A terrible truth I have to bring out into the open is that never before have I grown my own veg. Never. Not even tomatoes or beans. The only edibles I have harvested before have been various herbs (mint and basil mostly), nasturtiums and strawberries.

So seeing so much red on November’s myFolia Harvest Day meant a lot.

I’ve been in awe of so many journals over the summer and autumn, making light of kilos of fruit and veg worthy of supermarket shelves. You high harvesters are something to aspire to in years to come.

Also, an ode to markets and supermarkets, and introduction, in case you haven’t tried it, to growing the seeds out of your harvests. So far I have had superb results from all citrus fruit, tomatoes, peppers, dragonfruit and one apricot. However, I aim for the best, and won’t be doing that much any more, as I want instead to get the most out of all those hard work farmers and botanists have put in to engineering the most colourful, tasty and resistant varieties.

Next year, however, I will be moving house, so growing very few things. Certainly no annuals. However, at the Horniman Museum Gardens, where I work, part of a large new educational display will be food crops. We are displaying the uses of plants to man, including those for textiles, dyes, spices and medicine. I have seen the proposed labels and there are some very exciting things to come, and I will have both green hands in the dirt growing them all.

Speaking of the Horniman, a while ago those in higher places ordered in thousands of sedums for the carpeting of a green roof on one of the animal houses, however building that edifice has not been completed, so the plants have been kept in their tiny little travel plugs in the polytunnel. I have been keeping them as damp as necessary, however 50% have died. Given my penchant for succulents, I have undertaken the project of growing lots more, regrowing a bulk of sedums so no more have to be ordered. I’ve cut up my burgeoning Sedum anglicums and am hopeful already for 80 plugs from less than an hour’s work.

Also, there’s this journal over on GrowsOnYou that talks about the great time I’ve had pruning shrubs all day every day for a few weeks.

Photos:

1: Tomatoes in November. 1 so far, in a pot in the greenhouse. 2 ouside are a very deep orange now, and will be ready in a few days.
2: A red bell pepper, also from supermarket veg seeds. So eyecatching!
3: 80 Sedum anglicums, and many more to come. Now that Puya beretoniana has more space!
4: At the Horniman, I was delighted to discover a huge Liquidambar styracciflua specimen bringing attention to its giant self with a spectrum from deep blackish purples at the top, through reds, yellows and down to still green closest to the ground, a ground carpeted with its fallen gems.
5: A deliciously dark and damp spell has aroused an eruption of fungal caps., including a stunning ring at the base of that tomato plant in photo 1. Clearly benign!