And then we had rain!

After weeks and weeks of sunshine we've finally had some decent rain one of the sunflowers open yesterday, I'm amazed that none of them went over in the gales unlike the sweetcorn.

Which luckily we were able to upright & fingers crossed no harm done, in fact a couple of days later we saw the corn had started to grow.

The sunburst pattypans are doing well haven't picked any yet but it won't be long now.

The marrows are also lapping up all the rainwater.

The outdoor Italian bush tomatoes are starting to fruit too.

Flowers are starting to come on the Aubergines, this year I have them in a little plastic greenhouse as I didn't get to pick any aubergines last year when they were outside.

Pumpkins are also prolific.

We've harvested some of the potatoes. L normally won't eat potatoes but as she helped with these she actually ate them & asked for more.

We've now picked 21 courgettes so as well as having them in meals I've made courgette & oregano scones, chocolate courgette cake, courgette clafoutis & chutney. I also swapped a couple for some blackcurrants.

Only a few gooseberries but enough to make a pie and some Loganberries

A bumper day on Sunday - turnips, baby carrots (needed thinning), some shallots, French beans, courgettes, Pak choi,rhubarb & Lavender. The only thing I bought for our roast was the meat & the breadcrumbs for the stuffing.

And finally I made some preserves Blackcurrant jam, Rhubarb & ginger jam, Courgette chutney.

I'm hoping that the sunburst pattypans will be ready this weekend I found a nice looking recipe so can't wait to try it out. Have to make another chocolate courgette cake too, requested by elder daughter who doesn't eat courgettes but managed to eat most of the other cake!

This week.

Everything is growing quickly now, it's getting very hot in the greenhouse/shed so we're now leaving the door open. The plants are still wilting by the end of the day though!

Very excited to see the first cucumber flowers even more excited when I saw the cucumber above.

The indoor tomatoes are flowering.

Lots of grasshoppers around, this one was amongst the broccoli.

Cabbage, Sprout & Cauliflower plants waiting to be planted.

Peppers & Chillies.

Potatoes flowering.

Beetroots & Shallots

Parsnips.

Carrots & salad

Pak Choi.

Gooseberries these are at home & the leaves have been completely stripped by caterpillars.

Rainbow chard.

Marrow.

Purple top Milan turnips.

Courgettes

We're picking lettuce & strawberries everyday.

Pak choi.

Rhubarb & peas.

End of May

The allotment is loving this sunshine although it is taking a lot of watering at the moment.

Peas and Broad beans 2 weeks ago

Now have flowers and skinny pea pods.

Sweetcorn was planted, this year I've planted in 2 rows rather than blocks the netting is just in place for the time being because of the pheasant.

2 weeks later & it's growing well next to the Butternut squash & the runner beans.

I continued to earth up the spuds until the 3rd week of May then realised that I would have 3 mountains in the field if I carried on!

The Courgettes, Marrows, Pumpkins, Butternut and Pattypan squashes were planted.

Courgettes now have plenty of buds on them.

Ruby Chard and red cabbage.

And again a week later.

Salad, carrots and parsnips in the raised bed.

Has certainly sprung into life.

And in the shed/greenhouse Basil,

One of many Chilli plants, I have peppers as well but can't find the photo.

Cucumbers, it's the first time that I've grown cucumbers from seed so I'm chuffed with these so far. I have 6 in large pots.

I have 9 Tomato and 5 cherry tomato plants inside and the surplus are all outside.

L has also picked and eaten quite a few radishes from her little patch!