July 2021
At last, the summer weather has joined us, it was such a cold Spring some of the seeds didn’t germinate, I had to do another sowing of carrots, they will be a bit late but they will be a treat when they are eaten.  We still have some large tubs of carrots which we germinated in the polytunnel, they have been a real success.

We have blight on the potatoes so the ones I put in late won’t be very big, all I can say is we won’t be having any jackets, but the first bowl of little ones was delicious

A big success are the cabbages they look good through all the netting I have put over them. Last year I lost them with whitefly so I am very hopeful.

Some of the allotment holders are growing some unusual vegetables some soya beans I will be watching them with interest.

Everyone’s sweet corn looks amazing, just waiting for the cobs to swell up.

Courgettes are coming too, some people have made a sort of spaghetti (cut it very thinly) though I haven’t tried it yet.

Well the strawberries and the weather fooled me. We were having them every day and I have frozen some for jam and for our Christmas trifle of course.

Our newcomers are teaching us some new ideas.  I have never had much success with peas but one of our new arrivals have been growing sugar snap peas well they are very good so several of us are going to have a go next year.

The tomatoes are just turning red, I’m looking forward to tasting them.

The cucumbers have been producing and are tasting very good.

The beans are being picked by everyone, French and Runners they are very tasty.

Onions all look good too.  I have never grown such big ones, so plenty for the winter.

The redcurrants were plentiful again, as were the blackcurrants, and so many jars of jam have been made by us all, lovely in the winter a taste of summer.

The gooseberries are nearly ready for picking. I covered mine this year as I didn’t have one last year it was the pigeons or some four-legged animal ate them all.

Not so many apples this year as the bees were not out in force to pollinate as it was so cold, but it’s good to give the trees a rest.

We are having a sunflower competition among the allotment holders, some of them are very competitive, feeding and shielding their sunflower, the committee will measure them in August, but it is all good fun.

I hope you have all kept well in this “buggy” time and have grown some good produce.    Keep well everyone and enjoy the outside while we have such good weather.

All the best to everyone.

Green Fingers