The allotment is full of lush growth with all the rain we have been having, but it doesn't suit all the plants!
The purple Vitelotte potatoes don't seem to mind it! They are in flower, but are supposed to be maincrops so I don't expect them to be ready yet. They were planted after the others, on March 26, so they currently have 87 days in the ground to their credit. I am guessing for an August harvest.
We are already eating the earlies, but the maincrops are the tallest I have ever seen! There are Claustar variety and a few Pink Fir Apples.
I picked these earlies, these ware from about 3 or 4 plants (Belle de Fontenay):
Behind them you can see the raspberries - next year they really need to be drastically thinned as they are complete thugs.
The runner beans are doing very well, and you can see the peas behind them here. Last night I teased some out of the peas, they were getting too friendly! And wound them up their own willow teepees.
There aren't tons of them but I think they will give us plenty of beans.
The AllYear Round caulis seem happy. It's the first time I have succeeded in getting caulis this far....
Near them is the seedbed: it contains the winter cabbages, PSB, brussel sprouts and swiss chard that will be planted in the potato bed over the next couple of weeks. (oops don't know why it is rotated - can't get it right!)
The tomatoes suprisingly like this weather but let's hope there is no blight later on - some are already flowering well. I planted around them a few French marigolds (tagetes) that had self seeded in the onion bed. I couldn't get any to grow from seed myself of course!!:
The squash is slow but hanging on. They were planted in the old compost bin, so they should have the richest possible position! There are a pattypan squash, 2 butternuts and 2 other courgettes. You can see at the front a strange yellow plant. I am told this is one of my Soleil yellow courgettes! Drat the picture is once again not rotated properly!
The first artichokes: ready soon:
This is the state of play in June 2012. Now send some sun please!
# posted by antipodesgirl @ 12:52 PM
