I'm back

Wow, it's been over a month since I last posted. I bet you all think I've been slaving away down the plot & have lots of produce growing & harvesting. Well that couldn't be further from the truth. First off I was trying to get the caravan fixed, painted etc. and that took ages so I ended up not going down the plot as much as normal. Then I have the puppy to contend with, she has wreaked my garden at home, fights with my older dog & chews everything she can get her paws on. So far she has had a pot of dried onion flakes, bottle of weedkiller, packet of plaster of paris, bottle of pepto bismol, 2 torches, 3 food bowls, hunderds of other little bits & my camera, yes you read correctly, my camera.

Also we all took a holiday to Wales (in the van), so it meant I hadn't got to the plot in a while. So off I popped last week only to find it was so overgrown I nearly couldn't find it. The path to it is no longer there, nice to see someone has mowed the rest of the plots, but not mine. I must get a petrol strimmer.

I was heartened to see my sweet potatoes hadn't died but neither have they grown much. I have about 4 parsnips up & a couple of carrots. The snails & slugs have eaten most of the beans & cabbages and the birds have got at my broccoli. Then there are my pumpkins, well no there isn't. All but 3 of them gone. On the plus side my potatoes are doing well, only about half a row haven't appeared but there are loads of volunteer ones coming up where they were planted last year. I am gradually digging them up as they are coming up in the broccoli I have managed to save. I think I will need to go to B&Q to see if I can get some replacement plants as any I sow now will be far too late.

After all that I had hoped to get down there regularly, I even managed to get 4 bags of manure from the stables to take down & put in the compost bin. Then to top it off I get gastric enteritis. Now I had this years ago & it left me ill for months, not to mention the problems it left me with for life. So now if it's going around I always seem to get it. I have been so ill today has been the first day I have got out of bed. I still feel sick but there is nothing to bring up (or go down) & I keep going hot/cold & feeling faint. The manure, still sitting in the car, needs to go to the plot. I have had to drag myself down there. It's not too bad, well it's not good either. These photos were taken last week.



Parsnips



sweet potatoes



potatoes



beans

This time last year we were all complaining about too much rain, we've had very little this year so it has meant more watering for everyone. But still most of my stuff hasn't grown, carrots, beetroot doesn't seem to germinate & I bought new seed this year. There are several beds I haven't got anything in at all (except weeds). Even my onions aren't doing very well & my garlic is just dying.