1st September 2007 It's been miserable and cold recently except for the last few days. I had  a chance therefore to think about next year and indeed have ordered the garlic etc for over-wintering.Meantime we have been collecting beans, probably 50lbs so far, plus cucumbers and other salad stuff. We're battling over the Coco Rose beans, by mistake I planted the with the pole beans rather than the dwarves so they've been suffering. The ones that have come good are a marvellous colour, a full-blooded red shell, they look wonderful. So I want all the beans for re-sowing next year whereas 'she who shall be obeyed' has other ideas!!The other most exciting plant this year has been the Blue Banana squash, four harvested and possibly another six to come. Golden hubbards only one harvested though there may be another six. Butternut squash still very slow to start so we'll see. The surprise act has been the Yellow Banana squash as we didn't sow any. One of the Blues must be a Yellow, anyway I think there'll be three or four of them, we'll have to see.Courgettes have started fruiting again and now we're seeing three or four different types of cucumber. Today was spent tidying up and weeding; getting beds ready for Broad Beans, onions, garlic, winter lettuce,
The windowsill has started filling up, we have our first dish of seeds drying, Tondo Di Piacenza courgette, well worth the space in the garden. Guests say it has more flavour than the standard ones and of course the shape is fun - normally called hand grenades the latest ones landmines.