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The harvest has been great, albeit delayed.  My tasks this week have included making sure my sprout plants are well stamped in and not blowing around in the wind as this makes for ‘blown’ sprouts.  I have sown some more radishes and kept up with the watering despite the impression that we’ve had loads of rain.  I am embarrassed to say that one of our allotment brothers is offering me beetroot from his really successful harvest, (he grew too much).  Mine are waaaaay behind.  Yes, I hate and love him at the same time; I will beat him next year.

 I am freezing cauli’s, cabbage and broccoli as I have way too much to eat fresh – and that’s a problem??  Not at all.  However, I am chomping through many cucumbers and courgettes as I can – they really don’t freeze well.

 I have finally stopped the blight affecting my tomatoes in the greenhouse, but I must have thrown about 10lbs of tomatoes away.  I still have plenty left, but as they ripen I have to say I am disappointed with their taste; no sun = blandness.  Still, I may well have a good crop for chutney. Overall, considering the season we have had, I cannot complain.  Sure, I have had failures, and I have been beaten into the ground with results from some other plot holders, but what can be more satisfying than a basket you can see in the photograph?  There is nothing healthier, nothing more satisfying than that which you have grown yourself.

 My focus now is planning on next years’ crops, looking at where to put the medicinal herbs, what varieties to grow – and I am not ashamed to say that I will be looking at many of the traditional crops rather than all these new ones – somehow, they aren’t the same!