The Dry Salvages

No rain for some time now, so there has been a lot of watering instead.  I really must get a hosepipe.

Some evidence, finally, of the beetroot germinating.  I think I've spotted one carrot seedling, as well, but still probably won't bother with them in the future if they are so fussy.  The potatoes are looking well although not flowering yet.  Still picking lots of broad beans - the sciabiola are now starting to produce tiny pods, so we'll have those to try in a few weeks. 

The salad leaves have got going, and the cavolo nero has really benefited from being thinned; the plants look much more healthy.  French beans are up and being menaced by slugs, so have all been mulched with coffee grounds today.  I think I've spotted a couple more pea seedlings as well.   The Autumn Bliss raspberries  have set some fruit, and I picked a punnet of strawberries this morning.

The apple tree is worrying me slightly - I've been giving it a whole canful of water on every visit, but the leaves are curling up at the edges. No signs of infestation - maybe it just needs a feed. 

Beans and borders

Despite benign neglect - they haven't been watered much, it hasn't rained much and I failed to pinch out the growing tips to prevent blackfly - the Aquadulce Claudia beans have yielded a crop.  They are very tasty indeed.  There seem to be no blackfly this year to speak of, unlike last year when they swarmed over the plants and the ants were farming them.  Some rocket and salad leaves have also come up, I've had a few radishes and thinnings from the cavolo nero plants.

Even though there has been very little rain, the weeds were approaching three feet in places, so a lot of this week has been spent mooching about with the shears.  My vague plan to provide more ground cover plants has failed - none of the common thyme seeds made it - and I think I'll have to buy some more lavender and similar to help crowd out the weeds.  A discussion with a neighbour about the exact boundary between our plots was, I think, a discussion about the frightful state of my allotment, and particularly the boundary edge.  I did put down more weed suppressing fabric and am about to splurge on chipped bark again for the paths, which will help.

Potatoes are all up and doing well, there are a lot of strawberries, and the French beans have germinated.  I got one pea seedling out of a row: the peas are on a newly cleared bit of plot, and I think it needs more compost to get things to grow.  I've ordered some squash plants that can sprawl all over it, but will put a bucket of compost in with each one.  Also had to order courgette plants, as my home-grown seedlings failed.  Birthday presents of marigolds and nasturtiums have all been planted; a lovely, comfrey-like weed, with blue star-shaped flowers, is currently gracing the plot and making the bees happy.

I remembered this year to pick elderflowers for cordial.  Unfortunately all the recipes call for citric acid which is unobtainable in chemists round here - one pharmacist muttered darkly that it is "abused" - so the elderflowers have been sitting on the kitchen table, scenting the house beautifully.  I'll have to order the citric acid online and try again next week.   The elder tree has lots of flowers this year, which hopefully means a good crop of elderberries for jam.