abundance: a report from the trenches

The barbecue’s been ignored for the last year of so since the Significant Eater became vegan. However the other day I got the urge.

But there was a bit of an access problem.

Parts of the garden have been abundant this year.

It has been a stellar year for grapes and tomatoes.

The eggplants weren’t so happy and got a nasty case of sunburn, while the strawberries totally gave up the ghost in the heat.

Some herbs thrived. The chives, chilli and Vietnamese mint got hidden under the sprawling tentacles of Tommy Toes. Providing perfect shelter on blistering days. Should I admit now, I barely watered my garden this summer?

Once more the let ‘em spread approach to tomato growing has come up trumps. While still young I stake the plants and that’s it. I let them free range. By not pinching out alternate laterals the greenery provides inbuilt sunshade. Early in summer I threw an old sheet over them on the worst of the hot days. Towards the end of the season I’ve given up.

It’s now late March and I’ve been harvesting tomatoes for a couple of months.

And those grapes, oh the grapes are dandy!