Monday - Bank Holiday

 Good morning and a happy Bank Holiday to all of us who have one today.
It's dull outside and Beeb doesn't promise us much in the way of sunshine or summer-warmth this week, sadly.  Not much in the way of rain either so no sun and one has to water.  Hey ho!

I had a good old day yesterday.  When I was ready, I popped down to the allotment and spent longer there than I had planned.  I picked runner beans, raspberries and sweet peas, dug up another row of potatoes for Beth (one row left now), weeded, watered, sprayed the sweet peas because of greenfly and generally pottered around.

The August sown bread beans are doing well and I am hopeful that these late cropping plants will give us some fresh stuff in October/November.  The first sowing of seeds is all up now and doing well while the second sowing is just emerging.  I think they would have been faster had it been warmer but that's not something we can control.  I'm glad they are up.  Because we lost the tomatoes, that particular area was looking very bare and it's nice to see returning productivity.

I nearly cut a courgette but decided to leave it for a few days.

The runner beans are doing their collective best, producing absolutely loads of veg.  I'm picking a big load every other day and doling them around to family and friends.  They're doing great this year.

The sweet peas are still flowering but are looking rather aged now.  The leaves are turning yellow and the stems of the flowers are shorter and thinner.  We won't have them up yet but their time is short.  They have been brilliant and we are definitely doing the same next year, this time sowing straight into the ground rather than in pots.  They have provided both of us with flowers throughout the summer.

The middle patch is also looking a bit sparse as we dig up the potatoes.  Because the courgettes were so late, they are not covering the ground as they usually would and there are big gaps in the rows of French beans but, dear me, we live and learn and it is still producing something!

The apples are starting to drop - it's not going to be a very big crop of apples this year, sadly, although the pears look more hopeful.  Most of the dropped apples are not fit to be picked up and I am going to dig them into the soil for compost.  However, I picked up one yesterday and brought it home, cut it up and tried the good parts.  It was absolutely delicious.  The first allotment apple of the year.  Lovely!
The raspberries are going to spurt soon, I can see it coming.  At the moment it's just a few each time and they are all going into a bag in the freezer.  When there's enough and nearer to Christmas, I will make some raspberry gin or vodka for us to enjoy over the festive season.

So - today.  I have just one scheduled thing - early tuition.  After that, the day's my own.  Beth is resting at home and I don't fancy a swim on a bank holiday (too many people) so I will do the usual allotment trip and have fun getting my revenge on the weeds that still dare show their faces - that's the main thing that still needs doing.  I'll probably give the beans and baby corn a picking too and encourage the courgettes < grin >.

And then home, to rest and relax, be thoroughly lazy, maybe watch a film or two on YouTube, enjoy the nice meals I have planned and generally have a lovely day.
I hope you do too.  xx