The plots and pots have been thoroughly soaked and pots grouped to try and reduce moisture evaporation. I haven’t managed to shade the greenhouse though and will try to bodge something together later today. Jetwashed the French beans again to reduce the amount of ruddy blackfly on them. This is turning into a regular thing. A cheery sight is that the Black Coco and Vermont Cranberry beans are both flowering – pink flowers on the first and white on the second.

My last squashes are out – hurray!! –  through holes in cardboard on plot 92 for relative speediness, though I still had to take out a lot of bindweed and couch roots from the planting holes. That makes 20 squash plants, which could mean a bit of a frightening harvest if we have a good year. I still have 2 squashes left from last year that we haven’t eaten.

I managed to find some space for another 3 tomatoes, but there are still 6 left. I hate composting good plants, but I am not sure I need as many as I have. There are 14 in the greenhouse and 8 out in the plot. The flowering trusses from the Ildi tomatoes are HUGE and it’s hard to get past them in the greenhouse – if I grow them next year they would definitely be better off the end.

I also took the netting off the green goosegogs and harvested a small amount of berries. By the way the bushes are growing next year could be a monster year for berries. They are definitely loving their new home.

Comfrey has been cut and chopped ready to add to the water butt. I just need to find a breathing mask first because I don’t think that I can do that without gagging. Plus gloves; if you spill the water on your hands, the smell sticks. I can’t describe it any other way. Not even washing my hands with washing powder gets rid of it.

Harvested – green gooseberries, broad beans, strawberries, redcurrants, mangetout, globe artichoke

I pulled up all the shallots as the bulbs were starting to split again, which I didn’t want, plus I need the space rather urgently for winter veg. They are drying on the plot for the moment, but if I see rain on the horizon they will be whisked into the shed. Had a couple tonight and they were lovely – and tearily strong.