I know it has been a while since I’ve been up to the plot, as does a dearest hubby, so these wonderful fruits and vegetables are due mostly to him. Although I did have a good patch were I was able to do the planting of the seeds, since then I’ve had one flair up after another, I am still in the throes of another flair up which involves maximum pain killers and a sleeping habit that is rotating from four hours a day for a few days which then shifts for a few days to a twelve hour deep sleep that I absolutely need. Grumble, grumble, moan, moan, hey ho!

I have a deep philosophy that there are always people that are worse off than me and I am blessed with a good man, two sons who will if asked if they are wandering about to make me a cup of tea at the dead of night and often will stay a while to chatter about their day, which often involves good, hearty male humour which I find very amusing. We often have the best of chats at midnight even to the point that I have to ask them to go to bed, fearing that they won’t be their best in the morning.

I am seeing my rheumatologist next week, I think we will be looking at a shift in medication, he was looking to change it two months ago, but I asked for one last try, even though the blood tests had revealed that the eight or is it ten month try (I’ve completely forgotten) on methotrexate wasn’t working.

I’ve always said that this blog should be about the best of Mandycharlie, not about her moans and groans but I just wanted to explain about my absence from the plot this year..

So, onto the allotment we shall go, it is still an interest of mine as much of our conversations are about the plot so although I am not there in body I am there through hubby and his endeavors.

Firstly the greenhouse, the tomatoes are looking fine, I’m not sure what we are going to do with all these surplus plants, I think we will be trying them outside in this hot and dry summer to see how they fair.

Remember the globe artichokes that I started from seed a couple of years ago. They are making substantial plants, I am thinking of recipes involving char grilling the hearts, olive oil and garlic.

The runner beans are climbing as we speak. They desperately need rain.

Raspberry canes doing what they do so well. I’ve never regretted planting them they require so little work. A tidy up in the autumn and off they go.

Hubby helped me pick these, he’s bought cream on the way home, they are his very favourite fruit. These fruits are very small compared to previous years, we need rain.

Last of the peas, we only planted one double row this year, (due to all of the above) last year we had three double rows… They are lovely.

Last of the broad beans, we did not get many of the plants, I am putting this down to the very dry weather.

First of the new potatoes,

See how easy they are to peel, just rub them with your thumb when they are this fresh. Which is a good tip when buying them from a market or green grocers/grocers. If the skin doesn’t rub off easily they are not very fresh.

Hubby dug up our shallots, which are not as big as I would have liked, again not enough rain, but they will be sweet and delicious.

These are now stored in wire baskets to continue to dry out. Hints and tips, whenever I end up a the tip (desperately trying to think of the modern name, refuse recyling!) one of my very favourite places, – just call me Stig, (Stig of the Dump, a childrens novel) I look for things that could possibly be of interest. One of these items that are so casually thrown away are wire baskets that people use inside of their fridge. So I open up the old fridges and take the wire baskets and ask how much? Often only pennies but they do such a good job of drying out your shallots and onions.

And lastly a photograph of our second plot. Which hubby has spent hours on tidying up recently, you can just about see the sweetcorn and courgettes growing in the distance.

We do need rain, its desperately dry up at the plot. Its been about six weeks now, vegetables are going to be very expensive if this continues.