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You just can’t keep a good Dahlia down. Back in the late spring I couldn’t spot any signs
of activity from the Dahlias I planted at the top of the plot last year and thought the winter frost had finished them off.
As they were planted where I planned to put a row of compost bins, I just left them in the ground and popped a bin on top
of them. The bin got filled really quickly and was pretty much ignored for a couple of months, and then Sue spotted some suspicious
looking shoots emerging from the top of the bin. You’ve guessed it – it was the Dahlias! They’re now just
coming into flower having climbed their way a good three feet to the top of the bin.
After the cold, wet unpromising summer, things are starting to recover from a poor start. The squashes
are now growing well and starting to swell so I have high hopes that they’ll ripen before the end of summer. Given
a good autumn they can stay in the ground well into October.
The sweet corn has poduced more than I thought although the woodlice have been pretty prolific and
destroyed a fair few cobs. I intend to plant more next year as it’s one of my favourite crops and although you
can’t beat eating it picked and cooked straight from the plot, it actually freezes really well so is a good banker for
the winter months.
The Borlotti beans have also come good. I picked a load the other day, far more than Sue and I
could possibly eat. We’ve tried drying them in the past but never very successfully. I had this idea about making a
big batch of beans cooked long and slow in a nice tomato sauce and it worked really well. They taste fantastic and, divided
up and frozen in small portions can be used later as an addition to soups and stews, served as a bed for slow cooked sausages,
or just simply as beans on toast. You’ll never want to open a can of beans again. Well actually, you might. Sue is addicted
to them. It must be related to her childhood memories or something, but she did say that my beans were nearly as good as Heinz!
I think it was supposed to be a compliment…..
This month saw the allotment produce show come around again. We didn’t really know what to enter
until the day apart from the fact that I knew I had a fairly big marrow and some reasonable shallots. We just picked what
looked good on the morning of the show and eventually entered nine classes. Much to our surprise we got six firsts (biggest
Marrow, longest Cucumber, best ten raspberries, best six beans, best selection of five vegetables, and best exotic veg –
a Turks Head squash) and three thirds (shallots, carrots and beetroot) and ended up winning best in show for the second year
running!
We
just couldn't believe our luck and I promise you, that's entirely what it was.
However, we’re now the proud owner of a second engraved trowel and I now feel compelled to go for
the hat trick (not that I'm actually competitive - honest). It was a really fun day and if you’d like to take a look,
visit the society’s web site at www.veraveg.org.
Finally, the Sweet Peas have been stunning.
They really liked the wet weather and have been flowering all summer long. We've picked and picked them and so far they show
no signs of giving up the ghost. Long may they continue. The house has been full of their scent for weeks and they really
lift your spirits. Hopefully they'll keep on going for a while yet.
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