When it all comes right on the day!

The whole country seems to be under water and my garden has been no exception. Thankfully, things aren't as bad in Leicesterhsire as they are in Yorkshire. However, I still have several puddles of standing water around the garden which is unheard of for mid-June.

As I said the other day, rain gives plants a nitrogen boost and my potato foliage in particular is now looking really bright and fresh. I'll need to put canes around them with horizontal strings to support the foliage.

My first 12 runner bean plants went in last night, each one planted against stout canes. It's probably the latest I've ever planted but I know they'll romp away now, especially as the soil is so wet. As I grow mainly for show I need my beans to be available from the end of August into early October so I didn't sow mine until the last couple of weeks or so. I made sure I scattered some slug pellets around them as slugs and snails love the tender, young shoots of runner beans.

After that it's all just a matter of 'titivating' the plot and making sure things keep ticking away until showtime. By titivating I mean feeding when necessary, weeding, spraying against fungus or pest, nipping out tomato sideshoots, tying up cucs and tomatoes, taking off collars and inspecting leeks and celery, harvesting and ripening onions, etc etc etc.Hopefully, when it all comes to the end of August it has all been timed to perfection and you can enjoy plenty of red cards.

Looking back through some old photos yesterday I came across the one above from Sturton Show a few years ago of my 1st (and 2nd) prize winning carrots which won me 'best in show'. I grow about 35 long carrots and exhibit about 21 or so at the various shows I enter. When 'pulling' a set for a show you may have to pull 4 or 5 or even 6 to get a matching set of 3. Or you may be really lucky and get a set of 3 from the first 3 you pull. The year of the photo I'd had a particularly good year with my carrots and had plenty left to choose from for Sturton which is my last show........enough to put in 2 entries of 3 and get first and second. Sometimes, it really does come good on the day.