New Talent

I do not care what Delia, Ainsley, or Gordon say, I make the BEST Rhubarb and Apple crumble in the world!

I know, I know....it's hardly a challenge throwing together sugar, flour, and margarine on top of fruit but it's the way you use the cinnamon that makes it sooooo tasty!

YUM!

Summer is utterly crap!

This has got to be the worst summer on record. Rain, wind and now thunderstorms!!
It's JULY Folks! HE-LLOOOOOO - Sunshine anyone? I seem to recall a heatwave around this time last year but this year - well, looks like summer has buggered off!
Utter rubbish

...and I'm on holiday next week! Ughh!

Sorry...rant over!
I'm using the BBC forecast as MetCheck seems to to have misplaced the icon for bloody scary thunderstorms - it just shows rain as the main forecast. :(

Allotment Views

I just couldn't look at the compost bin anymore so I spent the best part of 4 hours on Sunday clearing the bind weed from around the compost bin and weeding some of the beds. It was a dirty job but my God it needed doing!
Looks much better now but I'm going to have to clear some more around the bottom as it's near impossible to reach some areas. (I just know there is a nest of bind weed down there plotting revenge!)
I thought that I would take some more general photos of the plot as most of my pics are close ups and it looks rather nice and green at the moment. :)
NEWSFLASH: We can't get any slug pellets as there are restrictions on buying it in bulk. (Phospahates and Nitrates restriction from recent attempted bombings in the UK) The allotment shop has none in stock until further notice. We are now using bran??!

Tidy compost bin!

Towards the back of the greenhouse

I weeded the sunflowers and courgettes as they were getting approached by mares tail!

Weeded the front beds too as this was just a bit messy. Unfortunately we lost the Kohl Rabi!

Bran?

No, we haven't started making breakfast at the plot but apparently slugs eat bran and it dries them up like a stick so we're giving it a try as there are NO slug pellets at the shop!!

I managed to make a collage of the front of the plot. Must make a panoramic view!

Produce popping up!

It's all looking really, really good at the plot except that we have both neglected the weed situation so everything is growing on top of each other! Bind weed has made a come back and is suffocating the strawberries, fennel and the compost bin. The turnips have been severely nibbled which is very annoying but the fennel is doing really well. Broad beans have been massacred again and we have various squashes growing out the back that will hopefully surprise us when they grow their produce. We have pumpkins, courgettes, marrows, butternuts and Karl's favourite 'pink banana'!
Apparently the carrots are at baby stage if we want tiddly tasty ones but otherwise we can pick later on for big ones! Probably an idea to pick a few now to start thinning them out. Must make mental note to pick carrots in the evening else the carrot fly will smell them!
Onions are brilliant although I'm sure we planted more than I can see. Shallots look very tasty already! Runner beans are shooting up and seem to be clear of blackfly (Hurrah!)

Nibbled Turnips

Probably the last of the rhubarb but what is eating the poisonous leaves? Weevil?

I give up with broad beans... :(

Pumpkin? Butternut? Pink banana? Courgette? Marrow???

Strawberries are running again. Need to keep them off the path this year!

Fluffy carrot tops and marigolds!!

Fat sunflower leaves - these are (hopefully) going to be mighty tall!

Yellow Courgette!! Fabulous looking produce!

French bean

Big onions

Shallots

Sweetcorn

Runner beans running high

Fennel hearts

Fennel Tops

Bind Weed Flowers

Compost bin under attack...