Mid-August

So we are now down to four chickens and two ducks. We had isolated Ramen in the guinea pig hutch when it became clear that she couldn't move around properly in the chook house and the other chooks were sitting on her.  I have to say that we only expected her to be in there for a couple of days. We assumed she would die quite quickly.  But she didn't. She only finally died on Friday, which was three or four weeks after we first noticed that she didn't seem very well. We have absolutely no idea how she survived that long.  Although we naturally provided her with clean water and food each day, she didn't seem to be drinking or eating anything at all so we assumed she would die of dehydration or starvation much faster than she did. We still have no idea what was wrong with her. But everyone else seems healthy enough. For now!

We have harvested all the peas and broad beans up on the allotment now, and the Under Gardener has dug the beds over and edged them along the path. They all look very good now.  We are eating beetroot from the allotment, and the sweet corn plants have finally got ears growing on them.  We have loads of pumpkins coming along and we even have some tiny watermelons growing.  I am hoping we will have a sufficiently lengthy burst of late summer so they have a chance to ripen (a lengthy burst of fine autumn weather would be pleasant too!)

Back in the garden, there is a fine crop of apples on the way and the blackberries are slowly starting to ripen.  There are four or five pears on the pear trees. And - GREAT EXCITEMENT - there are two peaches on the peach tree!!!!!!!  We bought the peach tree with no real expectation that we would ever get any peaches. Although the tree has blossom each spring, it all gets blown off in the spring gales.  And we so rarely get a summer that would be warm enough to ripen peaches that we assumed that any peaches that survived the blossom blowing off would fall off in despair at the wind and the rain and the low temperatures.  But so far so good!!! (Fingers crossed for a lengthy burst of late summer and a lengthy burst of fine autumn weather :-D )

We are getting lots and lots of runner beans and patty pan zucchini. I made a zucchini parmigiana last week which was remarkably nice.  I am thinking of making another this week

The allotment beds have been beautifully weeded and edged

They're waiting now for us to decide what to plant in them next year

There are cauliflowers and sprouting broccoli plants under the cages

Lots of yummy beetroot (and a few potatoes)

The leeks are coming along nicely

and the capsicum plants are very healthy. Not sure if we'll get any capsicums though

The sweet corn is finally getting ears

The pumpkins are coming along well

But the cucumber plant is beginning to run out of puff

Tiny watermelons :)

Won't be long before the tomatoes are ripe