Apologies for my lack of words. Grief does funny things to oneself and for me it appears that I just don’t want to speak in an amusing or semi articulate way. I feel that I am just starting to turn the corner, so I’m giving myself permission to start to enjoy life again. So in the essence of that, lets have a chat about the plot.

Firstly I am very grateful for hubby who has kept up with the watering all summer, without him we wouldn’t have anywhere near the amount of crops, fortunately it has been a wetter summer than last year so his workload was lessened a little because of that.

The pumpkins Crown Prince look like they are going to do well for us. I never manage to grow the enormous pumpkins that I see at farm shops and the like, they probably give their pumpkins more muck/manure and water than I give mine, but they suit us well with the size that I do manage to take to the kitchen.

Leeks are doing well, I’m still using some in the freezer so I don’t mind that I’m not using these yet. They will stand well until March or longer depending on how cold the spring is. By that time I will have room in the freezer again which I will then pop the last of this crop into.

The brussels are doing well, no buttons as yet, but the brussel tops look very healthy and tasty.

The savoy cabbage are heartening up. We ate a drum head cabbage the other day, i’m still trying to find the label in the cabbage patch and it was delicious, so I do hope I find it.

Kale is doing well, it always does well. As you know this post is late and we are actually at the end of September, I’ve just been picking the apples and this year we have many small ones. I’ve decided to use them up as a green smoothie with some kale and whatever else I can find with a teaspoon of seed powder which is full of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals to give us a mid morning boost.

We picked a cabbage for Sunday lunch. A fine looking beast. It was very tasty but I think will be even better after a frost.

The tomatoes are doing well, but we are just catching the odd signs of blight, so it looks like it is going to be a race against time this year. Such are the problems of a damp end of summer start of autumn.

Remember the peas I put in as a late summer crop, well that was worth the gamble as they have ripened in good time and were a lovely addition to the menu at this time of year.

The corn is doing well. It was delicious, we have picked it all now and sliced off the kernels and it is happily sitting in the freezer ready for stews and soups during the winter.

Apple and blackberries, I made these into an allotment crumble, a mix of apples, windfall pears from the fierce storm we had which were then taken home and ripened and the last of the blackberries for my Dad for Sunday lunch, he took the leftovers home with him and enjoyed it very much. (he also took sliced beef for sandwiches and another complete Sunday lunch!)

And more cucumbers, we can’t eat these quick enough and give them away to whoever is passing. I’ve warned hubby on pain of death not to buy three plants again. They are nice, but I think I am cucumbered out!