I think it’s the first time ever I’ve been able to produce a complete salad from the garden and I’m rather proud of myself! Now I know that I’m just showing off but look at all those lovely tomatoes!!! Unfortunately, most of my beans have gone a bit stringy – because I had so many of them, I didn’t keep up with the picking and they got a bit old! That’ll teach me to focus more closely on a smaller number in the future (as if I’ll manage that!). I’ve started to pull some of them out and tidy up the allotment a bit. The late batch of peas haven’t done well against the slugs/drought so I think I’ll only get a handful of peas from them, I think in future I’ll know to keep the peas at home where I can keep a closer eye on them. And, I’ve finally removed the mangetout plants from the garden – once again they were a great crop producing crisp sweet pods from June onwards.

The other crops all seem to be doing well despite the dry conditions. My corn is now starting to show signs of flowering, the Jerusalem artichokes are nearly as tall as me and the root crops are all going strong. We’re also picking a handful of raspberries every few days which are cherished by the children (I don’t get a look in!). And of course, the courgettes are producing reliably as always!

While not officially from the allotment I also wanted to share with you the plum jam that I made this week. A couple of years ago I found an amazing plum tree close to where I live and have picked from it every year since. Sadly, this year someone has cut it right back while it was covered in plums! So, I saved what I could and while they were too tart to eat straight off the tree, they have made a delicious plum and cinnamon jam.

And finally, I have found the BEST use for a courgette glut!!! I’ve tried everything – grated in salads, cut into Bolognese, stuffed and don’t get me wrong I’m a fan, but sometimes they can get a bit much (and my husband thinks it’s a conspiracy!). But all my future courgettes are going into chocolate courgette brownies! They are AMAZING!!!

More about Lucy...
Lucy is part of the fantastic Heritage Seed Library team, working hard to grow and preserve seed varieties that are no longer available so that our members can enjoy growing them at home. Raising two young children, Lucy is keen to grow an array of fruit and vegetables to become more sustainable and to encourage her children to get involved in growing.

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