It’s been a while……..

As a regular blogger going a month between posts is unusual for me but it’s been a busy few weeks. A 3 day Stag do in Dublin followed by a 4 day trip up to Northumberland for another section of the Pennine Way and then back for the New Forest Show. Pretty hectic!

I managed to get four entries into the NVS Southern Championships at the New Forest and Hampshire County Show at the Lyndhurst Showground. Long carrots, coloured potatoes, cabbages and cucumbers and I didn’t embarrass myself with what I showed although no prizes this time (to see how it’s done check out Darren’s blog, he had an excellent show). I was pleased with my carrots they just needed more weight so I’ll be trying again next year. Same with the cabbages, they were a nice, clean pair just needed more weight to get anywhere near the winner Chris Hewlett. Anyway there’s always next year! Rachel and I took Chloe and also my friend who kindly drove me back from Northumberland and we had a great day out, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky (where has the sun gone?) and there was so much to see we’ll definitely be going back there next year. And we got to rub shoulders with Alan Titchmarsh…..

Back on the home front a quick appraisee of what’s good and bad and the veg plot – decent onion harvest, garlic has been rubbish, many have just rotted in the ground, peas/beans – good so far, courgettes – very slow to get going, brassicas are generally good, cucumbers – too many to keep up with, tomotoes – very slow to ripen. Visited the allotment for the first time in a month this morning and managed half an hour of frenetic weeding before harvesting some broad beans and rhubarb. Just hope the 60 sweetcorn plants I put in there pay off, there’s quite a few cobs (2 – 3 per plant) and they need to ripen now, fingers crossed.

On the show front, it’s the Salisbury Allotment Association show next Saturday (I’m putting in 14 entries all being well) and my local Village Show the weekend after. It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks!!