Wednesday August 1^st

Went up to the A. and transplanted a load of lettuces. Each was out of the soil about 5 seconds maximum so hopefully they won't bolt very fast. Watered everything else. Think I finally have a marrow growing - ironically the trailer at the A. rather than the now-massive bush plants in the garden.

Thursday August 2^nd

Rain hello. One nicely full water butt and a soggy garden seat. And no having to go up to water the A, which is as well since I've got a cold and feel terrible.

Friday August 3^rd

More torrential rain. Least I don't have to water the A. again!

Sunday August 5^th

Went up to the A later to see if it was ok, and found the weeds were going mad again. So were the real plants, fortunately. There is a very nice marrow blowing up now. It will be fun to see whether the house one or the allotment one will be ready first. I'm going for allot, as it's got a lot more room and is on the trailer (which is wandering off down the bed). Found that the large apple is indeed a cooker :-) and picked two tubs of very sweet blackberries. Now have four tubs, two wild and two cultivated. Thinned the lettuces a bit, both home and allot, and so now have a decent salad's making. Not to mention a few crumbles!

Tuesday August 7^th

Went straight up to the A. armed with the hoe, and had a good go at the latest weed population. Lots of them sadly, and it's got to the stage where I need to sit down and pull the rest out by hand as they're far too close to the seedling beets and carrots.  Marrow is growing very nicely indeed. Lots on next door's plants but I'm not going to assume that the prior offer to help myself included multiple visits.  Onions definitely headed for the ripe stage now.

Things to do:  Get a cold frame.  Sow spring cabbages.  Net the brassica plot.   Transplant more lettuces into the gaps.   Transplant beetroot.  Dig a few potatoes.  Pick more blackberries.  Get a miniature trowel and fork set to help weeding

Wednesday August 8^th

A day of heavy showers. Went up to A. to get blackberries and found that the council had mowed the road and nearly all of my main bramble. Seriously unhappy. Got a few off what was left, and most off the other briar. At least it's a blackberry - it will grow back. It wasn't poking out *that* much so I think it got pulled out because of the interlocking thorns :-(  Got a few French beans (which promptly got eaten).  So did the rest of the windfall apple and wild blackberry crumble. Must nobble another couple of apples and make another.

Thursday August 9^th

Thunderstorms!

Monday August 13^th

Hot and muggy. Went to allot after work and picked a fair few French beans (at last!) and blackberries and thinned out a few lettuces for tea. The carrots and beet are doing very nicely now, and the marrow is maybe 3 days away from cutting. The weekend looks about right, by which time I'll have more runner beans too. Onions now nearly all bent over and so I think I'll have to start pulling them soon. Got potatoes growing in the compost heap!

Wednesday August 15^th

Worse! But thunderstorms forecast. Hope so - need to clear the air somehow.

Thursday August 16^th

Much less muggy today. Went to A. and picked quite a lot of stuff. Couldn't get all the blackberries, there were so many, and since I'd forgotten to take up a container they got stuffed in a bird scarer bottle! Picked another couple of ounces of French beans, some lettuces and finally a marrow! Just made a foot long. And really tender too. Ate some for tea with some of last year's runner beans and pork in mustard sauce. Heaven.

Sunday August 19^th

Finally finally finally planted the spring cabbages (while on the phone to Mum)!  Put the seeds in the modules, and left them outside. The squirrels will probably eat them. Think I'll plant another load within the conservatory and evict them when they germinate.

Monday August 20^th

Went to Focus, in order to get something cheap to put allot stuff in as I pick it, and couldn't find a trug or anything similar, so got a small collapsible multicoloured crate instead. And immediately filled it with onions, French beans (11oz) and lettuce. Not to mention a very precocious leek, which I thought would be very nice for tea. (And was). Picked some string beans and the second marrow at home too: 15" long (which give scale to the pic). Quite a harvest.

Rather huge leeks already

Thursday August 23^rd

One of those days where you go out and water everything then it absolutely pours.

And it rained just before everyone arrived for the barbie. Typical.