In a move likely to outrage the grass chewers at the organic brigade I've not only survived swine flu but returned safe and sound, fit and raring to go from my Scottish holiday!
We had half decent weather on the Mull of Kintyre but I understand chez Smithyveg has been well and truly pissed on all week so my undergardener has had no problems keeping everything well watered. Everything looks reasonably good although my cabbages have succumbed to the usual caterpillar damage. Next season I'm growing them on the allotment where I'll have plenty of room to construct a net tunnel to keep the butterflies at bay. I have quite a few marrows forming and I picked an absolutely humungous runner bean this afternoon with no sign of beans showing. It's a variety Les Stothard gave me so I hope to do better with this crop this season after several poor years.
Before I went away I got up several bags of Winston and Pixie spuds and left them in my garage for the skins to harden. I emptied them all out today and was ecstatic to find the Winston in particular had performed brilliantly. In fact I had some super heavy specimens in amongst many good sized tubers, so for the first time in 3 years I'm going to be able to exhibit some good spuds again. The Pixie was not so good.....lots of tiny spuds despite limiting each seed tuber to just the one shoot. But they're pretty enough and I've set aside a load of egg sized ones for use in my trug displays.
I understand it's Bakewell Show this week.....Wednesday and Thursday. What stupid bloody days to hold a show! I wouldn't have minded going along to that to see how my mate Dave Thornton fares, but as it is I still have 4 weeks to my first shows.....time I shall need to make sure everything is in tip top condition.
We had half decent weather on the Mull of Kintyre but I understand chez Smithyveg has been well and truly pissed on all week so my undergardener has had no problems keeping everything well watered. Everything looks reasonably good although my cabbages have succumbed to the usual caterpillar damage. Next season I'm growing them on the allotment where I'll have plenty of room to construct a net tunnel to keep the butterflies at bay. I have quite a few marrows forming and I picked an absolutely humungous runner bean this afternoon with no sign of beans showing. It's a variety Les Stothard gave me so I hope to do better with this crop this season after several poor years.
Before I went away I got up several bags of Winston and Pixie spuds and left them in my garage for the skins to harden. I emptied them all out today and was ecstatic to find the Winston in particular had performed brilliantly. In fact I had some super heavy specimens in amongst many good sized tubers, so for the first time in 3 years I'm going to be able to exhibit some good spuds again. The Pixie was not so good.....lots of tiny spuds despite limiting each seed tuber to just the one shoot. But they're pretty enough and I've set aside a load of egg sized ones for use in my trug displays.
I understand it's Bakewell Show this week.....Wednesday and Thursday. What stupid bloody days to hold a show! I wouldn't have minded going along to that to see how my mate Dave Thornton fares, but as it is I still have 4 weeks to my first shows.....time I shall need to make sure everything is in tip top condition.
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