Rain at last

Well, some rain, at any rate.  Last week came with a couple of heavy downpours, no doubt because I was off work.  The effects of this can be seen in newly sprouting asparagus fronds, the squash putting on growth, and several well-grown courgettes.  It was too late to stop the endive bolting, although it probably would have done so by now anyway; it has produced foot-long stems at a variety of angles, each topped with a scabious-like purple flower.  The leaves at the base seem to be edible still, so I'm not worried, and there are patches of endive seedlings in odd corners around the plot.

 Today I sowed spring cabbage in the space vacated by the shallots. I got a good quantity of shallots, even if they were small in size, probably due to lack of water.  The radicchio di Treviso is coming up, although most of the seedlings are looking tired and not putting on much growth.  I think I'll do some oriental vegetables in modules now to supplement the seedlings, just in case they don't make it.

The French beans and mange tout are still producing, although I stripped most of the crop today.  The Pink Fir Apple potatoes are properly ready now; the plant I lifted this morning had a good saucepanful of potatoes on it.  I also lifted the first of the beetroot and picked orach and chard.  The orach is most useful for its magenta colour in my view - the flavour is limited.  But it is a very pretty plant both in the ground and on the plate.

I also gave in and watered the compost heaps with compost starter solution, as I'm not sure they are really breaking down.  I may have to think about getting a third container and turning them in the autumn - not an enticing job, although clearing the wormery at home was not as frightful as I expected; also I now have lovely worm compost to dig into the allotment.  Thanks to a Gardener's World reminder, I cleared the soil around the apple tree.  I wonder if it's OK to mulch it with weed-suppressant fabric and pebbles?  Otherwise I fear I'll be beating back the weeds forever.