Peppers

What an awful weekend....too wet to do anything on the garden and very frustrating therefore as I had loads of plans such as spud-planting etc, although I did manage to sow my first couple of rows of beetroot. I'll sow another couple of rows for the next 3 weekends which will give me a succession of beet for most of the late Auguest to September/October shows. At least all this rain has topped up the empty water butts.....but there's no need to overdo it!!!

The greenhouses are bursting with trays of flowers and veg plants, so it's a constant juggling act over the next few weeks as I fight for space and time. One thing I'm pleased with is the growth of my sweet peppers. These are creeping into shows more and more as more people grow them. I grow them in large pots in my tomato greenhouse or in my conservatory where the hot, dry conditions suit them. However, they inevitably take a back seat to my other veg and don't get the care and attention they need for really good specimens like the ones above (bottom) that I photographed at last year's Malvern Show. The variety was 'President' but I haven't located it in any seed catalogues. They were a beautiful bright orange colour and very large succulent looking too.

Mine tend not to ripen in time for the shows but it's perfectly acceptable to show green peppers as long as they are even in size and in good condition. The other pic above (top) is of my 2nd prize entry at last year's Sutton Bonington Show.......I've never won a 1st with peppers so I'll be hoping to rectify that fact this year.