Watering Cans or Can'ts?

I was reading online today about the importance of giving potatoes enough water to swell the tubers, & as it’s been so dry recently I thought that I should go to the Hill & give the spuds a good old drink – mind you, it’s been a muggy evening & it was even threatening to rain by the time I got there.

It was good to see Novice Neighbour Jody who’d sneaked away from his other commitments to cram in some weeding – his plot is looking good with his winter brassicas planted out, & he’s eating courgettes already.

I set up the hosepipe to trickle water to plot A (misc) whilst I did some weeding – honestly, you could spend your whole life doing this. It’s like painting the Forth Bridge.

It’s a bit of a grey area, watering with a hosepipe – we really are not supposed to use them, however as the standpipes are at the front of the plots, this does disadvantage those half-plot holders who are at the back.

And before anyone points out that I am at the front half, it’s still a complete fag using watering cans to the back end of the plot, so the compromise which is acceptable to my conscience at least, is to trickle the water to the areas needed which should reduce the run off of wasted water too.

Cheery Brian & Pauline from further up the Hill arrived to pick strawberries for jam – they have had their half plot the same length of time as we have, & have had huge success with their crops & Pauline is a dab hand with preserves & jellies of all sorts.

They kindly let me have some cos lettuce seedlings a few weeks ago, & after we compared notes on this year’s progress Pauline brought me down a punnet of strawberries – yum!

Although I hadn’t planned to bring any produce home, I was tempted by some of the PEAS (kelvedon wonder) looking ready to eat, & I picked a portion of the BROAD BEANS (crimson flowered). They are short pods – the size of pea pods (peas on the left in the pic, beans on the right) – & contain three bright green beans each which keep their colour when cooked.

…and I promised Flum some photos of the FRENCH BEANS (purple giant) so here’s what they are looking like at the moment – what beautiful purple stems they have!