All we seem to be doing at the moment is weeding and harvesting along with fighting a running battle with black flies, ants, aphids, slugs and snails to name but a few. Last night we dug up three roots of Winston potatoes and were very disappointed with them as they had been got at by ants and the dreaded slugs. The yield was poor but we still enjoyed them cut into wedges and baked drizzled with oil and herbs. We planted two melons, Minnesota Midget, in the area vacated by the Winston, and covered them with plastic cloches. Rob also sowed seeds of parsnip, White Gem, and carrot, Autumn King, on plot 18. The cut and come again salad bed is growing faster than we can eat it and some of the plants have bolted which is a shame. I shall sow more thinly next year.

Everything in the lean to and the greenhouse is growing well with loads of flowers and some small fruit forming on the tomatoes and cucumbers. I potted on the last four of the Cucumber, Marketmore seedlings. Rob built another tepee and I planted some Climbing Bean, Cobra, which had been started off in a pot. Cobra are a round podded, black-seeded variety which produce a good crop of dark green, Stringless, tender pods. The plant has attractive violet flowers and is high yielding over a long season.

The strawberries are not producing much fruit and I think it is because we have not been quick enough in removing the runners. I was hesitating as I thought it would be nice to have more plants but Rob says we should have cut them all off bar two on each plant. I think he was right so next week we will do a salvage operation and remove them. It may be too late now but we can try.