Turning point

The beefsteak tomatoes are finally turning red and ripening despite a lack of sunshine and a rather damp month. Autumn's in the air.

Ballerina Tutu

The name of this datura belies the toxicity of the tropane alkaloids contained within. The flowers don't last long and wilt quickly in full sun. This one lacked the strong moth-attracting perfume of the white one grown a few years ago (2011).

Amaized (?)

Harvesting daily cobs of juicy sweetcorn a little earlier in the year than usual, thanks to the near perfect weather conditions in July.

Winter hedge fund

Lots to harvest at the moment but also a good time to plan ahead for winter and plant out young kale plants, under netting to protect them from peckish pigeons.

A little squash

August Fayre

Echinacea Purpurea Alba

Sweet

Harvested the first couple of sweetcorn cobs and was eating one, smothered in butter, about an hour later. The recent storm had blown a few of the plants sideways, so it was time to put a curtain of netting around them to prop them up and protect them from badgers and other predators.

Lycopersicon esculentum

                         It's been a good year for cherry tomatoes.

Running away

Into the season for runner beans now and the more they're picked the more they'll produce: Much like sweet peas, once the seed starts to develop the plant stops producing more flowers and pods. Courgette plants behave similarly and one of them has now shut down because one of the fruits was allowed to develop to the size of a marrow. The dill is now flowering. All parts; leaves, flowers and seeds are great for the kitchen.

Big roots

Harvested some early parsnips that had self-seeded on a patch where the broad beans grew, which needed clearing to make way for some winter crops. Beetroot hasn't done brilliantly this year and there probably won't be enough for pickling, but there are always enough to brighten up a salad or stain a bowl of rice or couscous.

Little Roots

Harvested the first baby carrots, more climbing/french beans and some lettuce.

Plum Month

                                    Into August; plum month.