Tuesday 24th July 2018

A bottom, 24th July 2018.

I've felt this to be a gruelling summer of gardening, one that has taken a lot of energy and determination to cope with the demands of the heatwave, which, hopefully, at the time of writing this, may be coming to an end. To keep all the raised beds of the allotment garden of Nowhere in particular watered by hand/with watering cans can be a laborious task. Consider what the raised bed, A7b, featured in the foreground of the picture above, would require to keep well irrigated - for growing celeriac, beetroot and comfrey. Multiplying that requirement by 60 gives an idea of the scale of this garden and its gardening. Of course the gardening is not just about watering - even if that is how it has seemed so often in the last 10 weeks or so. Different, more drought tolerant crops can be grown instead. However to commit to single-handedly gardening such a relatively large garden in a climate that may be getting warmer and drier, and subject to more extreme seasonal changes, could be an exhausting personal folly. It is also a commitment that is not enabling the quality of my gardening to develop and improve. That said, I can share some of the pleasures of this years garden, showing some plants new to the plots, and new ways (to me) of growing them.

A10 - 'Rainbow Inca' sweetcorn with sunflowers.

A11 - 'Incredible F1' sweetcorn with nicotiana - 'Virginia Mixed'.

A top - fruiting gojiberry.

Polytunnel - P1 - yacon, cucamelon, grapevine, sweet pea, tarragon, watercress, nicotiana.

P2 - tomato - 'Moneymaker'

P3 - cucumber - 'Boothby Blonde'

P3 - lab lab bean.

P5 - marigold (tagetes) with chilli pepper (Havana Gold) plus aubergine, lettuce, calendula, echinacea, sweet pepper.

Havana Gold is a new variety of hot chilli pepper from Mr. Fothergill's. I hope the peppers will ripen to a brighter yellow to complement the colours of the marigolds over which they hang. The marigolds are there as companion plants.  

P6 - tomatillo - nearly ready for harvesting.

P7 - an afflicted Turk's Turban squash.