hot relish because when I went to Asda for chilli peppers they only had some of the milder sort and I couldn't be bothered to go anywhere else. I used 4lb of the huge tomatoes, 2 large red pointy peppers, 1lb red onions and 3 small mild chillies + White sugar and 1 pint red wine vinegar. I'm planning another similar sized batch but I'll make sure to get proper hot chillies for that. Also made 3 pastry flan cases for the freezer ready for quiches.
From the garden this week I've been eating the corn cobs - they are just so good. I've got some butternut squash ready to harvest but the are very small - tennis ball size - there are some slightly larger that I hope will ripen before too long. I was hoping for runner beans but no flowers appeared until the plants were 3 foot tall and then not a single flower has set - that's something that's never happened before. Brother-in Law said he's had two meals from his but it looks as if that will be it. Must be the heat I guess.
Then there was the lovely load of library books which made for a good week all in all, until on Friday morning there was no hot water. I took the front cover off the boiler and the low pressure light was flashing - Oh Bother! I could see a drip of water too from somewhere in the bottom corner so left a message with my friendly heating engineer and he called in on his way by and quickly fixed it.
After watching all of the Luther series' on the catch up channel last winter and deciding to replace Kevin Costner with Idris Elba as my new favourite actor (sorry Kevin!) and after getting the weekly email from the cinema in Stowmarket, I'm debating if I should go to watch I.E.'s new film..... 'The Beast' - The story of a lion stalking a "recently widowed ordinary father " and his two teenage daughters who are on a visit to a South African game reserve.............. or maybe not!
Instead, as I've not been to a car boot sale for weeks, that's what I shall be doing this weekend plus there is the regular Flower Festival at Crowfield church, which obviously hasn't been held since 2019. Although I like the flowers I'm really going for the large second-hand book stall they always have!
Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend whatever you have planned.
Back Next Week
Sue
I suspect your bookshelf will be groaning! I like a good second-hand book stall too.
ReplyDeleteI've been very good and passed lots of books onto charity shops recently = empty spaces for new books!
DeleteDitto with my runner beans - they didn't even put out flowers until August and just a single picking so far. I have never put so few plants out - normally I have LOTS, although I am the only one that eats them, but they are just so nice. They do need lots of water, which has been a problem this summer.
ReplyDeleteSorry you didn't get the much-needed rain. We've had a couple of wet nights here so the grey water I put round is just an extra.
Enjoy the car boot sales and the Flower Festival (and the book stalls!)
I've never know a complete failure of Runners. But have plenty of sweetcorn so it's not all bad
DeleteNot having runner beans would be a great catastrophe in my books but I suppose because of the lack of rain. Enjoy your weekend, especially the Flower Festival.
ReplyDeleteIt's a catastrophe for me too but at least I have sweetcorn cobs
DeleteNot a good year for runner beans it seems. I did not sow any (they are usually my main crop) and glad I decided to give the ground a rest - all my neighbours have had problems with it being too cold early on and then too hot when the flowers should have been setting.
ReplyDeleteRelief you were able to get your boiler fixed so quicly.
I was relieved about the boiler too other wise it would have been strip washing with a kettle of hot water!
DeleteWe desperately need rain we are on a hose pipe ban now. I love those church Flower Festivals I haven't been to anything this year with my problematic back and now it is recovering most of the festivals are over!
ReplyDeleteI love the flower arrangements but the second hand book stall and cakes are even better!
DeleteLow numbers of runner beans in Sheffield too - a very good crop of french beans though.
ReplyDeleteThere’s a lovely salad my belgian MIL used to make with cooked cold chopped french beans and chopped raw tomatoes - mixed together with mayonnaise - a delicious blend of tastes.
My French Climbing beans had a very short lifespan this year - try again next year
DeleteSorry you didn't get rain it poured here yesterday. Much needed.
ReplyDeleteCathy
Still no rain and none forecast for the whole week. It's getting worrying
DeleteIt is easy to understand why it is good to have children when you are young, especially after you spend any time watching your grandchildren. I stayed with my six year old granddaughter in her home this past spring for nine days while her parents were away. She was in school during the weekday--which helped, but it certainly does wear one out. Though I shouldn't complain, the other grandmother kept her brothers--two and four year olds. But she's ten years younger than me and I was in a leg brace. Needless to say, we were both delighted when the parents returned. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - 9 days - well done. It was all so easy when I was in my 30s!
