Late July

The remaining Leeks have now been planted out (see above).


The Peas finally came to an end, so I pulled up the plants and all the weeds, gave it a quick dig and then sowed more Peas (Kelvedon Wonder) in the hope of a late crop.


There are a few pumpkins developing, the one above is the biggest so far.


The potato plants have all completely died off now, presumably aided by blight. But thankfully the potatoes themselves don't seem too badly affected. I started digging them up (see first bag full above) and they are quite good. The usual holes from worm/slug/bug damage but otherwise very satisfying.


This is the first Cauliflower I've ever grown! Unfortunately only a couple have actually survived, but I'm really pleased with this one.


The Cabbages are doing very well too. The Savoy Cabbages (above right) seem to be doing best of all, they're a really good size and plenty of them. The Red Cabbages (above left) are also doing well.


There are only a few heads of Broccoli so far, but they're doing very well. So all in all, not a bad crop of brasicas. Still picking loads of Runner Beans and French Beans as well.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Celery, Leeks

The weekend before last I planted out the Purple Sprouting Broccoli plants that I had sowed in newspaper pots at the beginning of June. I've built a frame with netting over them to protect them from birds (see above).


I sowed Celery (Granada) at home at the end of March and it looked incredibly feeble and pathetic for months, but finally it has grown strong enough to plant out (see above).


The Leeks are now just about thick enough to plant out from their sown positions (see above). So I did the usual method of making a hole (with the rake handle) and dropping them in, filling the hole with water to settle the roots in. So far I've only done a few rows (see below), with plenty more still to plant out.


The squash plants (see below) are really taking off now and starting to cover the ground nicely. It's already getting hard to see individual plants, which is where the canes (topped with bottles) come in useful to identify where the roots of each plant are when I need to water (if we ever get a dry enough spell!).


The fruits on the squash plants are all starting to emerge now too. The first pumpkin is now visible...


...and here is the first Uchiki Kuri squash...


The Sweetcorn and Runner Beans are looking really good too.


Currently picking: French Beans, Runner Beans (just started), Courgettes, Peas, Beetroot, Salads, Raspberrys & Strawberrys (almost finished)