Friday 30th June - Minter Kemp

Tom Dickins Art Gallery is holding a studio sale of original Minter Kemp art which is raising funds for Breast Cancer Haven where I work. Yesterday evening was the launch and I went along to drink Pimms, eat bacon butties and peruse the paintings. I fell in love with a radish drawing but just couldn't afford it. I did buy some great vegetable cards though and might have to go back for some more. Perhaps if I take my credit card and the radish drawing is still there...

Wednesday 28th June - Mel on the Manure

At the risk of melon puns from Den, here is Mel on top of the manure heap planting our spare marrow and several courgette plants. She reckons that she will remove the plastic cover this week to let the rainwater in as it seems pretty dry underneath.

The BBC site pooh poohs this method for producing more leaves than fruit although lots of plotholders on our site are doing it.

Please note the coordinating gardening gloves!

Tuesday 27th June - Puccinia Porri

I was delighted to see the garlic leaves yellowing in readiness to crop but on closer inspection realised it is something much nastier. Puccinia Porri, it sounds like an expensive mushroom but is in fact a fungi covering our garlic and I have no idea if the crop is doomed or not. Garlic world say

Infected plants should be treated immediately either by removal & burning or
by spraying with an appropriate fungicide

To dig 'em up or not to dig... that is the question.

Saturday 24th June - Peas

In the past week I have finally got round to sowing some peas, the sweet peas are flowering and Sister sent me the following email...

In an effort to prise son from playstation, have erected 14ft trampoline in garden. Greatly excited mummy leapt on , only to find that her Pelvic Floor is completely shot and promptly wet herself causing much mirth from Husband and son

Tuesday 20th June - Slash 'em Advice

Our neighbouring plotholder has told me off for reading too many gardening books. Having spent 9 years running a bookshop it is pretty difficult for me to avoid them but, in his opinion, it has lead to my downfall in the greenhouse. Allowed in to take a look, he cut a swathe through the tomato plants, ignoring my pleas of companion planting, yanking out the basil ("weeds") while muttering about not believing in all that nonsense.

Gulp.

Sunday 18th June - Banish the Bags

I was delighted to find a phallic object in the greenhouse today. I built a climbing frame for the cucumber plants and discovered this fine specimen while I was about it.

Cucumbers are brilliant for getting rid of those hangover eyes on a Sunday morning and they also make great sarnies.

Friday 16th June - The Subplot Deepens

Sister's vegetable plot now proudly boasts four raised beds. The soil should be delivered next week in plenty of time for a big family get together in July. Sister has informed me that she intends to buy a selection of vegetables from Sainsburys, place them on the soil and tell people that she has grown them.

Those that know her will know she is not joking...

Monday 12th June - Blackflies

I spent last night catching up on all the other allotment blogs. During the day, I had noticed black flies all over our broad beans and Dig for Victory showed me what to do - pinch out the tips.

I have also heard that a garlic spray can work and will try that one evening if the tip pinching doesn't help.

Sunday 11th June - Weeds

Mel and I spent a couple of hours weeding today and I think we will need to do a lot more this week... The photo is of a paddy field in Bali, they also seem to spend a lot of time weeding but I think Hereford is hotter at the moment.

Neglect has worked wonders and we have some spinach, salad, strawberries and 3 more giant radishes.

Saturday 10th June - Back from Bali

Have just arrived back after 27 hours of travelling from Bali via Hong Kong. Called up the plot expecting everything to be dead and was amazed to find everything thriving having been watered by the in-laws. Even the radishes have grown without my tender loving care. Will get up there with Mel on Sunday and see what else has been going on... I have added a fork so that you can see the gigantic scale of this King Kong of radishes.