After the rain

I ventured to the plot on Friday just to see how things were after a brief break in the constant deluge that we seemed to have had for the last few weeks.

Generally, things look ok. The weeds have gone mad, and the ground has become really soft - so I'm hoping to finally get the carrots in the ground and maybe make a start getting the rest of the plot in shape ready for next year (I know, talking about next year already, but I think we can write off the rest of this year...).

Here's how the plot looks from the gate.

You can even see the shadow of my Brokeback hat! - keeps the sun off my neck!

Anyway, I checked the onions and they seem to be close to being ready to pull up. The leaves are starting to "fall over", so I guess I'll soon be pulling them up and drying them out ready for storage. Here's how they look collectively...

..and a how they compare to my hands (?), not bad eh? (onions that is, not my manicure!)

I also checked on how the butternut squashes were doing and they seem to be romping away nicely - even if they are starting to sprawl accross the paths. I was given a tip by someone to put them onto some old tiles to keep them off the ground, so I placed some old roofing tiles that Dad gave me underneath the trail of squashes. Some have already been eaten by something - I've no idea what.

The cabbages and cauliflowers seem to have settled in - albeit with a little munching from some creature, slug or caterpiller. They are at least starting to show signs that they are growing.

Sprouts seem to have settled in nicely too - although some of them seem to be a little on the p*ss, so I've propped them up with the bamboo canes, and crossed my fingers they sort themselves out in due course!

I had a quick look at the apple tree that I mentioned before and noticed that there are in fact a grand total of around 10 apples on the tree - two of which were within my reach so I plucked them off. To my untrained eye they look like Bramley's, but I'm no apple expert - if you think otherwise, please feel free to comment.

I also think that the tree itself could do with some t.l.c, so any apple tree expertise would be greatly appreciated - I think it need a bit of pruning personally, but as previously mentioned - I'm no expert!

Anyway, with the kind genourosity of my good neighbour Stuart here's my harvest for the day...

Two courgettes, a handful of runner beans and sugarsnap peas, two Bramley apples and a load of plums.

I gave Stuart a load of runner beans and in return he said for me to help myself to his plums (ooh-er missus). His trees are absolutely laden with ripe plums, and they are even starting to fall to the ground they are so ripe. I think I'm going to make some spiced plum "butter" that is in the current issue of Good Food that landed on my doorstep this morning. I'll let you know if I'm successful or not...