Mid July update

Popped to the plot first thing this morning to do some watering and weeding. It was much cooler and fresher than recent days although still perfectly pleasant. I'd not been able to water the greenhouse for a couple of days due to work and home commitments but some very kind allotment colleagues helped me out. This is one of the wonderful things about the allotment community in general - always willing to help. Their kindness will always be returned, as it has in the past, with offers to water when they are on holiday and to provide them with some form of edible present. It would generally be frowned upon to repay such kindness with a courgette at this stage in the season, but a cucumber or a punnet of strawberries is usually well received. It's this kind of camaraderie that builds an allotment community and keeps sites vibrant. I am very lucky.

I thought it might be interesting to provide a few photos - albeit of dubious quality as they are taken on my Blackberry - to demonstrate how things have progressed. It is exactly one month since I uploaded some photos taken on 20th June and it is clear how everything has responded to the warm conditions since then.

My how you've grown - red cabbages. Note typical F1 hybrid uniformity

Many cucumbers (Aurelia F1) - several harvested already

Truss of tomatoes in greenhouse - I think it's 'Sweet Olive' but I have lost the label!

Melon pollinated by hand earlier in the week



Aubergine 'Ophelia F1' in flower

Peppers in flower and San Marzano tomatoes in background

Peppers, tomatoes and aubergines in greenhouse - all have shot up in the past month

Raspberries - one for me, three for the pot, three for next week!

Courgettes and nasturtiums



The squash patch, bean wigwams and Cosmos 'Purity' in flower

I also came home laden with produce. More courgettes than we can reasonably eat, a few Red Duke of York spuds (disappointing yield from two plants), a handful of tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and raspberries. The first runner beans have now set so they should be ready for picking within the next week or so. The plants are actually covered in blackfly and have been for a few weeks but I also noticed hundreds of ladybird larvae working their way through them so I am leaving well alone and nature will restore balance.

Tasks for the weekend include continued picking, a bit more weeding, clearing out around the fruit trees in preparation for their summer pruning and water for the greenhouse crops, celery and celeriac. I think I have a date with the plot on Sunday morning - will keep you updated how I get on.