These prickly beasts were hiding under the equally prickly stems and leaves, so two more jars of pickled gherkins have been added to the 5 in the cupboard plus one jar has already been eaten and another given away. I'm amazed at how well these half-dozen plants have done.
And a mystery Passion Flower. A mass of leaves appeared climbing on the fence and I'm not really sure if it starts from the ground on my side of the fence or if it's climbed over from next door. Everything in the narrow border soil here is hidden by my butterfly proof protection for the Purple Broccoli. The leaves and buds told me it was a Passion Flower and eventually a flower appeared.........beautiful.
This isn't something I've grown anywhere else so know nothing about them although I guess it's not the type - and we don't have the right climate anyway- to have fruit.
There was one growing up a fence post at the smallholding when we moved in but the post (there wasn't a fence to go with the post!) was right where the path needed to be so it was removed soon afterwards.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Next door's passion flower is horribly invasive. The tenant has been away for ages, and his tenancy is up on August 31st. The garden is a wilderness. I'm. Seriously considering popping round and trimming the PF back on his side of the fence. It went wild during our week in Scotland and my rose was being choked by its tendrils on our return
ReplyDeleteOh dear, sounds as if I might be cultivating a problem! I'll work out where it's starting from after the Purple Broccoli has finished in the spring.
DeleteThe passionflower is gorgeous but as Angela says-really invasive. My perennial sweet peas finally have a few blooms but no perfume at all-so disappointing. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI can always attack it with the secateurs if it goes crazy!
DeleteDespite the inclement weather, some things have done really well, haven't they? I'm sure you'll enjoy your gherkins. The passion flower may well have seeded from somewhere else Apparently they are quite prolific.
ReplyDeleteI'll find out where it is in the ground later in the year and cut it back too
DeleteMy mother in law had a purple flowering one, on its own fence, and it produced fruit. We just kept it well trained and it seemed fine.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's the purple ones that have fruit?
DeleteLooking at your gherkins I'm wondering if that's what I'm growing thinking they are cucumbers........they certainly look the same. It was a packet of seeds I bought in Lidl........ ah well, they are ok eaten as cucumbers if peeled :-)
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Gherkins and outdoor cucumbers are very similar, they have different Latin names so there is a slight difference. I think gherkins might be a bit firmer for slicing and pickling
DeleteThe passion flower is beautiful, well done! I remember as a child visiting a elderly friend of my mum’s and there was a stunning purple passion flower growing, and my mother telling me that some people believed that different parts of the flower were symbolic of the last hours of Jesus. Jean in Winnipeg
ReplyDeleteI'll have to investigate and find out why it has that name
DeleteYour 6 plants are producing well. The pickles sound delicious and you will be well stocked. The PF is quite beautiful. That said, invasive plants require restraint. I tend to plant them in a place I can mow around to keep them contained in one place.
ReplyDeleteI've said what I think of gherkins, so no comment on them and I don't know anything about passion flowers, but I was surprised when I discovered that my paternal 2 x great-grandparents have passion flowers on their headstone. I wonder if they liked the plant or if it portrayed their feelings for each other.
ReplyDeleteThe passion flower is lovely. I've never successfully grown one, but love the story associated with it.
ReplyDeleteSuch a pretty blossom. We have a gardener here who overwinters her passion flower and this year the blossom produced a fruit. It surprised us all.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I have never made gherkins but now you have peaked my interest in giving them a try.
God bless.
God bless.