Here comes the rain again

Not much going on with all the wet weather, but Saturday's respite allowed the late redcurrants, gooseberries and the remaining jersey potatoes to be cropped before slugs, wireworms, etc cause too much damage. Couple of the Charlotte's had gone yellow and wilted, but didn't have time to dig up so hopefully nothing that will spread too quick.

Carrots have been decimated - carrot root fly the most likely culprit, as we didn't put nets up around them this year.

Early peas deliciously ready with 2nd batch not far off. Yesterday's haul also included lettuce, cabbage and caulis.

Blueberries just starting to ripen, so will have to get nets over next visit before the birds spot them.


Last week, in between heavy showers, managed to get all the blackcurrants picked, exactly 5 pounds (after a pound or so were bartered away in the pub!) - washed and frozen pending next jam making session.

Speaking of the weather, I was highly sceptical in Spring - (primarily because the general conditions were the same as the previous couple of years suggesting a similar North Atlantic Oscillation situation, but also because of the exceptional sunspot shortage) - when the Met Office predicted a much hotter drier summer this year and sadly it has turned out much worse than last year, and almost as bad as the year before.

Today, I am mainly eating Red

Quick visit to crop the early and middle redcurrants - with late bush fruits just starting to turn redish now. Net had blown off so birds got a bonus feed and estimate they had at least half from first two bushes.
Also got the first courgette of the year, a handful of strawberries and raspberries and another cauliflower.

One of the sprouts has a lot of grey fluffy bugs and is a bit eaten, doubt it will recover?
Nipped a couple of green catapillars off a cabbage along with a few sporadic eggs, so may have to start checking all brassica leaves again.

Feeling Fruity

Carrying on the 'where it's at' theme - the fruit zone...

- gooseberries (green and red) are nearly ready to pick
- blackcurrants are turning blacker but still sour!
- rhubarb now finished picking and leaves starting to die back
- redcurrants: early bush very sweet and ready and middle bush ready to pick, late bush still green. Two cuttings (from Mum's last year?) growing ok.
- blueberries are still greenish but looks a bumper crop on 3 out of 4 main bushes. 3 small cuttings still alive but growing slowly.
- 2 cherry trees (one tree had 3 cherries, but I knocked them off - oops)
- 4 pear trees
- strawberry patch fruiting well

The polly house... suffered badly in the strong winds of May and after just one month the zip split down one side of the door. At least with a crack in the door it's keeping the temp down, but even so have twice hit a max of 55'C (131'F) at the top shelf level (4feet). There seems to be a rather basic design fault in having no vent at the top. (Dragons' Den here I come!)

- 1 cucumber - growing poorly and the other died, no sign of flowers or fruit
- Courgettes - after weeks of male only flowers the females finally joined the party but even with a bit of help they are just not pollinating as well as last year. Some fruit swelling at least.
- Chili peppers - originally grown last year at home but never flowered so still alive!

Catching Up

June was a warm month and everything has been growing well so now seems an appropriate time to review where everything is at.

Bed A1 (Alliums)
- 2 salsify (2008) grown on for seed - has beautiful seed heads (hundreds collected already)
- Parsley (2008) also grown on - still edible if a little tougher
- 6 clumps of red spring onions
- Leeks, still very small so it may be baby leeks for Christmas dinner.
Bed A2
- Around 60 Stutgarter white onions
- 2 surviving garlic (2008)
- patch of sunflowers (giant russian)
- side row of Little Gem Lettuce

Bed B1 (Legumes)
- Broad Beans (had first early crop for tea last night)
- patch of sunflowers (giant russian)
- row of leeks (2008) - bit tough to eat but fine for flavouring stocks and hopefully will flower for seed
Bed B2
- Peas
- Dwarf French Beans
- Sweet peas for a splash of late colour and food for bees

Bed C1 (Brassicas)
- Khol Rabi - now swelling fast, still no idea what they taste like or what to do with them! Originally intercropped with oriental mustards for salads but now all eaten.
- Swedes (originally intercropped with radish, now eaten)
- Turnips (originally intercropped with radish, now eaten)
- Summer/Autumn Cabbage (with 1 last spring cabbage remaining)
Bed C2
- Brussel Sprouts (intercropped with summer cabbage)
- Red Cabbage (intercropped as above, and 1 savoy)
- Cauliflowers (eaten half so far, and intercropped with radish)
Bed F1
- radish
- oriental mustards
- little gem lettuce
these will all be eaten over the summer to leave just:
- broccoli
- kale nero

Bed D1 (Roots)
- Carrots
- Beetroot
Bed D2
- Charlotte 2nd early potatoes (first taste laste week!)
Bed E1
- Jersey Royal 1st early (about half plants eaten so far and absolutely delicious)

Bed E2

Sweetcorn (growing strongly, but not quite so good as last year as July has been so much cooler)
- a border of dwarf sunflowers on 3 sides
- side row of Little Gem lettuce (under a cloche to keep tender)