December review of 2011

It's been a funny year in the garden and on the allotment.  Some things have done really well and others not at all well.

For example, the potatoes really suffered with the lack of rain in the summer.  They set lots of tubers but there wasn't enough water to fill them out, so we got lots of small potatoes. We are nearly out - which is most unusual for us. We usually get enough to keep us going through to March or so.  We are out of garlic. The garlic this year was awful - yet the onions did quite well. They also didn't get enough water to get really big, but we have loads of onions still in the freezer.  The runner beans suffered from us being away for a fortnight in August, during which time no one picked them so they set fruit and happily grew lots of beans.  Mostly, of course, you grow runner beans for the pods, which were too tough when we got back.  Still - the beans themselves are very tasty.

The sweet corn, peas and broad beans did very well. So did the asparagus if you count the plants that have been in for some time.  The crowns we planted in the spring appear to have completely vanished.  Not one has produced a spear!  The tomatoes in the greenhouse were amazing, the zucchinis not too bad, the pumpkins OK, but would clearly have benefited from more water and more heat.

If we think about the fruit we also had a very mixed year.  Somethings did really well (currants of all hues, gooseberries, plums, bramley apples) others not so well (raspberries, cherries, other apples) and there was no real accounting for why.

The weather was odd.  Cool and extremely dry in the summer. And now it's a mostly mild winter, although we have finally had some proper rain.  But the little cabbages, the winter broccoli and the brussels sprouts are clearly thoroughly enjoying the mild weather, and the sprouting broccoli plants are positively thriving.  The rainbow chard (silver beet) is still going strong.

And we are beginning to look towards the next growing season. The garlic and white onions are overwintering happily. The red onion set didn't ever come up. If they don't emerge in the spring then we will replace them.  But in any case we'll plant spring sets as well. You can't have too many onions in my view! And we must get some more asparagus crowns and hope that this time they do settle in and thrive.

Click on the photo to reach the winter solstice album