I went to the allotment this morning but didn't get a chance to do much as it started raining, so I'm back for lunch and hoping to get a break later to return. I took Hugh with me, and his plastic lawnmower which he loves, although he was more interested in digging and finding wriggly worms. I was pleased and worried in equal measure with what I saw. First of all my Broad Beans have been attacked by black fly, there aren't too many yet, but the leaves are looking quite yellow and poorly, so I will have to act quickly with some soap spray, but this could also be down to the dry weather, as I haven't been there to water them lately. I must say they don't look nearly as healthy as the one's planted at home, even though they are the same variety, it is interesting to see the way they have grown differently. My ones at home have grown up, whereas the allotment specimens have bushed out but not really grown up at all, maybe they were more exposed and caught a frost? The other worry is the thistle infestation, I thought I'd done quite well in removing the bulk of them, but they are up everywhere! At least I can see them now rather than just looking for sections of root. I'm even concerned about my covered areas, the 'weed suppressing membranes' are billowing like high seas with the weeds and grass growing underneath! I'm going to have to dig more up. My idea was to keep the matting down and grow squashes through the membrane with plug plants, but I'm not sure that will do now.
Well at least my onions have sprouted, my rainbow chard hasn't been eaten and there are some kind of buds coming on my gooseberry bush :)
I've been visiting mum often this week as she's had an operation on her knee, so I've been walking the dog and weeding her garden. On the drive down I noticed on the stall near her allotment, were fat bunches of asparagus for only £1! What a bargin, so today I enjoyed a lovely allotmenteer's lunch of asparagus and bacon soup, with chestnut mushrooms and watercress on toast. Hmm.
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