The many jobs of June!

So many things to do.... so little time to blog.

At home I've been rescuing tomato plants which cooked whilst I was in Morocco and temperatures soared here. I've potted on about eight plants at home, with basil and marigolds and the rest are destined for the allotment. I lost my cucumber but sowed another.

At the allotment it would be easy to be overcome by the weeds and the all the other of jobs to do, especially being pregnant and knowing I really have to watch I don't overdo it. I have worked on one bed at a time and I seem to be making steady progress. I really want to get my paths covered as it is ridiculous to be continually weeding them, but they are always low priority.

So I have planted on the plot this weekend:- Calabrese Broccoli, Celeriac, Runner beans, Borlotti beans, Butternut Squash, Cucumber, Sunflowers and Peppers. Along with weeding, constructed the bean support, netted the fruit, put straw under the strawberries and prepared the tomato bed. Courgettes went in about a month ago now and are doing really good. The broad beans have come up fine not as tall as last year and the blackfly are worse also. I really think it is worth over-wintering them like I did last season. Note to self: -I will try to sow for over-wintering this November but the new arrival may make that a little tricky!! (and carrots for that matter.

Strawberry fields forever...

In The Grand Plan, I was following my hero Geoff Hamilton's advice and had my bed all ready to plant strawberries in August. Although I was stumped when I went online in July to order some plants and all the big sellers quoted delivery dates in October!?! Last weekend I was at Wisley, my favourite garden centre and I bought six Pegasus strawberry plants and six Cambridge Favourite plants. I really wanted Symphony but alas they didn't have them. The plants I bought looked so healthy and strong so I'm really looking forward to seeing them grow and fruit next year. I planted them through membrane to save on weeding.

I've been clearing up the plot today. I cut the beans down to the ground, leaving their roots in because of their nitrogen fixing quality. I pulled up the very successful courgette plants and pretty unsuccessful sweetcorn plants. My little one and I dug for treasure in the form of perfect potatoes and fabulous carrots that have been safe underground for months. Looking back I planted the potatoes in April and I've been digging up them all summer. Next year I want to grow a few International Kidney and also Maris Piper (-if they are blight resistant). The potatoes I grew in bags were fine although I think they were smaller and this is probably due to them drying out more than the ones in the ground. I am going to start my broad beans in root trainers next year and do them in two batches - probably Super Aquadolce again.