Epicurean delights

If last week was in the sign of the broccoli, this week was dominated by courgettes and potatoes. In fact, I'm beginning to think that 10 courgette plants may be a tad much for two people. Maybe six are more realistic. Though my father the courgette monster is visiting soon so we might get through them all, after all.

It's bonanza time

Our new potatoes are Epicures. By fluke, I picked the variety that everyone grows around here because they do so well in this region. They may not be pretty, but the flavour is outstanding. They're already on the list for next year as is the courgette Nimba.

Epicure potatoes

The raspberry defences have gone up using up the last of the old playground equipment. The chickens didn't like it much. They have now discovered the soft fruit in the middle paddock so tomorrow we'll have to get some more chicken wire to keep the little dinosaurs out of there.

The autumn raspberries have been chicken-proofed

The deid summer raspberries (plus four survivors)

The summer raspberries have been totally devastated by the spring winds. Sixteen out of 20 have no leaves left at all. Will they come back next year for another go or is that it and should I pull the canes out now?

Jury-rigged greenhouse

It's been so warm and sunny that our tomatoes were starting to scorch in the greenhouse. We dug out Fettler's old mainsail and voila. I'm sure this arrangement will be improved upon in due course.

Drying turnip tops, Galician-style

I've also used the good weather to dry a lot of things: wild sorrel (half the middle paddock seems to be wild sorrel - just why did I order French sorrel seeds?), lavender, mint, nettles and turnip tops. We were given some dried turnip tops by Galician friends for the boat larder and they were very useful in stews and soups. So now whenever I'm thinning or eating turnips I dry the tops for winter use.

Other than that, we have been putting down black plastic to prepare sites for next winter's projects. The plan is: six more fruit trees (three cherries, two greengages and a mirabelle), another soft fruit area with black/red/white currants and gooseberries and a perennials garden (Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, Welsh onions, Babington leeks, Good King Henry and perennial broccoli). And a few more windbreak hedges.