Steve and I went to the allotment for a couple of hours last night, managed to plant my Salad Rocket, Lollo Rosso lettuces, replaced some of the cabbages that were nibbled and the cucumber that disappeared! Sowed 2 rows of carrots (early nantes) and 2 Cherry tomato bushes. Caned the gardeners delight, which now has a few flowers and one very small green tomato!!! hooray!

The runners now look more healthy in colour and actually seem to be growing up the canes by themselves now, all is good!

My parents paid us a visit whilst we were up there, they and a few other friends/family like to see how it is coming along and quite often wonder on up to see how everything is growing. They were amused to see Steve on his hands and knees planting and being overly fussy with everything!!

On the home front, the gardener's delight are coming on well, as well as the lettuces and dwarf beans (which might actually be runners, I'm not sure, as they are outgrowing the canes!)
The mint I transplanted seems to be extraordinarily healthy and really filling the pot!!

Recently sowed and in our makeshift greenhouse - Greenshaft peas and more toms (can't get enough of them!!) and this morning I sowed Sweet Marjoram, Mint, and coriander and placed in my kitchen window sill, can't wait to see the first signs of life!!!

I'll upload some photos from my mobile soon xxx

Lovely soup recipe made tonight and which I hope to use when my very own butternut squash has grown!

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion – peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed
15mlsp (1 tsp) ground cumin
300g (11oz) sweet potato – peeled weight and diced
250g (9 oz) butternut squash – peeled weight and diced
Seasoning
1 litre (1 ¾ pts) vegetable stock
2 x 15mlsp (2 tbsp) chopped fresh coriander

Method:
1. Heat oil in large saucepan, add onion, and garlic, cook until soft,

add ground cumin and cook a further minute.
2. Add sweet potato and butternut squash, stir and cook for 2

minutes.
3. Add seasoning and stock, bring to the boil and reduce to a

simmer for 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked.
4. Blend or process vegetable mixture until smooth, stir in the fresh

coriander, dilute with water if necessary.
5. Serve soup hot or cold.

Progress...

This morning I got a letter from the council explaining that they have put two skips at the allotments for tenants to fill with the couch grass, instead of burning it and therefore setting ourselves up for complaints...
Trust me to get this news now, yesterday I spotted the skips and one of the tenants dumping the couch grass in them and they were virtually full already....I just assumed it was one of the tenants going to extremes and hiring a couple of skips for their rubbish!! So I'd better hurry and try to rid myself of the big pile of old grass this evening!

At the weekend, we attended the last day of the Bath & West show, at the end of the day the flower tent were selling the display plants, at giveaway prices...I came away with a HUGE potato plant, parsnip plant and some celery plants!! All for the pricely sum of £1.50! I have transplanted them all and crossing my fingers that the transplant will be successful.

Other progress - made a frame over the lettuces and brassicas and put net over the top to stop whatever it was from eating my cabbages!!
Also - planted a gardeners delight tomato plant and a sweet red pepper plant, and some french marigolds now reside beside them, hoping to ward away some naughtys!!

The next plan is for a fruit cage....I did plant some strawberries but now wondering if i should plant some in a big pot and place within future fruit cage....?

All these ideas....wish I knew what was right!! Practice makes perfect I suppose but such a shame I lost a cucumber plant and cabbages in the process :-(