Blimey, where's the time gone.

Sorry, long time, no update. Not been neglecting the plot, just never seemed to have the time to update the blog, plus we've actually managed to pull some time away in.

I'll do a very quick update and let the pictures tell their own stories. Not included with them yet are the butternut squash whch have grown amazingly. Harvested 24 so far and there's going to be at least 50!

Anyway, this is what I did manage to snap:

Still ticking over

Few days since an update, but in between all the rain we've been nipping down to get the harvest in.

Couple of mandatory piccies to break up the boring text - the spud plants are from the wizzened sets a couple of weeks back.

Note to self

This is for my reference really.

Yesterday potted on 52 "Winter Pilgrim" caulis & sowed 60 "Durham Early" sprinf cabbage in modules.

Planted out a further 72 lettuce, pricked out same number & sowed more seed.

Spuds - In with the old, out with the new!

Found some old & wrinkly spuds in the shed, left over from the spring planting. Stuck them in to see how they go as everyone seems to be going mad on new spuds for Christmas. No way am I paying the catalogue prices, not lost anything if these don't grow.

Tried the Kestrel spuds, look like my best crop ever. The two shown weigh 2lb 7 ozs between them. Not one slug hole in the lot. (Must be those blue things I buried with the horse poo!).

I'm still here!

Not forgotten to update things, but it's been mainly harvesting when it's not raining!

Just the odd cauli left of the first batch, peas about done, just left next year's seed on the plants, runner beans starting to come. Carrots excellent, not a trace of fly using the Enviromesh.

The onion sets are the best I've ever grown and they're still growing, (Centurion), definitely on my hit list for next year. The plants were rubbish, they've flopped over & I've dug them up, hardly any from 3 rows. Still it's an ill wind - got some early pickles - one jar shown!

Just reporting in

Things ticking along now, mostly harvesting with a little maintenance. First lot of caulis nearly all in now,(a lot in the freezer this week)& peas still coming nicely.

Stacks of stuff to coffee morning again, this year we have spring onions to spare for the first time & the first courgettes made it down. No jam this week - but the excess veg raised over £36 on it's own.

The "Champion Of England" peas may have reached peak height & the pods are now coming. (See piccies).

More caulis!

Today's lot, destined for my freezer!

The produce taken to coffee morning raised over £77! Had that been for my back pocket, it would have paid the year's rent on the two big plots!

Cleared & frozen the 3 rows of KW peas, got a small sample of the "Parsley" heritage pea to try today, but think may leave the best part for seed. The 3 rows of "Stokesley" are filling out well.

The winter caulis sown on the 1st, started to emerge 2 days ago - that's just 3 days outside to come up!

It's (nearly) all gone out, now it's coming in

Church coffee morning time tomorrow, so I'm parting with some caulis, lettuce, spuds, (PJ's), beetroot, gooseberries & a few other odds & sods. Did I mention 25 pots of homemade jam?

Here's some of it.

Last of the major planting

For now at least.

A bit behind the others, but they should catch up, 49 sweetcorn plants, (just handy for a 7x7 block). A bit late as they are replacements for those the cats "totalled" in the greenhouse.

Just a few odds & sods of herbs to plant out & successive lettuce as and when they are ready.

Another 6 "Clapton" caulis harvested & another 4 well formed ones on the way.

Winter Draws On

First day of July, hottest day of the year & what have I just done - sown the winter caulilflowers! Variety "Winter Pilgrim" have done well for the last few years. Growing when they do, they avoid the worst of the club root.

Finally got the white & purple sprouters out, pricked out 72 lettuce & sowed the next lot.

Another hot day forecast tomorrow, then cooler thereon in.

At Last - A Summer Cauliflower

Been away for a few days & on return have found that the "Clapton" (club root resistant) caulis are producing.

Never managed a summer one of any size before, but the club root does not seem to have bothered these. This is the first off the production line and many to follow, (I hope!).



Picking rasberries & strawberries like crazy!

Jam anyone?

Father's Day Present

Got up early to do a bit of hoeing & thought I'd have a tug of the carrots.

Just to prove I've not been idle!

Just a few piccies of the plot that I hope are self explanatory. The photo of the 6 strawberries is the variety called "Irresistible" from Thompson & Morgan. I have to say that the write up is spot on!

Compare the spuds (third from bottom), to how they looked 3 weeks ago!

Meanwhile...........

Still planting away, 175 leeks today, great dibbing soil. Nice & soft & sides of the hole didn't fall in before you could throw the leek in.

May take some more piccies, but it still a load of netting!

Dug up the first spuds yesterday - the Swift. Couldn't wait any longer. Went well with the spring cabbage and home made mint sauce.

Think we had lamb with the veg!

Still Planting

No I've not given up, more brassicas & beans gone in and more beans due shortly.

Should have over 250 bean plants in when we've done, and they haven't cost me a bean as they're all saved seed.

Pointless taking updated piccies at the moment, just more netting and more canes with small green plants at the bottom.

Planning to get the first block of sweetcorn (Swift F1) in tomorrow.

Talking about Swifts, had a furtle under the soil of my Swift spuds, looks like they are about ready to start lifting. Will finish off the spuds we have & then try them mext week.

Treading Water

Metaphorically speaking - on the plot at least.

Just maintenance & watering for the past few days, keeping it ship-shape, then next week I hope to start another phase of planting with more brassicas, beans & sweetcorn to go in.

Have planted out 34 tomatoes in the home garden where I can keep a close eye on them & hopfully they will not be exposed as badly to the dreaded blight if that rears it's ugly head again this year.

The Plot Update

From the top......

The recovering peas

Told you there was a lot of netting

Look close, you can just see the lettuce

The caulis under the netting

Caulis & Gooseberries

The onion patch with guest beetroot.

The new pumpkin, marrow & courgette patch, (squash to come)

Enviromesh & carrots with 32' raspberry 'hedge'

Part planted bean fence No.1

Maincrop spuds & blackcurrant

Early spuds

The Photos