Overgrown!

I went up the plot yesterday for the first time in what seems like ages, in a rather hung over state. Between the terrible weather we've been having, the working from home on an evening I've had to do and all the summer cool stuff that's been going on I've rather neglected the allotment. Gemma and Daz have managed to get up a bit more than me though. Thankfully most of the beds are mostly weed free and Daz has dropped membrane and scaffold boards across the between bed paths to keep the worst of the weeds/grass down. I think I may have to invest in a job lot of that membrane and start applying it heavily to other parts of the plot -as we're getting slightly overwhelmed by growth of stuff. The hedges are a never-ending job too.

Vegetable-wise we've got rocket and American land cress ready to harvest, but I'm not sure what to do with the land cress as it is insanely hot and bitter. Peas are out and edible, in some cases having grown a bit too far. Not to worry -I shall feast upon them when I go up this afternoon. The purple and yellow aren't as nice to eat straight off the pod as the green, so I may look into drying them for soups, along with the very large pods of the green.

Globe artichokes have sprung up in the bottom of the plot where we moved a crap pile and are now forming small artichokes. Bonus. There are some other things ready like potatoes and carrots. The purple sprouting broccoli is going good guns, can't wait for that next March.

I intend to get up there this afternoon and do a few jobs, although it seems very daunting -with so much to do where do you start. I think I'll take the loppers and try and cut back some of the flowering currant tree at the back of the plot. There is also the hedges and perhaps destroying the vast borage patch that has sprung up.

I actually think it's time to start coming up with a plan for any autumn winter plantings we may be doing -although my instinct is to get green manure in the beds to try and improve the soil structure a bit. We could do with getting a van load of manure too. Planning next years beds is an idea too.