Picture that won't come out in my earlier post

 

Update on the allotment.

 
These two photos show the state of play at the allotment at the moment.
The second photo (starting from the back of the plot) shows the broccoli bed...under the net, flanked by broad beans...planted out two weeks ago and doing well.
Then the leek bed...still producing, although they are beginning to get that hard rib through the middle.
The next bed nearer to us is the one with the autumn planted cabbages. A lot of these are running to seed, and none have hearted up yet.....!
In the foreground is the new brassica bed started two weeks ago. I was a bit miffed to find that some had already been eaten because I forgot to net them. I have now so hope the rest will be safe.
Over against the fence the gooseberry is doing well, as are the Autumn Bliss raspberries and the rhubarb. See the other photo too for these.
 
There is still a lot to do at the plot.....maincrop carrots and beets to sow next week when I have cleared some more ground. And later all the pumpkins and squashes and courgettes will go in the beds at the top of the plot.

State of play in the Kitchen Garden cont

 
I also turned the compost "Daleks" into one another, and whilst it was empty I netted the bottom of the left hand one that I use for peelings etc. I am fed up with the rat interest here so this should stop that.
I must recommend this incinerator to anyone considering buying one. It disposed of a 4 ft pile of branches and twigs in 3/4 hour yesterday....and most of it was green!

State of play in the Polytunnel

 
The new beds I bought for the polytunnel (actually DH bought them as my anniversary present last September...38 years!) are wonderful. They take an awful lot of filling ....! This one is a little over half full, and will have another layer next winter.
The tomato plants are happy here...I fleece them every night at the moment, although I believe we don't need to for the next week as the nighttime temps won't be so bad. I have also planted aubergines and peppers in this bed....with french marigolds to keep away the pesky insects.
You can see that I have part installed a dripper ystem. Must get on with the installation.
 
The staging in the middle holds all the plants for the archways over the garden paths....beans, peas etc. Also all the plants for the other tunnel bed are here....cucumbers, courgettes, babysweetcorn etc. These will soon be planted out. I started the melons indoors this week.
I am thinking of getting gravel for the floor.

State of play n the Kitchen Garden

 
Look at this lovely find! I have been looking at Rhubarb forcing pots online and balking at paying £60 plus carriage (exhorbitant to the Isle of Wight) and when I went to our local Thompson's Garden centre yesterday I was delighted to find they had a special ofer. £29.99. I had to have one.
I also got two rhubarb plants to have here at home. I may be giving up my plot this autumn if I feel that I haven't done it justice this year, so I will need to have more fruit here at home. I have already planted some raspberries in the bed near the fence on the opposite side of the garden, but now I have ensured the rhubarb supply too.
I am assuming that it is possible to force each rhubarb plant on alternate years without exhausting the plant....hence my purchase of two. They are both Victoria.
Around the rhubarb are various salad plantings....making the most of the space before the rhubarb crowds them out.
 
Here you can see my asparagus bed. I have had three nice handfuls so far this season and feel sure there will be many more.
Behind them you can see some of the spuds in bags and pots that I am trying out this year.
 
Here are 4 of my deep beds. At the back you can see the broad beans. Flowering madly, and still no blackfly. These were autumn sown in a bed that ius very shady all winter, so I am grateful that they are as good as they arew. Variety Sutton, so I have not staked them.
The bed in front of that is empty....waiting for the sweetcorn and some french beans.
The bed in front of that is my shallot, garlic oniuon bad also planted up with sets last autumn. I have almost 100% survival in this bed even through the nasty winter we have had. They look very healthy and I keep them weeded.
The first bed has some brassicas and various squares of seeds. Not much coming up yet so I may have to resow.
 
These other deep beds are (from front to back of the photo) srawberries....three varieties, the earliest are already flowering.
The second bed has the last PSB plant and awaits other veg.
The third bed is more onions....Radar and Red Baron (?).
The fourth bed is all spuds...Vales Emerald.
Behind that against the fence are four new raspberry plants, the old vine along the fence, and in the corner are two younegr vines.

This time last year I was laid up with a very bad back. This year I have slowly done the work, taking care not to repeat last year, and have got on top of it early. Now the weather is warming up I should soon start to see the seeds germinating....

A lovely afternoon.

The weather was absolutely perfect for gardening today...and I made the most of it for as long as my back lasted out.

Tesco's had some good raspberry canes for sale yesterday. So I bought 4 of Glen Cova and after soaking them as per the instructions I planted them along the fence in the kitchen garden at home. The aspect is west facing, exactly like my plot raspberries, so I should get a harvest. They are a summer fruiting variety, so no fruit this year....but I can wait.
I have undersown them with Limnanthes Douglassii(?) "Poached Egg Plant".

I also dug up the last of the leeks at home and clared that bed apart from one PSB plant which is still going strong.

In the Sq Ft bed I have plnted out some Calabrese "Mammoth" plants, also some Cabbage "Grand Duchy". Between these I plnted out the modules of beetroot, with calendula seeds, and sowed some more Parmex carrots (the trial ones from Wilkinsons) and scattered some Nigella "Love in a Mist" seeds around them. (Alys Fowler recommends this combination.)

Also sowed nasturtiums, some Cup and Saucer Plant seeds (I have a feeling these should have been in warmth, but the seed packet had no instructions. If they fail to germinate I will try again!)

I also sowed chives along the path, and pot marigold, and sage.