Courgettes - poor things

I really have to go and plant my courgettes and squashes - they have been in their pots for long enough bless em. Tonight. Yes it will be tonight and I shall take photos and I shall post them on my blog and I shall feel fulfilled. Oh yes I will. Ye of little faith.

1. the peas are non-existent

2. beetroot germination rate 3:750 - but they will be nurtured

3. the greek beans are broken but dont know why

4. the shallots are looking very sorry for themselves

on the up side......

enthusiasm returning
energy levels on the up
generally wilting in the heat

I shall return...... of that you can depend and never worry ('Aint no mountain high enough - Diana Ross c1970)

You put your right hand in.............

........... you take your right hand out, grab a weed out the soil and then shake it all about. I have so to speak taken the bull by the horns and 'got stuck in' . I feel lethargy and lack of enthusiasm led to the demise of the allotment. There were soo many weeds we have taken radical steps to stunt their growth and get something else growing on the allotment. Well - and I'm sure there will be the purists among you who object but ...... well we have just skimmed the allotment (skimmed and not strimmed) surface and planted our 84 sweetcorn in 7 rows. We made this harsh but time saving decision last week. Something drastic had to be done. We will hoe in between the corn as they grow - the weeds and the corn!

On an up note we have been harvesting strawberries, early rasps, potatoes and garlic. We have taken up one row of garlic and they are lovely and a decent size to boot! They are hanging in the green house to dry.

Sugar - is that the time ? Am at work at 6 and havent had shower....... will post through the night if I get chance.

You leave it for just one minute... just one lousy minute....

Weeds! Everywhere. I cannot believe it. Where do they come from? Well let me tell you this infestation is beyond a joke. Everything and I mean everything is under 2' of weeds. It's enough to make you cry. How come it takes a whole season to grow things to eat and a blink to grow a perfect crop of weeds? We are seriously considering getting rid of the allotment. It has come to this. All our hard work down the bleeding pan. I mean what are we doing it for? Enjoyment? Not much there then. Exercise? Plenty of that! I can go to the farmer's market and buy organic veg and fruit. So why are we putting ourselves under this added pressure? At the moment it feels like a lead weight around our shoulders. The greenhouse on the other hand is coming on leaps and bounds. Not much of a problem with weeds but I suspect given a few weeks it will be an infestation of another kind - whitefly. I could nematode them with wasps (HB you could have made a fortune) but have to have the door closed for them to do their damndest. Toms and peppers have to be watered twice a day then as it gets too warm. Oh I dont know anymore.

It's such a shame - such a damned shame.