Borlotti Beans Developing on Plot 29

The borlotti beans are swelling nicely now. Unlike runner beans, where you eat the lot, these are grown for the haricot inside.

They'll be just left on the plant until the autumn and the, hopefully, dry beans harvested. They're good in stews and any dish where you might use a bean.

Brassicas and Weeds

You can see the brassicas are really coming on well on plot 29 - as are the weeds. We'd been away for a few days and the blessed things had shot up higher than the cabbages!

Unfortunately, the calabrese had bolted in 4 days as well. Still, cut the flowers off and the second growth will be grabbed at the right time.

Tomatoes Ripening in the Greenhouse

The tomatoes are all ripening in the greenhouse now. The flowers at the bottom of the picture are marigolds to deter whitefly.

We've about half a dozen varieties in there:

• Jaune Flamme
• German Gold
• Sungold
• Yellow Pea
• Green Zebra
• Gardener's Delight

Sweetcorn - Cobs Forming

The small patch of sweetcorn are doing really well. The cobs are forming and you can see the flowers on the top.

I seem to have the knack with sweetcorn - never fails for me. Of course, saying that means the crop is doomed!!

Kestrel Potatoes Harvested

I'm really pleased with the Kestrel potatoes. Good quality with little slug damage although a few splits due to the dry spell in June.

The barrowload shown filled 6 carrier bags to the top and will shortly be going into the shed to store.

Valor Potatoes

I dug up one plant of the Valor rows. Sadley there were two rotten ones but the rest looked pretty good. Hoping to get the rest up fairly shortly but harvesting potatoes is best done on a fine day and they seem in short supply.

Not a bad result for one plant, even so.