Pumpkins, cucumbers and sunflowers...oh my!

The after work gardener, Wednesday 27 July

I've just got back from 10 wonderful days in Greece, free from all cares and worries - apart from the odd moment of fear that there would have been no rain whilst I was away, and the last three months of love and affection nurturing my vegetable garden would have resulted in a dry and crispy graveyard of dead plants.  Seeing olive trees, bamboos and figs blossoming in the dry heat of the Greek island of Andros - whilst making me worry about my plants at home, also made me fully aware of what a hard time my tiny overshadowed olive tree and wispy bamboo must be having in a damp north facing garden.

Anyway, arriving back at 1am (slightly tipsy from champagne) it was immediately with torch in hand that I inspected my small garden.  I was overjoyed to see that firstly there must have been rain whilst I was away, as everything has gone bonkers, and secondly that my plot seems to have thrived more without my constant attention.  The runner beans are a foot long and the French beans and mange tout have continued to flourish - everything has grown truly gigantic.  The tomato plants that I was worried would not survive have blossomed into a dark green forest with the beginnings of yellow flowers, and the tiny courgette I left behind has transformed itself into something nearing marrow proportions. 

It is my continual joy of vegetable gardening to come home to a seemingly empty larder that within 10 minutes of being in the garden is once again filled with freshly picked food.  Amazing. Yesterday's dinner consisted of 3 types of bean, plus the marrow sized courgette, lightly seasoned with ginger and garlic and served with brown rice - delicious, almost free, and home grown by amateur me. 

Now, the two biggest surprises whilst I've been away - apart from the beautiful sun flowers that have opened and are happily smiling on either side of my gravel path - are the cucumbers and the pumpkins.  I've never grown either before, and am surprised equally by both.

The two scrawny cucumber plants raised from seed which I bravely planted outside (despite saying 'indoors' only) have produced 2 authentic looking cucumbers, with more on the way.  I know it sounds strange, but they actually look like cucumbers just hanging on a plant, that I grew from seed, in my garden.  Absolutely amazing.  Of course I am now worrying about how long I should leave them to grow before I harvest - will they keep getting bigger?  Will they be sour if I pick them too early? Or will the slugs and snails that are taking over my garden devour them if I leave them a day longer?  I think I'm going to brave it, and leave them for another week, or until I can find my Royal Horticultural Society gardening encyclopedia for further advice - whichever way,  I'm looking forward to my next home grown salad - if only a tomato could miraculously blossom and ripen in time.

Then there are the pumpkins.  When I left they were just beginning to flower, with their identical courgette-looking petals.  But now I've got 3 pale orange globes forming petite pumpkins, one behind each flower.  Again, amazing.  What's even more wonderful, is that I didn't believe the gardening books when they said allow 4ft square around each pumpkin plant.  They really do 'own' their space.  The apple tree which is on one edge of the plot (and probably overshadowing it too much) has been taken over, with the pumpkin plant using it as a climbing frame - this may be useful as a means of supporting the pumpkins in the next few weeks.  I have read you should only let it produce 3 fruits to ensure they all grow to a good size, but I might feel a bit mean thinning the others.  I think it all depends if I can find good pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie recipes, and if I'm feeling brave enough to put pumpkin lanterns in my garden for Halloween.  Maybe it will keep (the now friendly) next door cat at bay.

I've only been back a few days, but ten days without me fiddling with the plot seems to have done more good than bad, and coming home to a blossoming vegetable garden of pumpkins and cucumbers has certainly gone a long way in curbing my post holiday blues.