Bloody dog

The bloody dog ate the first very nearly ripe raspberry in my garden today. Feel like I've been here before somehow......

Good enough to eat

I'm growing broad beans in the garden rather than the allotment this year. That way it is easier to grab a couple of handfuls when they are just big enough. Last year I found that if a couple of days passed without getting to the lottie the pods grew into whoppers with that tough grey skin on the beans.
I have some in the ground and I'm also experimenting with a later sowing in pots to try and extend the season as we all enjoy these vegetables. I chose a Heritage variety, "Crimson Flowered". They are recommended for pots and containers and just look at their beautiful dusky pink pods. They have been in flower for quite a while now and the lower pods are starting to form. I'm hopeful of a reasonable crop, but even if the beans don't amount to much these have earned their place on my patio.
I'm now sitting in the sun for the first time in ages, about to pod some of the previous sowings of broad beans. I had almost forgotten what sun on my skin felt like. This is a reward for hard work at the lottie this morning. Ah...bliss

Arghhh! Bird in the greenhouse!

For the third time this week a stupid bird got stuck in the greenhouse. I've got a bit of a bumper basil crop going on in there at the moment so the last thing I want is it covered in sparrow poo.
The bird is coming in through the autovent then failing to find its way out.
On Sunday Him Indoors sorted it out. On Monday I sent the dog in to chase it out, since I really don't do birds. I hoped that in his usual hyper terrier way he would create a commotion and get it moving, since at that point the bird had actually got itself wedged between some garlic that is propped up to dry in there, and the window. Unfortunately, the dozy hound just stood transfixed in the doorway, staring at it.
Today the in-laws discovered it first and chased it out. If they hadn't been there it could have been stuck all afternoon. Don't fancy our chances of making pesto with the after-effects of 4 hours of panicking sparrow, do you?

Please don't rot...

The garlic isn't looking too good. I gave up waiting for a warm dry day to harvest them and ended up lifting them in the rain last week. Since then they have been on slatted shelves in the garage, but the leaves are not drying out. I have already found three which are starting to rot.
I've got rid of those and shifted the rest into the greenhouse. Can't think what else to do.
Any tips anyone?

Productive at last

Youngest daughter helped me harvest the rest of the Rocket potatoes plus the Arran Pilot today. She immediately claimed them as hers and told everyone she grew them.
The soil they came out of is absolutely beautiful. No waterlogging at all and a fabulous texture. It is so much better than the soil at home - there's really no comparison. It reminded me why it is worth keeping the lottie even in tough spells like the past two months.
Later on I replanted with a row of kohl rabi seed and a row of French Beans. Naturally we had to eat Madam's potatoes for lunch along with pork, lots of roast garlic, and a fabulous salad of beetroot, spring onion, orange and baby broad beans.
Sugar snap peas made a gorgeous appetiser dipped in roast garlic mayo. Nearly everything homegrown.
Despite the rain the garden and lottie are productive at last.

Where to start...?

I think nearly every chance I have had to get to the plot in the last month has been rained off. Everything is growing fantastically but that includes the weeds.
I managed an hour and a half there today between the kids' swimming lesson and the first downpour. I got the red onions out and they look great. Did as much weeding as I could without compacting the soil, gathered some beetroot, strimmed the path and then started harvesting the tates. They're huge but I fear they are going to fall apart in the pan. Full of water. I lifted half a row of Rocket before the rain started. Just another four and a half rows to go!
It was a good amount of work for a short amount of time. But the weeds are still overwhelming. This shot is from the far end of the plot near the compost bins. There's a row of tates in there somewhere, honest ...

Still waiting for someone to "bring on summer"....

Monty Don pronounced at least two weeks ago that if garlic was showing signs of rust it was time to harvest it. I already knew mine was pretty much ready, but Monty's word was, as ever, my command. Trouble is, every chance I had to go to the lottie coincided with it pouring with rain. That's great for the spring sowings but hopeless for onions and garlic which need to be stored.
Today's visit followed that depressingly familiar pattern but I was passed the point of no return by the time it started raining. And here are a few of the Early Purple Wight Garlic which, along with Albigensian Wight and Picardy are now filling four shelves in my garage, waiting till they are ready to plait.
Yes, they are muddy. Yes, they came in wet. And yes, I will have to keep my fingers crossed they dry out and don't rot. But in the back of my car and in the garage too, it now smells like summer no matter what the weather throws at us.
Now what shall I cook to go with the odd bulb of garlic tonight...?