Successional planting successes
It's now definitely summer and we've been sweltering in near-30º heat for the last few days. All the more reason to be grateful that we have our allotments to escape to at lunchtime!
All of a sudden, our first meagre pickings have turned into a glut and we're trying to keep up with the lettuces that all seem to be ready to eat at the same time. Successional planting has worked better this year with crops lasting longer, but it's still so tempting to plant too much at the beginning of the season in the fear that a lot of seeds will come to nothing!
Peas seem to do very well for us: I'm loving the first mangetout (Oregon Sugar Pod) while David is putting canes up for his second sowing to clamber up and Ann is hoping that her peas are ready to pick before she goes on holiday.
Potatoes are looking great with no sign of blight so far, and several people have experimented with chard with good results - the yellow and red stems really brighten up the plot, as do marigolds and gone-to-seed rocket!
The problem now is remembering to water other people's plots when they are on holiday and hoping that they do the same for you when you desert your allotment for a fortnight!
PS Can you spot the gnome that was the only feature of the allotments when I started this blog?