DeleteI the part of the US South where I live we often have temperatures in summer as hot as much of England has had this summer, and the high temps can impact the setting of both tomatoes and runner type beans (and probably other crops also). There are probably some varieties under development that can better deal with the high temps, but if the lack of "setting" relates to the hot weather being hard on the insects that normally pollinate, that can be a cause also.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be a common thing nationwide which makes me feel a bit better. I shall hope for more next year
DeleteRunner beans a disaster here in Devon too! We have had a few French beans that grow low to the ground. I put in some lovely fennel and every single one went to seed. Sweetcorn's looking good though!
ReplyDeleteSweetcorn is amazing here this year too- thank goodness . But the runner bean shortage seems to be nationwide
DeleteJust started a book that takes place in Suffolk "The Orphans of Mersea House" by Marty Wingate. Heard of it?
ReplyDeleteI looked it up and it's not the sort of story I read much
DeleteJust finished reading 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. Gosh it was terrific! Did I get that recommendation from you? I know I saw it on some blog I read. Now I might have to hunt down the movie.
ReplyDeleteGood luck at the sales this weekend!
I have read it and she wrote a couple of other books too which are good. The film is on TV here around Christmas every year! It's a good one so hope you can find it
DeleteNo runner beans here either.The first time it has happened and my tomatoes have some lurgy..I am not a happy bunny.
ReplyDeleteBarbarax
Yes I don't remember ever having a complete fail for runners before. Thankfully my tomatoes are really good and sweetcorn delicious
DeleteRunner beans need rain to help them fertilise as well as bees. Ours have just started to arrive following the rains in Dorset.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I could mist them with water although it's probably a bit late
DeleteI grow sweet corn every year and every year I am amazed at how sweet and flavoursome they taste compared to shop or market bought cobs. As I am sure you do, we cook them soon after picking them. Next year I will be amazed again.
ReplyDeleteI've never ever bought a corn cob! Years ago it was tins then frozen but no point buying cobs that are days old and yes I love them anew every year even more because I've missed growing for 2 years
DeleteA long time since I last grew runner beans, but we used to spray them down with the hose each night to help them set flowers - an Old Wives Tale that seemed to work in our hot summers.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend and your book browsing :)
I suppose we never needed to spray them here before this year as there was always enough rain.
DeleteGood morning Sue! It's almost spring here and the days are getting longer and daffodils are out and so are the wattle flowers, so a lot of yellow around.It was a very poor year for tomatoes last season, so although I haven't room for much, my family does, so keeping fingers crossed,waiting for a tomato you can smell.Have a lovely week.
ReplyDeleteHope spring arrives soon for you and the crops flourish this year
DeleteLast year we had no beans at all, this year we are finally getting lots. We have been lucky enough to put 12 bags into the freezer and have 4 meals. Hopefully there will be more.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I'm so disappointed to have no beans - will have to wait for next year
DeleteYou have a good weekend, out and about.
ReplyDeleteThank you - it's been good
DeleteI was hoping the rain I'd heard about would hit all the drought-ridden areas of your beautiful country. I'm sorry it wasn't more. Glad about the library! Happy weekend.
ReplyDeleteSome places have had rain but it missed us.
DeleteYoungsters have lots of energy to burn. Unfortunately, it can't be bottled and distributed. Your relish sounds outstanding. Your garden has produced very well overall. Like you, I had a plumbing leak last week. Luckily it was isolated to the mechanical room. All is well now. No rain today and a little bit cooler. Still hot in the sun.
ReplyDeleteMy granddaughter never sits still! wears me out watching her
DeleteI'm glad you managed to get the boiler sorted out so quickly and easily, we are all going to need good reliable boilers this Winter.
ReplyDeleteWe have had some good amounts of rain and a little cooler weather this last week so the plants are breathing a sigh of relief, and my tomatoes are finally starting to ripen after I stripped off all but a few leaves so that the sun can get to them.
I watched the weather forecasts with the patches of rain going up the west coast of the country - glad you got some
ReplyDeleteWe have had no rain either. I have enough books to read that I am not going to buy any more til I get them all read. Thankfully we have air conditioning in our house and cars. Keeps us cooler. I need to get some things taken care of outdoors as well but being hot isn't the best time to do it. Air didn't smell the best when I water this evening near sunset. Clouds were pink then which is lovely. Have a good week!
ReplyDelete