Strawberries, Tomatoes, Chilli & Peas

 I love love love the taste of home grown strawberries - even the Wexford strawberries for sale at the side of the road have nothing on these - they are taste sensations! I picked all that were ripe last night so there aren't as many in the photos - but there are plenty more coming that will be picked very soon!! Slugs got to a few where I had them in last years bed, but (so far!!) there hasn't been any slug damage to the ones in my raised bed - I am still believing that the loose stones around the raised bed is really helping - along with the beer slug trap that I have installed just beside them!

Close up view

Just have to be a bit more patient!

 

They are all hiding under the dense foliage. The runners have just started, so will be watching these for new free plants for next year!

My first tomato bunch

I have been watching and waiting patiently for my first tomatoes to appear - its lovely to watch as they grow. So far I have a good few flowers and tresses on the different tomato plants. I am feeding them every second day with tomato feed and today I also tried a bit of my nettle feed (as the weather was decent, I had the greenhouse door open - the nettle feed stinks otherwise!).  This is my first time trying the nettle feed on tomatoes, but saw it on another blog and had to give it a go!

The Greenhouse tomatoes

Old Greenhouse tomatoes - growing well

Bush tomato planted outside - not the healthiest but still has a few toms growing!

 

Chilli plant in greenhouse - still very small

 The chilli plant was bought as a small plant this year - I have in the past grown them straight from seed before. So far I have a good few flowers on the plant, but no sign as yet of chillis developing - I may have to pimp my chilli!

My first Mangetout peas!

I was up at a friends at the weekend and discovered his first peas - (a few of them found a pleasant home in my belly!) - was delighted to discover my own first peas. They didn't survive for much longer after this photo was taken!