Whisper it, but it is the end of June, a week past the solstice. The second half of the year starts here. I can’t help but feel a creeping urgency. So, time to sit back, breathe in, take stock.
It’s been an odd allotment year here in northwest London. Our early summer growth was unusually slow and, like many others, we have been a bit plagued by greedy gastropods. Time then to show some appreciation.
Our beautiful crimson-flowered broad beans will soon be ready to crop. We and the bees are happy. There are assorted salad leaves sprouting. The Spencer sweet peas are clinging and climbing. Soon there’ll be glorious scent.
In late spring, Howard found an old painted mountain corn cob. We sowed in trays and transplanted the propagated shoots to the plot. In two patches, with seedlings planted close-ish together. We have hopes for colourful results
The third sowing of tear peas, though, failed to get past the birds and slugs and snails so we’ve turned – with fingers crossed – to old-school purple morning glory. Less delicious but lovely.
Most of our French beans are moving up. Though we will repeat-sow the last two poles. The biggest difference to our growing this year is that we’re broadcasting patches of mixed seed in a bid to discourage predators from cropping rows like eating corn. So far I am loving it so we’ll continue with it for a while.
Our new radicchio seed arrived today: classic Castelfranco and early Treviso from Vital Seeds to be sown soon for beauty and autumn eating.
To sum: I thank my stars for the opportunity to garden with a friend, to pick home-sown flowers and organic food from our soil. Long lucky days indeed.
Now, please share some of your thoughts about your garden year so far.
Allan Jenkins’s Plot 29 (4th Estate, £9.99) is out now. Order it for £8.49 from guardianbookshop.com