This month the emphasis has been on the superb potatoes the allotment provided. Then there's the broad beans, onions, cabbages and lettuces. Plus. of course, the sweet peas.... and the marigolds have been a splash of colour for probably two months.

Another bed of seeds didn't germinate, but the second or is it third lot of squash (2 lots), Miniature White cucumbers, and also the tomatillos and groundcherries are all coming good. the pole beans are also starting to come.

In the greenhouse, which is very crowded, we have 2 Crystal Apple cucumbers, 2 green courgettes, 2 crooked neck squashes, 8 aubergines (black and white), Etna Chili, 8 peppers, 1 melon and two lots of tomatoes.

The first real planted and produced beds are now cleared. The first complete cycle and now we're off on the next process. We're trying to be continuously growing throughout the whole year. The greenhouse is going to be full until late autumn, then we clear and refill the beds so that we can try for salad crops during the winter. Seed trays will probably need to be in the mini greenhouse at home.

So outside we have two short beds and half of two long (lengthways) beds free and available for planting. Radish seeds have arrived from Roger. So all seeds we are going to be sown in trays and put inside the fruit cage to protect them. The cabbage bed will also be clear soon.

So what goes in the empty beds:

1. Miniature White cucumbers (currently in the greenhouse)
2. Hubbard Squash
3. Tomatillos
4. Groundcherries (not ready yet)
5. Angie's Butternut Squashes
6. Alpine Strawberries.

I am awaiting two new 600l compost bins, when they arrive I can turn the existing smaller bins and recover some compost to put of these beds to help the cucurbits and squashes. The Alpine strawberries I'd like to plant somewhere near the pergola.

I also want to experiment with Radish, at the moment we have: French Breakfast and Prinz Rotin; newly arrived are Minowase Summer, Rose d'Hiver de Chine and Black radish Long Maraicher. The other ones I'm thinking of getting are Cherry Bell, Red Meat, Purple Plum, Short Top Forcing, Minowase Mooli (Winter one)

When I sowed the seeds in January into a seed tray in a small coldframe, it was really in hope ...   more »