A video update in August

Rich pickings....

Today we harvested this fine selection of veg from plot 4. The first of our pumpkins is ripe and the pumpkin patch spreads over an area approximately 900 sq ft. The 2 large marrows are products of our courgette plants, which are so prolific that they seem to double in size overnight. We have a number of summer cabbages. These are a pointed variety called greyhound. Our beetroot has been slow to crop this year, but we are now pulling good size beets. The runner beans, which were not ready for the show last weekend, are now long and straight. The cucumber was a gift from a lottie neighbour. I am hoping come next season our greenhouse will mean many cucumbers of our own.

More peas

Tonight we decided to plant yet another row of peas. While Sparkly got on with that, I watered and took some pictures.

One of many rows of peas.
A pea pod, we tried one and it was very sweet, it's no wonder most peas don't make it to the pan when being picked and podded.
Another row of peas with runner beans in the background.
In between the peas we have a block of sweetcorn.

After picking most of the strawberries the other night, this one was looking a little lonely.
The raised beds are doing well, I have labeled the veg in the picture: leeks, sweetcorn, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, lettuce, French dwarf beans.

A different kind of runner bean frame

Today I had to build a runner bean frame on our shared plot. Traditionally these are an 'A' frame but last years got a bit weighed down with beans and eventually started to lean rather dramatically.

This year I opted for a rather different design, the beans grow up the short side and then along the slope. Hopefully this will allow for easier picking as the beans will hang down.

Time will tell, and if it works well enough then I will make a more robust version for next year.