Mid July Update photo's

The courgettes are coming!!!

I love the look of these yellow ones.

Will have to get my "what do I do with all thosse courgettes" book out very soon

Ahhh! You've caught me at it - tea break time!!

And finally a lovely flower that I saw on the plot behind me 144a - isn't it fantastic?

I have been working down there too - mainly watering the greenhouse, due to all the recent rain, it hasn't been worth watering the plot, although I did give the outside cucumbers and marrows a little drink this morning.

Plot 121 is FULL of sprouting brambles - I was shocked when I saw how they have returned!! I will have to tackle them tomorrow.

The fruits of my labour (or should that be the Veg??)

Firstly, I am sad to report that both Tatty & Hilda were beheaded the other day, and Hilda's head had been chucked over the fence, whilst Tatty's was at his feet.

Once I had found all the necessary parts, they were put back together with loving care, but minus Tatty's hat.

Needless to say that I was very upset by the whole thing, and went off home to find a hat for him.

Alas - there was nothing suitable, and by the time I arrived back the next morning, something probably bird like, had picked at his brains!!

Enough was enough - it was time for drastic action, so out came a Whale Pot from the Greenhouse (normally resevered for growing Tomatoes, but this was a code red emergency situation) and it was placed on his poorly head.

Tommy Cooper comes to mind - or should that be Tatty Cooper??

Next is my Greenhouse Chilli.....

And the offspring of one of the triffid cucumbers......

And finally my 1st marrow which is huge. I've picked it, and I am going to stuff it "Maltese Style" for our dinner tonight - can't wait!

The triffid cucumber plant and more.....

As you already know by now, it was my birthday this weekend, and as there was lots planned, the allotment was visited briefly, but not as fully as would have been on a normal weekend, with good weather to boot!

I went to water on Friday morning before my lovely trip to MERL (see previous post) and I also went on Saturday morning and watered both plots before driving down to Ferring where I was treated to a lovely Birthday lunch by my lovely Mother in Law and her Partner Richard.

On Sunday morning my nasty neighbour had beaten me to it on the hose pipe, so I watered by watering can, which was handy anyway, as I had to feed the Tomatoes, Cucumbers & courgettes etc. (maybe that's why they are all turning into Triffids??) but I have to leave by 9.30 am as I had another fun packed day to get through......

The Triffid Cucumber plant....

This "growth"literally happened overnight.

Fortunately for me, Nigel popped his head through the greenhouse door and suggested that I took out one of the staging trays - that then meant that I could put the triffid cucumber, which was by this time growing out of the greenhouse door, on the floor and with a little addition of a piece of string to climb up, that's one happy cucumber plant! (there are about 6 others in there - a mixture of normal and "picollino" or snack cucumbers.

Now this is one of my Tomatoes - Tomato Roma in fact. These plants are in the greenhouse and are doing very very well indeed. They are now getting fed twice a week, as are the squashes, cucumbers, chilli's, sweetpeppers etc.

This is lot 4 of peas - the others outside are either still growing or I have eaten them! Delicious

And this is a chilli that appeared overnight! There is also one, just as big on the plant thats outside!!

The Gnome Trail at MERL Reading

I had a great Birthday today at MERL Reading

I would highly recommend it to everyone - old and young - it's extremely interesting.

You can start off by watching 5 minute film which is very informative & then you walk around the exhibition and see what people did, how they made things, transported things etc. before we had all our high tech machines.

There are lots of films you can watch on the way round too e.g. how they used to make kegs (no measurements used - all done by eye!!) and there was also a film on pottery, basket weaving and rake making - we will have to go back because we didn't have time to watch them all!

Then there was the gardens and vegetable patches /allotment plots - WWII style and modern day plots, growing a variety of vegetables, along with a few great scarecrows.

Then there is the Grow your Own exhibition and they also have a great little shop for some souveniers too!

However the highlight of the day was the Gnome Trail - 17 in all, but I only found 16 so I will definately have to go back to find no. 17 !!

Thanks MERL for a great Birthday treat.

If you get a chance to go, or are driving by Reading - don't miss this rare treat - it's not a museum - its fasinating !

My Sunflowers on Guard Duty