Last week was certainly different. High temperatures were forecasted for the beginning of the week, so we decided to make morning visits to the allotment in order to make sure everything was well watered. We hoped that this would give crops a better chance of surviving the heat.

As well as watering we also managed to harvest a few things

The predicted high temperatures materialised with Tuesday, our hottest day, reaching just over 40ºC or 104ºF. We spent the afternoons indoors to keep as cool as possible. It was a bit like going back into lockdown. It was eerily quiet with everyone doing the same as us and not venturing outside.

Once the hot spell had abated we paid a visit to the allotment with some trepidation. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the only noticeable casualty was a self sown nasturtium which hadn’t been watered throughout the dry time.

In the garden, the plants that have suffered most are the astrantias that now have browned, shrivelled flowers.

Some of the blackberry druplets seem to refuse to ripen which has also been a problem in previous years. From my research it would appear that this is caused by a rapid change in temperatures which certainly seems to fit the bill.

The later planted garlic had stopped growing and so I decided to lift a few. As I suspected the bulbs were very small and hadn’t formed cloves, unlike the ones planted at the same time last year which were really good.

In our cold frame at home some brassicas had been waiting for an opportune planting time. At first the allocated bed was very dry so, with heavy rain forecast, we decided to hold them back. The rain never arrived but then the high temperatures were forecast and so we held off planting again. The plants were really suffering, the cabbage white butterflies were using them as egg laying sites and their caterpillars were starting to feed off them. To be honest they were in a sorry state. but on Sunday we decided to plant them out. 

The previous day, Martyn had prepared the enviromesh tunnel and fertilised the bed. When we set off to the allotment it started to drizzle but we decided to keep to plan. 

The bed was still very dry and digging out a planting hole was difficult and so the planting position was watered before digging the hole. I then filled the planting hole with water and added some lime and 6X fertiliser before planting. As the plants had become quite leggy I planted them as deeply as I could and firmed them in. They were then watered again.

As we were about two thirds of the way through it began to rain in earnest but we decided to carry on.  Despite the rain, we kept up the same planting method as the rain was unlikely to soak far into the soil. No doubt we looked stupid watering plants when it was pouring with rain but as everyone else had disappeared no-one was about to view the spectacle.

When we had finished planting, we were soaked to the skin but were glad to have got the job done and were also happy to have had some ‘real’ rain at last. 

At the end of the week, when the temperature had dropped considerably, so much so that we needed to wear a jumper, we managed our weekly visit to Nostell. At times we could easily forget that it is only July as we are confronted with scenes more in keeping with autumn. The wild flower meadows which should be at their peak could more aptly be described as hay meadows.

At least the plants in and around the lake, that don’t rely on rainfall to provide the necessary moisture produced a scene more typical of mid summer.

The cygnets continue to thrive, their wings are developing but they have some way to go before they have magnificent sails like their parents.

Finally, last week’s meals. Now the courgettes are in full production, they are featuring in lots of our meals.

One meal was a turkey and vegetable stroganoff. Again the recipe has disappeared from the internet.  I also forgot to take a photo. In the recipe, I used turkey strips, onion, courgette, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, garlic, stock, parsley and coconut yoghurt.

Another meal was a veggie bake. The vegetables that I used were cauliflower, onion, a yellow and green courgette and some of our parsley.

Details of what we have planted can be seen here. A video of our brassica planting will shortly be posted here. 

Until next week keep safe and well.

Again I am linking to Dave’s Harvest Monday post on his Our Happy Acres blog