TINY TUESDAY - GROWN FROM SEED...

...by Mr. HCB’s fair hand!  Mr. HCB was out in the garden again just after 6 o’clock pottering around before it got too hot, and expecting to go out walking with his friend, but had a message to say that said friend had problems with his hip so wouldn’t be going.

Then I was moved up to “Numero Uno” on Mr. HCB’s list and he told me he would take me out for coffee at Jack’s.  We haven’t been out for a while, so it was good to be out together and just to be able to chat about this and that.

We then went into our favourite charity shop, DEBRA, when Mr. HCB astounded me by telling Sarah, the Manager, that he was getting rid of all his UK and Channel Islands First Day Covers and Mint Stamps and asked if she would like them. She was delighted and said she would make enquiries as to how best to sell them so that she could get as much as she could for the charity.  

We then went to do some shopping and stopped several times to chat to an old man - he was actually a year younger than Mr. HCB, but looked a lot older - as we saw him round the different aisles.  He was looking for fenugreek leaves in the spice aisle - to put in with his chicken, which he said he was cooking tonight, but despite us all looking, we couldn’t find any, so he said perhaps he needed to go an Indian shop!  After our second meeting in the next aisle, I gave him one of my little wooden hearts, and it had “Love” written on it.  Tears welled up in his eyes and he told us that it was a year since his wife had died and said he missed her so much - bless him.  I hope that our few words with him helped him today.

When we got home, having asked Mr. HCB for some tips on what I could photograph for TT, he had suggested his peppers or the tomato plants.  However, I rather liked his cucumber plants, which I found in his third greenhouse;  this particular one is called “Burpless” and we are hoping for a good crop from these - grown from seed - so here is one of them.  

According to Mr. Google, “they are are known for their mild, sweet, and less bitter flavour, and are often easier to digest than some other cucumber types. They are often bred to have a lower cucurbitacin content, which is a compound associated with bitterness and digestive discomfort.”  So now you know which kind to buy if you are growing them yourself if you want to skip the digestive discomfort.

Because it is so sunny, there is no respite in our garden, so we are sitting under our carport where it is lovely and cool - I can confirm that no housework or even cooking will be done today - it is far too hot!  

Take care and stay cool.  M xx