Fruit

We've had a nice selection of fruit recently: peaches from the polytunnel - absolutely delicious (alas now sold out); grapes, also from the tunnel, still going strong and getting even sweeter; and some apples from the orchard.

Devonshire Quarrenden and Scilly Pearl

The first early eaters are Devonshire Quarrenden (red) and Scilly Pearl (green/yellow). Both are sweet, juicy and tasty but, as with most earlies, they don't keep for long. 

Scilly Pearl is a particularly special variety, thought to be the only one bred on Scilly. It has declined in numbers over the years, but we're doing our bit to bring it back. They're definitely worth having and a real pleasure to eat.

Just to complete the strange season, we've noticed several parasol mushrooms coming up recently, thanks to the wet August.

August, the transition month

Predictably, as school holidays are upon us, August has been very changeable and at times pretty wet. More rain is forecast tomorrow! This is generally quite good for veg growing, but not so much for tourism, or for that matter fruit production.

Salad still growing well

Onions - yes they were planted very late! But looking nice

The blackberries are noticeably late this year, probably a good two weeks, because we've really had very little sun for the past two to three weeks. In fact the last warm, dry and sunny spell was about six weeks ago, after which low pressures have been in charge and driven cooler and wetter weather. Perhaps we're in for a fine autumn?

The wonderful Devonshire Quarrenden, our earliest apple

The orchard is looking good, the fruit just needing a bit more sun to ripen up

Despite the unusual timings of this season, there's no disguising that August marks the transition from summer to autumn. Fruits start to ripen, leafy growth slows down, flowers turn to seed, the light softens and the air clears.  The starlings start their autumnal chattering and swallows start to sit on wires, perhaps resting before their long journey south. It's one of my favourite times of the season.

Strawberries planted in May, growing like stink. Should be a good crop next summer!

The last of the evening primrose flowers

Squash coming on well, a winter favourite

Autumn calabrese getting away nicely

Cucumbers in full production

Grapes in the tunnel, a real favourite

Cherry tomato

On the farm there starts to be the biggest diversity of crops that you get in the whole year, and really is a pleasure to harvest...and of course eat!

Peaches growing in the polytunnel - delicious!